Joost to Launch Animated Series

SAN FRANCISCO, September
25: Internet television service Joost will carry in the U.S. the original uncut
Japanese version and English subtitled episodes of the animated series Naruto, Death Note and Bleach from VIZ
Media.

Episodes will be made
available for free at joost.com with new installments added regularly. Fans
will be able to watch these shows in their web browser while interacting with
others in the Joost community.

Naruto depicts the adventures of Uzumaki Naruto, who is
cursed with the spirit of a nine-tailed fox demon, which causes his fellow
villagers to discriminate against him. However, he remains resilient and
undaunted in his quest to become a master ninja and through various adventures,
he learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work,
creativity and ingenuity.

Bleach, an animated action series, follows 15-year-old
Ichigo Kurosaki, who was born with the ability to see ghosts. When his family
is attacked by a malevolent lost soul, Ichigo encounters a Soul Reaper and
absorbs her powers. Now he dedicates his life to protecting the innocent and
helping tortured souls find peace.

Based on the manga series
of the same name, Death Note
centers on the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student who is bored out of
his mind. However, all of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook
dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the
notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to
rid the world of evil.

“Joost recognizes a truly
diverse community for content and has developed an interactive vehicle that
will help build an even larger audience for Naruto, Bleach and Death Note,” Ken
Sasaki, the senior VP of strategy and business development for VIZ Media. “VIZ
Media shares a vision to use the latest web technologies to make compelling
animated content easily accessible in a legal, secure and high-quality format.
We look forward to fans sharing their favorite episodes of Naruto, Bleach and Death Note on
Joost and taking advantage of its social features to discuss and trade
commentary individual episodes and expand the global momentum behind these
properties.”

Danny Passman, the global
head of programming for Joost, said: “Our goal is to be the leading online
destination for premium, legal anime—and VIZ Media is a key partner in
this objective. Naruto, Bleach and Death Note have great fan bases because of their amazing
artistry and compelling storylines, and with Joost’s social features, these
shows will be introduced to an even larger audience.”

—By Jackie Stewart