Supernatural Romances Honey Blood and Black Bird Coming in October from VIZ Media

Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, celebrates the arrival of Fall with two bloodthirsty romances from the Shojo Beat imprint. The bestselling Black Bird ignites passions on October 21st with the debut of the complete 18-volume manga box set, which includes an exclusive premium art book! And the is-he-or-isn`t-he-a-vampire series Honey Blood arrives on October 7th at favorite retailers everywhere!

Miko Mitsuki’s shojo manga series Honey Blood offers a fiery mixture of bloodthirsty romance and supernatural intrigue. Volume 1 of the 3-part series is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and print volumes each carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. In the opening volume, everyone is on edge when a girl at Hinata Sorazono’s school is attacked by what seems to be a bloodsucking vampire. Hinata refuses to believe that vampires even exist, but then she meets her new neighbor, Junya Tokinaga, the author of an incredibly popular vampire romance novel. Dressed in a kimono with an old-world air about him, Junya has a taste of Hinata’s blood and tells her it’s sweet... Hinata can’t help but be drawn to Junya, but could it be that he’s actually a vampire -- and worse yet, the culprit behind the attacks?! “Junya Tokinaga is a mysterious and handsome man, so readers will swoon along with Hinata and become captivated by his complicated past and the bloodthirsty secret he hides,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “The stage is set for charged passion and love in this sultry series from Miko Mitsuki.” Honey Blood creator Miko Mitsuki hails from Kagoshima Prefecture in southernmost Japan and debuted with the manga title, Utakata, in 2003. She is currently working on projects for Sho-Comi magazine. The Black Bird Complete Box Set features the entire series run of 18 volumes Kanoko Sakurakoji’s hit supernatural fantasy series. The set is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $149.99 U.S. / CAN. With an exclusive bonus premium art book and substantial savings over buying the individual volumes, the Black Bird box set will make a notable addition to any fan’s manga collection. In Black Bird, there is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand... or her life! “The Black Bird manga box set offers a comprehensive way to enjoy this acclaimed fantasy story in its entirety and the bonus art book also lets new and veteran fans enjoy even more of Kanoko Sakurakoji’s beautiful shojo illustrations,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “With its winning mix of romance and a captivating story about the darker corners of the supernatural world, Black Bird has continued to be a consistent favorite with readers. We look forward to fans catching the complete series with this new release from the Shojo Beat imprint.” Manga creator Kanoko Sakurakoji hails from Tokyo and debuted in 2000 with Raibu Ga Hanetara (When The Live Jumps) in the monthly shojo manga anthology, Betsucomi. Black Bird also ran in Betsucomi and won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in 2009 for Best Shojo Series. Kanoko Sakurakoji is also the creator of the manga series Backstage Prince (rated ‘T’ for Teens), which is also published domestically by VIZ Media. For more information on Black Bird, Honey Blood or other shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan`s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at VIZ.com.