A scene from the film.

VIZ PICTURES ANNOUNCES THEATRICAL SCREENINGS OF SLAPSTICK COMEDY - MAIKO HAAAAN!!!

Hilarious Look into Japanese Culture and the Geisha World to Screen in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced upcoming theatrical runs scheduled for New York, Los Angeles and Seattle of Maiko Haaaan!!!, a film directed by Nobuo Mizuta.

From acclaimed screenwriter Kankuro Kudo of Ping Pong, Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims and Takashi Miike's Zebraman, Maiko Haaaan!!!, is a slapstick comedy with an energetic twist of manic Japanese humor and a colorful introduction to the little-seen Maiko (apprentice Geisha) world. The recent premiere of this film at the Austin Fantastic Fest 2007 was very successful. Maiko Haaaan!!! will screen in New York, April 18-24, Seattle May 2-8 and Los Angeles, May 23-29, with a special Press Screening in Los Angeles on  May 1. Details and theatre information follow at the end of this release.

Maiko Haaaan!!! centers on a Japanese salary man named Kimihiko Onizuka (Sadawo Abe, from Kamikaze Girls) who dumps his girlfriend because he believes he can only fall in love with an apprentice Geisha, otherwise known as a 'Maiko.’ He decides to pursue his dream of courting a real Maiko in Kyoto. The lavish and private Maiko Houses become a social barrier partly caused by a rival who is actually also a millionaire baseball player (Shinichi Tsutsumi). But Kimihiko remains undaunted and embarks on a wild journey using some outlandish premises to gain entry to the Geisha inner sanctum. Meanwhile, Kimihiko’s girlfriend (Kou Shibasaki) tries to win him back by leaving Tokyo to become a Maiko herself.

“Imagine a frenzied and comedic version of Memoirs of a Geisha coupled with Forrest Gump and you have a pretty good idea of the fun in-store in Maiko Haaaan!!!,” says Manami Iboshi, Director, Marketing, VIZ Pictures. “Aside from the over-the-top plot and comedic performances, the film also provides a unique and colorful introduction into Japanese culture and the Maiko world to domestic audiences and we are sure audiences will be delighted by this rollicking story."

For more information on Maiko Haaaan!!! please visit www.viz-pictures.com.

Theatre Information:

NEW YORK (exclusive)
Theatrical Screening: April 18-24
IMAGINASIAN THEATRE
239 East 59th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Ave.), New York 10022

LOS ANGELES 
*Press Screening: May 8 - 2:00PM
Theatrical Screening: May 23-29
IMAGINASIAN CENTER
251 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

SEATTLE
Theatrical Screening: May 2-8
GRAND ILLUSION CINEMA
1403 NE 50th Street, Seattle, WA 98105