VIZ Media,korean eroticism movie the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, teams with Los Angeles-based film distribution company Eleven Arts to bring the ranime action of “Tiger & Bunny the Movie: The Rising” to a host of major U.S. cities for a series of special theatrical screenings beginning Saturday, March 15.

This is the second and latest feature film in the popular Japanese superhero action franchise. The film premiered in Japan in February prior to the theatrical premieres in 20 cities throughout the U.S., including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The Los Angeles venue is the Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St. (between Second and Third streets). Showtimes are:

Friday, March 14, at 7 and 11 p.m.

Saturday, March 15, at 6 and 10 p.m.

Sunday, March 16, at 5 and 9 p.m.

Monday, March 17, at 6 and 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 18, at 3 and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19, at 4 and 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 20, at 6 and 10 p.m.

For more information, call (213) 617-1033 or visit www.downtownindependent.com.

Other California venues include:

Tower Theatre, 2508 Land Park Dr., Sacramento. Saturday, March 15, at 12 p.m. and Monday, March 17, at 7 p.m. Info: www.readingcinemasus.com/

Gaslamp 15, 701 5^thAve., San Diego. Sunday, March 23, at 12 p.m. and Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. Info: www.readingcinemasus.com/

Tickets will be available for $15 each, and attendees will receive a free 12” x 18” premium cardstock movie poster and while supplies last, an exclusive movie clear file. A complete list of screenings and theatre locations is available at www.elevenarts.net/th_gallery/tigerandbunny-therising/.

A special screening scheduled for March 22 brings the hero-inspired big-screen action of the smash hit anime property to the Bay Area for a special theatrical event to be held at New People Cinema, located inside the dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue in San Francisco’s Japantown at 1746 Post St. Details for this screening will be announced on the “Tiger & Bunny” Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TigerAndBunny.

In the latest movie, Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, aka Wild Tiger, and Barnaby Brooks Jr.’s partnership comes to a sudden end when Apollon Media’s new owner, Mark Schneider, fires Kotetsu and moves Barnaby back into the First League, pairing him up with Golden Ryan, a new hero with awesome powers and a huge ego to match. When the heroes are sent to investigate a string of strange incidents tied closely to the city’s Goddess Legend, they discover three superpowered NEXTs plotting to bring terror and destruction to Stern Bild.

“This time the tables are turned as it becomes Barnaby Brooks Jr., aka Bunny, who now has to work with a young and arrogant upstart,” says Charlene Ingram, senior marketing manager, animation. “Barnaby is more mature now, honoring and passing on the values he learned from his former partner. And though the beloved Wild Tiger is no longer partnered with Barnaby, he’ll also get his fair share of action.”

VIZ Media is the also distributor of the “Tiger & Bunny” manga series (rated “T” for teens), which features artwork by Mizuki Sakakibara and is based on the smash hit animated series created by the famed Tokyo-based anime studio Sunrise. VIZ Media also licenses and distributes the popular “Tiger & Bunny” feature film and anime series that are available on DVD/Blu-ray as well as on the company’s Neon Alley 24/7 anime channel.

More information on the anime is available at: www.facebook.com/TigerAndBunny and http://VIZAnime.com/tiger-and-bunny/. For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

About Eleven Arts

Eleven Arts is the Los Angeles-based film distribution company that has brought many acclaimed Japanese films, live-action and animated features, to North American audiences. Its major live-action titles include Japan Academy Award winner “Memories of Tomorrow” (starring Ken Watanabe) and Oscar-nominated director (“The Twilight Samurai,” 2004) Yoji Yamada’s samurai film “Love and Honor.”

Eleven Arts is also a respected distributor of popular animation titles such as the Evangelion franchise, “Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos,” and “Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings/ Part 2: Eternal/ Part 3: Rebellion.” For additional information, go to www.elevenarts.net.

About VIZ Media

Headquartered in San Francisco, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime 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 Jumpand 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 www.VIZ.com.

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