Rurouni Kenshin #1 Top Seller in N.A.

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Samurai manga tops the list of best selling graphic novels and breaks

into Top 100 Overall Adult Fiction according to Nielsen BookScan.

San Francisco, Calif, February 24, 2004 ? VIZ, LLC, one of the leading

publishers and distributors of manga and anime for North American

audiences, announced today that RUROUNI KENSHIN, Volume 3, has secured

the number one spot on BookScan?s list of best selling graphic novels

for two weeks running. Since its release on January 24, 2004, RUROUNI

KENSHIN, written by Nobuhiro Watsuki, has sold over 8,500 copies,

outselling every other comic and graphic novel in the past two weeks.

Nielsen BookScan, the international sales data monitoring and analysis

service for the English-language book industry, also listed VIZ?s

graphic novel, RUROUNI KENSHIN, on its Overall Adult Fiction Top 100

list. The list, which is a true reflection of mainstream American book

purchases, includes such literary winners as Charles Frazier?s Cold

Mountain and Dan Brown?s Da Vinci Code. As a result, RUROUNI KENSHIN is

not only the best-selling comic, but also one of the best-selling

fiction titles in the country

RUROUNI KENSHIN is part of the SHONEN JUMP Graphic Novel line, known as

the world?s most popular manga. Each graphic novel title under the

SHONEN JUMP brand has the unique style and voice of its creator and is

presented in the right-to-left format, just as they are in Japan. This

format allows the panels to be displayed as the artists intended, and

increases the authenticity and fun for the reader?s experience. The

SHONEN JUMP Graphic Novel line also includes DRAGON BALL, DRAGON BALL Z,

KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC, NARUTO, ONE PIECE, SAND LAND, SHAMAN KING,

ULTIMATE MUSCLE, YU-GI-OH!, and YUYU HAKUSHO. In partnership with

Shueisha, Inc., the Japanese publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump, VIZ, LLC

brings the best of Japanese comics to American fans.

?We are pleased to announce such impressive sales for RUROUNI KENSHIN,?

states Mr. Seiji Horbuchi, president and CEO of VIZ. ?The Company is set

on an aggressive growth path for 2004 and the popularity of RUROUNI

KENSHIN among both adults and younger readers is a good indicator of


things to come. It?s exciting to see such a diverse range of readers

embracing the graphic novel genre in general, and KENSHIN in particular.

As the year progresses, we look forward to continuing this momentum with

other VIZ titles as well.?

The wildly popular manga series, RUROUNI KENSHIN, is about the

adventures of a wandering swordsman who helps those in trouble. RUROUNI

KENSHIN is set in Japan during the second half of the 19th century

during the Meiji era, a time of enormous change in Japanese society. In

Volume 3, Kenshin and his sidekick, Sanosuke, bring back a mysterious

woman from their latest trek, the beautiful Takani Megumi. Megumi

unwittingly participated in the production of a super-powerful form of

opium and is now in danger. Much to the dismay of Sanosuke, Kenshin

knows he must save Takani Megumi from the wrath of evil industrialist

Kanryu. Filled with historical detail, spectacular battles and romantic

comedy, the story accurately depicts the exciting and chaotic early days

of modern Japan.

About VIZ, LLC

Founded in 1986, VIZ is a multi-media entertainment company specializing

in Japanese entertainment properties for U.S. audiences. VIZ offers an

integrated product line including magazines, graphic novels, videos,

DVDs and audio soundtracks. Each month, VIZ publishes three magazines ?

ANIMERICA, ANIMERICA EXTRA and SHONEN JUMP; over 20 graphic novel titles

including ALICE 19th, BOYS OVER FLOWERS, DRAGON BALL Z, FUSHIGI YÛGI,

GUNDAM, INUYASHA, RANMA ½, and YU-GI-OH!; and distributes home video for

BOYS OVER FLOWERS, HAMTARO, INUYASHA, POKéMON, PROJECT ARMS, and ZOIDS.

Based in San Francisco, VIZ is one of the top five comics publishers in

the U.S. and a subsidiary of Shogakukan and Shueisha Inc., two of the

top publishers in Japan. VIZ is the leading publisher of manga for

English speaking audiences, serving a growing market of dedicated fans

of all ages. Estimating a core audience of nearly 15 million fans, the

company holds more than a 50% market share of Japanese comics in the

U.S. With some of the most innovative products in the industry, VIZ has

expanded its offerings to its loyal fans through web sites such as

www.animerica-mag.com, www.shonenjump.com, and its corporate site,

www.viz.com.