VIZ PICTURES ANNOUNCES DVD RELEASE OF LIVE ACTION FEATURE FILM - HONEY & CLOVER

Romantic Comedy Based on Popular Manga Series Depicts Five Art Students and Their Transformations from Adolescence to Adulthood

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of Honey and Clover today. The live-action film, directed by Masahiro Takata and based on a best-selling manga series by Chica Umino, features English subtitles and will carry an estimated retail price of $24.98. Special bonus features on the disc include cast interviews, and a dedicated website about the film is available at www.honeyandclover.us.

Honey and Clover is a romantic comedy that focuses on five college students and the art school they attend. Mayama, Morita and Takemoto (played by J-Pop star Sho Sakurai, who also appeared in Hula Girls) aren't necessarily living fancy lives, but they always manage to have fun. When a talented and pretty painter named Hagumi Hanamoto (played by Hula Girls star Yu Aoi) enrolls in the program, her presence and unique approach to art affects the entire school and her new friends, especially Takamoto. The plot thickens as Hagumi becomes embroiled in a complicated love triangle as she struggles to find her artistic voice. Takemoto has a deft touch with his art, but he's not at his best with relationships, while Mayama is calm and gentle, and Morita is an eccentric genius and a rootless wanderer. Five one-sided feelings are tangling, with no answer in sight. Honey and Clover showcases the journey that everyone must take to transform from adolescence into adulthood and the long and challenging road these five young people must navigate to balance the demands of school, work, and love.

Honey and Clover is based on a bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Chica Umino which has sold more than 5 million copies to-date in Japan. In 2003 the popular series won the 27th Kodansha Manga Hagu Award, Japan's most prestigious comics award. The manga series was also adapted into an animated series in 2005 and finally into the live-action film released in Japan in 2006. Honey and Clover is currently serialized in Shojo Beat Magazine and the graphic novel is available in the U.S., both published domestically by VIZ Media.

“Honey and Clover won widespread critical acclaim upon its initial release in Japan for the faithful representation of the manga’s original story,” said Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO, VIZ Pictures. “The film also reunites J-Pop star and actor Sho Sakurai with actress Yu Aoi, who won the prestigious Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Kimiko Tanigawa in Hula Girls.  We are confident that the compelling cast and poignant story that is Honey and Clover will touch audiences of all stripes."

For more information on Honey and Clover and other VIZ Pictures films, please visit www.viz-pictures.com. For more information on other DVDs from VIZ Media please go to www.viz.com.