Ryuk the Shinigami death god overlooks the land of the dead in the anime series DEATH NOTE. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

Source: VIZ Media Official Site: DEATH NOTE Anime Site The first DVD volume of the highly anticipated anime series DEATH NOTE makes its debut in stores on November 20, 2007. DEATH NOTE is the latest addition to VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Home Video line. The DVD is rated T+ for Older Teens, and features four original and uncut episodes with English dub and Japanese with English subtitles for $24.98.

Light Yagami finds the DEATH NOTE. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

DEATH NOTE, based on the Shueisha manga series of the same name, is currently one of the hottest properties in Japan. Published in North America by VIZ Media, the manga consistently ranks as one of the top performing graphic novels on BookScan, and depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. 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. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his once noble goal. The unique storyline and complex characters, combined with visually stunning animation by Madhouse, have made DEATH NOTE one of the most popular anime series in Japan and anticipation for the North American release has built steadily since VIZ Media first began publishing the manga series. DEATH NOTE has also spawned two live-action films and a plethora of related posters, toys and action figures.

The mysterious detective L investigates the Death Note murders. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

“The buzz and anticipation surrounding the release of DEATH NOTE has built steadily among eager fans in recent months,” states Wendy Shimamura, Associate Product Manager, Home Entertainment, VIZ Media. “DEATH NOTE is a riveting and intricate story of murder, justice, morality, ambition, and strategic cunning – it is as much a psychological thriller as it is a crime drama. We look forward to fans discovering the series and making it a hit across North America.” DEATH NOTE vol. 1 will also be available with a Limited Edition Collector’s Figurine of Ryuk for $39.98. Previously available only with the Japanese DEATH NOTE DVD product, the collectible figurines will be limited to 15000 units in North America. New volumes of the series and figurines will be released on a monthly basis beginning in December. VIZ Media has also made DEATH NOTE available for secure and legal Download-to-Own (DTO) and Download-to-Rent (DTR) through Direct2Drive.com and TotalVid.com. The availability of DEATH NOTE for domestic audiences in this manner is significant because it marks the first time a well-known Japanese anime property is being made available to domestic audiences for download while the title still airs on Japanese television. It further sets a new benchmark for diminishing the gap in time between when series air in Japan and their eventual debut in North America.

A closeup look at Ryuk. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. DEATH NOTE is based on the comic Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump published by SHUEISHA Inc.