VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF RANMA ½ ANIME SERIES SET 6 LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SET

From Media Lab

Zany Comedy And Martial Arts Action Continue In Latest High-Definition Episodes Of The Legendary Anime Series, Available In A Special Blu-Ray Collectable Or Standard Edition DVD Set



VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, prepares a fresh round of RANMA ½ anime episodes for home media release in crisp high-definition with the debut of RANMA ½ Set 6 on June 2nd.

VIZ Media is releasing the gender-bending martial arts action comedy in the original Japanese series order across seven Limited Edition Blu-ray and Standard Edition DVD Box Sets. RANMA ½ is rated TV-14 and is based on the popular manga series originally created by Rumiko Takahashi. Notable bonus features include fan interviews highlighting the RANMA ½ phenomenon and an episode summary booklet.

The RANMA ½ Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set 6 carries an MSRP of $54.97 U.S. / $63.99 CAN. The latest set contains Episodes 116-138 on 3 discs, presented in full 1080p high-definition resolution with the series’ original, un-cropped 4:3 aspect ratio. Subtitled and English dubbed dialogue options are available. The Blu-ray edition also contains a full color art card and a 32-page booklet with individual episode summaries.

Blu-ray bonus features include clean openings and endings as well as series trailers and special “We Love Ranma Part 6 - We Love Working on RANMA ½” and “We Love Ranma Part 7 – We Love Bloopers” segments. The set comes in a gorgeously illustrated chipboard box with embossed foil stamping.

The RANMA ½ Standard Edition DVD Set 6 also features 23 episodes with the original, un-cropped 4:3 aspect ratio, with bonus features that include clean openings and endings and trailers. Subtitled and English dubbed dialogue options are available. The Standard Edition DVD set is available with an MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN.

The mayhem continues in RANMA ½ Set 6! A mysterious young man who uses pantyhose as a weapon steals the Jusenkyo guestbook and kidnaps Akane. In order to save her, Ranma teams up with Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo, but the young man, like Ranma, also undergoes a transformation when splashed with cold water! After that, monsters escape from strange hanging scrolls and cause chaos around town! The only way to stop them is for Ranma to go on a date with a scribbled panda that has also come out of a scroll! Finally, Ukyo stays at the Tendo Dojo to recover from the shock of a ruined okonomiyaki sauce that has been marinating for ten years. Could Ranma, who is acting strangely kind around Ukyo, have something to do with that too?

RANMA ½ manga creator Rumiko Takahashi is one of Japan’s most prolific and respected manga artists and is the creator of several long running series including MAISON IKKOKU, RANMA ½, and INUYASHA – all published in North America by VIZ Media. The spotlight on her prolific career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and also spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another— MAISON IKKOKU ran from 1980 to 1987, RANMA ½ from 1987 to 1996, and INUYASHA from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include MERMAID SAGA, RUMIC THEATER, ONE-POUND GOSPEL, and RIN-NE (all also published in North America by VIZ Media).

For more information on RANMA ½ or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

Japanese Superhero Cinema Invades San Francisco

Source: MediaLab

THE EXOTIC AND ACTION PACKED WORLD OF JAPANESE SUPERHEROES IS EXPLORED IN JULY’S INSTALLMENT OF TOKYOSCOPE TALK AT VIZ CINEMA

NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema offer an intriguing exploration of the exotic world of Japanese superheroes in TokyoScope Talk Vol. 5, taking place at the theatre at 7:00pm on Friday July 9th. Host Patrick Macias, Editor of Otaku USA magazine, will be joined by August Ragone (author, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters) for an in-depth discussion of Japanese superheroes ranging from Ultraman and Kamen Rider to the Power Rangers.

General admission tickets are $10.00. More details and advance tickets available at: www.newpeopleworld.com/films

These and many other colorful crusaders of justice are now recognized the world over as essential icons of Japanese pop culture. But where did they come from? Who created them? And what is it really like battling rubber monsters and the forces of evil on a regular basis?

“TokyoScope Talk Vol. 5: Japanese Superheroes will explore the fascinating history and origins of the action packed world of celluloid superheroes using rare film clips and images from numerous tokusatsu, sentai, and henshin hero productions including Ultra Seven, Kikaida, Space Sheriff Gavan, and many others,” says Macias. “This will be a fun event for anyone who grew up watching Ultraman and Power Rangers as well as for those who are brand new to this unique genre of Japanese filmmaking. We invite superhero fans of all stripes to check out this comprehensive presentation!”

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

About NEW PEOPLE

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.

See Also: Super Gigantic Robot Anime Invades San Francisco This Weekend!

Super Gigantic Robot Anime Invades San Francisco This Weekend!

Source: MediaLab

TOKYOSCOPE TALK VOL. 2: MECHA MANIA –FOUR DECADES OF ROBOT ANIME

VIZ CINEMA HOSTS A UNIQUE PRESENTATION ON THE HISTORY OF SCI-FI ROBOT ANIME AND PRESENTS GUNDAM TRIPLE FEATURE IN SPECIAL ALL-DAY MOVIE MARATHON

VIZ Cinema is pleased to offer a fun-packed weekend of anime as it welcomes Patrick Macias, Editor-in-Chief of OTAKU USA, on Friday April 9th for the latest in his ongoing series of TokyoScope Talks on Japanese cinema and pop media. On Saturday, April 10th, VIZ Cinema offers a special Gundam Movie Marathon. Three feature films featuring the iconic robot will be screened in the theatre, which features 35mm and digital projection and a THX®-certified sound system.

TokyoScope Talk Vol. 2: MECHA MANIA: Four Decades of Slam-Bang Sci-Fi Robot Anime comes to VIZ Cinema on Friday, April 9th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $8.00. Also co-hosting the event will be author and critic Tomohiro Machiyama, who together with Macias wrote Cruising Anime City, (published by Stone Bridge Press) a highly detailed travel guide about Tokyo otaku culture and the anime phenomenon.

“From Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 to Gundam and Voltron to Transformers and Gurren Lagann, giant robots and other fantastic machines and technology, or mecha, are instantly recognizable mainstays of anime,” says Macias. “There’s also a lot of cultural iconography intertwined with these machines and their operators, often presented as heroic warriors in the samurai warrior tradition. I look forward to tracing the nearly 50 year history and evolution of mecha along with some often humorous stories and latest examples. And don’t miss an awesome raffle giveaway featuring some tear-jerking treasures for super mecha fans!”

VIZ Cinema’s Weeknight Anime People makes a special weekend stop with an day-long triple feature of Gundam! General ticket price: $10:00; Combo tickets are $25:00. No further discounts will apply.

Gundam Movie Marathon, Saturday, April 10th – One Day Only!

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie I, 11:00am
Mobile Suit Gundam Movie II: Soldiers of Sorrow, 1:35pm
Mobile Suit Gundam Movie III: Encounters in Space, 4:05pm

VIZ Cinema’s Weeknight Anime People makes a special weekend stop with an afternoon of Gundam! In the year 0079 of the Universal Century, the Earth Federation and its space colonies are engaged in an apocalyptic war. The rebellious Duchy of Zeon, using humanoid fighting machines called Mobile Suits, has all but vanquished the Federation. Now the Federation’s last hope is the prototype Mobile Suit, Gundam. When a twist of fate makes young civilian Amuro Ray the sole-pilot of Gundam, Amuro’s own battle begins – a struggle not only for the Federation’s survival, but for his own. General ticket price: $10:00; Combo tickets are $25:00. No further discounts will apply.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.

Viz Brings 'Mobile Suit Gundam UC' And Other Japanese Movies To New People In San Francisco

Source: MediaLab

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced a variety of notable film screenings, festivals, lectures and other special events to be held throughout the month of March.

Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films:

Vol.1 YAKUZA NIGHT FEVER!

New activities kick off on March 5th with Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films. Come celebrate the launch of Japanese pop culture critic and Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias’s new film/lecture series. Also sponsored by SEGA of America, the evening’s events begin at 6:00pm and will include a lecture on the history of Japanese yakuza (gangster) cinema and the debut of SEGA’s highly anticipated new video game, Yakuza 3, for the PlayStation 3. Tickets are only $10.00.

NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival

VIZ Cinema will present the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival, a special collection of six insightful documentaries each profiling a unique Japanese contemporary artist. The 4-day festival runs March 6th – 9th and features the U.S. theatrical premieres of several films featuring the Neo-Japanese “Hip-Hop-Samurai” painter Hisashi Tenmyouya, the cynical artistic genius of Makoto Aida, and the life and work of master sculptor Katsura Funakoshi. By popular demand, the festival has announced encore showings of three documentaries on artists Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusama, and photographer Daido Moriyama. Summaries of each film and a list of screening times are available at: www.vizcinema.com. Special festival passes are available for $30.00 offer access to ANY screening at ANY time during the festival! General admission tickets for individual films are available for $10.00 each, Senior (+62) and Children (under 12) are $8.

NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival Films Include:

Hisashi Tenmyouya : Samurai Nouveau: 3/6 Sat, 1:00pm & 3/7 Sun, 3:00pm
Makoto Aida : Cynic in the Playground: 3/6 Sat, 3:00pm & 3/7 Sun, 5:00pm
Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze: 3/6 Sat, 5:00pm & 3/8 Mon, 7:00pm
Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara: 3/7 Sun, 7:00pm & 3/9 Tue, 5:00pm
Yayoi Kusama: I Love ME: 3/7 Sun, 1:00pm & 3/9 Tue, 7:00pm
Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo: 3/6 Sat, 7:00pm & 3/8 Mon, 5:00pm

The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki

Don’t miss a rare chance to attend a lecture given Fred Schodt and Beth Cary, the translators of Starting Point: 1979-1996, an autobiography written by Academy Award winning film director and anime visionary, Hayao Miyazaki! Hear some interesting stories of these two recognized experts on anime and manga who spent time with Miyazaki and glean deeper insights into his world of incredible imagination. The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki will be held on March 10th at 7:00pm; tickets are $8.00.

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival

VIZ Cinema also partners with the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival to present Dear Doctor, by award-winning director Miwa Nishikawa (Sway and Wild Berries). Dear Doctor is a drama centering on a physician that goes missing after moving to his post in a remote village with no other doctors. Notable for exposing the complicated human psyche, this touching film plays for one night only on Wednesday, March 17th at 9:15pm. Information and advance tickets ($12.00) are available at the festival website http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2010/.

U.S. Premiere Of Mobile Suit Gundam UC

Anime fans won’t want to miss VIZ Cinema’s just-added week long screening of the Mobile Suit Gundam UC feature film (58 min) running March 19th – 25th. Gundam has been popular for more than 30 years and this brand new story is based on a bestseller written by acclaimed science fiction author Harutoshi Fukui. The film makes a special U.S. debut only one month after its original premiere in Japan and was made possible via a special arrangement with Studio Sunrise.

In the year U.C. 0096, a colony called Industrial 7 is the stage for a young boy named Banagher's encounter with destiny: the white Mobile Suit called the Unicorn Gundam. A mysterious Laplace's Box becomes the basis for a galactic scale battle. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to catch the U.S. theatrical of the latest Gundam movie! Tickets are $8.00; no discounts apply.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com

See Also: It's Namie Amuro vs Gundam In The Music Video For 'Defend Love' / Yoshiyuki Tomino Celebrates 30 Years Of Gundam With 'Ring Of Gundam' / Gundam 00 GN-X 1:144 Scale Model Kit / Gundam SDCC 2008 Exclusive Clear Gundam RX-78 2 Figure / Life Size Gundam Statue Set To Be Erected In Tokyo Park / Japanese Teen Model Akina Minami Appears In A Gundam Costume At Premiere / Could The Japanese Anime Series Gundam Shape Our Future? / Nothing Perks Up A Train Station Like A 3 Meter Tall Gundam Statue / Masamitsu Hidaka To Appear At Anime Expo / Bandai To Replace Defective Gundam DVDs / Gackt To Release A Mobile Suit Gundam Tribute CD

'20th Century Boys 3: Redemption' Has Duel World Premiere in Japan And US

Source: MediaLab

NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, presents a very special world premiere the final chapter of the 20th Century Boys trilogy of live-action films – 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption – this Friday, August 28th at the newly opened VIZ Cinema located in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Japantown. The special world premiere will take place simultaneously with the theatrical release of the film in Japan and will continue to play at the venue through September 3rd. For schedule and ticket information, please visit www.vizcinema.com.

The 20th Century Boys film trilogy is based on a critically-acclaimed manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoki Urasawa that was a national phenomenon in Japan, selling over 24 million copies. Excitement and anticipation for the release of the final chapter has built steadily from fans because the ending of the film is markedly different from the original manga series that inspired it.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system. 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End plays at VIZ Cinema until August 27th (matinee only), while 20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope runs through August 28th.

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and presented in partnership with Nippon Television, the 20th Century Boys saga begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write “The Book of Prophecy.” In the book, they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to take over the world and bring about Doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being led by a man only known as “Friend” has emerged and gained strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur, mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji.

Now in 2019, could the catastrophe written in The New Book of Prophecy be happening for real? What’s the true purpose of Friend’s evil plan? Who’s the real savior to that will stand up against him?

In the final film, the year is Friend Era Year 3 (2017 A.D.) and the World President, Friend, rules humanity. After a deadly virus ravages Tokyo, a wall is built around the city and inhabitants’ lives have been severely restricted. Friend tells everyone that on August 20th, aliens will destroy mankind and only those who believe in him will be saved. But a movement to stop Friend is in motion. Is protagonist Kenji really still alive? What is Friend’s plan for August 20th? Will the mystery behind the true identity of Friend be uncovered? All of the prophecies, schemes and plans will be finally revealed in the saga’s exciting concluding chapter.

See Also: Viz Cinema To Celebrate Grand Opening With 20th Century Boys Premiere / Toho Keeping The Ending To 20th Century Boys A Secret / 20th Century Boys Has A Paris Premiere / A Major PR Event For 20th Century Boys / Viz To Release 20th Century Boys Plus Several Other New Manga Titles In 2009 / 20th Century Boys Teaser Trailer / Filming Begins On 20th Century Boys

Viz Cinema To Celebrate Grand Opening With 20th Century Boys Premiere

Source: MediaLab

VIZ Pictures, a Japanese live-action film distributor and producer of the J-Pop Center Project, will launch the nation’s first movie theatre, VIZ Cinema, devoted exclusively to Japanese films and anime, which will open its doors on August 15th at NEW PEOPLE, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown. The 143-seat subterranean theatre features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination, brings the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores expressed through film, art, fashion, a variety of specialty boutiques from Japan and ongoing monthly events. As a grand feature of the building, VIZ Cinema is designed to give audiences a theatrical experience not available at any other venue in the country.

On August 15th, VIZ Cinema will celebrate its grand opening with a very special regional premiere screening of the first chapter of the 20th Century Boys live-action trilogy, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, and presented in partnership with Nippon Television. Advance tickets go on-sale on Friday, July 31st, and more information is available at www.vizcinema.com.

The first 20th Century Boys film will continue playing at the theatre for the next week, followed by a week-long showing of the second chapter of the trilogy. As an unprecedented event in the Japanese film world, VIZ Cinema will host the world premiere of the third and final chapter of 20th Century Boys on August 28th, presented simultaneously with the national release in Japan.

The 20th Century Boys trilogy is based on the critically-acclaimed manga series created by Naoki Urasawa and was a national phenomenon in Japan, selling over 24 million copies.

VIZ Cinema will schedule a dynamic range of programming based on a new theme each month across a variety of genres. Individual films will change weekly to bi-weekly. The theme for August is "MANGA ATTACK!" and will screen live-action and animated (anime) feature movies based on manga (Japanese comics).

The first anime event will be the U.S. premiere of Bleach The Movie: The Diamond Dust Rebellion for two nights only, August 18th and 19th. Tickets and screening information are available at www.vizcinema.com beginning Friday, July 31st.

The September theme will be "LIFE ≈ ART" with feature films focusing on the pain and passion of an artist’s lifestyle as well as documentaries of world-renowned Japanese pop artists. More details of the September program will be announced early August.

The initial VIZ Cinema roster emphasizes fresh and contemporary films from Japan, a classic film series is forthcoming, and individual theatrical events for several films currently licensed by VIZ Pictures are also planned.

Audiences will have a wide selection of concession snacks to choose from including San Francisco's favorite gourmet coffee brand, Blue Bottle Coffee, and an organic Japanese deli-menu by DELICA complemented with Ito En's artisan Japanese tea selection. A Japanese snack line-up with candy and other unique confections will also be available.

“We will have a variety of really fun events at VIZ Cinema, from DVD release parties and raffles and giveaways, to Q&A sessions and discussion panels to complement screenings, and possibly even some personal appearances by various creators, directors and actors,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the founder/CEO of VIZ Pictures and the founder of VIZ Media as well as the J-pop Center Project. “We want VIZ Cinema to foster a community interested in Japanese popular culture in a variety of forms and film plays an essential part in that mission.”

NEW PEOPLE is a 20,000 square foot contemporary building located at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown (one of only three remaining in the country), an area steeped in more than a century of history. The structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that evokes a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. NEW PEOPLE will offer the latest films, art, and retail brands from Japan. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.