Viz Launches Shonen Jump Advanced Imprint

VIZ, LLC recently announced the launch of Shonen Jump Advanced, a new imprint under the company's Shonen Jump brand that will present new cutting-edge manga stories offering titles with progressive storylines and characters to older teens and young adults.

The first three titles to be offered by Shonen Jump Advanced will include Eyeshield 21 Volume 1 TP, Hunter X Hunter Volume 1 TP, and I''S Volume 1 GN. The trio of titles are each rated "T+" for older teens and are set to hit store shelves in April 2005.

21, Hunter X Hunter, and I''S are all hugely successful in Japan and have been serialized in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump, the country's leading manga anthology that reaches close to three million readers each week. In North America, Shonen Jump titles like Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Naruto regularly top national sales lists for the manga and graphic novel categories.

"The launch of Shonen Jump Advanced further defines Shonen Jump's commitment to offer current and cutting edge stories straight from Japan that are aimed at the growing legion of older teens and young adults that have embraced the manga genre," states Yumi Hoashi, Vice President of Shonen Jump. "In Japan, manga readers range in all ages and walks of life. The debut of these three titles by Shonen Jump Advanced will now provide North American fans with progressive stories aimed specifically at older teen readers at a highly attractive retail price."

Each of these three titles is solicited in the January Previews for an April release -- order yours today!