April ADV Manga Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV MANGA ANNOUNCES APRIL STREET DATES

THREE BRAND NEW TITLES AND VOLUME FOURS FOR AZUMANGA DAIOH AND FULL METAL PANIC!

HOUSTON March 9 2004?ADV Manga today announced its April 2004 street dates with three new titles including Aria The Ruler of the Land and To Heart. The fourth and final volume of Azumanga Daioh and the fourth volume (out of five) of Full Metal Panic! also street in April.

Aria Volume 1 of 3
Aria is the first volume of a new manga series and is great for readers of every age offering a charming combination of science-fiction action and comedy.

In the future a young girl named Akari Mizunashi moves to the town of Neo-Venezia on the planet Aqua (formally known as Mars). Now she's away from everything she's ever known?her family friends and the far more advanced lifestyle of her home planet of Man Home (formally known as Earth). But as she starts her life in Neo-Venezia she's driven by the desire to achieve a single goal?to become a full-fledged Undine and to have a gondola of her own to ferry down the rivers of Neo-Venezia.

Street: 4/20/04
Genre: Adventure
Age Rating: All
184 pages black and white
Author: Kozue Amano
SRP: $9.99

The Ruler of the Land Volume 1 of 31
The Ruler of the Land ADV Manga?s first Korean graphic novel release has proven appeal?it already has an estimated five million readers worldwide and has inspired several successful computer games.

Swordsman Bi-Kwang and the protectress of the Sword of the Flowers Hwa-Rin lose their treasure to Sang-Pil ?Gold Cobra? Jin and his men. As they regroup to retrieve it they learn that a third group Master Yoo and the Black Serpents are also seeking it. Why? Because the Sword of the Flowers is the key to finding Hwa-Rin?s grandfather?the greatest fighter of the land!

Street: 4/20/04
Genre: Comedy
Age Rating: 13+
200 pages black and white
Author: JEON KEUK-JIN
Illustrator: YANG JAE-HYUN
SRP: $9.99

To Heart Volume 1 of 3
To Heart is a compelling and visual comedy that follows a shy high-school girl.

Akari Kamigashi is a sweet shy high-school girl who is happiest surrounded by her best childhood friends Hiroyuki Fujita and Masashi Sato. But things get a bit complicated when she starts having special feelings for Hiroyuki. If confessing her feelings weren?t daunting enough a gorgeous senior saunters into the picture to compete for Hiroyuki?s affections. Luckily Akira teams up with the spunky android (and wannabe maid) Multi to help her meet the challenge.

Street: 4/20/04
Genre: Comedy
Age Rating: All
176 pages black and white
Author: Ukyou Takao
SRP: $9.99

Azumanga Daioh Volume 4 of 4
The fourth installment of this manga comedy tells of the hilarious adventures of a group of Japanese high-school girls (including the precocious young Chiyo-chan who began high-school a few years early!) and ties in to the hotly anticipated Azumanga Daioh anime from ADV Films.
Publishers Weekly hails this manga stating ?Azuma?s cast has depth dimension and character and their story heartily entertains.? (Jan. 26 2004)

Everyone?s favorite gang of high schoolers is back for their final year. This time the gang takes a trip to sunny Okinawa where Osaka plays with sea cucumbers and looks for something to eat. Yomi announces her intention to join the InterPol and Sakaki gets a cat that will (gasp!) let her pet it! When the gang gets together for a camping trip Mr. Kimura makes his big confession to one of the students! It?s all the zaniness and tongue-in-cheek comedy you?ve come to expect from this popular series culminating in the bittersweet graduation ceremony where everyone goes their separate ways.

Street: 4/20/04
Genre: Comedy
Age Rating: 13+
184 black & white pages
Author: Kiyohiko Azuma
SRP: $9.99

Full Metal Panic! Volume 4 of 5
It?s another action-packed installment of the hit manga Full Metal Panic! the smash-hit manga series that masterfully combines action comedy and romance.

Jealousy starts sparks flying between Kaname and Sosuke. First Kaname is willingly distracted by an upper classman crush sending Sosuke undercover?again. Then just when she steels herself to confess all to Sosuke she spots the pretty exchange student Tessa walking out of his shower! No time to react though as terrorists start shooting up Sosuke?s apartment holding Kaname and Tessa at knifepoint!

Street: 04/20/04
Genre: Action/Comedy
Age Rating: 13+
168 black & white pages
Author: Shouji Gatou
Illustrator: Retsu Tateo
SRP: $9.99

About ADV Manga
Specializing in Japanese and other East Asian comics illustration books graphic novels and more ADV Manga is the publishing division of A.D. Vision Inc. parent company of ADV Films Newtype USA Anime Network and more. Founded in 2003 with nationwide mass-market distribution ADV Manga is poised to dominate the explosively growing U.S. market for imported graphic novels and related published materials. More information is available at http://www.adv-manga.com.

Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 (Archive on Saturday, April 10, 2004)