Coming-Of-Age Series Depicts Love And Friendship Between High School Girls

San Francisco, CA, September 13, 2017 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, delivers a poignant story about young girls’ romance and friendship with the release of SWEET BLUE FLOWERS on September 19th.

The series, by creator Takako Shimura, will be published in print and digital editions under the VIZ Signature imprint. SWEET BLUE FLOWERS is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens; Volume 1 will carry a print MSRP of $24.99 U.S. / $33.99 CAN.  The series will also be available digitally via VIZ.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play Store. Subsequent volumes will be published in English on a quarterly basis.

In SWEET BLUE FLOWERS, Akira Okudaira is starting high school and is ready for exciting new experiences. And on the first day of school, she runs into her best friend Fumi from kindergarten at the train station! Now Akira and Fumi have the chance to rekindle their friendship, but life has gotten a lot more complicated since they were kids.

“SWEET BLUE FLOWERS depicts all the agony, excitement, and complications of love as Akira and Fumi navigate young adulthood and their emerging sexualities,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “With its quiet but graceful approach to teenage love and friendship, this noteworthy series will strike a chord with all readers.”

Manga creator Takako Shimura debuted in 1997 with the one-shot Boku wa, Onnanoko (I’m a Girl), a collection of short stories about queer youth. She is widely known for her stories focusing on LGBTQ topics. Wandering Son was a featured selection on the 2012 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list and also spawned a 12-episode anime series. Shimura’s landmark yuri (girls’ love) series Sweet Blue Flowers was adapted into anime in 2009.

For additional information on SWEET BLUE FLOWERS and other manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan’s largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at VIZ.com.

About The Author Siddharth Gupta

Siddharth Gupta is an illustrator, animator, and writer based in Minnesota. They graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Animation from the School of Visual Arts, and have worked on projects for the University of Minnesota and the Shreya R. Dixit Foundation. An avid animation and comics fan since childhood, they've turned their passion towards being both a creator and a critic. They credit their love for both mediums to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, which has also defined their artistic and comedic sensibilities. A frequent visitor to their local comic book shop, they are an avid reader and collector, particularly fond of manga. Their favorite comics include The Adventures of Tintin by Herge, Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed, and pretty much anything and everything by Rumiko Takahashi.

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