Viz Media Announces New DVD Releases for February 2010

San Francisco, CA, December 23, 2009 – Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced their list of DVD titles scheduled for release in February 2010. This includes the next exciting box sets of NANA and BLEACH, as well as the latest episodic release of the popular NARUTO SHIPPUDEN series. Also releasing is the live action feature film – 20th Century Boys 2: THE LAST HOPE from Viz Pictures. Viz Media DVD titles are distributed (in English) in the U.S and Mexico by Warner Home Video and in Canada by Allegro.

NANA Uncut Box Set 3 · Rated 'M' for Mature · MSRP: $59.90 US/ $85.99 CAN · Available February 2
Love can mend your life--but will it tear the Nanas apart? NANA K. is happily involved with Takumi from Trapnest, though she doesn't fully trust him. NANA O. graciously stays away from the apartment for a while, and both Nanas feel the loneliness of their separation. Then in the midst of BLAST preparing to sign their first record deal, Nobu makes a surprise confession to NANA K. Now she must make a difficult choice, and someone's heart is bound to be broken.

SHONEN JUMP releases include:

BLEACH Uncut Box Set 4 Part 2 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN · Available February 16
The battle against the evil Bounts grows wider and fiercer as Ichigo and friends, reinforced by a group of Soul Reapers, try to take the fight to their hideout. But the Bounts have many tricks up their sleeves, and it looks like certain defeat for Ichigo and his comrades. Uryu, who had lost his Quincy powers, is the key to the Bount leader Kariya's plans for reve nge against the Soul Society, as well as the key to his defeat. Will Uryu be able to regain his powers in time to save his friends?

BLEACH Volume 25 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN · Available February 23
Jin Kariya, the leader of the Bounts, arrives at the Department of Research and Development and quickly dispatches the guards there. He has come to find the Bount Crest known as Jokaisho, which has the power to blow all of the Seireitei away, and only Ichigo and Chad stand in his way. Meanwhile, Uryu confronts the Bount Yoshi with his new Quincy powers, but he finds them difficult to control as he desperately tries to defend himself from the attacks of his ruthless opponent!

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Volume 6 · Rated 'T+' for Older Teens · MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN · Available February 9
While Naruto and Kakashi chase after Deidara, Sakura and Granny Chiyo together take on Sasori of the Red Sand. Sasori's masterful puppetry allows him to use the jutsu of the person he's transformed into a puppet, forcing Sakura and Chiyo to face the power of the Third Kazekage. But with Chiyo's guidance, Sakura learns to read Sasori's moves, and the training she received from Tsunade turns out to be invaluable as the attacks grow ever more fierce!

NARUTO Uncut Season 2 Volume 1 · Rated 'T+' for Older Teens · MSRP: $39.97 US / $57.99 CAN · Available February 16
Before the final round of the Chunin Exam, Naruto receives some special training from the legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya. When the battles resume, Naruto is ready, but what about Sasuke? He's about to face the one ninja no one, not even Naruto, thinks he can beat. But in the midst of everything, a sinister plot is set in motion, and the Village Hidden in the Leaves finds itself under attack!

From Viz Pictures (Live Action Feature Films):

20th Century Boys 2: THE LAST HOPE · MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN · Available February 16
It is now 2015, and Friend rules a disturbing new world. Kenji has been missing since the Bloody New Year's Eve of 2000, and his niece Kanna is now in high school. Her history textbook contains a fabricated story about Kenji and his friends being the terrorists behind the horrific events of 2000. Kanna, knowing the truth, openly resents this, and as a result she is marked as a problem child by her teacher and sent to the Friend Land program because of her anti-Friend behavior. Friend Land is a facility where people with rebellious behavior are re-educated. As the program begins, Kanna and her classmate Kyoko Koizumi achieve high marks and are sent to the advanced program called the Bonus Stage, where they find themselves in a virtual reconstruction of 1971, when Kenji and his friends were kids. There, each of the girls learns crucial secrets about Friend.

The surviving secret base members have been separated since Bloody New Year's Eve but each has spent the last 15 years in various activities opposing Friend and his regime. As Kenji's friends all try to find out the truth about Friend, they discover the shocking existence of The New Book of Prophecy, the sequel to The Book of Prophecy. The New Book describes an event: In 2015, at a church in Shinjuku, a savior will rise to uphold justice but will be assassinated. Who is the savior? Once again, Doomsday looms near...

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 web site at www.VIZ.com.