VIZ MEDIA SIMULCASTS
ANOTHER FREE EPISODE
OF NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ON NARUTO.COM
Visit Naruto.com
On April 9 To Watch The Newest NARUTO Shippuden
Animated Adventure For Free The Same Day It Airs In Japan
San Francisco, CA,
APRIL 6, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one
of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive
publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the simultaneous
airing of NARUTO Shippuden Episode 103 (English subtitled) on its official
web site – Naruto.com. TV Tokyo has made this special episode available
for simulcast on April 9 in North America on www.naruto.com
and www.crunchyroll.com/naruto.
“We have received
enthusiastic viewer response when we first began streaming NARUTO, and
we are very pleased to present a brand new NARUTO Shippuden episode
on April 9,” says Ken Sasaki, Vice President of Strategy
& Business Development, VIZ Media. “We’re very committed to
cultivating the web as an innovative medium for fans to enjoy the latest
NARUTO adventures and fan culture in a variety of fun ways. From leading
web social networking outlets and content providers such as iTunes,
Hulu and Joost, to a special accelerated manga publishing campaign that
has offered 7 new NARUTO volumes between March and April, there’s
plenty to look forward to from the world’s most popular ninja.”
Created by Masashi
Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump
magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular
ninja manga targeting tweens and teens and has more than 85 million
copies circulated in Japan to-date. The manga series (rated ‘T’
for Teens) and animated counterpart (rated TV-14) about a young ninja
in training is one of VIZ Media’s most successful properties, and
captivates millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.
In the NARUTO manga
and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the
land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than
ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him
to his limits. NARUTO Shippuden begins two and a half years later, when
Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja
ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to
Kazekage, and Kakashi… well, he remains the same. But pride isn’t
necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that
Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious
Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds
out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his
universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will
he also prove wiser and stronger?
Earlier NARUTO Shippuden episodes are also currently available for free at www.Naruto.com and through a variety of other web-based, video streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including Hulu and Joost. For more information on NARUTO please visit the official NARUTO website at www.Naruto.com.
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 (graphic novel) 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-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment 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.
