Press Release
Manga Entertainment acquires KARAS from the original creators of Speed Racer,
Tatsunoko Productions

To be released on DVD in 2006

“…Impossible to tear yourself away.”- Newtype USA Magazine
 

Chicago, December 5, 2005 – Manga Entertainment is proud to announce the acquisition of KARAS, the 40th Anniversary animation from Tatsunoko Productions, the creators of the original Speed Racer, Battle of the Planets, and Gatchaman series.

Originally released in Japan as a six episode OVA series, KARAS will be released as two feature-length DVDs, with the first release in April 2006. With music by Ike Yoshihiro (Blood: The Last Vampire, Dead Leaves), the creative team behind KARAS’ production also worked on Wolf’s Rain and Big O.

“For the production of KARAS, we challenged 3D/2D hybrid technology taking another great leap forward. From a directional point of view, we were conscious of kabuki (Japanese fighting swords) and its use in KARAS. We increased the use of insert cuts which is the Hollywood way of filming Japanese sword fighting. This blend of Japanese beauty and sword fighting in 3D animation has not yet been seen anywhere.” said KARAS director Keiichi Sato.

Tokyo: a city populated by both humans and by ghostly beings. They exist in both dimensions, seen and unseen: spirits, apparitions, demons. The balance between these two dimensions has long been upheld by the city's guardian raven Karas and his masters. But that balance has been thrown into disarray as Eko, a city magnate and former Karas, has attempted to seize power and bring order to the streets through force. The entity Yurine, who represents the will of the people, stands in his way with her newly risen Karas. Now an ageless battle stretching across both dimensions and killing humans and spirits alike is in progress between the two sides and their armies. Karas is humanity’s last hope

For more information on Karas, visit: www.karas-movie.com

Manga Entertainment Inc. specializes in the production and distribution of Japanese animation for theatrical, DVD and home video release worldwide. Manga's cutting-edge film collection also features Asian live-action, cult, pop-culture and international animation. The Manga film library is marketed and distributed in the U.S. through Anchor Bay Entertainment. Manga is headquartered in Chicago and has offices in London and Tokyo. www.manga.com.

Manga Entertainment is an Anchor Bay Entertainment Company. Anchor Bay Entertainment is an established leader in the field of home entertainment. The company offers an expansive selection of award-winning, notable theatrical films including “Time Bandits” and “Halloween,” classic television programming such as “Roseanne,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Three’s Company,” “Highlander” and much of the Stephen J. Cannell library, traditional children’s fare featuring the ever-popular Thomas & Friends collection and Mister Rogers Neighborhood, the impressive Manga anime line and chart-topping fitness titles including the "Crunch" and "For Dummies" series. Anchor Bay Entertainment is aggressively developing a wide range of original programs and concepts in addition to licensing existing brands and films.

Anchor Bay Entertainment is a subsidiary of IDT Entertainment. IDT Entertainment is a vertically integrated entertainment company that develops, produces, and distributes proprietary and licensed entertainment content. IDT Entertainment is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE:IDT, IDT.C), an international telecom, entertainment, and technology company.