Fighting Spirit Volume 2 Announcement

Volume 2 The Debut Match

Geneon Entertainment Throws a Punch On DVD October 12

LONG BEACH, CA Fierce determination and commitment are the backbone of the second installment in an underdog¹s rise to glory in Geneon Entertainment¹s Fighting Spirit The Debut Match V.2, arriving on DVD October 12, 2004. Based on the comic by Jyoji Morikawa, Hajime no Ippo, The Debut Match continues the story of Ippo, a young man bullied in school and struggling to make ends meet at home. Directed by Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun, Street Fighter Alpha) and animated by Madhouse (Trigun, Chobits, Texhnolyze), Ippo has gained his confidence and is ready to step in the ring to work his way up as a professional boxer. Featuring five full episodes, trilingual audio (English 2.0, Japanese 2.0, Spanish 2.0), two English subtitle streams (dialogue and signs, signs only) as well as outtake and a blooper reel, Fighting Spirit Volume 2: The Debut Match is priced for retail at $29.98. Prebook is September 7, 2004. Fighting Spirit Volume 2: The Debut Match Synopsis Ippo begins training as a boxer in order to become a new person. Takamura gives him one week to be able to catch 10 falling leaves while punching. Ippo trains day and night, never giving up when the challenge seems impossible. Finally, one fateful day, the young boxer succeeds. His triumph impresses Takamura so much that he takes Ippo to Komogawa Boxing Gym. Manager Yagi is disappointed with Ippo¹s meek manner and tries to turn the kid off boxing. Ippo is thrown into the ring with a talented young boxer Ichiro Miyata. Despite their similar age, Ippo quickly learns that Miyata is much more than he expected.

GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.Geneon -Ent.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment software including film, music, animation and television shows on VHS, DVD and CD. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment¹s parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc. Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique "Total Communications Services" approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. The group has more than 6,000 clients and 14,447 full-time employees in both Japan and in its offices overseas. Consolidated billings (net sales) for fiscal term 02/03 were recorded at ¥1,692.9 billion. Dentsu is publicly quoted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.