ADVENTURE AWAITS WITH VIZ MEDIA’S

FALL 2014 MANGA ACQUISITIONS FROM THE SHONEN JUMP AND VIZ SIGNATURE IMPRINTS

Upcoming Releases Include Debuts Of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, RESIDENT EVIL And ONE PIECE BOX SET 2

San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the acquisition of several thrilling new manga (graphic novel) titles that are scheduled for release beginning in Fall 2014 from the company’s popular Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints.

Fans will want to catch the manga volumes collected in ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 in November, followed by the launch of the alien-in-the-homeroom action comedy ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM in December. Manga master Akira Toriyama, widely known for creating DRAGON BALL, will have the North American release of his newest work, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, in January 2015. The VIZ Signature imprint will also thrill gaming and horror fans with the launch in November of a tie-in manga series taking place in the world of the smash hit RESIDENT EVIL video game.

“Manga fans will have an action-packed array of new titles from our Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints to look forward to this winter,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “There will be plenty to captivate readers, from the crazy carnival ride of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, to the debut of Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL tie-in JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, to high-seas adventure in the new ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 and zombie attacks in RESIDENT EVIL.”

ASSASINATION CLASSROOM and JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN will debut in print and also digitally on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, Android-powered smart phones. They will also be available on the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores

New Shonen Jump Manga Titles

ONE PIECE BOX SET 2: SKYPEIA AND WATER 7 · Rated ‘T’ For Teens ·

MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $185.99 CAN · Available November 2014

Catch all the high seas pirate adventure in the second premium manga box set of ONE PIECE, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! The new set includes Volumes 24-46, which comprise the third and fourth story arcs of the series, Skypiea and Water Seven. Also included are the "Strong World" mini-comic and a full-color double-sided poster.

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM · Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Print & Digital Available December 2014

A humorous and action-packed story about a class of misfits who are trying to kill their new teacher – an alien octopus with bizarre powers and super strength! The teacher has just destroyed the moon and is threatening to destroy the earth – unless his students can destroy him first. What makes things more complicated is that he's the best teacher they've ever had! The bimonthly ongoing series will also be available digitally.

JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN · Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Print & Digital Available January 2015

Akira Toriyama, manga legend and creator of DRAGON BALL and DRAGON BALL Z, is back with the quirky comedy JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN! Retired scientist Omori lives alone on a deserted island while continuing his research into time-travel. His quiet life is interrupted when galactic patrolman Jaco crash-lands and decided to move in with him. Can Jaco get along with the old man long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat? The debut volume features new, bonus DRAGON BALL Z content related to the parents of Goku, the hero of the best-selling manga.

New VIZ Signature Manga Titles

RESIDENT EVIL · Rated ‘M’ For Mature Audiences ·

MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN · Available in Print November 2014

The highly virulent C-virus became a global disaster, but where did the outbreak start? In this five-volume manga prequel to the hit Resident Evil 6 game with story and art by Naoki Serizawa, the terrifying origins are revealed. At the prestigious and elite Marhawa High School in Singapore, a female student suffers a horrifying transformation. Called in to investigate, Professor Doug Wright and his nephew Ricky find themselves caught up in a deadly and growing tragedy. As things get rapidly out of hand, Chris Redfield and his team from the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance arrive on the scene, while behind it all a mysterious figure looms.

For more information on these or other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.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 digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP 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.

###