Appetite Meets Adventure in Action-Packed New Shonen Jump Series Toriko

It's Eat Or Be Eaten As A Gourmet Hunter Tracks Exotic Big Game For His Clients' Expensive Palates In Ferocious New Manga Debut

San Francisco, CA, May 20, 2010 – Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, delivers a new manga property that expertly blends action-adventure with the thrill of the hunt with the release of TORIKO on June 1st. The new series, created by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, will be published under the SHONEN JUMP imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In a savage world ruled by the pursuit of the most delicious foods, it's either eat or be eaten! This is the great era of gourmet food! And only Toriko can track down the ferocious and exotic wildlife coveted by the world's best restaurants and wealthy food connoisseurs. As a Gourmet Hunter, Toriko tracks and defeats the tastiest and most dangerous animals with his bare hands. But has he met his match with an eight-legged alligator the size of a tank?

“Fans will be in for a truly wild ride with over-the-top action in TORIKO,” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director at Viz Media. “Toriko uses his incredible strength and superb hunting skills to track down the most exotic ingredients for his clients' expensive and unusual tastes to create the ultimate dinner!”

Creator Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro made his debut in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1996. He is best known for the 2001 series, Seikimatsu Leader Den Takeshi! (A Tale of a Leader in The End of the Century Takeshi!), for which he won the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. His current series, TORIKO, began serialization in Japan in 2008.

For more information on this title, and other Shonen Jump titles, please visit http://shonenjump.viz.com.

About Viz Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) 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-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., Viz Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact Viz Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and website at www.VIZ.com.

TORIKO © 2008 by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro/Shueisha, Inc.