A NEW GENERATION, A NEW DESTINY
Viz Media Announces Unprecedented Multimedia Campaign To Provide Near Simultaneous U.S.-Japan Release Of New NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Animated Episodes For Free On
www.Naruto.com
San Francisco, CA, NOVEMBER 17, 2008 – Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced an innovative and unprecedented multimedia plan to provide near-simultaneous Japan-U.S. release of NARUTO, one of the most popular Japanese animated and manga properties in the world. This campaign is the latest expansion of Viz Media's ongoing strategy to utilize the web to its maximum potential to stream a variety of hit animated properties.
Beginning on January 15th the latest episode of the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (English-subtitled) animated series will be available for free viewing on the ultimate destination for anything NARUTO – the official NARUTO website,
www.Naruto.com, within days of its original airdate in Japan. A new English-subtitled episode will be added every Thursday thereafter.
On January 2nd, Viz Media will also debut, for free, 8 uncut, English-subtitled episodes from the beginning of the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN series on
www.Naruto.com. Each Friday thereafter there will be an additional 8 uncut, English-subtitled episodes added on Naruto.com until the series eventually catches up to the current third season of the hit program. Also, coming this week, an exclusive sneak peek of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (English-subtitled) debuting on Naruto.com.
On the manga (graphic novel) side, Viz Media has unveiled an accelerated publishing schedule for upcoming editions of the best-selling Naruto manga series, making them available to North American audiences sooner than ever before offered by Viz Media. Beginning in February 2009, 11 new volumes of NARUTO will be released over 3 months, moving the series from Volume 34 (February 2009) to Volume 44 (April 2009) before returning to a quarterly release schedule beginning with Volume 45 (July 2009). First print-run editions of the volumes released in March and April will include a special promotional item – bookmark or sticker.