VIZ, LLC has formally announced the North American theatrical premiere of INUYASHA: AFFECTIONS TOUCHING ACROSS TIME, the first feature film of the widely popular anime fantasy series released in the United States. INUYASHA: AFFECTIONS TOUCHING ACROSS TIME will debut at Comic-Con 2004, to be held July 22-25 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. INUYASHA airs on Cartoon Network.
The film, based on author Rumiko Takahashi's manga about the adventures of a half- demon dog boy, was originally released in December 2001 in Japan. INUYASHA: AFFECTIONS TOUCHING ACROSS TIME is a suspense story that pits Inuyasha against a powerful demon from China named Menomaru. Two hundred years ago, Inuyasha's father managed to seal Menomaru's evil demon father, Hyoga, away in a tomb, but a shard from the magical Shikon Jewel freed the son, Menomaru, allowing him to escape his imprisonment and threaten the entire land.
VIZ will offer free screenings in the United States and Canada in eight major cities, including Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York and Toronto. The company will announce specific dates and theatres at Comic-Con.
"We are extremely proud and excited to premiere Inuyasha: Affections Touching Across Time to North American audiences who are extremely enthusiastic about its release," said Anthony Jiwa, director of marketing for VIZ, LLC. "So many people have embraced Inuyasha with such dedication, it continues to remain one of the most popular and best selling manga and anime properties in North America."
VIZ will have a special sound booth at Comic-Con, where visitors will have the chance to audition to be a voice-over extra on an upcoming INUYASHA DVD. The winner will record their extra part at Ocean Studios in Vancouver, Canada and will have the opportunity to meet some of the English language voice actors.
The DVD edition of INUYASHA: AFFECTIONS TOUCHING ACROSS TIME will be released by VIZ on September 7, along with a new DVD boxed set containing the entire first season's 27 episodes.
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. For more information, visit www.viz.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
