Otakon 2013

Viz Media

Senior Manager for Anime Marketing at Viz Media Charlene Ingram brought energy to the Viz Media panel on Saturday, co-hosting with Publishing Sales Coordinator Mark DeVera. Mr. DeVera introduced some of Viz Manga's upcoming manga titles, starting with Kohske's Gangta, which will be released February of 2014. Also being released next year is Naoshi Komi's Nisekoi - False Love. Previously only available digitally through Weekly Shonen Jump, this title will be available in print starting next January.

For Dragon Ball fans, the full color edition will be coming out next February. It will be in a larger trim size than previously released, and will be the same size as an American graphic novel. February will also see the release of Deadman Wonderland, by Kazuma Kondou and Jinsei Kadokawa, a series about a boy who is falsely accused of massacring his classmates and is sent to a deadly prison with dark secrets.

Old school anime and manga fans will be excited to be able to collect Ranma ½ again, the classic title from Rumiko Takahashi. The two-in-one graphic novels will be released starting next March.

Ghibli fans can enjoy the Art of Princess Mononoke artbook, as well as two books—Starting Point and Turning Point—about Hayao Miyazaki's life and career. The books will include essays by and about Hayao Miyazaki.

Viz Media's science fiction imprint Haikasoru will soon be releasing All You Need Is Kill, a graphic novel adaptation of the original novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. The novel is illustrated by Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow) and written by Nick Mamatas (Move Under Ground).

For new title announcements, Viz will be reprinting Naoki Urasawa's popular Monster manga. The first volume will be released July 2014 with an MSRP of $19.99. The title will be printed in a two-in-one format, with new volumes being released every three months.

On the topic of Weekly Shonen Jump, Mr. DeVera reminded fans of some of the newer titles that have recently joined the anthology's lineup, starting with One-Punch Man by One and Yūsuke Murata. Also already available is the full-color Dragon Ball, as well as the science fiction titles World Trigger and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman.

Taking over the panel to talk about Viz Media's anime releases, Ms. Ingram re-introduced some of Neon Alley's new features, such as a catch-up feature, which will allow fans to re-watch an episode that they missed. The feature hasn't been rolled out yet, but will be available soon. The service is $6.99 a month, and is available on both PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as online.

Some of the anime titles currently showing on Neon Alley include K, new epsiodes of One Piece, and others. The programmed channel also includes movie premiers, such as the Tiger & Bunny movie – The Beginning. The Beginning will premier tomorrow, August 11.

Coming this fall will be Puella Magi Madoka Magica as well as Magi – The Labyrinth of Magic. The latter will be the first time the English dub is available.

To recap new acquisitions that were announced at Anime Expo earlier in July, Viz will be releasing both Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, which was simulcast last season, and Blood Lad, which is available streaming currently on VizAnime.com and Hulu.

Newly announced at Otakon, Viz Anime will be re-releasing the Ranma ½ anime, the adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's manga that first aired in Japan in 1989. It will be released on both DVD, Blu-ray, and digitally. All 161 episodes will be released, and will soon be available streaming on both VizAnime.com and Hulu, although a specific date has not been announced yet. It will also be available on Neon Alley this fall.

For fans attending New York Comic Con this October, there will be an exclusive Ranma ½ fan event.