VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES RENOWNED SHOJO MANGA CREATOR AND OFFERS EXCITING

GAMING ACTIVITIES, PANELS AND SCREENINGS FOR 2007 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Demos of Latest Anime Action Video Games in Booth 4113, Screening of

NARUTOâ„¢ the Movie, and Two Eisner Award Nominations for NAOKI URASAWA’S

MONSTER Highlight This Year’s Show

animation and licensing companies, has announced a bevy of special

events, interactive games, artist appearances, a special theatrical

screening, and speaker panels for the 2007 Comic-Con International.

Comic-Con is renowned as the nation’s largest comic book and science

fiction event and takes place July 26-29 at the Convention Center in San

Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 4113.

Personal appearances by notable manga artists and creators are always a

highlight of VIZ Media’s presence at Comic-Con and this year the company

is pleased to welcome Arina Tanemura, the renowned creator of the

convention, kicking off with a general anime and manga discussion on

Thursday, July 26 at 1:30 p.m. in Room #2. Arina Tanemura will

participate in a special SHOJO BEATâ„¢ magazine panel discussion set for

Saturday, July 28 at 1:30 p.m. in Room #2. She will provide insights

into her work and experiences as a manga artist, and answer questions

from fans and press. A SHONEN JUMPâ„¢ panel is scheduled for Friday, July

27 at 11:30 a.m. also in Room #2. Other scheduled VIZ Media panel

discussions include a dedicated discussion about NARUTO NATIONâ„¢ and the

buzz surrounding the hit NARUTOâ„¢ anime and manga series, set for

Saturday, July 28 at 11:30 p.m. also in Room #2 and “You Outta Know

About These Manga” to take place Sunday, July 29th at 12:30 p.m.

VIZ Media will have a commanding presence on the main show floor in

Booth #4113 showcasing some of the company’s latest and most popular

manga and anime titles which also will be made available for purchase in

a vividly arrayed retail area. There will be a special “green-screen”

activity that will allow visitors to pose for pictures with a variety of

characters and backdrops from popular series including NARUTO, DEATH

NOTE, MÄR, INUYASHA, FULL MOON and BLEACH.

The company has further partnered with several leading game

manufacturers to present a variety of anime-related interactive video

games throughout the convention. Attendees will have a chance to play

the ultimate NARUTO party game on the hottest gaming system, as NARUTO:

Clash of Ninja Revolution for the Nintendo Wii will be among those

featured in the VIZ Media booth. The next generation in NARUTO games

from TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA) will

include all new game-play designed specifically for the Wii controllers,

new character animations, new interactive environments and characters

that have never been featured in the Clash of Ninja game series. The

game also features special mini-games created exclusively for the Wii

Remote in fast-paced ninja action for up to four players in nine

different game-play modes.

Namco/Bandai Games America will demo NARUTO: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 for

the Sony PlayStation 2. It’s up to Naruto Uzumaki and his powerful ninja

allies to stop a dangerous and mysterious rival ninja clan long believed

to have disappeared. They have sworn to resurrect an unstoppable army of

ancient horror that will threaten the very survival of the Hidden Leaf

Village. NARUTO: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 delivers the epic action adventure

with an original storyline, multiplayer cooperative/versus action and

over 10 playable/customizable characters.

Ubisoft will also feature a playable demo of NARUTO: Rise of a Ninja for

the Xbox 360 as a world debut exclusive to the VIZ Media booth. It will

be the first time the public will be able to play the game, which

contains a fully-featured Konoha Village, realistic chakra training with

Kakashi-Sensei, fast-action game-play sequences, head-to-head battles

and more.

the publisher of the popular MEGAMAN NT WARRIORâ„¢ manga series. In Mega

Man Star Force, players explore towns and interact with people in the

real world while the action-packed battles take place in the virtual

“Wave World.” Enemy encounters take place on a three by five grid in a

3D perspective, where players use a portfolio of Battle Cards that each

have distinct attributes and attack powers. Developed by the team behind

the popular Mega Man Battle Network® series, the game marks the start of

a new era for Mega Man, who celebrates his 20th anniversary this year.

Finally, Microsoft will present famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi

of Mistwalker game studio and developer Artoons highly anticipated Xbox

360-exclusive BLUE DRAGON™ as an exclusive in VIZ Media’s booth.

Featuring the character design of Akira Toriyama, who designed Dragon

Ball Z, Blue Dragon is an epic role-playing game (RPG) centered on a

young boy named Shu and his friends. These unlikely heroes possess

miraculous strength and the magical power to control phantom shadows

that mirror the actions of their masters. Shu and friends must wield

their skills to save their world from impending doom. Encountering

various people on a planet with numerous ancient ruins, the characters

and their shadows travel through a world full of mysteries and

illusions, where the slightest touch can cause reactions of unparalleled

magnitude.

Following the Japanese tradition of previewing the newest Trading Card

Game (TCG) additions at Jump Festa, the sprawling annual convention for

SHONEN JUMP in Japan, for the very first time, VIZ Media will offer for

sale at Comic-Con a special new collection of YU-GI-OH! game cards for

$3.99 per 5-card pack. Fans have been clamoring for the release of these

Premium Packs, which will be released domestically by Upper Deck in

September. Some of the cards to look for include the Magician of Black

Chaos, Black Magic Ritual, Gemini Imps, Return Zombie, Dark Magic

Curtain, Legacy of Yata-Garasul, Javelin Beetle and Javelin Beetle Pact.

These are a must-have for any YU-GI-OH! fan.

A variety of special convention giveaways are also planned, including

the coveted VIZ Media convention tote bag for 2007, newly designed in

purple, featuring DEATH NOTE and MÄR. Other giveaways include SHOJO BEAT

bookmarks featuring BACKSTAGE PRINCE, SKIP BEAT, BEAUTY POP, THE

Prize Patrol is a regular facet of Comic-Con and attendees spotted

wearing VIZ Media prize beads (available at the booth) can win special

premiums including POKéMON accessory straps, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and

INUYASHA trading card game packs, BOYS OVER FLOWERS purses and more.

Also on hand for giveaway will be manga samplers, including the brand

new TEKKONKINKREET manga sampler, anime samplers, SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO

BEAT magazine samplers and more.

Convention Center. Tickets are available for free on a first come, first

served basis. NARUTO is rated T for teen.

Finally, the 2007 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, considered the

Oscars of the comic book industry, are scheduled for Friday, July 27 and

VIZ Media is pleased to have NAOKI URASAWA’S MONSTER manga nominated in

two categories for Best Continuing Series and Best US Edition of

International Material-Japan

“This year’s agenda for Comic-Con promises to be the most action-packed

one yet and we are very excited to stage a variety of fun gaming events,

screenings and special giveaways that are sure to delight the thousands

of anime and manga fans who attend,” states Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice

President of Marketing. “There is absolutely something for everyone in

VIZ Media’s offerings this year and meetings our fans and offering some

sneak peaks of what’s to come will make Comic-Con the must-attend event

of the summer!”

About VIZ Media

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one

of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga

publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.

Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and

animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production

Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and

distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North

America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The

company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as

SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio

soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial

production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise

licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.

Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone