Viz Media To Launch Sailor Moon Crystal Anime Series on July 5th

North America’s Leading Anime Distributor Launches Reboot Of The Famed Fantasy Action Series; Free Streaming Episodes Premiere At The Same Time As Japanese Debut!

San Francisco, CA, June 19, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers the much-anticipated launch of the new SAILOR MOON anime series – SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL – on July 5^th on Hulu and Neon Alley. The series, which reboots the beloved shojo fantasy action property, debuts simultaneously in North America at the same time as its online streaming premiere in Japan, making a true simultaneous release. Future new episodes (subtitled) will debut in North America and Japan the first and third Saturday of each month.

Based on Naoko Takeuchi’s legendary manga (graphic novel) series, SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL (rated ‘TV-PG’), retells the story of Sailor Moon as she searches for her fellow Sailor Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal to stop the dark forces of Queen Beryl. Visit www.NeonAlley.com and Hulu.com/sailor-moon-crystal for more information; the trailer may also be viewed at http://www.hulu.com/watch/651047 and http://youtu.be/I0B5gnKvHKQ.

SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL will be available through NeonAlley.com, VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. Episodes will also be available on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service, where users can watch on a variety of devices including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) or PlayStation®4 (PS4™) systems Roku, Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu and Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

“Fans everywhere have eagerly awaited the launch of the new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL series, and we are very excited to announce its premiere on Neon Alley and Hulu starting next month,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “More than two decades after it first captivated millions of fans, the smash hit story of the valiant sailor guardians returns in a big way to thrill a whole new generation of viewers. Join in the celebration throughout the summer as VIZ Media marks the return of this legendary anime property!”

The original smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series was inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.

For more information on SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.