Los Angeles, CA (July 3, 2005) � TOKYOPOP, America's number one graphic novel publisher and leader of the Manga Revolution, announces the arrival of a fresh new take on the classic samurai story from the creators of Cowboy Bebop. The Samurai Champloo manga is an action adventure that combines bloody swordsmanship with hip-hop and urban culture. Staying true to the mega-popular anime (now airing on the Cartoon Network) the manga takes a deeper look into world of Samurai Champloo, adding greater insight into the overall mythos.
Two samurai, Mugen and Jin, escape their executions and join Fuu, a waitress who works at a teahouse. Together they form an uneasy alliance to search for the enigmatic Sunflower Samurai. Along the way they come across misleading characters, ninjas, assassins and a prince in disguise. Their journey proves to be nothing less than a roller-coaster ride of battles, danger, desperation and companionship.
TOKYOPOP series editor Tim Beedle remarks: "I'm extremely excited about Samurai Champloo! The manga successfully captures the flavor and edge of the anime while telling a fresh set of stories." Beedle adds: "The manga-ka, Masaru Gotsubo, is relatively new to the scene. His art has vibrancy to it. It's kinetic. There are panels that seem to jump off the page. He really was a perfect choice to adapt the distinct style of the anime to the printed page."
Samurai Champloo will be available at bookstores everywhere in November 2005.
About TOKYOPOP®
As the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand. TOKYOPOP's innovative product extensions include its pioneering Cine-Manga® book format, which features colorful flavors of pop culture's hottest films, television shows and music videos. The company has expanded its property reach beyond publishing�TOKYOPOP's television series have been broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network, Showtime and G4Media, and are released on DVD, with consumer products available at all major retail outlets. The company's global reach has recently expanded to Europe, with new offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With nearly 28 million books in print, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties features more than 200,000 pages of manga compiled over nearly 1,000 manga volumes. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
