Viz Media
VIZ Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.[3] VIZ Communications released its first titles in 1987, which included Legend of Kamui; however, sales were mediocre due to the specialist comic market being averse to venturing into new territory.[citation needed] Some exceptions to this exclusivity exist, however: Shueisha permitted DC Comics's subsidiary CMX Manga to license Tenjho Tenge (although it was later re-licensed and re-released by Viz Media) and Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, permitted Dark Horse Comics to license Gantz, Lady Snowblood, Shadow Lady, The Monkey King, and recently Yasuhiro Nightow's Blood Blockade Battlefront and CLAMP's Gate 7.In 2003, possibly in response to Shogakukan and Shueisha's co-ownership of Viz, Japanese publisher Kodansha formed a co-venture with Del Rey.Viz president and CEO Hidemi Fukuhara stated that he believes the partnership will help the company grow its anime holdings more effectively.[citation needed] On February 20, 2009, Viz Media laid off an unknown number of employees in order to help be more streamlined to face the current economic climate.[23] On July 5, 2024, Viz announced on their social media channels that they had acquired RWBY following the closure of its original parent company, Rooster Teeth—several months prior.[citation needed] VIZ continues to publish many titles, some of the most popular including: Dragon Ball, One Piece, Detective Conan (as Case Closed), Bleach, Inuyasha, and Naruto which results a high success of the company as well as a large amount of the North American readers.VIZ Productions' first film is the live action adaptation of All You Need Is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.Their second production was the American live-action adaptation to the supernatural thriller manga series: Death Note, which was directed by Adam Wingard and starred Nat Wolff, as the film's lead.Viz also has many partnerships with various authors and celebrities, perhaps the most famous being the cosplay film that debuted in the 2013 Tokyo Anime Festival with Kirata Uchiha, played by JadexRoyal.In 2004, it had a circulation of 45,000 readers, but low sales and high competition from Newtype USA resulted in the essential cancellation of the original magazine and its reformatting as a free digest.Two video game-based manga series, Super Street Fighter II: Cammy by Masahiko Nakahira, and Samurai Shodown by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and Yuki Miyoshi, were serialized in the magazine.A one shot story based on Battle Arena Toshinden, illustrated by the game's character designer Tsukasa Kotobuki was published in the magazine as well.The premiere issue was dated March 1995 and featured three series: The Tragedy of P, Samurai Crusader: The Kumomaru Chronicles, and Ogre Slayer.[38] Shueisha purchased an equity interest in Viz to help fund the venture,[39] and Cartoon Network, Suncoast, and Diamond Distributors became promotional partners in the magazine.[41][42] Viz launched related "Shojo Beat" imprints in its manga, light novel, and anime divisions to coordinate with the magazine's contents.[47] In January 2009, Viz Media announced plans to launch a Japanese science fiction novel line called Haikasoru.In 2010, the imprint release Project Itoh's novel Harmony, which later won a Special Citation Philip K. Dick Award.[50] In March 2016, Viz Media announced that they are collaborating with United Talent Agency on their live action projects based on anime series.[59] Despite the fact that Viz Media's licensed distribution territory includes Canada, the company has been criticized[60] for not providing online anime simulcasts to that country.
Viz (comics)Viz (disambiguation)SubsidiarySan FranciscoCaliforniaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaOceaniaPresidentVice-PresidentLicensingpublishingstreamingtelevisionParentShogakukan-Shueisha Productions/ShoProDivisionsShueishaShogakukanShogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro)graphic novelsTokushima PrefectureShikokuKatsuhiro OtomoLegend of KamuiRanma ½Shonen JumpWeekly Shōnen JumpInuyashaRaijin ComicsDC ComicsCMX MangaTenjho TengeKamikaze Kaito JeanneDark Horse ComicsLady SnowbloodShadow LadyThe Monkey KingYasuhiro NightowBlood Blockade BattlefrontGate 7Udon EntertainmentThe Rose of VersaillesSeven Seas EntertainmentHayate X BladeTo Love RuYuuna and the Haunted Hot SpringsSuper HxErosTokyopopKodochaMarmalade BoyDigimon NextSilver Fang -The Shooting Star Gin-Battle Angel AlitaCorrector YuiYumi Tsukirino'sDisneyDai DarkPolar Bear CafeHimitsu Sentai GorengerThe Amazing 3Osamu TezukaInfini-T ForceComicsOneCrying Freemanthe original seriesMob Psycho 100Hachette Book GroupYen PressAzumanga DaiohSilver SpoonKarakai Jōzu no Takagi-sanMy Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFUCirque du Freaktheir sister companyASCII Media WorksFantagraphics BooksKodanshaDel ReyWarner Bros. Discovery Home EntertainmentDisney XDAdult SwimCartoon NetworkUniversal Pictures Home EntertainmentCrunchyrollFunimationNarutoHunter × HunterRooster TeethDiamond Comic DistributorsDragon BallOne PieceDetective ConanBleachAkira ToriyamaVagabondcensoredLos AngelesAll You Need Is KillEdge of TomorrowTom CruiseEmily BluntDeath NoteAdam WingardNat WolffcosplayMasashi KishimotoSeis ManosHoney and CloverNeon AlleyAnimericadigestmagazineAnimerica ExtrashōjoNewtype USAStreet FighterSamurai ShodownVirtua FighterSuper Street Fighter II: CammyBattle Arena ToshindenTsukasa KotobukiThe Tragedy of PSamurai Crusader: The Kumomaru ChroniclesOgre Slayer