FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER 11 RELEASES

HOUSTON, July 9, 2007 —ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime outside of Japan, is pleased to bring you a slew of great titles spanning multiple genres.  The first volume of Xenosaga, the third volume of Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy, the sixth volume of Guyver, the final volume of Best Student Council and the live-action double-pack collection of Dark Water/Princess Blade will all be available on September 11.    

XENOSAGA

ENTER THE GNOSIS

The RPG Classic Comes To Anime!

ADV Films is pleased to bring you the epic science-fiction adventure based off the beloved video game trilogy.  The first volume of Xenosaga will be available on September 11!

From acclaimed studio Toei Animation (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Air Gear) comes a 12 episode series that gamers and anime fans are sure to enjoy.   The Xenosaga anime is inspired by the first installment of the Xenosaga video game trilogy for the PlayStation 2, Episode One: Der Wille zur Macht.  The Xenosaga games gained great acclaim from fans and critics alike, ranking as one of the most popular role-playing game series of its generation.  Whether you enjoyed the video game series or pulse-pounding space adventures, Xenosaga will have you feeling right at home!

Synopsis: Over 4,000 years after abandoning the Earth, humanity is in peril.  Under attack by a merciless enemy from another dimension, the crew of the spaceship Woglinde is fighting not only to save their own lives, but also to defend a mysterious monolith with unknown powers.  It is called the Zohar, and the evil Gnosis will stop at nothing to get it.  Enter KOS-MOS, a robotic black-box weapon as dangerous and misunderstood as she is beautiful.  Designed to protect humankind, she could very well be the downfall of her creators – or she may be their only hope. From the wildly popular video game series, it’s Xenosaga the Animation.  If you’re into mystery, intrigue and out-of-this-world action, it’s GAME ON!

Xenosaga: Enter the Gnosis (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including the first four episodes, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.  Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases. 

DVD Product Details

Volume:                 1 of 3

Running Time:    100 min.

Age Rating:          TV 14 (V)

CAT:                      DXS/001

UPC:                      702727178429

Pre-Book Date:    8/14/2007

Street Date:          9/11/2007

Format:                  DVD

SRP:                      $29.98 

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

 AH! MY GODDESS: FLIGHTS OF FANCY

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

“One Of The Most Enchanting Anime Series Available.” – Active Anime

ADV Films is pleased to bring you the next volume of the wildly popular second season of the Ah! My Goddess series.  The third volume will be available for purchase on September 11, if you Belldandy fans can hold out that long. 

With over 23 volumes of the manga currently published in the U.S. and several anime adaptations, Ah! My Goddess already has a built-in audience of loyal fans.  Season two picks up right where season one left off, telling the stories of Keiichi and the angelic “goddess” Belldandy as they grow closer and closer.  Reprising their roles from season one are the original cast of English voice actors that fans have come to know and love!    

Synopsis:  Ever since Peorth came to live with Keiichi, he’s wished she would return to heaven.  The only way to get Peorth to leave is for Keiichi to let her grant him a real wish, but what could a guy who already lives with three goddesses possibly need?!  Then, someone arrives at the auto club who strikes fear into the hearts of the senior members!  The stranger challenges Keiichi to a race, but what’s really at stake in this contest?  And Urd’s long-lost love returns.  He’s determined to win Urd back, but he’s convinced Keiichi presents a threat.  Unfortunately, he’s the jealous type, and poor Keiichi may get caught in the middle of this supernatural sweetheart’s spat!  The excitement continues in volume three of Ah! My Goddess Two – Flights of Fancy! 

Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy – Reunited And It Feels So Good (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release containing episodes 9 through 12, presented in both English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.  Extras include commentary with Veronica Taylor (Chihiro) and Dan Green (Troubadour), plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases. 

DVD Product Details

Volume:                 3 of 6

Running Time:    100 min.

Age Rating:          TV PG

CAT:                      DAMG/003

UPC:                      702727169724

Pre-Book Date:    8/14/2007

Street Date:          9/11/2007

Format:                  DVD

SRP:                      $29.98 

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

 GUYVER: THE BIOBOOSTED ARMOR

PANDEMONIUM’S RANSOM

“A Clear Cut, Unambiguous, Smash-Mouth Power Fantasy.” – Ain’t It Cool News

ADV Films is pleased to bring you the beginning of the end of an epic tale that die-hard anime fans know and love.  The sixth volume of Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor will be available on September 11.   

The Guyver has been a cult-classic for over 20 years, spawning over 150 manga chapters, two live-action movies, an OVA, and a short series.  Now, Director Katsuhito Akiyama (Bubblegum Crisis) breathes new life into the dark masterpiece, treating us to the most complete and captivating story to date. 

Synopsis:  The twelve Zoalords are united.  Aptom is on the prowl.  Guyot is on a desperate rampage.  Relic’s Point has been transformed into an absolute war zone.  Guyot flees his pursuer to the underbelly of the base in a last ditch attempt to stay alive.  When the situation turns sour for the traitorous Zoalord, his actions threaten to cause total destruction.  Aptom has set his sights on the elite hyper-Zoanoid team, and won’t rest until he’s devoured them all.  Amidst the swirling chaos, Sho prepares the Relic for launch in a feverish race against time.  Fearing that Sho and Makishima may lose their Guyver units to Guyot, Murakami makes his final transformation to try and buy his friends enough time to escape.  What horrors await them outside?  Find out as the final battle begins.  Some will rise to the heavens, and others will be buried beneath the ruins of defeat in this exciting volume of Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor.

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor – Pandemonium’s Ransom (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including episodes 21 through 23, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.  Extras include a manga to anime comparison of all three episodes, production sketches commentary with Chris Patton (Sho) and Charles Campbell (ADR Director), plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases. 

DVD Product Details

Volume:                 6 of 7

Running Time:    75 min.

Age Rating:          TV MA (V)

CAT:                      DGUY/006

UPC:                      702727157721

Pre-Book Date:    8/14/2007

Street Date:          9/11/2007

Format:                  DVD

SRP:                      $29.98 

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

 BEST STUDENT COUNCIL

DON’T GO! HELLO

“A Fun And Energetic Anime.” – Animation World Magazine

ADV Films is pleased to bring you the final volume of the light-hearted high school comedic antics of the Best Student Council.  The sixth volume of this over-looked little anime gem will be available on September 11. 

From the Production Team at J.C. Staff (Azumanga Daioh) and Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Love Hina) comes the most highly anticipated comedy of the year.  Join the girls of the academy and one strange puppet on one ride that is sure to leave you laughing.    

Synopsis:  All good things must come to an end.  Or do they?  Maybe not if you’re a part of the Best Student Council.  Sometimes, a girl can lead a perfectly happy double life that nobody knows about – that is until some pesky busybodies start snooping around.  Sneaky!  Other times, the most-popular girl of all could just decide to leave school suddenly.  No way!  But not so fast sweetie pie.  This girl must have forgotten that the Best Student Council is “maximum authority wielding” and will fight to get her back from wherever she is.  Hurrah!  And that one of her sillier friends is actually quite powerful because of her constant puppet companion.  Who knew?!  This final installment of the Best Student Council will keep you guessing until the very end.   Sometimes the end is really a start of a new beginning.

Best Student Council: Don’t Go! Hello (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release containing the final four episodes, presented in both English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.  Extras include a Japanese TV spot, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases. 

DVD Product Details

Volume:                 6 of 6

Running Time:    100 min.

Age Rating:          TV PG

CAT:                      DGOS/006

UPC:                      702727167324

Pre-Book Date:    8/14/2007

Street Date:          9/11/2007

Format:                  DVD

SRP:                      $29.98 

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

 DARK WATER/PRINCESS BLADE

DOUBLE PACK

The Best In Japanese Horror and Action Together For One Low Price!

ADV Films is pleased to bring you two of our best selling live-action titles together for one low price you won’t be able to pass up.  The double-packed Dark Water/Princess Blade will be available for purchase on September 11.

Dark Water:

Dark Water is based on the original novel by Koji Suzuki, “the Stephen King of Japan,” who wrote the best-selling Ring series. The film is directed by Hideo Nakata, who not only directed both Japanese Ring adaptations but also helmed Dreamworks’ remake of Ring 2.  Nakata is credited with helping to usher in a new era of smart, suspenseful, and visually rich horror films.  “In his thrillers, Nakata concentrates less on the explosion of the time bomb than on the ticking inside it; abstract images on a videotape, an aquarium tank full of dead fish, water stain spreading on a ceiling.” (Time).

Synopsis: Yoshimi Matsubara is fighting to gain legal custody of her five-year-old daughter, Ikuko. Under pressure to find a place of their own, the two settle for a dark and musty apartment. But little do they expect what lies ahead. Already insecure and uncertain about her future with her daughter, Yoshimi is haunted by the life-like murky water dripping through the ceiling and walls which gets worse day by day. Even more bothersome are the random and unlikely reappearances of a small red bag, which once belonged to a little girl who mysteriously disappeared two years before. Though she desperately struggles to find the strength within herself for Ikuko’s sake, her horror intensifies as she comes closer to discovering the connection between these events. She is ultimately tested in an intensely driven climax where she faces the worst of her fears and expectations.

Princess Blade:

Japanese pop idol Yumiko Shaku abandons her trademark smile and picks up a razor sharp katana for her feature film debut as Yuki, a member of a deadly band of assassins formerly employed by the Mikado elite. Taking up the director’s chair is emerging talent Shinsuke Sato who spins a tale of love, fate, and retribution that is rounded out with an onslaught of intense martial arts action. Action Director Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, Blade II) and Special Effects Director Shinji Higuchi (Gamera) lend their talents to this production to create a groundbreaking monument of Japanese cinema. The Princess Blade is sure to usher in a new standard for action cinema in both America and Japan.

Synopsis: Born and bred an assassin, Yuki is a lethal beauty with a deadly sword. When her life is ripped from her in a horrific act of betrayal, she must run from the ruthless killers she once considered family to stay alive. As her former comrades close in, her only ally is Takashi, a member of a terrorist organization who has dedicated his life to the destruction of everything Yuki once stood for. Bloodshed reigns as Yuki tries to carve a delicate future out of her tumultuous past.

Dark Water/Princess Blade Double-Pack (SRP $19.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release containing both movies.

DVD Product Details

Running Time:    100 min.                  (Dark Water)

                                95 min.                    (Princess Blade)

Age Rating:          PG-13                      (Dark Water)

                                TV MA (V, L)        (Princess Blade)

CAT:                      DDKW/PBL

UPC:                      702727173622

Pre-Book Date:    8/14/2007

Street Date:          9/11/2007

Format:                  DVD

SRP:                      $19.98 

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.

About ADV Films:

In the 15 years since its inception, ADV Films has become the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation (“anime”) outside of Japan and has the largest English-language anime library in the world.  With best-selling titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon, Robotech, Full Metal Panic, Hello Kitty and Azumanga Daioh, ADV Films’ extensive catalog is fueling the popularity of anime around the globe. Always on the forefront, ADV is introducing North America to bold new anime franchises such as the new Guyver, Le Chevalier D’Eon, Gantz, and Elfen Lied.  ADV Films’ library also includes popular live-action science fiction programs such as The Jim Henson Company’s Farscape, the nationally syndicated Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and the Saturn Award-nominated Mutant X.   In 2005 ADV Films was voted “Best Anime Company” in the SPJA awards, presented at Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime convention.  The readers of Anime News Network designated ADV Films “Overall Favorite Anime Company” in both 2004 and 2005.

Parent company A.D. Vision, Inc. encompasses a variety of complementary media divisions, spanning publishing, television, licensing and merchandising and continues to expand into new areas. Its Anime Networkâ„¢ is “America‘s #1 Anime Channel,” reaching more than 40 million households.  Anime Network is the nation’s top video-on-demand (VOD) offering as well as a 24/7 linear cable channel and is the first television network dedicated to bringing anime and anime-related programming to consumers nationwide.  The company has two publishing arms: Newtype USA, North America’s top-selling anime and manga monthly magazine, and ADV Mangaâ„¢, dedicated to publishing graphic novels.  Headquartered in Houston, the company has offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.advfilms.com.