Bandai Visual USA to Bring Freedom to Anime Expo ® 2007

BANDAI VISUAL USA TO BRING FIRST HIGH­DEFINITION ANIME TITLE RELEASED IN THE U.S. TO ANIME EXPO ® 2007

Leading Japanese animation producer to showcase “FREEDOM” in HD DVD along with latest titles at largest anime convention in North America

TORRANCE, Calif., May 14, 2007 – Bandai Visual USA Inc., a leading innovator in Japanese animation, today announced it will be participating at Anime Expo ® 2007 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif. June 29­July 2, 2007. Bandai Visual USA will be offering “FREEDOM” volume 1, which will mark the first commercial availability of a high­ definition anime title in North America. Bandai Visual USA will be located at booth #1605. Shuhei Morita, the director of “FREEDOM,” is expected to be on­hand at the Bandai Visual USA booth, and is scheduled to appear on an industry panel.

Born in Nara, Japan and graduated from Kyoto University of Art & Design in 2001 Shuhei Morita started creating motion picture while in college. His achievements include an award for Outstanding Animated Work, Submitted Works General Category of Tokyo International Anime Fair, 2005; Golden Prize, Best Short Film Category of Fantasia Festival, 2005 (Canada); Jury Recommended Works, Japan Media Arts Festival.

“We are extremely pleased to be bringing the first high­definition anime DVD in North America to Anime Expo ® ,” said Tatsunori Konno, president and CEO of Bandai Visual USA. “And we are honored that Shuhei Morita will be joining us for this important moment in U.S. anime history.”

“FREEDOM” volume 1 (SRP: $39.99) will be simultaneously released in HD DVD/DVD Twin Format (HD DVD layer & DVD layer on single side in one disc) in Japan and the U.S. on June 26, and will be the first introduction of the title in North America. “FREEDOM” will be released in HD DVD, including HDi network function that allows viewers to watch extra features. The DVD has already sold more than 100,000 in Japan, and won top honors at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 for its high­quality animation combining 2D and 3D graphics. The complete series to be released in 6 volumes. The official “FREEDOM” site can be found at www.bandaivisual.us/freedom/.

Anime fans will be able to purchase popular Bandai Visual USA titles such as “Gunbuster,” “Gunbuster 2” volumes 1­3, “Demon Prince Enma” volumes 1­2, “The Wings of Rean” volume 1, “Patlabor: The Movie” and “Patlabor 2: The Movie.” In addition, Bandai Visual USA will be making “Galaxy Angel Rune” volume 1 available for purchase before the official July 10 release date.

Located in Long Beach, California, Anime Expo ® , the North America's largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2007 will be held June 29­July 2, 2007 at the Long Beach Convention Center. More information can be found at its official Web site www.anime­expo.org.

Bandai Visual USA Inc. (www.bandaivisual.us.) was established in 2005 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd, a leading company in animation industry in Japan, with a mission to facilitate stronger, more active involvement in positioning, marketing and distribution of Bandai Visual programs in North America. From its base in Torrance, California, Bandai Visual USA has started marketing and distributing Japanese anime titles in 2006, under the concept of Bandai Visual's business model which has been successful in Japan for many years. Bandai Visual USA will expand its business enthusiastically by releasing “authentic Japanese” products with a tight relationship with its parent company and affiliates. Bandai Visual USA titles on DVD and next generation media are released under its Honneamise label, named after the 1987 animation film that Bandai Visual first produced.