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Viz Press Release Extravaganza!

MAGICAL POKEMON JOURNEY, JOURNEY 3: ABRA & KADABRA MAGIC
GRAPHIC NOVEL

San Francisco, CA (5/29/2001)—Viz Comics is proud to announce the August 2001 release of Magical Pokémon Journey, Journey 3: Abra & Kadabra Magic, the first shôjo Pokémon manga!

Magical Pokémon Journey is the first Pokémon shôjo (girl's) manga, with super-cute art and a plot focused on humor and character relationships rather than battling Pokémon. Hazel has a crush on Pokémon trainer Almond, but all Almond loves is catching Pokémon. But because of her friendly nature, the Pokémon like Hazel more! Then, after trying everything to attract Almond, Hazel accepts a proposal by her wizard grandfather who promises to make her a love potion if she collects Pokémon for him! Before long, Hazel is on a Pokémon quest to win the heart of Almond, and making lots of new friends along the way! With tons of cute Pokémon for the kids, and plenty of witty humor for older fans, Magical Pokémon Journey is one comic everyone can enjoy.

In This Volume: Wal (short for "Walnut") is an aspiring ninja Pokémon trainer, following in the footsteps of his role model Koga. But with a mentality of style over substance, Wal hasn't mastered any techniques and can only lay claim to dressing like a ninja! Even worse, the trainer has become the trainee when Wal's Ditto takes on the role of his ninja master! Can Ditto knock some practical knowledge into Wal's thick skull before he gets into real trouble? Plus, Almond observes a day in the life of Jigglypuff; Hazel finds an Abra; Coconut's love cookies backfire, and much more!

Magical Pokemon Journey, Journey 3 is written and drawn by Yumi Tsukirino. It is 176 pages long, squarebound, and retails for $13.95 in the U.S.A. and $21.50 in Canada.

INU-YASHA VOL. 9
GRAPHIC NOVEL
San Francisco, CA (5/29/2001)—Viz Communications proudly announces the August 2001 release of Inu-Yasha, Vol. 9, the latest collection of Rumiko Takahashi's immensely popular time-travelling horror/action series.

When high-school student Kagome is transported back in time to Japan's feudal era, she accidentally releases the feral half-demon dog-boy Inu-Yasha from his imprisonment for stealing the "Jewel of Four Souls." But after a battle with fearsome demons, the jewel has been shattered and its countless shards scattered over all Japan. Now, bound together by a spell, Inu-Yasha and Kagome must join forces to reclaim the jewel and its terrifying powers from demons and mortals alike who would use it as a tool of unspeakable evil.

In This Volume: When Kagome discovers severed human heads that have no visible cuts in them floating downstream, everyone agrees that it must be the foul work of demons. But when the group comes across a hideous tree that grows talking heads they tell not of a demon, but an evil hermit master that harvests villagers as ingredients in a life extension elixir! Can Inu-Yasha and the group defeat his powerful magic, or will they become more victims in his vie for immortality? Then, Kagome learns of a group that exterminates demons as a way of life and supposedly created the Shikon Jewel. But while searching for their whereabouts, Kagome is reminded of how little she, or anyone else, actually knows about the Shikon Jewel.

Inu-Yasha, Vol. 9 is written and drawn by Rumiko Takahashi. It is 200 pages long, squarebound, and retails for $15.95 in the U.S.A. and $24.95 in Canada.

NO NEED FOR TENCHI!
GRAPHIC NOVEL VOL. 10: MOTHER PLANET

San Francisco, CA (6/4/2001)—Viz Comics proudly announces the September 2001 release of No Need For Tenchi! Vol. 10: Mother Planet, starring the entire cast (and then some) of the hit anime series Tenchi Muyô! in an all-new adventure!

Tenchi Muyô! is one of the biggest anime hits of the last decade, with three separate Japanese TV series, three full-length animated movies, and dozens of OAVs, all of which have been released in the U.S. The comic series is one of the longest-running manga currently in America, still going strong since 1996. With a successful run on Cartoon Network's Toonami anime block, Tenchi fans can be sure that their favorite series is here to stay!

Science fiction comedy and teenage romance based on the anime series from Pioneer! It all started when high school student Tenchi Masaki freed the alien pirate Ryoko from her captivity on Earth. Soon enough, her friends and enemies alike showed up: alien princesses Ayeka and Sasami, mad scientist Washu, ditzy space cop Mihoshi, and many more! Surrounded by beautiful, feuding alien women, Tenchi is either the luckiest or most miserable boy on Earth! Contains all of No Need For Tenchi!, Part 10.

In This Volume: A vacation to the beach is cut short when a local resident is assaulted while protesting a development agency's plan to build an aquatic amusement park. The woman claims that a great sea god will curse those who defile the shore, so Sasami and Ryoko decide to make this prophecy come true. But when Washu gets involved, will an already ludicrous situation get even more out of hand? Then, the royal mothers of Ayeka and Sasami come to Earth to visit their daughters! Prepare for assassination attempts, the secret of why Ayeka doesn't look like Sasami and monkeys! Lots of monkeys!

No Need For Tenchi! Vol. 10: Mother Planet is written and drawn by Hitoshi Okuda. It is square bound, b&w, 184 pages long and retails for $15.95 in the U.S.A. and $24.95 in Canada.

VIDEO GIRL AI
DVD VOLUME 1

San Francisco, CA (6/4/2001)—She came straight out of the television and into our hearts! Viz Video is proud to bring you the September 2001 release of Video Girl Ai, DVD Vol. 1, the first three-episode installment that takes everyone's favorite video girl straight from analog into the digital realm!

High school student Yota Moteuchi has a nickname among his classmates: "Dateless." That doesn't stop him from falling in love with his gentle and beautiful classmate Moemi, who breaks his heart when she tells him that she is dating Yota's best friend, the immensely popular Takashi. Heartbroken, depressed and confused, Yota happens upon a mysterious video store, Gokuraku, while wandering the streets one night. Having rented a video starring cute young idol Ai Amano, Yota slips the cassette into the player only to have Ai leap out of the television and into his lap! Now, with a real-life video girl living in his house, Ai is dedicated to improving naïve Yota's love life whether he wants it or not!

In This Volume: While Yota Moteuchi's parents are away, this lucky teen has his entire spacious house to himself. But there is a downside to living alone in Tokyo with no parents around—for one thing, it's awfully lonely. A day of fun with Moemi, the girl Yota likes, seems like just the thing to whisk his loneliness away, but only until she tells him about her crush on another boy at school. Heartbroken, Yota rents an adult video from the mysterious video store Gokuraku starring cute young idol Ai Amano. With the flip of a switch and the whir of the tape player's motor Ai appears on the television…then she jumps off the screen and into Yota's lap! Now, with Ai living in his house, Yota is going to get a lesson in love he sorely needs! Then, an afternoon on the town with Ai brings her and Yota closer together. But can Yota simply forget Moemi even though he has a real-life video girl to comfort him?

Series creator Masakazu Katsura is popular worldwide for his manga stories Shadow Lady and D.N.A. 2, and also for his striking character designs for anime projects such as Iria: Zeiram the Animation. The Video Girl Ai animation features character designs by Takayuki Goto (Blue Seed, Please Save My Earth), and an original screenplay by Satoru Akahori (Sorcerer Hunters). Video Girl Ai, DVD Vol. 1 is produced by Viz Video and distributed by Pioneer. It is approximately 78 minutes long and retails for $29.95 in the U.S.A.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, BOOK 5
GRAPHIC NOVEL

San Francisco, CA (6/4/2001)—Viz Comics proudly announces the September 2001 arrival of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Book 5, the fifth graphic novel collection of one of anime and manga's most acclaimed series. The psychologically driven science fiction series that revolutionized anime on Japanese television, available on VHS from A.D.V. Films, is now available in manga form in both regular format and a "Special Collector's Edition," with the pages reading from right-to-left as in the original Japanese series.

>From the biggest anime phenomenon of the 1990s! In 2015, Earth faces a terrifying last judgment from mysterious giant "Angels." To combat the Angels in all their various shapes and sizes, the secret organization NERV creates the Evangelions—massive humanoids that can only be piloted by a select few teenagers. Now, with technology on their side, NERV will defy prophecy and battle the forces of heaven with the fate of mankind in the balance! Written and drawn by renowned Gainax character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a science fiction thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Collects the stories from Neon Genesis Evanglion, Part 5 in its entirety.

In This Volume: Shinji returns home to find that Asuka is moving in! During the celebratory party, Kaji and an inebriated Misato take a walk only to be reminded of yesterday's ghosts. Then, for the first time in years, Shinji observes the anniversary of his mother's death. But when Shinji sees his father at the graveyard, will the experience bring the two closer together, or widen the gap? Meanwhile, high above the Earth, the tenth Angel begins its assault on NERV headquarters by dropping pieces of itself on Tokyo-3. Can Misato's "Hail-Mary" plan of attack with all three Evas dispatch this threat before it drops its entire body onto Tokyo-3? Also, a power failure at NERV headquarters cripples operations for a few hours—long enough for a spy to learn the base's layout. When all signs point to Kaji, Misato goes looking for him only to find out some things about her former fling, and NERV, she may not have wanted to know.

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is the character designer for The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia of Blue Water, and many other anime, illustration and art projects. His latest book, Der Mond, will be released in America by Viz Comics in 2001. Neon Genesis Evangelion is his only full-length manga series to date. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Book 5 is written and drawn by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. It is squarebound, b&w, 192 pages long and retails for $15.95 in the U.S.A. and $24.95 in Canada. Also available in "Special Collector's Edition" format, with the pages reading from right-to-left.

FUSHIGI YÛGI, VOL. 5: RIVAL
GRAPHIC NOVEL

San Francisco, CA (6/4/2001)—Viz Comics proudly announces the September 2001 graphic novel release of Fushigi Yûgi, Vol. 5: Rival, the fifth collected edition of Yû Watase's immensely popular shôjo masterpiece now running in Animerica Extra! Also seen in the animated series available from Pioneer—part The Neverending Story, part The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and part teenage romance, this is the story of two normal Tokyo teenagers thrust into a fantastic adventure they will never forget!

When best friends Miaka and Yui open an ancient Chinese book, they find themselves transported inside the story by some mysterious force! Trapped in the Universe of the Four Gods, a parallel world strangely like ancient China, Miaka is at a loss (no fast food?) until she is identified as a prophesized priestess from another world. But for both girls, the journey has just begun. As the priestess of legend, Miaka must travel the land searching out the seven Celestial Warriors—dashing mercenary Tamahome, emperor Hotohori, petulant would-be empress Nuriko, and others—to summon the power of Suzaku, fulfill her wish, and find true love.

In This Volume: Miaka's search for the last celestial warrior brings her and her escorts back to Tamahome's home village. After healing Tamahome's father of illness, an agent of Qu-Dong attacks Miaka, but a flute-playing warrior comes to her aid—the seventh warrior of Suzaku, Chiriko! With all the celestial warriors accounted for, Miaka heads back to Hong-Nan to plan Tamahome's return. But Yui, jealous of Miaka and love struck for Tamahome, doesn't want to give up the warrior without a fight. When Miaka travels to the appointed meeting spot to take Tamahome back to Hong-Nan, all she finds is a group of soldiers waiting for her with Yui in command! Has Tamahome sold out Miaka?

A manga artist for over ten years, Watase's debut came in 1989 at the age of 18 when her short story Pajama de Ojama appeared in the monthly Shôjo Comics manga anthology. Since then she has written and drawn some 50 different short stories and long-running manga series, including the fantastically popular Fushigi Yûgi, available in English from Viz Comics. At her first American convention, Anime Expo '98, Watase was greeted by applause from hundreds of fans during the opening ceremonies, and again in 1999 at the Animazement convention in North Carolina. Her works have provided the basis for two television series, an OVA series, anime soundtrack CDs, and a string of novels. Fushigi Yugi, Vol. 5 is written and drawn by Yû Watase. It is square bound, b&w, 200 pages long and retails for $15.95 in the U.S.A. and $24.95 in Canada.