THE KILL OR BE KILLED SAGA OF BATTLE ROYALE CONTINUES AS VIZ MEDIA RELEASES NEW MANGA ONE-SHOT BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER

Creator Of Original BATTLE ROYALE Novel Koushun Takami Returns With The Graphic Full Story Of The Girls In The Lighthouse

San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the release on June 17^th of BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER, a new one-shot manga (graphic novel) written by Koushun Takami, author of the original BATTLE ROYALE novel. 

BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER debuts in print from the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. The new single-volume release reveals for the first time in graphic novel form the full story and grisly demise of the girls in the lighthouse that was so memorably featured in the original BATTLE ROYALE book and live-action film. BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER features artwork by Mioko Ohnishi and Youhei Oguma.

A digital version will also launch for $8.99 (USD/CAN) on June 17^th on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

Author Koushun Takami’s notorious literary thriller, BATTLE ROYALE, possessed an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan – where it then proceeded to become a runaway best seller – Battle Royale has become a Lord of the Flies for the 21^st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world.

In BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER, most of the students from Shiroiwa Junior High scatter as soon as they reach the remote island where they must participate in the latest round of the Program. But Yukie Utsumi and five of her friends lock themselves in the lighthouse, clinging to a desperate hope of survival. They all trust each other, but they also know that only one can survive the Battle Royale…

“The infamous BATTLE ROYALE lighthouse scene depicted in the film and novel shocked and mesmerized audiences as the girls experienced their own microcosm of joy, love, betrayal and ultimately death,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER is author Koushun Takami’s first new work since the publication of his groundbreaking and controversial novel more than a decade ago. It notably expands the BATTLE ROYALE saga in a new way with the story of Yukie Utsumi and the other girls, whose distinct personalities and tragic nature of their deaths made such an indelible impression in the original story.”

Koushun Takami was born in 1969 in Amagasaki near Osaka. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he worked for a newspaper company, Shikoku Shinbun, for five years, reporting on politics, police reports, and economics. He also attended Nihon University’s liberal arts correspondence-course program and acquired an English teaching certificate for junior high and high school.

BATTLE ROYALE was completed after Takami left the newspaper company and remains his only published novel. Upon its release in Japan in 1999, it received widespread notoriety and became an international bestseller and has been translated into more than ten languages. BATTLE ROYALE was also adapted into a manga comic and made into a feature film in 2000. The property continues to be a worldwide cult favorite among pop culture, literary, film, and manga circles.

VIZ Media recently marked the 15^th Anniversary of BATTLE ROYALE’s original release with BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED (MSRP: $16.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN). Published under its Haikasoru literary imprint, it features a brand new translation of the original novel along with new cover art by Tomer Hanuka and an afterword by author Koushun Takami. The BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK (MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN) is also available from Haikasoru and presents an insightful collection of essays by some of the most important writers of popular fiction on the impact of the novel, related films and manga series on pop culture and the controversy and continuing social debate that has surrounded BATTLE ROYALE ever since its release.

For more information on BATTLE ROYALE and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit: www.haikasoru.com.

For more information on manga titles published by 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.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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© 2012 KOUSHUN TAKAMI / MIOKO OHNISHI / YOUHEI OGUMA / AKITASHOTEN