Crazy, But True: Kannagi (Crazy Shrine Maidens) DVD Vol.1 (ep 1-7) Goes on Sale Today and Starts Streaming at ANN

Crazy, but true! KANNAGI (Crazy Shrine Maidens) DVD Vol.1 (ep 1-7) goes on sale today and starts streaming at ANN!

July 16, 2009 – Today Bandai Entertainment Inc. announced, streamed and began selling on DVD the anime series Kannagi (Crazy Shrine Maidens) which is subtitled in English and was licensed from Aniplex Inc.

Kannagi (Crazy Shrine Maidens) is based on the manga by Eri Takenashi and the anime is directed by Yutaka Yamamoto whose previous credits include directing the fan favorites The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star. The anime adaptation is produced by A-1 Pictures and first aired in October, 2008 in Japan.

The story centers on Nagi, the local deity spirit of the town of Kannagi, who takes physical form when Jin Mikuriya carves a wooden statue of her from a sacred tree. Nagi's mission is to cleanse the impurities that plague the land, but since her sacred tree has been cut down, she needs Jin's help. Nagi is reunited with her sister, Zange, who happens to have converted to Catholicism and has become a local celebrity taking confessions on the street at night. Nagi needs people to worship her to regain her status.

“We are working with Anime News Network on the streaming and the DVD will be sold exclusively at Rightstuf.com and Amazon Marketplace and will also be available to purchase at Otakon this weekend,” said Ken Iyadomi, President of Bandai Entertainment Inc. “We hope fans will support our effort to bring this series to them on the day we announced the acquisition.”

Iyadomi elaborated: “This is our way of answering the challenges of a changing marketplace to see how streaming episodes helps DVD and we are making both available at the same time to beat bootleggers who are hurting the industry just as much as the illegal downloaders.”

“North American anime companies have suffered unexpected heavy returns from general market retailers in recent years but if we can sell moderate quantities exclusively online where no sales returns exist, I believe we can acquire more anime for the US market to be released in this pattern. This is a very different business model and a new challenge,” concluded Iyadomi.

Fans who purchase Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 before September 8th from Rightstuf or Amazon Marketplace will receive an exclusive Kannagi T-shirt in a size of their choice (S, M, L, XL, XXL). This limited, exclusive t-shirt will not be made available anywhere else. Vol. 2 will be released in September.

Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 will be made available as a 2-set edition for the general market sometime next year.

Bandai Entertainment will be joining Aniplex Inc. celebrating Kannagi at Otakon this with Kannagi director Yamamoto-san who is a guest of Otakon.

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT

www.nagisamafanclub.com

ABOUT BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT
Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include Code Geass Lelouch of Rebellion, Gurren Lagaan, Gundam 00, Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gundam Seed Destiny, My Hime, and many more.

ABOUT ANIPLEX
ANIPLEX Inc. (headquartered in Tokyo, Japan) is a leading provider of anime content and music production and distribution in Japan. Established as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. n 1995, as a joint-venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., it became ANIPLEX, Inc. in 2003 after the company became a subsidiary completely owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. ANIPLEX Inc. has introduced a variety of properties, including such hits as “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X),” “R.O.D – THE TV-,” “BLOOD+,” all of which are licensed and distributed worldwide. The company launched ANIPLEX of AMERICA in Los Angeles, CA in 2004 to handle licensing and co-production business in North and Latin America. In 2005, the company established A-1 Pictures, currently the largest and most technically advanced animation studio in Japan.

ABOUT RIGHT STUF, INC.
Currently celebrating its 21st year in business, Right Stuf, Inc. was one of the first players in the U.S. Japanese Animation ("anime") industry, as both an anime producer/distributor (Nozomi Entertainment) and a retailer. Right Stuf works to promote knowledge of its own products, as well as the anime and manga industry, in general, through its online storefront at RightStuf.com and a variety of media, including podcasts and special publications. For more information, visit www.rightstuf.com and www.animetoday.com.

ABOUT ANIME NEWS NETWORK
Founded in 1998, Anime News Network is the leading English source of up to date news on the anime and manga industries. From the in-depth coverage, analysis and commentary to the unparalleled resources of the online anime Encyclopedia, AnimeNewsNetwork.com is the most popular anime website in the world, in any language. Anime News Network also owns and operates the print publication Protoculture Addicts, the oldest English anime magazine still in publication. More information is available at www.animenewsnetwork.com/faq. Advertisers wishing to reach Anime News Network's target market of well-educated young adults can inquire directly at [email protected].