Press Release

ADV ANNOUNCES FEBRUARY 7 RELEASES

Launch of Diamond Daydreams Leads Slate
 

HOUSTON, December 19, 2005 —ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime in North America, is pleased to announce three exciting titles set to hit the streets on February 7, beginning with the first volume in the new series Diamond Daydreams! Other Feb 7 releases include the sixth volume of Madlax and volume three of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok.

DIAMOND DAYDREAMS: ATSUKO / KARIN

One Winter. Six Women. Countless Broken Hearts.

ADV Films is proud to announce the North American debut of Diamond Daydreams, a three-part modern romance from the heart of Japan. Diamond Daydreams: Atsuko / Karin will be available everywhere anime is sold February 7.

Directed by Bob Shirohata (Gravitation) and created by Oiji Hiroi (Sakura Wars), Diamond Daydreams is actually six stories of love and loss that become intertwined in the bitter cold winter of Hokkaido. Based on the popular Japanese videogame for the PS2, Diamond Daydreams is lushly animated by fan-favorite Studio DEEN (Fruits Basket, Maison Ikkoku).

Synopsis: The bitter-cold winter of Hokkaido meets the warmth of the human heart, as six women suffer through their own tragic love stories before fate brings them all together. We begin with Atsuko, whose arranged marriage collapses in the face of a love triangle. Then there’s Karin, a sickly schoolgirl who develops a crush on her doctor, only to have it blow up in her face. These are just two of the women chasing their own Diamond Daydreams.

Diamond Daydreams: Atsuko / Karin (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including episodes one through four, presented in both English and Japanese with English subtitles. Extras include the original Japanese TV spots, an interview with director Bob Hirohata, a special video segment called “DDD Time,” a Hokkaido travelogue, a feature on “The Food of Hokkaido,” and “Panda’s Diamond Dust Drops Diary Part 1,” plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

MADLAX: SACRIFICE

“Madlax has layer of intrigue and a mystery that really sucks the viewers in. Add a healthy dose of action and adventure and you've got a great show.” – DVD Talk

ADV Films is proud to announce the penultimate volume in anime’s #1 sexy spy thriller, Madlax: Sacrifice, set to hit stores February 7. “Shows featuring girls and guns are always made more impressive with dark, sultry atmospheres, and Madlax is no exception” (Anime News Network).

“Girls with guns” is such a rich vein of material, it never gets tired – especially when its from BEE Train, the masterminds behind Noir! A cold blooded gun-for-hire teams up with an unassuming high school student to unlock the dark secret that unites them!

Synopsis: The Gift – Only those with the gift are able to read the Holy Words of Saruon. They are the pathway to the door of truth – the only means by which the reality of the event twelve years ago can be revealed. But, without the gift the Holy Words can cause grave danger and teeter the delicate balance of creation and circumstance. The gift is freedom, but only for a chosen few. It will allow Margaret and Madlax to finally discover who they are and where they belong. Only, Madlax does not possess the gift. She is something different.

Different – Madlax can sense it. Madlax can feel the essence and touch the realm beyond reality. But, not completely. It is this confusing and frustrating state which has driven Madlax to discover her true existence. She has learned of her powerful yet cloudy connection to Margaret Burton. Drawn together, they have both searched along separate paths to arrive not only at the same destination but also at the same moment in time. It is a moment twelve years ago. It is a moment that will bring them closer together – and tear them further apart.

Madlax: Sacrifice (SRP $29.98 DVD) is an anamorphic DVD-only release including episodes 21-23, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include design sketches, the original Japanese TV spot, an extended preview for episode 22, a “Shards of My Eyes” Music Video, a karaoke version of the same, a “Vanessa Memorial Video,” and (of course) more “Conversations with SSS!” All that, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Limited Quantities of the Collectors Edition Still Available!

The Madlax Collectors Box is still available. This special collectors edition contains the first volume of Madlax in a stunning custom series art box with full color artwork sized to hold the entire seven volume series (SRP $39.98).

MYTHICAL DETECTIVE LOKI RAGNAROK:

ALL THINGS EVIL

“If you're looking for some very intelligent humor, an interesting and endearing cast, a plot with a great deal of potential… Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok may be a very nice fit for you.” – Anime on DVD

ADV Films is proud to announce the third volume in the hit anime series Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok: All Things Evil, which hits stores everywhere February 7. “Fans of all ages should give this extremely funny and action-packed show a look” (ToonZone.com).

Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe (King of Bandit Jing, Video Girl Ai), Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is funny, charming, and macabre. Loki is the Norse god of mischief, now banished to Earth by Odin. Forced to exist in exile in a little boy’s body – but with all the powers of a god – Loki runs a private detective agency. Alongside his trusted assistant, Yamino, and a beautiful high school girl, Mayura, they set out to shine a light into the deepest corners of the paranormal. But there is one metaphysical mystery remains: Just what in the Heavens has Loki done to find himself banished to Earth?

Synopsis: Figuring out a way back to the world of the gods is hard work and with evil around every corner, Loki has his work cut out. Especially now with Mayura looking for her mystery fix at the Enjaku Detective Agency, which only can only lead to trouble, Loki really has his hands full. And it’s not just Mayura, she somehow gets the other Norse gods, Thor and Frey, into trouble as well.

Life among the mortals can be quite challenging. The exiled Loki and his fellow gods must face off against evil spirits appearing as a giant Buddha statue or virtual reality game characters that are all too real. Meanwhile, Thor must make passing grades and work a part-time job at an evil spirited coffee shop. As for Frey, he searches for his beloved sister while having a god size crush on the “classic Japanese beauty”, Mayura. Join Loki and his friends, and his enemies, in their mysterious adventures in this evil third volume of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok!

Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including episodes nine through twelve, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include the first half of a two-part interview with voice actors Showtaro Morikubo (Narugami) and Romi Paku (Heimdall), a character art gallery, and Norse mythology notes, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Limited Quantities of the Collectors Edition Still Available!

The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Collectors Box is still available. This special collectors edition contains the first volume of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok in a stunning custom series art box with full color artwork sized to hold the entire seven volume series (SRP $39.98).

About ADV Films:

In the 13 years since its inception, ADV Films has become the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation (“anime”) for the North American market and has also developed a leadership position in the UK. With best-selling titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon, Robotech, Full Metal Panic, Hello Kitty and Azumanga Daioh, ADV Films' extensive catalog is fueling the popularity of anime around the globe. Always on the forefront, ADV is introducing North America to bold new anime franchises such as Gantz, Elfen Lied, Chrono Crusade, Peacemaker and DNAngel. ADV Films' library also includes popular live-action science fiction programs such as The Jim Henson Company's Farscape, the nationally syndicated Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and the Saturn Award-nominated Mutant X. In 2005 ADV Films was voted “Best Anime Company” in the SPJA awards, presented at Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime convention.

Parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc., encompasses a multitude of complementary media divisions, spanning publishing, television, licensing and merchandising and continues to expand into new areas. Its Anime Network™ is America's first and only television network dedicated to bringing anime and anime-related programming to consumers nationwide via digital cable 24 hours a day. The company has two publishing arms: Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly magazine, and ADV Manga™, dedicated to publishing graphic novels. Headquartered in Houston, the company has offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.advfilms.com.