BLUE DRAGON

TV Kids
Weekly, February 12, 2008

ORIGIN: Based on Microsoft’s BLUE DRAGON Xbox 360 role-playing game.

DISTRIBUTOR: VIZ Media has the television, home
video and non-video-game merchandising rights for the Americas, Europe and
Oceania.

CONCEPT: Hironobu Sakaguchi

CHARACTER
DESIGNS: Akira
Toriyama

TV SHOW: 51×30-minute episodes. The anime
series debuted in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2007.

SYNOPSIS: The BLUE DRAGON anime is a classic adventure story of
magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses and unbounded heroism. Brought
together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within
themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land.
Their ensuing journey through a rich fantasy world is also an internal journey
to awaken the great power within each of them. Journey with them into the world
of BLUE DRAGON.

PRODUCERS: Studio Pierrot, which is well known
for its work on Naruto and Bleach, properties that are also licensed by VIZ Media.

COMMISSIONING
BROADCASTER: TV Tokyo,
Japan

TV SALES: Cartoon Network in the U.S., Mediaset
in Italy

MAJOR TOY
LICENSEES: Bandai
America is the toy licensee for products based on BLUE DRAGON. A deal is also in place for a
collectible card game.

OTHER
PRODUCTS: Last
October, VIZ Media launched a dedicated website for the property, at
bluedragon.viz.com. The site features a trailer for the series ahead of its
U.S. launch this spring, character descriptions and artwork from the anime, and
a news section that will be updated regularly with announcements regarding the
launch of the show.

The video game
has already established itself in Japan as one of Microsoft’s hottest releases
in the role-playing-game category and was released in North America and Europe
in August 2007. The game was developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of
the popular Final Fantasy game franchise, and features character designs by Akira Toriyama,
the creator of the bestselling Dragon Ball manga series (which is published in North America by VIZ
Media and featured in SHONEN JUMP magazine).

STRATEGY
FOR ROLLOUT: VIZ Media
is looking to build on the recognition of the BLUE DRAGON brand with the new anime series, which
launches in the U.S. this spring following its successful Japanese rollout last
year. Mediaset in Italy has scooped up the show, and VIZ is looking to sign up
other broadcast partners in the Americas, Europe and Oceania.

On the
merchandising front, VIZ will be touting the property at Toy Fair next week.
"We are excited to be at Toy Fair offering properties internationally that
have been wildly popular in the U.S.,” says Pascal Bonnet, the director of
licensing and brand management at VIZ Media Europe, citing the brands Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, BLUE DRAGON and Hamtaro. “We highly anticipate the excitement
to continue through the international markets as well."