VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF THE

HIGH FLYING NINJA ACTION OF

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS

ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

The World’s Most Popular Ninja Returns In A Brand New Anime Feature Film And Faces Down A Dangerous Airborne Menace!

San Francisco, CA, September 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, is proud to announce the DVD and Blu-ray release of the latest NARUTO feature film on October 25^th.  NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS will be the first Blu-ray release from the international anime franchise to hit North American shores, and is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and priced at $24.98 (Blu-ray) and $19.98 (DVD) in both the U.S. and Canada.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS is packed with dynamic action and visually stunning fight scenes, giving devoted fans and newcomers alike a chance to experience NARUTO SHIPPUDEN like never before! In the movie, a group of mysterious flying ninja have arrived from overseas to launch a sudden attack against the Hidden Leaf Village, leaving behind a wake of destruction. The group is revealed to be the “Sky Ninja” from the Land of Sky, a nation thought to have been destroyed by the Hidden Leaf Village long ago. To save their village, Naruto and his friends set out to stop this new threat. During the course of the mission, Naruto crosses paths with Sasuke, his friend who has parted ways from the Leaf Village.

“This is the second feature film in the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN story arc and fans won’t want to miss even a second of the high flying ninja action in this latest anime adventure!” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “October will be a month full of NARUTO fun as VIZ Media plans a special U.S. theatrical premiere of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS during New York Comic Con and also celebrates the birthday of the world’s most popular ninja the same month. Look for this latest release coming soon to retailers nationwide!”

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

More information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.