VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE SIMULTANEOUS LAUNCH OF BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2

Return To The Elite Eitoku Academy As Creator Yoko Kamio’s Bestselling Manga Series Returns With A Fresh Cast And Brand New Stories; Series Launches Digitally For FREE

San Francisco, CA, February 9, 2015 – VIZ Media has announced the simultaneous FREE digital launch on February 14^th of BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2. The new series marks the return of creator Yoko Kamio to her seminal shojo manga (graphic novel) drama about the students of the elite Eitoku Academy.

In Japan, Shueisha will launch a special free, bi-weekly digital serialization of the new BOYS OVER FLOWERS manga series via its Jump+ manga platform beginning on February 15^th. VIZ Media also will feature each new chapter in English (for FREE) digitally simultaneous with the Japanese debut on the VIZManga platform – available for a limited time. The English edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP, which is published digitally by VIZ Media, will feature the first 3 chapters of BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2 as part of the Jump Start initiative beginning with the February 16^th issue. WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is available to fans across North America and also internationally to English readers in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Visit www.shonenjump.com for access and more information.

BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2 chapters also will be available through the ComiXology digital platform and for the Amazon Kindle. Please check other VIZ Media partner platforms for possible additional availability.

Manga fans are encouraged to help spread news of the launch of BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2 and share the announcement directly from VIZ Media’s official postings on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/VIZMedia). As soon as the news has been re-posted at least 200 times, VIZ Media will make a second special announcement about BOYS OVER FLOWERS!!

Twelve years after the conclusion of the original serialization of BOYS OVER FLOWERS (with over 61 million copies sold worldwide), Yoko Kamio delivers BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2, the sequel to the smash hit romantic-comedy series. Set two years after the legendary F4 group graduated, the new series follows the next generation of characters at Eitoku Academy.  

“We're excited to begin the next chapter of the timeless BOYS OVER FLOWERS series in a way that makes it easily available to a whole new generation of readers,” says Eric Eberhardt, Director, Digital Publishing Marketing. “By releasing chapters of BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2 for free and simultaneously with Japan, we hope to bring people around the world closer together through their love of manga!”

VIZ Media published the original 36-volume BOYS OVER FLOWERS manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) in English as well as the BOYS OVER FLOWERS: JEWELRY BOX series epilogue (also rated ‘T’ for Teens). BOYS OVER FLOWERS drew wide acclaim for its story about a working class student trying to fit in at an elite boarding school and helped to create widespread interest in shojo manga among readers across North America, which has continued to grow substantially over the last decade. The series remains available in print as well as digitally.

For more information on BOYS OVER FLOWERS or other manga titles available 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 ONE PIECE, 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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