VIZ MEDIA BECOMES the NOR AMERICAN MASTER LICENSEE FOR the SCI-FI ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

VIZ MEDIA BECOMES THE NORTH AMERICAN MASTER LICENSEE FOR THE SCI-FI ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

A Bullied Teen Finds New Powers & Strength In A Virtual Reality Video Game In Edgy New Series

San Francisco, CA, May 2, 2013 VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced that it has been named the North American master licensee for the sci-fi anime property, ACCEL WORLD (rated TV-14). ACCEL WORLD is currently available on the Neon Alley channel for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (dubbed), as well as on the company's own streaming site VIZAnime.com (subtitled).

ACCEL WORLD is based on the light novel created by Reki Kawahara, with adaptation by renowned animation studio Sunrise. VIZ Media will hold the North American licensed rights for Videogram, Television, and Online Distribution, as well as all merchandising licensing related to the property.

In ACCEL WORLD, the year is 2046. Haruyuki Haru Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rung of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haru can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.

Fan excitement for ACCEL WORLD has built since VIZ Media debuted the simulcast to North American last year, and we're thrilled to become master licensor to cater to this growing demand, says Daisuke Aoki, Vice President, Animation Licensing. Becoming the master North American licensee for ACCEL WORLD will allow us to fully develop this property and bring a fun range of products with a variety of manufacturers to market.

Neon Alley is VIZ Media's 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel featuring the world's best titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. Neon Alley is available for the PlayStation Network and the PlayStation 3 (PS3 ) system as well as Xbox LIVE and the Xbox 360.

For more information on Neon Alley and to register for updates, please visit: NeonAlley.com.

For more information on VIZ Media anime properties, please visit: www.viz.com/anime.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japans largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

LINK:	http://www.viz.com/node/1006025...
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