VIZ Media Showcases Top Entertainment Properties at Licensing Expo 2018

VIZ MEDIA SHOWCASES THE BEST IN ANIME AND MANGA, TOP SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEW ANIMATION AND GAMING PROPERTIES AT LICENSING EXPO 2018

San Francisco, CA, May 10, 2018 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, heads to Las Vegas to showcase a variety of potent properties from its extensive entertainment catalog of animated series, video game titles and interactive character brands and at Licensing Expo 2018.

Licensing Expo is the world’s largest and most influential annual licensing industry event and takes place May 22^nd – 24^th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Details on the event are available at: www.licensingexpo.com. VIZ Media will be located in Booth # R202.

This year, VIZ Media proudly highlights several flagship properties:

• BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS – The action-packed sequel to NARUTO is one of Hulu’s top titles in the anime category
• CHUMMY CHUM CHUMS – With over hundreds of millions of active global fans, the adorable canines are one of social media messaging’s most popular lifestyle brands
• HOMESTUCK – Creator Andrew Hussie’s spectacular pop-culture comic phenomenon, beloved by millions of fans.
• ONE-PUNCH MAN – The bestselling anime series about an unlikely hero with a knockout punch, with season 2 confirmed
• SEIS MANOS – A new action animated action series from VIZ Media and Netflix launching globally in 2019.

VIZ Media highlights at Licensing Expo 2018 include:

BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS

The life of the shinobi is beginning to change. Boruto Uzumaki, son of Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, has enrolled in the Ninja Academy to learn the ways of the ninja. Now, as a series of mysterious events unfolds, Boruto’s story is about to begin!

CHUMMY CHUM CHUMS

Meet the Chummy Chum Chums! Since the launch of Chums in September of 2016, millions of fans have been sending and posting billions of these cute, animated stickers to express love, sadness, laughter and excitement to friends near or far. The Chummy Chums are friends through thick and thin and are quickly becoming the perfect lifestyle brand for the digital era.

HOMESTUCK

Written, illustrated and animated by creator Andrew Hussie, HOMESTUCK is one of the most spectacular pop-culture phenomena of the past decade, a unique and massive internet-based hybrid work consisting of webcomics, chat logs, gifs, video games, animation and music. Launched in 2009, HOMESTUCK comprises over 8,000 pages encompassing such diverse genres such as action/adventure, sci-fi and fantasy, comedy, romance, and drama.

ONE-PUNCH MAN

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem – he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of super-powered boredom?

SEIS MANOS

VIZ Media’s first original animated property! Set in Mexico in the 1970’s era, SEIS MANOS centers on three orphaned martial arts warriors who join forces with a DEA agent and a Mexican Federale to battle for justice after their beloved mentor is murdered on the streets of their tiny border town.

Additional VIZ Media Properties To Be Showcased At Licensing Expo 2018:

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

This legendary Shonen Jump classic is a groundbreaking series with multiple story arcs whose creation has already spanned more than 25 years. The series is famous for outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. Join the Joestar family as they fight the evil Dio and his legacy across continents and time!

OSOMATSU

Inspired by the classic manga series, Osomatsu-Kun, created by Fujio Akatsuka, comes this hilarious story of six quirky siblings. MR. OSOMATSU depicts the hilarious exploits of the sextuplet Matsuno brothers and each sibling’s unique personality and their fumbling antics will endear them to audiences.

THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

The World Next Door is a narrative-driven, action-adventure video game that follows Jun, a rebellious teen girl trapped in a parallel world inhabited by magical creatures. Inspired by the emotional storytelling and thrilling action of both anime and indie games, players can expect to meet and develop friendships with an eclectic cast of characters while uncovering the mysteries hidden within this world.

For additional information on these titles and other properties distributed 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.