SAN FRANCISCO — VIZ Media LLC brings the hero-inspired big-screen action of the smash hit anime property “Tiger & Bunny” home to the Bay Area as it announces the North American theatrical premiere event for “Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning” to be held at the New People Cinema, located at 1746 Post St. in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Showtimes are 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. The film will be presented with original Japanese dialogue and English subtitles. Advance tickets are $10 and are available online at www.NewPeopleWorld.com/films/films-9-2012/. Advance ticketholders will receive a limited-edition Wild Tiger Card at the premiere. Day-of tickets (subject to availability) will be available at the New People Cinema box office.
The event will also feature a cosplay contest open to all fans nationwide and those attending the premiere. The online cosplay contest will run until Friday, Sept. 28. Fans are encouraged to don their best “Tiger & Bunny”-inspired costume and submit a picture for a chance to win valuable domestic and Japanese “Tiger & Bunny” licensed products. An on-site cosplay contest will be streamed to the “Tiger & Bunny” Facebook page on the day of the premiere.
Categories for the contest include: Hero Suit, Off-Duty and Support Crew. Official prize sponsors include YesAnime, Animate, Gaia Online and Bluefin. Check the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TigerAndBunny for the official entry page.
“‘Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning’ is a rollicking, fast-paced movie that puts a unique spin on the classic superhero story while blending plenty of action, comedy, and drama into a fun anime adventure that is sure to delight fans,” says Daisuke Aoki, vice president, animation licensing. “We invite fans everywhere to think like heroes, get creative, and join in the ‘Tiger & Bunny’ cosplay contest for a chance to win some cool prizes!”
The film takes audiences on a wild journey to the metropolis of Stern Bild, where there are heroes that wear the logos of sponsors and protect the city from danger. Their exploits are broadcast on the popular HERO TV. Wild Tiger (Kotetsu T. Kaburagi) is a veteran superhero who is past his peak and is ordered by his company to team up with the rookie hero, Barnaby Brooks Jr. Can these two mismatched superheroes overcome their differences to protect the city?
Episodes of the “Tiger & Bunny” anime series are available on VIZAnime.com, the company’s exclusive web destination for anime, and will also be carried this fall on Neon Alley, VIZ Media’s forthcoming 24-hour anime channel featuring the world’s best anime (dubbed and uncut).
For more information on “Tiger & Bunny” and other animated titles from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZAnime.com.
Headquartered in San Francisco, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the besme and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co. Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English-speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.
With its popular digital manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha and blockbuster properties like “Naruto,” “Bleach” and “Inuyasha,” VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family-friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.
VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.