Viz Media to Premiere the Tense High-Speed Action of New Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Manga Series

Viz Media to Premiere the Tense High-Speed Action of New Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Manga Series

High Stakes, High Drama And High Speed Turbo Duels Await Readers In The Latest Saga Of Classic Fantasy Action Franchise

San Francisco, CA, June 21, 2011 – Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will release the next exciting chapter of the venerable Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise as the company launches the brand new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga (graphic novel) series on July 5th.

The new series, written by Masahiro Hikokubo with artwork created by Masashi Sato, will be published under the company's popular Shonen Jump imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. First editions of the premiere volume will also include a special Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Highlander collectible trading card.

In New Domino City, the hottest game in town is the Turbo Duel, fought from blazingly fast motorcycles called Duel Runners. On the outskirts of New Domino City, in a district known as Satellite, a new Turbo Duel hero emerges – Yusei Fudo! On his custom-built Duel Runner, Yusei takes on all challengers, fighting for his friends and the future of Satellite! In the opening volume of the new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's series, a high-speed Turbo Duel through the streets of Satellite brings Yusei Fudo and his friend Sect face-to-face with an urban legend incarnate! Will Yusei lose Sect to the Skeleton Knight? And what sinister plans does Jack Atlas, master of New Domino City, have in store for Yusei?

“High stakes, high drama and tense high-speed action await readers in the new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga adventure,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, the classic card game of dueling monsters has evolved to now include ‘turbo duels’ waged in giant stadiums on fantastic racing motorcycles outfitted with built-in magical dueling equipment. Existing Yu-Gi-Oh! fans won't want to miss the launch of this exciting new series, which is also an ideal entry point for readers that are new to the Yu-Gi-Oh! world. We can't wait for the series launch this July!”

Masahiro Hikokubo is a writer with extensive experience on several notable Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series, having worked on the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series as a duel designer before going on to write scripts for Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie: Pyramid of Light, as well as the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Masashi Sato debuted as a manga artist in Akamaru Jump in the summer of 2004 with the short story, Mikakushi Tsumuji. He was also named a semi-finalist for the 64th Tezuka Award for his work, Guhou Daichi. After working as an assistant to the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga creative team, Sato became the lead artist on Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.


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.