Unrequited Love Between Two Emerging Pop Idols Comes to Life in New Shojo Title - VIZ Media's - Crown of Love

HOW FAR WILL A BOY GO FOR LOVE? FIND OUT IN NEW MANGA SERIES CROWN OF LOVE

The Story of a Teenage Boy Who Becomes a Pop Idol To Get Close To The Pop Idol Girl He Adores

San Francisco, CA, January 14, 2010 – Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the debut of Yun Kouga's shojo manga (graphic novels for female readers) CROWN OF LOVE on February 2nd. CROWN OF LOVE is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, will be published by the Shojo Beat imprint, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Sixteen-year-old Hisayoshi "Kumi" Tajima wasn't looking for love. But after he accidentally bumps into teen idol RIMA Fujio, he can't stop thinking about her. Living worlds apart, he'll never have a chance to meet her again. Until RIMA's former agent Ikeshiba gives him the perfect opportunity – by turning Hisayoshi into an idol himself! Too bad RIMA only sees him as competition for Ikeshiba's attention.

“CROWN OF LOVE offers a complex story of unrequited love between a pair of teenagers who are each on the brink of stardom,” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director, Viz Media. “Creator Yun Kouga has already attracted legions of North American fans with her popular manga series GESTALT, also published by Viz Media, and we look forward to readers enjoying this new story about two driven characters who find out that fame and life in the limelight isn't all it's cracked up to be.”

Yun Kouga began her career as a manga artist in 1986 with the series METAL HEART, which was serialized in Comic VAL. She is also the creator of the popular series LOVELESS and EARTHIAN, along with many other manga and anime projects, including developing the character designs for GUNDAM 00.

For more information on this title, or other shojo titles from Viz Media, please visit www.shojobeat.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 the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, 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 website at www.VIZ.com.

RENAI CROWN © 1998 by Yun Kouga/SOBISHA Inc.