Riveting film about an unlikely friendship features two noted J-Pop stars

San Francisco, CA, June 2, 2005 — VIZ Media, LLC. (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, has announced the theatrical release of the Japanese live action film — KAMIKAZE GIRLS. A critically acclaimed movie filled with colorful characters and exciting live action from award winning director Tetsuya Nakashima.

KAMIKAZE GIRLS depicts the seemingly odd friendship between a frustrated and bored country girl fixated on the lifestyle of 18th Century France inclusive of frilly dresses and parasols, and a spunky member of an all female biker gang. Inspired by the novel Shimotsuma Story by popular Japanese author Novala Takemoto, KAMIKAZE GIRLS takes plenty of influences from iconic examples of pop culture cinema ranging from Tank Girl and the Outsiders to Kill Bill, combines it with some homegrown Japanese eccentricities, and presents a film that gets inside the heart of any dedicated indie film lover.

KAMIKAZE GIRLS captivated audiences at release in Japan and has won many prestigious awards in Japan in including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best New Actor in The Yokohama Movie Awards, and Best New Director in Fujimoto Awards. VIZ Media will have limited screenings of the film at several renowned film festivals, including the New York Asian Film Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival both in June. KAMIKAZE GIRLS stars two hot young J-Pop talents Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya in a story that pairs a Lolita-type character (Kyoko Fukada) and a high school biker girl (Anna Tsuchiya), whose strong personalities initially clash but eventually bind them together. As their friendship deepens with with time, the unlikely pair sets off on an action packed journey filled with an odd assortment of strange characters and often-hilarious personalities during their quest.

"KAMIKAZE GIRLS is a riveting film that is sure to delight fans of Asian and action cinema, and we are pleased to bring the film to North American shores," states Seiji Horibuchi, co-chairman of VIZ Media. "It is a film followed by many awards and accolades in Japan and we look forward to its continued success here in the United States."

With a strong focus on the eccentricities of many Japanese pop fashion obsessions, colorful shôjo comic book inspired visuals, and a complex, multi-layered plot, KAMIKAZE GIRLS maps out its quirky world with an eccentric and infectious brand of humor that will captivate the viewer and ensure that this film will become a cult favorite.

Tetsuki Ijichi of Tidepoint Pictures, an Asian film distribution company known for such successful titles as Uzamaki and Dead or Alive is the consultant to VIZ Media for the film festival and theatrical distribution for KAMIKAZE GIRLS in the States.

A domestic home video and DVD release is set for January 2006 followed by the publication of the translated novel and manga graphic novel series to be published early 2006.

About VIZ Media, LLC

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 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 (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.viz.com.

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