VIZ MEDIA EXPANDS MANGA CATALOG WITH THE PUBLISHING ACQUISITION OF SHOJO SERIES

IDOL DREAMS AND QQ SWEEPER

Famed Manga Creator Arina Tanemura Offers A Story Of A Woman’s Chance At Pop Music Stardom In IDOL DREAMS; QQ SWEEPER Delivers Supernatural High School Drama From The Creator Of DENGEKI DAISY

San Francisco, CA, February 9, 2015 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, expands its substantial shojo manga (graphic novel) catalog with the announcement of the acquisition of two new titles – IDOL DREAMS, by famed creator Arina Tanemura, and QQ SWEEPER, by creator Kyousuke Motomi.

Both of the new series will be published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint and will launch in print and also digitally via VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App. The titles also will be available from select VIZ Media content partners’ digital platforms. QQ SWEEPER is set to debut in October; IDOL DREAMS will launch in November.

Shojo manga artist Kyousuke Motomi previously captivated readers with BEAST MASTER as well as the bestselling series DENGEKI DAISY (both available from VIZ Media), and she returns this fall with the supernatural high school drama QQ SWEEPER.      

IDOL DREAMS creator Arina Tanemura is widely celebrated among legions of manga fans for her previous series FULL MOON and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † (both available from VIZ Media). With IDOL DREAMS she delivers a captivating story in which a career woman radically transforms her physical appearance into her teenage self with the aid of an experimental drug to seize the missed chances of her youth.

“We’re extremely excited to announce the addition of these great new series from two of the biggest names in shojo manga,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Shojo Beat Senior Editor. “Readers will definitely want to add Kyousuke Motomi’s paranormal romantic adventure, QQ SWEEPER, as well as Arina Tanemura’s IDOL DREAMS, about a woman who gets a second chance to relive her youth and become a star, to their manga reading lists this Fall and Winter!”

IDOL DREAMS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Debuting November 2015

At age 31, office worker Chikage Deguchi feels she missed her chances at love and success. When word gets out that she’s a virgin, Chikage is humiliated and wishes she could turn back time to when she was still young and popular. She takes an experimental drug that changes her appearance back to when she was 15. Now Chikage is determined to pursue everything she missed out on all those years ago – including becoming a star!

Creator Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. She gained fame with the 1997 publication of I•O•N, and ever since her debut Tanemura has been a major force in shojo manga with popular series such as Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, TIME STRANGER KYOKO, FULL MOON, and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †. Both Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne and FULL MOON were adapted into popular anime TV series. I•O•N, TIME STRANGER KYOKO, FULL MOON and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † are published in English by VIZ Media.

QQ SWEEPER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Debuting October 2015

Kyutaro Horikita, the tall, dark and handsome cleaning expert of Kurokado High, is about to meet a sleeping maiden at the school: transfer student Fumi Nishioka! Fumi’s going to learn how to rid the school of nasty spirits with Kyutaro’s help, and her heart will surprisingly be “cleansed” too...! In the old campus of their school, a mysterious room has a door that beckons Fumi, even though she shouldn’t even be able to see it! Kyutaro goes in after her, but will he be able to save her before she gets devoured by otherworldly creatures?

Manga creator Kyousuke Motomi debuted in the Japanese shojo manga anthology, Deluxe Betsucomi with Hetakuso Kyupiddo (No-Good Cupid) in 2002. She is the creator of Otokomae! Biizu Kurabu (Handsome! Beads Club) as well as the popular series, DENGEKI DAISY and BEAST MASTER (both are published in English by VIZ Media).

For more information on IDOL DREAMS, QQ SWEEPER, or other 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 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.

###