Press Release from TokyoPop
LOS ANGELES, July 8 -- TOKYOPOP, the leading proponent of the global manga lifestyle and otaku culture, announced today that they have partnered with Hulu, an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites, to provide a wide array of animated and live-action video content.
The deal is structured to feature TOKYOPOP's long-form content as a high-end viewing experience, with a focus on premieres and exclusive broadcast windows, featuring the debut of the live-action comedy film Van Von Hunter and the premiere of the brand-new reality series America's Greatest Otaku.
"Hulu is the perfect platform for the TOKYOPOP brand," said Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP founder and CEO. "They have created the highest-quality viewing experience on the web and we know that our films and shows are going to shine in that venue."
The TOKYOPOP showpage (http://www.hulu.com/studio/tokyopop [1]) launches with the avant-garde anime feature Spring and Chaos. Spring and Chaos (original Japanese title Kenji no Haru) is the spellbinding animated biography of one of Japan's most beloved poets, Kenji Miyazawa. Directed by anime master Shoji Kawamori (Macross, Escaflowne, Arjuna, Aquarion), Spring and Chaos is an unparalleled visual feast and a touching portrait of a true artistic visionary.
Upcoming TOKYOPOP offerings on Hulu will include:
* Van Von Hunter:
TOKYOPOP's first live-action feature film is a This is Spinal Tap-style mockumentary set in the exotic world of anime and manga fandom. The movie is directed by producer and TOKYOPOP founder Stu Levy along with Steven Calcote and stars voice actor extraordinaire Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Ben 10). Van Von Hunter will appear on Hulu in late July after its debut screening at the Fantasia film festival in Montreal on July 17th.
* America's Greatest Otaku:
This 8-episode reality show will take viewers on a whirlwind journey through 20 cities over 8 weeks on TOKYOPOP's groundbreaking bus Tour of North America. America's Greatest Otaku will dive deep into the subculture of the most dedicated anime and manga fans in the country on a search for the #1 fan of all! AGO's world premiere exclusively on Hulu will be late Fall 2010.
* Manga Motion Comics:
A selection of TOKYOPOP's world-class Manga Motion Comics - including several world premieres - will begin showing on Hulu this summer.
About TOKYOPOP
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com [2], reading its books, which are licensed in 50 countries in more than 30 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com [2] for additional information.
Links:
[1] http://www.hulu.com/studio/tokyopop
[2] http://www.TOKYOPOP.com