VIZ Media has acquired North American rights to some impressive manga series – Dragon Ball Super, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt and more. (I’m most looking forward to the Rurouni Kenshin 3-in-1 omnibus reissues!)
For a complete list of acquisitions (and series descriptions), follow the jump.
VIZ MEDIA EXPANDS MANGA PUBLISHING CATALOG WITH NEW ACQUISITIONS ANNOUNCED DURING 2016 ANIME EXPO
Upcoming Series Debuts Include New DRAGON BALL Series, The Highly Anticipated REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA Box Set, And The Epic MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT
San Francisco, CA, July 5, 2016 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, detailed a bevy of publishing acquisitions during its official panel event held this past weekend at the 2016 Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CA.
VIZ Media delighted manga readers as it detailed a host of upcoming new titles to be published under the company’s various imprints. The new series include the continuation of Akira Toriyama’s seminal series, DRAGON BALL, in the new DRAGON BALL SUPER. The landmark shojo series REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA returns in a deluxe complete manga box set. Shojo readers also will not want to miss THE WATER DRAGON’S BRIDE, a brand new work by the creator of DAWN OF THE ARCANA. Delighting sci-fi fans, VIZ Media announced the debut later this year of the mecha action manga MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT. The company also announced YU-GI-OH! ARC-V and the release of RUROUNI KENSHIN in new 3-in-1 omnibus editions.
New VIZ Signature Acquisition:
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT · Available Fall 2016
Story & Art by Yasuo Ohtagaki, Original Concept by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
An epic story of war and survival set in the legendary Gundam universe! In the Universal Century year 0079, humanity is divided between Earth and huge space colonies known as Sides. The colony known as Side 3 proclaims independence as the Principality of Zeon, and declares war on the Earth Federation. As the conflict nears the one-year mark, the Earth Federation and the forces of Zeon are locked in a fierce battle for the Thunderbolt Sector, an area of space scarred by the wreckage of destroyed colonies.
New Shonen Jump Acquisitions:
DRAGON BALL SUPER · Available Spring 2017
Story by Akira Toriyama, Story & Art by Toyotaro
Goku’s adventure from the bestselling classic manga DRAGON BALL continues in this new series! Ever since Goku became Earth’s greatest hero and gathered the seven Dragon Balls to defeat the evil Boo, his life on Earth has grown a little dull. But new threats loom overhead, and Goku and his friends will have to defend the planet once again!
RUROUNI KENSHIN 3-in-1 · Available Winter 2017
By Nobuhiro Watsuki
Experience the beloved samurai action series in bargain 3-in-1 omnibus editions! Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles of all time.
YU-GI-OH! ARC V · Available Spring 2017
Original Concept by Kazuki Takahashi, Production Support by Studio Dice, Story by Shin Yoshida, Art by Naohito Miyoshi, Duel Composition by Masahiro Hikokubo
The latest series based on the hit collectible card game! Action Duels have become a global sensation, but what is the dark secret behind them that threatens to destroy the world? Exclusive rare card inside (limited to first printing).
New Shojo Beat Acquisitions
REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA Deluxe Box Set · Available Spring 2017
Story and Art by Chiho Saito, Created by Be-Papas
The entire series of Revolutionary Girl Utena plus The Adolescence of Utena are collected into two hardcover omnibus volumes with color pages of the original covers and poster in this long-awaited collector’s set. Utena strives to be strong and noble like the childhood prince she yearns to meet again. But when she finds herself seduced into the twisted duels of Ohtori Academy, can she become the prince she’s been waiting for?
THE WATER DRAGON’S BRIDE · Available Spring 2017
By Rei Toma
The newest fantasy adventure romance by the bestselling author of DAWN OF THE ARCANA (also published by VIZ Media)! In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god! What plans are in store for her, and what will happen when she comes face to face with this god?
Additional information on each of these titles will be announced in the near future.
For additional information manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.