Viz Media Adds Inuyasha, Nana And Honey & Clover Episodes To Hulu

Source: Media Lab

VIZ Media has announced the availability of the INUYSAHA anime episodes (English subtitled) on Hulu.com beginning today. Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and video clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites, anytime in the U.S. The first 32 episodes of INUYASHA will launch today, with new episodes launching every week. To view INUYASHA please visit Hulu.com.

The launch of the INUYASHA episodes on Hulu is the latest expansion of VIZ Media’s ongoing plan to make available a variety of hit animated series through some of the most innovative web-based video streaming outlets. Hulu provides convenient 24/7 accessibility and offer users the freedom to legally share full-length episodes or clips via e-mail or embed them on other web sites, blogs and social networking pages.

About INUYASHA: Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power they need to come true.

“We’re very excited to launch INUYASHA, which has been a well loved series for many years, on Hulu,” says Ken Sasaki, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. “The availability of these episodes will undoubtedly help continue to grow the online audience for INUYASHA as well as attract many new viewers. INUYSHA joins the many other popular anime series now available on Hulu. We invite fans to visit each week for a new exciting adventure of INUYASHA!”

INUYASHA a hit TV anime series based on the manga is by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for INUYASHA in 2002. Many of the Takahashi titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga. Please visit the new official North American web site for all Rumiko Takahashi-related news and information is located at www.TheRumicWorld.com.

VIZ Media publishes many titles by Rumiko Takahashi including the INUYASHA manga (rated ‘T+’ for older teens), ani-manga (rated ‘T+’ for older teens) and THE ART OF INUYASHA. For more information on the INUYASHA anime (rated ‘T’ for teens) please visit Inuyasha.viz.com. For more information on VIZ Media please visit www.viz.com.

VIZ Media has also announced the availability of the latest in great shojo anime from VIZ Media – NANA and HONEY & CLOVER on Hulu in the US beginning on 7/21/2009. Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites, anytime in the U.S. The first 11 episodes of NANA and the first 12 episodes of HONEY & CLOVER will be included in the Hulu debut.

Based on the popular manga by Chica Umino, HONEY AND CLOVER is a romantic comedy about a group of art school students who try to find their way. But when an innocent and talented 19-year-old girl enters their lives, things get a lot more complicated as love triangles result. For more information on HONEY AND CLOVER please visit dedicated website at HoneyandClover.viz.com.

The NANA anime is based on the popular manga by Ai Yazawa, which has sold over 43 million copies in Japan, and is published in North America by VIZ Media under its SHOJO BEAT imprint. It is considered an all-time best selling shojo title from Japanese publishing giant Shueisha, and was the recipient of the Shogakukan Manga Award in the Girls' category. Its tremendous success further inspired two live-action feature films which are available on DVD in North America from VIZ Pictures

NANA follows the adventures of two girls, both named Nana. While they share the same name, they couldn't be more different. Nana "Hachi" Komatsu follows her boyfriend to Tokyo in the hopes of making a new start, while Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty who has the ambition of making it big in the world of rock and roll. Although these two young women come from different backgrounds, they quickly become best friends while chasing their happiness and dreams. For more information on NANA please visit the dedicated website at Nana.viz.com.

To view NANA (anime is rated ‘M’ for mature) and HONEY AND CLOVER (anime is rated ‘T+’ for older teens) episodes, please visit Hulu.com.

For more information on NANA please visit Nana.viz.com. For more information on HONEY AND CLOVER please visit Honeyandclover.viz.com. For general information on all VIZ Media properties please visit www.viz.com.

Viz Releases Honey And Clover In The US

Source: Viz Media

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, has announced the DVD release of HONEY AND CLOVER this week. The live-action film, directed by Masahiro Takata and based on a best-selling manga series by Chica Umino, features English subtitles and will carry an estimated retail price of $24.98. Special bonus features on the disc include cast interviews, and a dedicated website about the film is available at http://www.honeyandclover.us/.



HONEY AND CLOVER is a romantic comedy that focuses on five college students and the art school they attend. Mayama, Morita and Takemoto (played by J-Pop star Sho Sakurai, who also appeared in HULA GIRLS) aren't necessarily living fancy lives, but they always manage to have fun. When a talented and pretty painter named Hagumi Hanamoto (played by HULA GIRLS star Yu Aoi) enrolls in the program, her presence and unique approach to art affects the entire school and her new friends, especially Takamoto. The plot thickens as Hagumi becomes embroiled in a complicated love triangle as she struggles to find her artistic voice. Takemoto has a deft touch with his art, but he's not at his best with relationships, while Mayama is calm and gentle, and Morita is an eccentric genius and a rootless wanderer. Five one-sided feelings are tangling, with no answer in sight. HONEY AND CLOVER showcases the journey that everyone must take to transform from adolescence into adulthood and the long and challenging road these five young people must navigate to balance the demands of school, work, and love.

HONEY AND CLOVER is based on a bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Chica Umino which has sold more than 5 million copies to-date in Japan. In 2003 the popular series won the 27th Kodansha Manga Hagu Award, Japan's most prestigious comics award. The manga series was also adapted into an animated series in 2005 and finally into the live-action film released in Japan in 2006. HONEY AND CLOVER is currently serialized in SHOJO BEAT Magazine and the graphic novel is available in the U.S., both published domestically by VIZ Media.

“HONEY AND CLOVER won widespread critical acclaim upon its initial release in Japan for the faithful representation of the manga’s original story,” said Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO, VIZ Pictures. “The film also reunites J-Pop star and actor Sho Sakurai with actress Yu Aoi, who won the prestigious Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Kimiko Tanigawa in HULA GIRLS. We are confident that the compelling cast and poignant story that is HONEY AND CLOVER will touch audiences of all stripes."

For more information on HONEY AND CLOVER and other VIZ Pictures films, please visit http://www.viz-pictures.com/. For more information on other DVDs from VIZ Media please go to http://www.viz.com/.

See Also: Viz Media To Unleash A Unique Variety Of Anime Titles At NATPE