Press Release

ADV ANNOUNCES DECEMBER 6 RELEASES

HOUSTON, November 19, 2005—ADV Films, the number one producer-distributor of anime in North America, is pleased to announce three exciting new compilations set to hit the streets on December 6 – the second Samurai X Directors Cut Collection, a new Shinkai Collection collecting both of the director’s acclaimed anime features, and the affordable new thin-packed DNAngel Complete Collection.

DNANGEL COMPLETE COLLECTION

The Best-Selling Series Now Available In A Single Affordable Thin-Pack!

ADV Films is proud to announce yet another outrageously affordable thin-pack compilation, the DNAngel Complete Collection, which will hit stores everywhere December 6. One of the year’s most critically-acclaimed and best-selling anime series, DNAngel is “a gently riveting series that balances humor with adolescent angst” (Zap2It.com). Now the entire series is available in a thin-pack collection just in time for the holiday gift-giving season!

Adapted from the international best-selling manga series by Yukiru Sugisaki, DNAngel is a romantic adventure with a fantastic premise. High school hottie Risa has two suitors: shy Daisuke and the magical thief Dark. But the twist is that Daisuke and Dark share the same body, and it's Daisuke's love for Risa that allows Dark to take over! The only way to resolve this romantic disaster is for Daisuke to win the heart of his true love -- but since she's only got eyes for Dark, that's not happening anytime soon!

Synopsis: Being a young teen is hard enough for most boys, but Daisuke's is a particularly hard destiny and he doesn't even know it yet. Every male of the Niwa family possessess a peculiar gene that matures on their fourteenth birthday and is activated when he's in love. Now any time Daisuke becomes enflamed with Risa, the object of his desires, he transforms into the legendary thief Phantom Dark. The only way to return to normal is to win the affection of his true love, but she only has eyes for Dark. And she's not the only one: Daisuke's eccentric mom, the entire police force and the boy genius Satoshi, who harbors an even darker secret than Daisuke, all have their reasons to capture Dark. Now Daisuke has to keep his secret in the dark as he steals magical items for his family and attempts to steal the heart of his true love.

DNANGEL Complete Collection (SRP $89.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including all 26 episodes of the series, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.

SHINKAI COLLECTION

Two Features From Anime’s Newest Auteur In a Single Package

Makoto Shinkai “is clearly a distinctive cinematic talent who is capable of creating works of challenging imagination and deep visual beauty” (FilmThreat). ADV Films is proud to announce a special collection celebrating Makato Shinkai’s two great anime features, Voices of A Distant Star and The Place Promised In Our Early Days. The Shinkai Collection will hit stores everywhere December 6.

Makoto Shinkai has been called the “new Miyazaki,” and these two animated films make a strong case! Shinaki produced Voices From a Distant Star entirely on his own using a Macintosh, yet it went on to win prizes at several international film festivals. His follow up was the feature length film The Place Promised In Our Early Days, which went on to win even more awards and enjoyed a successful art house run throughout North America this fall.

Synopsis: From Makoto Shinkai, the man hailed as Japan’s “new Miyazaki,” come two unusual and evocative tales of love and relationships. In Voices of a Distant Star, when a mysterious alien force begins to attack Earth, young Mikako feels compelled to join the resistance. But when she does so, she leaves behind the young man that she loves. As she flies further into deep space, the time between her messages to him becomes days, then months and finally years. While she ages a few days, he grows years older. Can love transcend time and space?

The Place Promised in Our Early Days follows the lives of three young people as they grow from middle school into adulthood. A mysterious tower provides a powerful magnet for their ambitions and dreams, but when Sayuri suddenly disappears, Hiroko and Takyua find themselves on divergent paths. It will take time and the threat of war to draw the friends back together again. But will it be too late? Or will love provide the key to conquer all?

Shinkai Collection (SRP $39.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including both Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised In Our Early Days presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 with English subtitles. In addition, the three disc set also features the Voices soundtrack and a deluxe 48-page booklet with special artwork and interviews.

SAMURAI X: DIRECTOR’S CUT COLLECTION

For Rurouni Kenshin Fans

ADV Films is proud to announce the December 6 release of the second Samurai X: Directors’ Cut Collection. Produced by Studio DEEN (Mythical Detective Loki, Getbackers), Samurai X is recognized as one of the most important franchises in the history of anime.

“Long time fans of the Rurouni Kenshin anime series simply cannot miss this DVD, and dedicated samurai film fans should certainly give this release a try” (Cinegeek.com)

Kenshin is a wanderer, a lost soul, cursed to seek atonement for his life in the bloody trade of the samurai, known throughout all Japan as the Hitokiri Battousai (sword bearing master assassin). The peacetime after a long war to overthrow a corrupt government has brought no peace to Kenshin, despite a vow to draw his sword only for the protection of those in need.

Synopsis: Kenshin was the premier assassin of the Ishin Shishi during the Meiji Restoration in Japan. Now discover the driving forces behind the life of the man known as the Hitokiri Battosai, the Man-Slayer. In Trust & Betrayal, uncover the tragic beginnings, the twists and turns of an unfeeling destiny that led a peaceful boy to become the most feared killer during one of the bloodiest eras of Japan’s history. Then, many years later, the past meets the present in Reflection as Kenshin remembers the moments that filled his life with pain, blood and love.

Samurai X Director’s Cut Collection (SRP $44.98 DVD) is a DVD-only release including the movies Trust & Betrayal and Reflection presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles.

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.