THE QUEST CONTINUES AS CARTOON NETWORK PICKS UP 26 NEW EPISODES OF TOKYOPOP’S HIT ANIMATED SERIES RAVE MASTER  

Los Angeles, CA (January 18, 2005)— TOKYOPOP® is thrilled to announce that Rave Master, the year’s hottest animated action/adventure series on Cartoon Network, has been picked up for a second season. Additionally, new viewers will have the opportunity to join the Rave-olution as the series begins stripping daily. And the great news doesn’t stop there! On the heels of its successful run in the U.S., Cartoon Network UK has picked up all 51 episodes of the hit anime series with the first episode scheduled to air overseas in the Toonami block beginning Q-1 2005.

In celebration of the series’ success, beginning on January 31, 2005, TOKYOPOP will launch an on-line "enter to win" contest entitled “Seek the Stones.”  The first 10 consumers to answer the weekly Rave Master trivia questions correctly on www.seekthestones.com will win special Rave Master prizes. This campaign will be promoted on-line, through TOKYOPOP Rave Master DVD product and on various Rave Master licensed merchandise.

TOKYOPOP has lined up an A-list of Rave Master merchandise partners, including Hasbro (master toy license), Konami (video games), Avalanche (interactive wall calendars), Dark Horse (squishy toys), Jay Franco and Sons (bedding & home décor), Mad Engine (apparel), Antioch Publishing (bookmarks) and Toy Quest (motion-activated games). TOKYOPOP already publishes the Rave Master manga series, a frequent member of Nielsen BookScan’s weekly graphic novel best-seller lists.

In October TOKYOPOP debuted the first Rave Master Cine-Manga®—a unique action-filled book that blends the show’s full-color images with text balloons taken from the TV show’s script. Capturing Rave Master’s on-screen adventure in a lively and innovative layout, the Rave Master Cine-Manga, along with the Rave Master DVD, also available in stores, make it exciting and enjoyable for kids to not only watch, but also read their favorite TV show over and over again.

Featuring an incredible vocal cast, including Thomas James Kenney (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Michelle Ruff (Rurouni Kenshin,) Rave Master follows young Haru Glory on his fantasy quest of epic adventure and self-discovery. Joined by Elie and Plue, as well as a cast of other colorful characters, Haru seeks to retrieve the powerful and mystical Rave Stones necessary to defeat the malevolent Shadow Guard. In concert, they embark on a musical adventure of a lifetime, encountering a vast array of both friends and enemies on the ultimate quest to unlock the secret destiny that has brought them together.

About TOKYOPOP®
TOKYOPOP® is an innovative youth-oriented entertainment company that creates, licenses and publishes hundreds of book, DVD and music properties. With millions of books in print, including the hit series Fruits Basket, Princess Ai, DNAngel, Tokyo Tribes, Love Hina and Chobits, TOKYOPOP also discovers and promotes new artists and writers, creating original manga such as Warcraft, ShutterBox and @Large.  Pioneers of the Cine-Manga® book format, TOKYOPOP’s best-selling releases feature Finding Nemo, Shrek 2, Lizzie McGuire, SpongeBob SquarePants, Greatest Stars of the NBA and Linkin Park’s Breaking the Habit.  Its television properties include Rave Master, Initial D, GTO and Reign: The Conqueror, with consumer products programs tied into Rave Master, Initial D., Stray Sheep and Princess Ai. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.