VIZ MEDIA PREVIEWS THE RELEASE OF BASEBALL MANGA SERIES CROSS GAME ONLINE AT SHONENSUNDAY.COM

Set Against The Backdrop Of The Sport Of Baseball, This New Manga Series Explores The Bonds Of Love Between Friends, Siblings And Family

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will bring Mitsuru Adachi’s acclaimed manga series CROSS GAME to North American readers via special online previews beginning in May on

VIZ Media’s Shonen Sunday website (ShonenSunday.com). CROSS GAME is rated ‘T’ for Teens and is due to release Fall 2010.

CROSS GAME is a moving drama that is heartfelt and true, yet in the brilliant hands of manga artist Mitsuru Adachi, delightfully flows with a light and amusing touch. The series centers around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street and the game of baseball. This poignant coming-of-age story will change your perception of what shonen manga can be.

“Mitsuru Adachi is a legend in Japan, where his work has been loved by fans for more than 40 years, and we're honored to bring him to a U.S. audience with the launch of CROSS GAME," says Andy Nakatani, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. "Readers can go to our Shonen Sunday web site to get a glimpse of how baseball combined with the drama of adolescence, tragedy and newfound loves produces a truly groundbreaking story."

One of the biggest names in the manga industry today, Mitsuru Adachi made his debut in 1970 with Kieta Bakuon in the pages of Deluxe Shonen Sunday. The creator of numerous mega-hits such as Touch, Miyuki, and Cross Game, Adachi Sensei received the Shogakukan Manga Award for all three of the aforementioned series. Truly at the top echelon of the manga industry, his cumulative works have seen over 200 million copies sold, and many of his series have been adapted into anime, live-action TV series and film. A master of his medium, Adachi has come to be known for his genius handling of dramatic elements skillfully combined with romance, comedy and sports. He, along with Rumiko Takahashi, has become synonymous with the phenomenal success of Shonen Sunday in Japan.

For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media’s Shonen Sunday imprint, please visit www.ShonenSunday.com.