VIZ MEDIA’S “JUMP START” INITIATIVE TO DELIVER ENGLISH DIGITAL PREMIERES OF BRAND NEW WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP MANGA SERIES ON THE SAME DAY OF JAPANESE DEBUT

Digital Publishing Campaign Eliminates Time And Distance Barriers To Offer International Fans The Opportunity To Sample Hot New Manga Titles; New Series JUDOS Launches Today!

San Francisco, CA, September 8, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, generates additional synergy between its English language WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP digital manga magazine and the original Japanese print counterpart with the launch of the new “Jump Start” initiative. WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is the world’s premiere manga brand and leading international weekly manga magazine.

Moving forward, VIZ Media will simultaneously premiere the first three chapters (one chapter per week) of every brand new, first-run manga series that appears in the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump in its digital English language edition on the same day of that issue’s general print release in Japan.

The first “Jump Start” title to be featured is the high impact martial arts series – JUDOS – by Shinsuke Kondo, which launches TODAY in the latest issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. Hana Yanagi is just fifteen and aims to be the best judo practitioner in his village – a remote hamlet that just happens to produce the world’s most powerful fighters. Get ready for hardcore over-the-top martial arts action!

VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is also set to feature the English language premiere of Ippei Goto’s new sci-fi crime thriller – HI-FI CLUSTER – beginning in the September 15^th issue, and will offer Yuto Kubota’s sports medicine manga – SPORTING SALT – debuting the September 23^rd issue. Future series premieres will be announced as news becomes available from Weekly Shonen Jump (Japan) publisher and VIZ Media parent company, Shueisha, Inc.

By delivering simultaneous English language access to future series on the same day of their Japanese general release, “Jump Start” seeks to build greater international awareness and support for a new vanguard of compelling titles and manga creators launching in the most widely read weekly manga publication in the world.

VIZ Media encourages WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP members/subscribers to submit their “Jump Start” feedback and thoughts on the new series and chapters by completing the survey that is contained at the end of each digital issue and also at: http://shonenjump.viz.com/website-survey.

“The ‘Jump Start’ initiative begins a new era in digital manga publishing that will give seasoned readers as well as those new to the genre seamless, same-day, simultaneous access like they’ve never enjoyed before to what’s hot and brand new in the world’s most popular manga magazine,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor-in-Chief of VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “‘Jump Start’ gives new titles an important opportunity to develop an international following. Our readers can play a more active role than ever to help VIZ Media and Shueisha discover what new series resonate on an international level and decide what might possibly be featured on a regular ongoing basis.” 

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is published digitally every week by VIZ Media and features the latest installments of some of the world’s most popular manga series released to English readers across North America on the same day as the magazine’s general print release in Japan.

VIZ Media offers North American fans single issues of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP for only $0.99 each. Exclusive 1 Year Memberships are available for only $25.99 and include 48 weekly digital issues as well as special premiums such as Yu-Gi-Oh! Collectable Trading Cards, rare one-shot manga releases, digital-only promotions, and access to additional subscriber-only content including creator interviews and insightful promo videos. (*Note: Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are only available to annual subscribers in the US and Canada.) Current subscribers can also access their accounts via VIZManga.com, the VIZ Manga App, or with the Apple iPad Newsstand App.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is also available to readers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa via the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Newsstand App available for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone and iPod touch or the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP App on the Google Play Store for Android devices. International issues debut each Monday at 10:00am (PST) and monthly subscriptions are available with automatic monthly renewals. Additional information on international subscriptions is available at:http://shonenjump.viz.com/international-wsj-app.

For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit shonenjump.viz.com.

For more information on VIZ Media manga titles, 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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JUDOS © 2014 by Shinsuke Kondo/SHUEISHA Inc.