Viz Media

**VIZ Media LLC** is an American manga and anime distribution and entertainment company headquartered in San

  Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shueisha, Shogakukan and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro).[3] Viz Media is the largest publisher of graphic novel/comic books in the United States, with a 23% share of the market.[4]

## Early History

Seiji Horibuchi, originally from Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku, moved to California in 1975. After living in the mountains for almost two years, he moved to San Francisco, where he started a business exporting American cultural items to Japan, and became a writer of cultural information. He also became interested in publishing Japanese manga in the United States, though he himself was not a fan of Japanese comics until a visit to Japan in 1985 exposed him to Katsuhiro Otomo's single-volume title *Domu: A Child's Dream*. His idea came to fruition after he met Masahiro Ohga, then managing director of Shogakukan, in 1985 and shared his vision. Shogakukan provided Horibuchi with $200,000 in startup capital, which Horibuichi used in 1986 to found VIZ Communications.  ​

VIZ Communications released its first titles in 1987, which included *Legend of Kamui*, however sales were mediocre due to the specialist comic market being adverse to venturing into new territory. To counteract this problem, VIZ expanded into the general publishing business and began publishing various art related books in 1992. Into these titles, Horibuchi began publishing manga, calling them graphic novels so they would be carried by mainstream bookstores. The plan worked and after several years, leading booksellers began to have dedicated shelves for manga titles. Sales also picked up when VIZ Communications acquired the license for the comedy series *Ranma ½*, which became an instant hit.[5]

The company continued to see success when it expanded into the anime distribution market, began publishing *Shonen Jump*, an English adaptation of the popular Japanese magazine *Weekly Shōnen Jump*. It also acquired another huge selling title, *Inuyasha*. In the late 1990s, VIZ began making the push to move into the European and South American markets.

### Shueisha co-ownership and mergers: 2000 to present

When Shueisha became a joint owner of Viz Media in 2002,[6] both Shogakukan and Shueisha began to release manga exclusively through Viz. Shueisha's deal with Viz may have been prompted by competition with Raijin Comics, a rival manga publisher created in 2002 by editors and artists who had split off from Shueisha, taking their properties with them. Some exceptions to this exclusivity exist, however: Shueisha permitted DC Comics's subsidiary CMX Manga to license *Tenjho Tenge* (although it was later re-licensed and re-released by VIZ Media) and *Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne*, permitted Dark Horse Comics to license *Gantz*, *Lady Snowblood*, *Shadow Lady*, *The Monkey King*, and recently Yasuhiro Nightow's *Blood Blockade Battlefront* and CLAMP's *Gate 7*. Shueisha also permitted Seven Seas Entertainment to license *Hayate X Blade* and will later permit Seven Seas Entertainment to license *Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs*, and permitted Tokyopop to license *Kodocha*, *Marmalade Boy* and *Digimon Next* and will allow Kodansha USA to license the *Battle Angel Alita* manga in America. Shogakukan permitted Tokyopop to license Corrector Yui, Udon Entertainment to license the *Infini-T Force* manga (even though Viz Media licensed the anime), the now-defunct ComicsOne to license *Wounded Man - The White Haired Demon*, permitted Dark Horse Comics to license *Crying Freeman* (even though it was previously licensed by VIZ), *New Lone Wolf and Cub* (however, this is because Dark Horse has the original series), *The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword* and *Mob Psycho 100*, and permitted Hachette Book Group's subsidiary Yen Press to license *Azumanga Daioh*, *Silver Spoon*, *Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san*, *My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU* and *Cirque du Freak* (however for *Cirque du Freak*, this is because their sister company publishes the original novels. For *Azumanga Daioh*, Yen Press's license of the manga was a month before Shogakukan reprinted the manga in May 2009, resulting in a change of license holders from ASCII Media Works (when Yen Press announced the license) to Shogakukan (when Yen Press released it). The Yen Press edition is a newly translated and lettered version of ADV Manga's edition (taken from ASCII Media Works) as opposed to the 3-volume edition by Shogakukan. Yen Press has expressed interest in releasing the 3-volume edition although editor Kurt Hassler said he is not "sure this will be possible.", possibly because of the fact that Shogakukan owns Viz and that they almost exclusively license their titles to them.). In March 2010, Shogakukan began a partnership with Fantagraphics Books to issue a line of manga to be edited by Matt Thorn. In 2003, possibly in response to Shogakukan and Shueisha's co-ownership of VIZ, Japanese publisher Kodansha formed a co-venture with Del Rey.[7]

In 2004, VIZ Communications was merged with ShoPro Entertainment, funding company Shogakukan's American distribution division. Horibuchi became the new company's chairman.[*citation needed*] In 2005, Horibuchi started a related division, Viz Pictures, for releasing selected live-action films in the US to theaters and DVD.[8]

On December 17, 2008, Viz Media announced that starting on April 1, 2009, Warner Home Video would be handling the distribution of both its new and existing catalog releases. Viz itself is still the licensor and will do all production, while tapping the distribution powerhouse that distributes the works of other major companies such as BBC, National Geographic Channel, and Cartoon Network. Viz President and CEO Hidemi Fukuhara stated that he believes the partnership will help the company grow its anime holdings more effectively.[9]

On February 20, 2009, Viz Media laid off an unknown number of employees in order to help be more streamlined to face the current economic climate.[10] On May 11, 2010, VIZ Media again laid off a number of workers, 60 this time, again in order to try to become more streamlined.[11] This time they released a press release claiming that none of their current product lines would be affected.[12]

In April 2012, it was announced that the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Viz Media Ken Sasaki would be succeeding executive producer Hidemi Fukuhara as President and CEO; Fukuhara will subsequently take up the position of Vice-President at the end of the month.[13]

## Manga Ratings

In contrast to similar TV and film ratings, Viz also has set up certain "manga ratings" for their products based on their content.[14]

**A (All Ages)**: Suitable for readers of all ages. Such titles may contain little or no objectionable content. Some, however, may contain mild language and fantasy violence but no swearing or nudity.

**T (Teen)**: 13 years or older. May be suitable for early teens and older. Such titles may contain violence, blood, use of strong language, suggestive themes or situations, crude humor, alcohol and/tobacco use, which some people may find inappropriate.

**T+ (Older Teen)**: 16 years or older. May be suitable for older teens and adults. Such titles may contain intense violence, sexual content, nudity, frequent strong language, alcohol, tobacco and/or other substance use.

**M (Mature Readers)**: Suitable for 18 years or older. Such titles may contain much more extreme violence, mature themes, and graphic depictions.

Despite its name, Viz's manga ratings were also used on licensed anime titles, though, in the later 2000s, they instead relied on local countries' rating systems.

## Divisions

### Viz Productions

Based in Los Angeles, Viz Productions coordinates the licenses of Japanese material (manga, books and film) to American film companies. Their goal is to involve the Japanese creators in the production and facilitate communication between all parties in the US and Japan. VIZ Productions' first film is the live action adaptation of *All You Need is Kill*, *Edge of Tomorrow*, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Their second is the American live-action adaptation to the manga, *Death Note*, starring Nat Wolff and Willem Dafoe. Their third will be *Pokemon: Detective Pikachu*, starring Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds.

Viz also has many partnerships with various authors and celebrities, perhaps the most famous being the cosplay film that debuted in the 2013 Tokyo Anime Festival with Kirata Uchiha, played by JadexRoyal. Winning multiple awards for the board including Masashi Kishimoto. Others include Full Moon, and Last Quarter.

### New People

In November 2005,[18] New People was officially formed as a sister company for releasing live-action Japanese films as theatrical releases in selected markets called Viz Pictures. According to Horibuchi, the company will focus on films that focus on the "Japanese 'kawaii (cute) and cool' pop culture."[19] In 2007, the division released seven films to theaters, including *Train Man: Densha Otoko* and *Honey and Clover*. DVD releases for all VIZ Pictures films are distributed exclusively by its parent, VIZ Media.[19] Viz Pictures renamed themselves to New People and no longer shares office space or employees with Viz Media. Viz Media no longer distributes DVD and Blu-ray releases of their products.

#### Entertainment Complex

In August 2009, Viz Pictures (now known as New People and a separate entity from Viz Media) opened a three-story entertainment complex in San Francisco called New People. The center piece of the complex is a 143-seat movie theater that screens anime and Japanese live-action films. The center also has a cafe, a store selling anime and manga related items, and clothing stores offering Japanese clothing items.[8][20]

### Neon Alley

Established in October 2012, Neon Alley is Viz's online anime streaming service.

### Publications

#### Animerica

*Animerica* is a quarterly anime and manga digest that initially started as a monthly magazine featuring reviews of anime and manga titles, as well as related works. After a preview issue was released in November 1992, the magazine's first issue was released in February 1993 with a March 1993 cover date.[21] The magazine originally featured articles and reviews on manga, anime, and related media, as well as manga preview chapters. In 1998, *Animerica Extra* was launched as a manga anthology that eventually focused specifically on *shōjo* titles. It was canceled in 2004.

VIZ changed the magazine's format in April 2005, with the new magazine really being two free publications of the same name. One is advertising-oriented and created specially for distribution at anime and manga conventions while the other is more general in scope and distributed through retail stores. Both versions have fewer and briefer articles and a lower page count.[22] The last monthly issue of the original format *Animerica* had a cover date of June 2005 (Volume 13, No. 6).[23]

*Animurica* was one of the first professional anime and manga magazines released in the United States, and one of the most popular in the 1990s. In 2004, it had a circulation of 45,000 readers, but low sales and high competition from *Newtype USA* resulted in the essential cancellation of the original magazine and its reformatting as a free digest.[24]

#### Game On! USA

*Game On! USA* was a monthly magazine that focused primarily on Japanese-developed video games, with an emphasis on the import scene. It served as the American counterpart to Shogakukan's *Game On!* magazine. It was published in May 1996 and ran for 7 monthly issues before being discontinued that same year in November. The magazine had news and reviews and other articles about classic fighting games like *Street Fighter*, *Samurai Shodown* and *Virtua Fighter*. Two video game-based manga series, *Super Street Fighter II: Cammy* by Masahiko Nakahira, and *Samurai Shodown* by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and Yuki Miyoshi, were serialized in the magazine. A one shot story based on *Battle Arena Toshinden*, illustrated by the game's character designer Tsukasa Kotobuki was published in the magazine as well.

#### Manga Vizion

***Manga Vizion***, sometimes misspelled ***Manga Vision***, is a manga anthology introduced by VIZ in 1995. It is believed to be the first manga anthology published in the United States. The premiere issue was dated March 1995 and featured three series: *The Tragedy of P*, *Samurai Crusader: The Kumomaru Chronicles*, and *Ogre Slayer*. It ran for four years until it was canceled in 1999.

#### Pulp

***Pulp*** was a monthly manga anthology introduced by Viz in 1997. The magazine featured more mature titles, marketed at adults rather than teenage readers. Some of titles serialized in the magazine included: *Uzumaki*, *Banana Fish*, and *Dance Till Tomorrow*. The magazine was canceled in 2002.[25]

#### Shonen Jump

*Shonen Jump* is a shōnen manga anthology that debuted in November 2002, with a January 2003 cover date. Based on the popular Japanese anthology *Weekly Shōnen Jump*, published by Shueisha, *Shonen Jump* is retooled for English readers and the American audience and is published monthly, instead of weekly. It features serialized chapters from seven manga series, and articles on Japanese language and culture, as well as manga, anime, video games, and figurines. In conjunction with the magazine, Viz launched new imprints for releasing media related to the series presented in the magazine, and other shōnen works. This includes two new manga imprints, an anime DVD imprint, a fiction line for releasing light novels, a label for fan and data books, and a label for the release of art books.

Prior to the magazine's launch, Viz launched an extensive marketing campaign to promote the magazine and help it succeed where other manga anthologies in North America have failed.[26] Shueisha purchased an equity interest in Viz to help fund the venture,[27] and Cartoon Network, Suncoast, and Diamond Distributors became promotional partners in the magazine.[26] The first issue required three printings to meet demand, with over 300,000 copies sold. It was awarded the ICv2 "Comic Product of the Year" award in December 2002, and has continued to enjoy high sales with a monthly circulation of 215,000 in 2008.

#### Shoujo Beat

*Shojo Beat* was a shōjo manga magazine Viz launched in June 2005 as a sister magazine for *Shonen Jump*.[28][29] It featured serialized chapters from six manga series as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty.[29][30] Viz launched related "Shojo Beat" imprints in its manga, light novel, and anime divisions to coordinate with the magazine's contents.[31][32]

Targeted at women ages 16–18, the first issue of *Shojo Beat* launched with a circulation of 20,000 copies.[29][33] By 2007, average circulation was approximately 38,000 copies. Half of its circulation came from subscriptions rather than store sales.[33] In May 2009, the magazine was discontinued after 49 issues, with the July 2009 issue being the last released.[34] Viz stated the "difficult economic climate" was behind the magazine's cancellation, and that it would continue releasing the magazine's titles, as well as others, using the "Shojo Beat" imprint.[35]

#### Haikasoru

In January 2009, Viz Media announced plans to launch a Japanese science fiction novel line called Haikasoru. The first novels were scheduled to be released in the summer of the same year, with four novels: *The Lord of the Sands of Time* by Issui Ogawa, *ZOO* by Otsuichi, *All You Need Is Kill* by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and *Usurper of the Sun* by Hōsuke Nojiri.[36] In addition, the imprint released an expanded edition of Kōshun Takami's *Battle Royale*. In 2010, the imprint release Project Itoh's novel *Harmony*, which later won a Special Citation Philip K. Dick Award. The imprint is distributed to trade by Simon & Schuster.

### Business Partnerships

In October 2011, Viz Media launched the yaoi imprint SuBLime in collaboration with the Japanese yaoi publisher Libre and its parent company Animate to publish English-language yaoi manga for the print and worldwide digital market.[37][38] Although the first slate of books announced under SuBLime are Libre titles, the imprint will potentially offer titles from other Japanese publishers in the future.[38] VIZ Media's Vice President of Publishing Leyla Aker stated that SuBLime is not an imprint of VIZ but a partnership between VIZ and Animate.[38] In March 2016, Viz Media announced that they are collaborating with United Talent Agency on their live action projects based on anime series.[39]

## Web Site

For a period VIZ offered an e-mail service called VIZ Mail. In the first two weeks of service it had 1,000 members.[44] The service allowed users to use stationery and letterheads decorated with characters from VIZ Media properties.[45]

Despite the fact that Viz Media's licensed distribution territory includes Canada, the company has been criticized[46] for not providing online anime simulcasts to that country.[47]

## Why They Rock

1. Along with Funimation, Viz Media dubs anime with talented voice actors who put emotion and love into their roles.
2. Aside from anime, Viz Media also translates manga, including *Fushigi Yugi* and the *Legend of Zelda* Manga series. They even distributed the entire *Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past* comic series that appeared in Nintendo Power into one big comic book.
3. Their re-dub of the original *Sailor Moon* anime is a **huge** improvement over the atrocious DiC Entertainment/Cloverway dub, which is widely considered to be **one of the worst anime dubs of all-time**.

## Bad Qualities

1. On most of their Blu-ray releases, they lock subtitles onto place when the audio setting is changed to Japanese. This is intended to prevent Japanese fans from importing their releases (Japan and North America have Region A-coded Blu-rays, and American sets are cheaper than Japanese sets), but is a huge and complete disservice to people who understand Japanese without the need of subtitles. Even Funimation and Sentai Filmworks are guilty of the same practice.

## Reception

Viz Media was awarded the Manga Publisher of the Year Gem Award by Diamond Comic Distributors in 2007. VIZ keeps on publishing many titles, some of the most popular including: *Dragon Ball*, *One Piece*, *Detective Conan* (as *Case Closed*), *Bleach*, *Inuyasha*, and *Naruto* which results a high success of the company as well as a large amount of the North American readers.

Viz also received an award for Manga Trade Paperback of the Year for its release of the fourteenth volume of the *Naruto* series.

### Publication Style

By 2002 VIZ Communications kept some publications in the original right-to-left format, while in other publications it mirrored pages from Japan's right-to-left reading format to fit the Western left-to-right reading style. During that year Dallas Middaugh, the senior marketing manager of VIZ, stated that the left-to-right version of *Neon Genesis Evangelion* outsold the right-to-left version of *Neon Genesis Evangelion* on a three to one basis; Middaugh concluded that readers wanted "an easy reading experience." Akira Toriyama, creator of *Dragon Ball*, requested that his work, which was separated by Viz into *Dragon Ball* and *Dragon Ball Z*, be published in the original right-to-left format. *Vagabond* was printed in right-to-left to preserve historical accuracy. Middaugh said that younger readers of *Dragon Ball* adapted to the right to left format more easily than their parents.[16]

VIZ has censored some of its titles. Some titles, such as *Dragon Ball*, were published in both censored and uncensored forms.[17]