VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a major American anime, manga and Japanese entertainment company formed by the merger of VIZ Communications, LLC, and ShoPro Entertainment. The company is currently jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, as well as the Shogakugan subsidiary licensing house Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions.
Summary
VIZ Media, originally VIZ Communications or simply VIZ, was founded in July 1986 by Seiji Horibuchi on behalf of Shogakugan. Horibuchi, already a successful importer of Japanese cultural items in San Francisco, became a fan of manga after reading Domu: A Child's Dream while overseas in Japan, and gained approval to import Shogakugan's titles from its then-current director, Masahiro Ohga, in 1985. Although the company debuted to mediocre sales figures, titles such as Ranma ½ quickly became popular in America, and soon the company was able to expand into other fields such as magazines and anime. Following a merger with Shogakukan subsidiary ShoPro Entertainment in 2005, VIZ Communications was renamed to VIZ Media, though Horibuchi remained chairman of the company.[1]
VIZ's first magazine project would be a Western edition of Shueisha's popular Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, retitled as simply Shonen Jump (2002-2012). Prior to the magazine's 2002 debut, Shueisha themselves purchased an equity interest in VIZ Communications, granting them both full access to their extensive catalogue and additional funding for the magazine's marketing campaign.[3] The first issue of VIZ's Jump, accompanied by a major marketing push, was published on November 26, 2002, and quickly met with commercial success. Fueled by Shonen Jump, VIZ would later produce several other manga-related magazines, including Animerica (1993-2004) and its companion magazine Animerica Extra (1998-2004), an adult-oriented seinen and josei manga magazine titled PULP (1997-2002),[4] and the shōjo monthly magazine Shojo Beat (2005-2009).[5]
Following Shonen Jump's "switch to a digital format" in 2012[6] and the subsequent end of its successor, Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha, in 2018,[7] the company now offers an integrated digital product line of Weekly Shonen Jump serializations and graphic novels, while continuing to license and distribute physical releases for manga and anime.[2]
BAOH
In 1989, twelve years prior to Shonen Jump, VIZ would acquire the license to Hirohiko Araki's second serialized manga, Baoh the Visitor, from Shueisha. Under the shortened title of BAOH, VIZ began releasing the manga in monthly issues in December, with each issue containing two to three chapters of the serialization. The manga proved to be financially unsuccessful, however, and it would take until 1995 for VIZ to re-release it in a form similar to its two tankōbon volumes. Although Araki was credited as the "creator of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" in the author biography of each volume, no plans were in place to localize the JoJo series at the time.[8]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Paperback)
After an English release of its OVA adaptation entered production, VIZ would finally begin work on a localization of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, more specifically its Stardust Crusaders arc. Prior to the beginning of its proper publication, VIZ published a preview of the Part's second chapter in the August 2005 issue of Shonen Jump. The first volume of the Part released soon after, on November 1, 2005. The volume publication lacked the redrawn sound effects seen in the magazine preview, but included the Part's first chapter from the previous volume alongside an exclusive prologue chapter detailing the events of Part 1. Similarly to the OVA, disappointing sales figures led to an inconsistent release schedule for the manga, with VIZ's release of the Part's final volume occurring on December 7, 2010.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Hardcover)
On May 3, 2014, a month after Crunchyroll acquired the license to JoJo's anime adaptation, VIZ announced that Stardust Crusaders would be receiving a reprint to coincide with the anime release at the time.[9] VIZ further announced in July that, in addition to publishing Stardust Crusaders digitally, they had also acquired the licenses to publish the JoJonium editions of Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, maintaining the cover illustrations, color pages, and author afterwords from those releases. The two Parts would initially be released digitally, beginning in September 2014, before later being released in physical hardcover editions quarterly from February 2015 onward.[10] After the JoJonium release of Part 3 completed in Japan, VIZ acquired the license to and subsequently distributed the new hardcover edition of Stardust Crusaders from November 2016 through February 2019.
On July 6, 2018, VIZ announced at their Anime Expo panel that they would continue their hardcover publication of the series with Diamond is Unbreakable, despite the Japanese JoJonium edition ceasing publication at the end of Part 3.[11] VIZ's exclusive "deluxe hardcover editions" would instead be based on the original tankōbon release, but with unique cover designs for each Part and the inclusion of magazine color pages provided by Shueisha. In addition, most of VIZ's volumes would include the contents of two tankōbon volumes, with exceptions at the ends of Parts with odd volume counts. Part 4's English hardcover release began publication on May 6, 2019, and its final volume released on May 4, 2021.
On October 20, 2020, VIZ announced that they had licensed Part 5 of the manga.[12] Part 5 would be published in the same format as Part 4, using the name Golden Wind to match the anime adaptation. The physical publication of Golden Wind ran from August 3, 2021 to August 22, 2023. Stone Ocean's physical release switched to a bimonthly schedule, releasing from November 2023 through March 2025, although VIZ had already begun publishing chapters of the Part digitally on a weekly basis.[13] As of late 2024, VIZ has announced plans to publish Steel Ball Run as well, with the bimonthly physical publication slated to begin in May 2025.[14]
Other Merchandise
Having been named the official North American merchandise licensee for the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series in February 2015,[15] VIZ Media oversees the licensing and development of a comprehensive range of products based on the celebrated property across several key consumer categories.
In addition to the main series and BAOH, VIZ Media has also published other works related to the JoJo franchise. In February 2022, VIZ revealed their plans to release the two volumes of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan spin-off series as deluxe hardcovers, which they did in September and December of the same year respectively. Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, localized as Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, has also been licensed by VIZ for paperback release from December 2024 through April 2025.[16]
At Anime Expo 2016, alongside the release of Part 4, VIZ also revealed a forthcoming English release in June 2017 of Hirohiko Araki's newest book at the time, Hirohiko Araki's Manga Techniques (under the altered title of Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga).[11] VIZ has also licensed the artbooks JoJo 6251 and JOJO A-GO!GO!, with English releases following in May 2023 and October 2024 respectively. Alongside Steel Ball Run, VIZ announced that they would also be releasing the JoJo collaboration issue of Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook (retitled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Globetrotter Guidebook) sometime in the summer of 2025.[14]
VIZ also holds distribution licenses for the anime adaptation in America and Australia. At Anime Expo 2016, the company confirmed that they would be releasing every season of the anime on Blu-ray, beginning with the first season.[17] VIZ Media's releases of the anime each contain half of a single season, along with bonus features such as art booklets and interviews with the cast of the English dub.
Name Variants
In order to avoid potential legal troubles, many characters' names are changed in VIZ Media's releases; many of these localized names are carried over to and from other media, such as official releases of the anime adaptation, video games, and even Japanese materials. In 2013, VIZ Media briefly discussed the copyright issues surrounding JoJo via a Facebook post, mentioning that Araki often references fashion, music, and real people within the story. As licenses for famous names in fashion and music can be difficult and expensive to acquire, VIZ referred to the situation as a "lawyer's nightmare." As a result, VIZ is often forced to use altered names as substitutes.[18]
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Tattoo | Tats
|
| Tarkus | Tarukus
|
| Bruford | Blueford
|
| Page, Jones, Plant, and Bornnam | Payju, Jones, Pluton, and Barnum
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Holy Kujo | Holly Kujo
|
| Muhammad Avdol | Mohammed Avdol
|
| DIO | Dio (Paperback)
|
| Enya the Hag | Enyaba
|
| Devo the Cursed | Soul Sacrifice
|
| Rubber Soul | Robber Soul
|
| J. Geil | Centerfold
|
| Hanged Man | The Hanged Man
|
| Emperor | The Emperor
|
| Empress | The Empress
|
| ZZ | Zii Zii
|
| Steely Dan | Rubber Soul (Paperback) Dan of Steel (Hardcover)
|
| Lovers | The Lovers
|
| Sun | The Sun
|
| Mannish Boy | Manishu Booi
|
| High Priestess | The High Priestess
|
| N'Doul | N'doul
|
| Egypt 9 Glory Gods | Nine Great Gods of Egypt (Paperback) The Ennead (Hardcover)
|
| Oingo | Zenyatta (Paperback)
|
| Boingo | Mondatta (Paperback)
|
| Tohth | Thoth
|
| Bastet | Bast
|
| Sethan | Set
|
| Daniel J. D'Arby | D'Arby the Elder
|
| Chibi and Buchi | Tiny and Butch
|
| Telence T. D'Arby | D'Arby the Younger
|
| Kenny G. | Billie Jean
|
| Vanilla Ice | Cool Ice
|
| Roses | Rosas
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Crazy Diamond | Shining Diamond
|
| Echoes | Reverb
|
| Bad Company | Worse Company
|
| Red Hot Chili Pepper | Chili Pepper
|
| Surface | Show Off
|
| Tonio Trussardi | Tonio Trendy
|
| Pearl Jam | Pole Jam
|
| Killer Queen | Deadly Queen
|
| Sheer Heart Attack | Heart Attack
|
| Atom Heart Father | Heart Father
|
| Highway Star | Highway Go Go
|
| Boy II Man | Boys Man Man
|
| Super Fly | Superfly
|
| Enigma | Misterioso
|
| Cheap Trick | Cheap Trap
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Leaky-Eye Luca | Leaky Eye Luca
|
| Gold Experience | Golden Wind
|
| Sticky Fingers | Zipper Man
|
| Black Sabbath | Shadow Sabbath
|
| Moody Blues | Moody Jazz
|
| Soft Machine | Tender Machine
|
| Sex Pistols | Six Bullets
|
| Kraft Work | Arts & Crafts
|
| Aerosmith | Li'l Bomber
|
| Little Feet | Tiny Feet
|
| Purple Haze | Purple Smoke
|
| Man in the Mirror | Mirror Man
|
| The Grateful Dead | Thankful Death
|
| Beach Boy | Fisher Man
|
| Baby Face | Babyhead
|
| White Album | White Ice
|
| King Crimson | Emperor Crimson
|
| Clash | Crush
|
| Tizzano | Tiziano
|
| Talking Head | Talking Mouth
|
| Notorious B.I.G | Notorious Chase
|
| Spice Girl | Spicy Lady
|
| Metallica | Metallic
|
| Epitaph | Eulogy
|
| Green Day | Green Tea
|
| Oasis | Sanctuary
|
| Gold Experience Requiem | Golden Wind Requiem
|
| Rolling Stones | Prophecy Stones
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Loccobarocco | Locobaroco
|
| Goo Goo Dolls | G.G. Dolls
|
| Stone Free | Stone Ocean
|
| Manhattan Transfer | Downtown Transfer
|
| Whitesnake | Pale Snake
|
| Kiss | Smack
|
| Highway to Hell | Freeway Thru Hell
|
| Foo Fighters | F.F.
|
| Marilyn Manson | Mary Lynn Manson
|
| Savage Garden | Savage Guardian
|
| Weather Report | Weather Forecast
|
| Jumpin' Jack Flash | Jumpin' Jack Spark
|
| Sports Maxx | Sports Maximum
|
| Limp Bizkit | Limp Viscuit
|
| Narciso Anasui | Narciso Anastasia
|
| Diver Down | Diver Drive
|
| Planet Waves | Starlight Waves
|
| Dragon's Dream | Drake's Dream
|
| D an G | D an' G
|
| Yo-Yo Ma | YA-YA MA
|
| Enrico Pucci | Domenico Pucchi
|
| Green, Green Grass of Home | Green, Green, Green Home
|
| Miuccia Miuller | Mew Mew
|
| Jail House Lock | Jailhouse Lock
|
| Burning Down the House | Burn the House Down
|
| Bohemian Rhapsody | Bohemian Ecstatic
|
| Sky High | Sky Guy
|
| Under World | Netherworld
|
| Heavy Weather | Heavy Forecast
|
| Perla Pucci | Perla Pucchi
|
| Domenico Pucci | Domenic Pucci
|
| Wes Bluemarine | Wes Aquamarine
|
| C-MOON | Sea Moon
|
| Made in Heaven | Maiden Heaven
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Mutsu-kabe Hill Yokai | The Spirit of Mutsu-kabe Hill
|
| Vergina | Virginia
|
| Original Name | Localized Name
|
|---|
| Sumire | Violet
|
| Sunny Stefen Nozzo | Notsuo
|
| Dr. Kasuminome | Professor Hazyeye
|
| Dress Organization | Judas Group Judas Laboratory
|
| 22nd Man | Number 22
|
| Baoh (Parasite) | Parasitic Worm Baoh
|
| Shirasawa | Yuji
|
Censorship / Changes
In the original 2005 Stardust Crusaders release, a few scenes involving animal death were changed. In the Yellow Temperance fight, a panel in which a dog lost its head was changed so that, while the dog still died, it wasn't as bloody. In the Death Thirteen fight, the death of another dog was changed to that of a giant rat, with dialogue altered to remove its owner's association with it. At the end of the same fight, panels featuring Mannish Boy's feces are redrawn to hide the fecal matter from view, though the implication remains the same.
Hardcover (left), Paperback (right)
Errors
George says that he was born into poverty as well, when he is actually speaking hypothetically.
Gallery
Hirohiko Araki's author biography from BAOH
Afterword to VIZ's release of BAOH
Ad insert in the final volume of the OVA's English release
Paperback preview of VIZ's JoJonium release
VIZ Media addressing copyright changes on Facebook
Videos
In December 2020 VIZ Media posted a small motion comic video on their Twitter account to promote the release of Diamond is Unbreakable Volume 7.[19] In September 2021, VIZ Media posted a second motion comic promoting Golden Wind Volume 1.[20]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Weekend Beat: Cashing in on over-the-counter culture (Archived)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 About VIZ Media
- ↑ Shueisha Buys Equity Interest in Viz
- ↑ Anime Magazines - 2004 Year in Review
- ↑ Viz Confirms Shojo Beat Manga Magazine's End in June
- ↑ Viz's Shonen Jump Print Magazine to End Next March
- ↑ Viz Media Makes Top Shonen Jump Manga Chapters Available for Free and Simultaneous With Japanese Debut
- ↑ Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - BAOH - AnimeNewsNetwork
- ↑ VIZ Media Reprinting JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Manga
- ↑ Viz Media Announces the Return of the Manga Series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to North America
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Viz Media to Publish Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4 Manga, Araki's 'How to Draw Manga' Book
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Viz Media Debuts 1st 8 Chapters of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean Manga Digitally
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Viz Media Licenses Steel Ball Run, Astro Royale, Tenmaku Cinema, More Manga
- ↑ VIZ Media Named Master Merchandise Licensee for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
- ↑ Viz Media Licenses Trillion Game, Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Spider-Man: Octo Girl, X-Men, More Manga for Fall 2024
- ↑ VIZ Media to Release JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1 on Blu-ray Disc
- ↑ Viz Talks "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Digital Distribution Plans and Difficulties
- ↑ https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/1341111197400088576?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/1433505002279129089?s=20