VIZ Media, The Licensing Machine in New Deal

PARIS, April 9: VIZ Media has
reached a deal with The Licensing Machine, a new division of Panini UK, to launch its manga series Death
Note and Bleach
in Italy
and Germany.

For
Bleach,
The Licensing Machine has acquired the television and home-video rights for
Italy, as well as the home-video rights for Germany. For Death Note, the company has picked up
the television, home-video and merchandising rights for Italy, along with the
home-video and merchandising rights for Germany.

Death Note, inspired by a 12-volume manga, follows the
adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student who finds a strange notebook dropped
by a death god. Any human whose name is written in the book dies, and Light
uses the power to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin
dropping dead, the authorities send a legendary detective to track down the
killer. In Bleach, a
15-year-old boy with the power to see ghosts enter the macabre Soul Society.
With the help of friends and his cat, he sets forth on a quest to save a Soul
Reaper, a hunter of malevolent souls whom he befriended.

“We are very excited to
grow our relationship with Panini, while paving the way for
Italian and German audiences to enjoy both Death Note and Bleach,” said John Easum, the president/gérant of VIZ Media Europe. “Both
titles are currently enjoying enormous success across the globe including
Japan, North America, France and Spain. They are two of Japan’s richest new
series offering striking animation and incredible storytelling. We are thrilled
that, in partnership with Panini, we will be able to extend this success to
Germany and Italy.

“The
Panini Group has treasured Japanese entertainment for over a decade, bringing
to Europe the fantastic manga stories, and masterpieces captivating readers and
contributing to the growth of the European manga fan base,” added Giusy Christiana Panari, the director of The
Licensing Machine. “Death Note and Bleach belong to the privileged category of successful manga and TV programs which
we are so very excited about. We look forward to working closely with VIZ Media
Europe to give rise to a powerful experience for Japanese animation fans and
our partners.”

—By Irene Lew