Right Stuf & Nozomi Ent. Stream 1st Season of Maria Watches Over Us, Present Creator Q&A

RIGHT STUF'S NOZOMI ENTERTAINMENT Streams
MARIA WATCHES OVER US – Season 1 at YouTube.com/NozomiEnt
Also presents Q&A with creator Oyuki Konno at mariasama.rightstuf.com

GRIMES, Iowa, September 8, 2010 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment are pleased to announce the first season of MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) will be added to the streamed anime programming found at www.youtube.com/nozomient.

The first episode, “The Troubling Declaration of Sisterhood,” is now available for viewing to fans in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and subsequent episodes will be posted weekly. Each episode, beyond the first two, will stream for a limited time, and all episodes will be presented with Japanese audio and a subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics.

To celebrate the series' streaming premiere, Right Stuf and Nozomi are also unveiling Mari-sama creator Oyuki Konno's answers to fan-submitted questions at the official series site, mariasama.rightstuf.com.

All four seasons of the Maria Watches Over Us anime are currently available on DVD to English-speaking audiences from Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment.

Each set features one complete, uncut season and that season's specials in an art box, along with Japanese audio, English on-screen translations, and two English-language subtitle tracks: one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second, special subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics.

“funny, touching and engrossing” – Anime News Network
“this series is awesome” – Otaku USA
“Very recommended.” – AnimeOnDVD at Mania.com
“Shelf Worthy” – Anime News Network's Shelf Life
“a truly beautiful anime” - Future Anime

The Maria Watches Over Us anime is based upon a series of novels – written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki – that began in 1998 and spans more than 35 volumes. Short stories related to the series have been published in the shoujo (girls') magazine Cobalt, and a manga adaptation was serialized in the anthology magazine Margaret. The series' publisher, Shueisha, produced 14 drama CDs (featuring radio-style plays), and there are also several Internet radio plays.

The anime adaptation of Maria-sama ga Miteru – also referred to by fans as “MariMite” – encompasses two, 13-episode TV seasons, a 5-episode OVA (original video animation) as its third season, and a 13-episode fourth season, which aired on Japanese television during 2009.

Maria Watches Over Us features animation by Studio DEEN (Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Rurouni Kenshin), scripting by Reiko Yoshida (ARIA, Boys Over Flowers, Story of Saiunkoku), and direction by Yukihiro Matsushita (Seasons 1-3; Blue Dragon, Sugar Sugar Rune) and Toshiyuki Kato (Season 4; Full Moon O Sagashite, CODE-E).

Visit mariasama.rightstuf.com for more information about Maria Watches Over Us (Maria-sama ga Miteru), including detailed character profiles, trailers, downloads and more.

ABOUT RIGHT STUF, INC.
Currently celebrating its 23rd 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 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 Right Stuf.com and a variety of media including podcasts and special publications.

Nozomi Entertainment, Right Stuf's production division, is dedicated to the highest quality releases. True to the Japanese word that inspired its name, Nozomi's focus is on “what fans want.” By focusing on a limited number of anime properties each year, the Nozomi production team ensures each release receives the care and attention to detail it deserves.

From anime classics like Astro Boy, Kimba and Gigantor to modern comedies, dramas and favorites such as The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, His and Her Circumstances, Gravitation, Ninja Nonsense, The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye, Emma: A Victorian Romance, Maria Watches Over Us, ARIA, Gakuen Alice, Rental Magica and Junjō Romantica, Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment produce quality programming for fans of all ages and interests. For more information, visit www.rightstuf.com and www.nozomient.com.