Press Release

ADV ANNOUNCES FEBRUARY 21 TITLES
 

HOUSTON, December 22, 2005 —ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime in North America, is pleased to announce four exciting new titles set to hit store shelves on February 21, including the latest volumes of Gatchaman and the long-awaited Gantz Season 1 Box Set!

GANTZ SEASON 1 BOX SET

“A Balls-To-The-Walls Thrill Ride... Gritty, Dangerous, And Exciting!”

– Anime District

ADV Films is pleased to present the Gantz Season 1 Box Set. The set, which had been set for a January release, will now street February 21.

The Gantz Season 1 Box Set collects the first six discs of 2005’s smash hit anime series in an attractive, value-priced thin-pack. Sure to be one of the biggest releases of the first quarter, Gantz Season 1 is a great way to keep this series on the shelves and selling through!

Described as “gruesome” (Anime Source), “sadistic” (Anime Daze), and “addictive” (Active Anime), Gantz is one of the top-selling series of 2005. The series has developed a following well beyond the anime fan community, and retailers have struggled to keep the new disks on the shelf. “This is a series that leaves you in awe the entire time” (Anime News Network).

Directed by Ichiroh Itano and produced by GONZO Digimation (Chrono Crusade, Full Metal Panic!), Gantz is based on the ultra-violent, totally twisted manga series by Hiroya Oku (HEN, Zero One). If anything, the anime series surpasses its source material for sheer spectacle – so much so that it had to be heavily edited for broadcast on Japanese television. ADV Films has restored Gantz to its original, uncut form for its DVD release, much to people’s surprise.

Synopsis: He thought he was dead. The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his own body. But now he is in a room filled with strangers, all resurrected by a strange, featureless black sphere known only as the Gantz. Caught in a strange realm between life and death, Kei and the others must undertake brutal missions that the Gantz assigns. Otherwise, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is it a game? A nightmare? All Kei knows is that this reprieve from death may only be temporary. If they fail, they will die again.

Gantz Season 1 Box Set (SRP $69.98 DVD) is a DVD-only thin-pack release containing all 13 episodes from the first season, presented in anamorphic video with both English 5.1 sound and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.

GATCHAMAN Volumes 9 & 10

“Anime Doesn’t Get Any More Classic Than This!” – Anime News Network

ADV Films is proud to announce a February 21 release for the ninth and tenth volumes of Gatchaman as well as the fifth Gatchaman Collection, a box set containing both new volumes and a jam-packed extras disk. ADV’s deluxe presentation of the anime classic has been called “a series no anime fan should be without” (Anime on DVD.com).

Acclaimed comics illustrator Alex Ross provides the artwork for all eighteen volumes of the Gatchaman series, which is being released for the first time in North America in its entirety, uncut and unedited. ADV has recorded a brand new English dub and assembled loads of commentaries, documentary footage, archival material, and other extras for the classic series. This is the most deluxe anime event of the year!

Gatchaman is the seminal 1970s anime series from Tatsunoko Productions (Speed Racer, Robotech), which was recut for broadcast in the US as Battle of the Planets and later G-Force. In whatever form it appeared, Gatchaman introduced fans around the world to the wonders of Japanese animation. The cool character designs, over-the-top storylines, and complex team dynamic set Gatchaman apart from other shows – and set a standard that later programs emulated. It may well be the most influential anime series of all time. More information on the Gatchaman legacy can be found at ADV’s official website here!

ADV’s DVD series has proven to be a critical and commercial success. In awarding the first Gatchaman Collection a rare five-star rating, Anime Jump called it “truly top-notch – it's got good subtitles, a wonderfully accessible new dub, and a collector's package that even casual fans can afford and enjoy. This is one of the finest releases of the year, bar none.”

Series synopsis: In the 21st century, the evil organization Galactor has its sights set on global conquest. Their use of tyrannical terrorism and high-tech mayhem has the world in the clutches of fear! The only thing standing in the way of complete global dominance is the International Science Organization (ISO) and its chief scientist, Professor Kozaburou Nambu. Dr. Nambu’s primary weapon in the fight for freedom is his top secret experiment: the five kids who make up the Science Ninja Team. Bird, Go!

Gatchaman 9: Funeral For A Friend (SRP $14.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including episodes 49-54, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include a commentary track on episode 53 with John Tyson (Red Impulse) and an edition of “Gatchaman Karaoke,” in which fans can dub themselves into the story! All that plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Gatchaman 10: Jet Cutters & The Giant Buddha (SRP $14.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including episodes 55-60, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include a commentary track for episode 60 with Leraldo Anzaldua (Ken) and Andy McAvin (Dr. Nambu), another edition of “Gatchaman Karaoke,” plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Gatchaman Collection 5 (SRP $34.98 DVD is a three-disk box set containing volumes nine and ten plus a disk full of extras. The Collection comes in a chipboard box with breathtaking art by Alex Ross. Extras include a Ryu the Owl profile, character sketches of Ryu, an interview with Victor Carsrud (Ryu), Ryu the Owl audition footage, episode sketches, a Gatchaman manga, “The Secret of the Monster Mecha Factory,” and “Gatchaman Publishing Gallery Part IV – Gatchaman in Europe,” narrated by Luci Christian.

About ADV Films:

In the 14 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.