VIZ Brings “Accel World” Anime To North America
VIZ MEDIA ENCOURAGES FANS TO ACCELERATE THEIR BRAINS WITH THE SIMULCAST PREMIERE OF NEW ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD
Debuting Today on VIZAnime.com, A Bullied Teen Finds New Powers & Strength In A Virtual Reality Video Game
San Francisco, CA, April 6, 2012 — VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, adds another hot new title to its anime arsenal with the announcement of the subtitled, simulcast premiere of Accel World. The new sci-fi fantasy series (rated TV-14,) launches today, the same day it debuts in Japan on VIZAnime.com, the company’s own website for free anime, as well on the free, ad-supported Hulu service and the Hulu Plus subscription service (www.Hulu.com). Brand new installments of the 24-episode series are scheduled to premiere on the outlets every Friday.
The year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.
“In this edgy new series launching on VIZAnime.com, Haruyuki must fight & defeat other Brain Burst users in a virtual massive multiplayer online game and learn the true purpose of the Brain Burst technology,” says Lyn Johnson, Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “Fans have been anticipating the launch of this inventive series, and we’re very excited to simulcast it to North America the day it debuts in Japan! Don’t miss this exciting story that is destined to become a favorite among U.S. fans.”
Accel Worldis based on a series of popular light novels written by Reki Kawahara and animated by the famed studio Sunrise (TIGER & BUNNY, Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, KEKKAISHI). Kawahara entered the first novel in the series into ASCII Media Works’ 15th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2008 and won the Grand Prize. Accel World has also inspired a popular manga (graphic novel) series and several video games.