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Viz Media Announces Anniversarry Edition of Shonen Jump

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE

Top Selling Manga Anthology Celebrates Third Birthday with Special January Issue

San Francisco, CA, December 6, 2005 – Viz Media, LLC. (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, has announced that the January 2006 edition of SHONEN JUMP will be its biggest issue ever — commemorating the third anniversary of North America's most successful monthly manga anthology. The issue hits newsstands and bookstores nationwide on December 6.

The special issue will run a massive 392 pages, the largest ever for the magazine, and include a highly desired “Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon” YU-GI-OH! trading card, courtesy of Upper Deck Entertainment and Konami. In addition to the latest chapters of regularly featured SHONEN JUMP serials like NARUTO and ONE PIECE, this edition will offer a lengthy 55-page sneak peek of GIN TAMA, a new sci-fi series by Hideaki Sorachi currently being serialized in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump. Set during the late nineteenth century, in a Japan that has been overrun by aliens called Amanto, GIN TAMA depicts the humorous adventures of a wacky samurai, his unfortunate sidekick, and an indestructible teenage girl. They are all "freelancers" who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, though the bill usually remains unpaid by the end of the story. Mishaps, mayhem and laughs abound in this fun series.

Rounding out the anniversary issue is a special focus on HUNTER X HUNTER, the newest manga from the creator of YUYU HAKUSHO published by Viz Media; a big feature on how the Naruto manga was transformed into an anime series, which is now top-rated on Cartoon Network; and a never-before-published drawing lesson by YU-GI-OH! creator and artist Kazuki Takahashi.

Since its debut in 2003, SHONEN JUMP magazine has built a devoted and growing reader base with a current monthly paid circulation rate of 180,000. Circulation is expected to rise to 200,000 in 2006. The monthly anthology is the North American counterpart of the popular Japanese weekly of the same name and features the serialized adventures of NARUTO, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Shaman King, Yū Yū Hakusho and Hikaru no Go.

“We are very excited to commemorate the third anniversary of SHONEN JUMP and want to thank our loyal readers with this very special issue,” states Yumi Hoashi editor-in-chief and vice president of magazines for Viz Media. “The circulation of the magazine continues to increase at an unprecedented rate, confirming the tremendous popularity of the manga genre. SHONEN JUMP has served as the launching pad for numerous titles like NARUTO, YUYU HAKUSHO and THE PRINCE OF TENNIS that are now also published as their own popular manga series. Combined with SHOJO BEAT, our new sister publication, we are committed to remaining the leading publisher of the most diverse and unique monthly manga anthologies in North America.”

About Viz Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha, Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co, Ltd. (Sho-Pro Japan), Viz Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.

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