September 3, 2008
News for New York Anime Festival 2008:
New York Anime Festival sponsors Death Note Day at Kinokuniya
Day of celebration for U.S. release of Death Note movie DVDNorwalk, CT, September 3, 2008: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced it has partnered with VIZ Pictures to hold Death Note Day at the largest Japanese bookstore in North America -- New York City's Kinokuniya Bookstore -- on Sunday, September 14. Kinokuniya Bookstore, located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, will present a day-long series of events celebrating the US DVD release of the Death Note motion picture by VIZ Pictures. The Death Note movie goes on sale at retailers across America on Tuesday, September 16, but Kinokuniya will have the movie in stock on Sunday, September 14.
In addition, the first 50 fans to purchase the Death Note movie on DVD on September 14 will receive a limited-edition Death Note theatrical poster from VIZ Pictures.
"We're very proud to be working with Kinokuniya Bookstore and VIZ Pictures for Death Note Day," New York Anime Festival Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "Death Note is a worldwide phenomenon, and it's exciting to spearhead the celebration for the film's launch on DVD."
The Death Note franchise is based on the bestselling supernatural manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The story follows Light Yagami, an ace student who finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Death God named Ryuk, with the power to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages. Upset with the justice system, Light takes matters into his own hands and vows to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of all evil. The Death Note movie screened across America earlier in the year. Its sequel, Death Note II: The Last Name, will screen in select theaters on October 15 and 16.
Kinokuniya's Death Note Day will include special all-day activities as well as a series of Death Note-themed presentations...
Kinokuniya Death Note Day All-Day Events
Manga Discount: Any customer who comes into Kinokuniya Bookstore at 1073 Avenue of the Americas on Sunday, September 14 wearing Death Note cosplay will receive 10% off all VIZ manga purchases.
L's Sweet Treats: In honor of L, Death Note's genius boy detective with a sweet tooth, Kinokuniya's Café Zaiya will be giving away Japanese sweets with every order.
Death Note Day Giveaway: All customers who come into Kinokuniya Bookstore can enter to win a number of prizes from VIZ Pictures and the New York Anime Festival. Winners will be drawn at 5:00 PM, and customers must be present to claim their prizes.
Kinokuniya Death Note Day Event Schedule
2:00 to 4:00 PM: Death Note Anime Screening. Take in the first few episode's of VIZ Media's Death Note anime. See Light and L leap off the page in this acclaimed animated adventure.
4:00 to 4:30 PM: Samurai Beat Radio. Samurai Beat Radio, broadcast in 26 cities in Japan, comes to Kinokuniya to record a special Death Note show. They're here to learn about what's hooked America on this Japanese phenomenon
4:30 to 5:00 PM: Death Note Behind The Scenes. First it was a manga. Then, it turned into an anime. Now, Death Note becomes flesh and blood. Learn what it took to bring this anime and manga to the big screen with this special Behind The Scenes footage!
5:00 PM: Death Note Raffle. We've got goodies from the realm of the Death Gods as well as free tickets to the New York Anime Festival, and (if you're lucky enough) they're all for you! Customers can enter all day long, and to win, they'll have to be present for the drawing.
Kinokuniya Bookstore, VIZ Pictures, and the New York Anime Festival invite anime fans and New Yorkers up for a unique and unforgettable experience to come out to Death Note Day at Kinokuniya on Sunday, September 14!
ABOUT KINOKUNIYA:
Japanese Arts, Cooking, Fashion and Anime. More than a bookstore, Kinokuniya is a community where New Yorkers gather to relax, sit at a café, and meet internationally acclaimed writers and artists. Kinokuniya is the New York subsidiary of Kinokuniya Company, LTD, the world's leading Japanese bookstore which operates 84 stores internationally. Founded in 1927, Kinokuniya's first store opened in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Today, Kinokuniya has developed into a large-scale bookstore chain with the goal of providing Japanese living abroad with information from home as quickly as possible and introducing Japanese tradition and culture to the local community. For more information please visit the flagship US store location at 1073 Avenues of the Americas (between 40th and 41st Streets) or on the web at kinokuniya.com.
ABOUT VIZ PICTURES:
Based in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Pictures, Inc. distributes Japanese live-action films and DVDs, with particular focus on Japanese "kawaii (cute) and cool" pop culture. VIZ Pictures approaches each film release from a J-Pop fan's point of view and offers the most entertaining live-action motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages in North America. VIZ Pictures, Inc. is an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, the San Francisco-based leading US publisher of Japanese manga (comics) and merchandise licensor of Japanese animation such as the popular Naruto animated TV series.
ABOUT SAMURAI BEAT RADIO:
Samurai Beat Radio is the multimedia project which brings the world the latest and hottest music directly from Japan. It is broadcast on World Musix Live to 26 stations across Japan via Japan FM Network affiliated with Tokyo FM. Check out samuraibeatradio.com for past and future events and broadcasts.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:
The New York Anime Festival takes place September 26-28, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. NYAF's partners include Anime News Network, Bandai Entertainment, BookExpo America, Del Rey Manga, DigitalLife, Free Arts NYC, Japan Society, Karaterice, Kinokuniya Bookstore, New York Comic Con, Samurai Beat Radio, Subway Cinema, TheOtaku.com, TOKYOPOP, VIZ Pictures, and the World Cosplay Summit. Further information can be found at newyorkanimefestival.com.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS:
The New York Anime Festival is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organizer. In 2007, Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and organized by 39 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2006, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,052 million on turnover of £5,398 million.
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