Viz uses Bleach to clean up in teen market
Japanese animé and manga licensor Viz Media has acquired its first title aimed at the older teen and young adult demo.
Bleach comes from the same family of manga as Viz Media properties Shonen Jump, Dragonball Z and Naruto, but instead targets an older age group than the company's usual core demo of seven- to 12-year-olds.
"Bleach is one of the big heavy hitters coming out of Japan, for which we have pretty big expectations. It is a very highly rated show on TV Tokyo at the moment," said John Easum, executive VP of Viz Media.
The property is already a very strong manga publishing title in the US, and Easum feels this is a "strong indication of how it will perform as a series."
According to Daniel Marks, MD at Viz Media BV, the Amsterdam-based company Viz launched in October with licensing outfit Copyright Promotions Licensing Group, teens will find it easy to identify with Bleach's characters.
"They are hip, trendy and fashionable," said Marks. "It sort of fuses a cool Samurai-esque feel with a retro style – all in present-day pop culture Japan that we think will resonate really well with the teen demo."
Bleach follows 15-year-old high school student Ichigo Kurosaki, who is able to see and fight the undead after an encounter with a 'soul reaper.' With his newfound powers, Kurosaki and his crew take on a brand new vocation: ghost-busting.
Jo Anne Kenny
6 Feb 2006
© C21 Media 2006
Fuente: foros de animenewsnetwork.com
Bleach Licensed ? (2006-03-09 07:46:26)
There are currently reports going around, stemming from this article on C21 Media, that Viz has "licensed" Bleach (TV). Due to the fact that the article quotes staff at Viz Media BV in Europe and that Viz holds international rights for many titles that it has not decided to release in North America, Anime News Network is waiting for confirmation from Viz before reporting that the Bleach is "licensed" for release in North America.
Fuente: animenewsnetwork.com
Falta confirmación de Viz en cuanto si la serie está licenciada también para distribución en EE.UU. Es de asumir que por ahora la licencia es para Europa. Aunque esto último lo tendrá que explicar alguien con más conocimiento del mercado europeo.