VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the highly anticipated DVD release of the newest sensation to captivate millions of anime fans nationwide - BLEACH. VIZ Media will release the first DVD volume of the supernatural action series to retailers today. This rated T for Teens action-packed supernatural adventure of a teen who takes on the afterlife, one soul at a time, contains four episodes on each DVD and retails for $24.98. This first disc is expected to be a highly desired item for the 2006 holiday season and will make an exciting holiday gift for any anime fan.

BLEACH is based on the best-selling manga by Tite Kubo, also published in North America by VIZ Media. The anime series premiered September 9th on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, and follows the adventures of Ichigo, a fifteen-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow-a malevolent lost soul-Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace. The pair encounters plenty of action as they investigate an intriguing range of spiritual mysteries and frequently run into all manner of malevolent and usually violent spirits and demons that are reluctant to return to their own world peacefully.

‘We’re extremely excited to release the first volume of BLEACH on DVD,’ states Anthony Jiwa, director of marketing for VIZ Media. ‘A massive amount of interest in BLEACH has developed since the debut of the manga, and the impressive following the anime counterpart has generated has made this one of our most anticipated home video releases of the year. BLEACH is a unique story with compelling characters and plenty of action.”

VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Magazine featured BLEACH on the cover of the November issue and includes a special preview chapter of BLEACH, vol. 15 manga. In December, 100K SHONEN JUMP Magazine subscriber copies will come with an exclusive BLEACH preview DVD. At the retail level, VIZ Media is in-packing collectible stickers in every DVD and offering retail-exclusive value-adds.

BLEACH, author Tite Kubo’s second title, has spawned 23 volumes to date that have sold over 33.5 million copies in Japan. BLEACH has already been translated into more than seven languages and has achieved immense success in Japan not only as a manga and TV title, but also in the realm of licensed categories such as toys, trading card games and video games. The manga is available in North America from VIZ Media and the TV series airs on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. A full range of consumer products is planned.
Website: bleach.viz.com.