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Viz to Launch Shonen Sunday Imprint with Rin-ne Manga (Updated)

The North American manga publisher Viz Media has announced that it will launch its new Shonen Sunday imprint with the print debut of Rumiko Takahashi's RIN-NE manga on October 20. Viz already publishes several manga from its parent company Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine under several other imprints, but the company will move these titles — and their anime adaptations — under the new brand name. These titles include Inuyasha, Kekkaishi, Case Closed, Hayate the Combat Butler, and Yakitate!! Japan. The imprint's official website will launch on July 22 with previews, trailers, news, and interviews, and Viz will then announce new titles for the imprint at San Diego's Comic Con International on July 24.

Weekly Shonen Sunday celebrated its 50th anniversary along with Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine this past March; both magazines launched on the same day: March 17, 1959. Viz Media already has another imprint, Shonen Jump, for the manga that originated in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from its other major parent company, Shueisha. In April, Viz Media began posting the weekly chapters of RIN-NE online within a day of their Japanese publication in Weekly Shonen Sunday in Japan.

Update: The preview website for the imprint features images from the Aratakangatari manga by Yuu Watase (Fushigi Yûgi), Maoh: Juvenile Remix by novelist Kōtarō Isaka (Sweet Rain: Accuracy of Death) and manga artist Megumi Osuga, and Juhou Kaikin!! Hyde and Closer by Haro Aso. None of these titles have been officially announced by Viz Media yet.

Images of ARATAKANGATARI © 2009 Yuu Watase/Shogakukan
MAOH JUVENILE REMIX © 2007 Kōtarō Isaka, Megumi Osuga/Shogakukan
JUHOU KAIKIN!! HYDE AND CLOSER © 2008 Haro Aso/Shogakukan
KEKKAISHI © 2004 Yellow Tanabe/Shogakukan
KYOUKAI NO RINNE © 2009 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan