You've been so great about spreading your love for shojo on VIZ Media's Twitter page that we thought it was high time you got your own space. So...we're launching Shojo Beat Twitter (twitter.com/shojobeat). Follow us here and get up to the minute updates on everything Shojo Beat. From the newest shojo reaching store shelves to where you can get your hands on official Shojo Beat merchandise, we'll have it here.

Rinne’s come down with an otherworldy infection and is feeling a bit under the weather. Fortunately afterlife doctors do make housecalls. Unfortunately, the doctor is not what Rinne and Sakura expected and the person who made Rinne’s appointment is even more of a surprise! Read the chapter now.

INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT is getting better and better every week. After watching episode 7 "Mausoleum of Mount Azusa," my way of looking at Kagome and Kikyo has completely changed. I think it is one of the deepest episodes, in the way it portrays Kagome's feelings and her strength. Finally, am I the only one totally shocked watching next week's preview???? I can't spoil it here, but let me say, "OMG!" I already have a feeling I will be crying again next week...

VIZ Media rings in the start of this year’s holiday shopping season with a variety of hot new anime titles that will top many wish lists this year.

New releases include box set debuts of two of the most anticipated new series to hit North America – NANA, HONEY AND CLOVER and NAOKI URASAWA’s MONSTER. BLEACH and NARUTO fans can both look forward to the release of new feature films as well as episodic box sets. Finally, fans and shoppers alike can round out their holiday gift lists with a fun variety of new POKÉMON releases to delight young and older audiences!

“We have lots of buzz-worthy titles coming out in time for the holidays,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Director of Sales, Home Entertainment. “There’s something here for everyone this year, ranging from kids to teens and adults, and makes a fun way to animate the holidays!”

For information on each of these titles, check out the full Press Release.

VIZ Media presents several new shojo manga titles that fans and gift givers of all types might consider for wish list priority this holiday season.

The releases include THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, a collection of lavish drawings and designs from the hit series by famed shojo artist, Arina Tanemura. New manga title, BEAST MASTER, as well as the latest volume of the popular gothic high school drama VAMPIRE KNIGHT, and the VIZBIG omnibus editions of FUSHIGI YUGI and HOT GIMMICK.

“Shojo manga fans have much to look forward to during this year’s holiday season, with a variety of selections that make wonderful gift ideas to suit any budget,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Many of these series have dramatically expanded the core Shojo audience, receiving universal renown and acclaim. From VAMPIRE KNIGHT, which has become a national bestseller, to the launch of the wild new manga, BEAST MASTER, and gorgeous new omnibus editions of other shojo favorites, bookstore shelves have never been stocked with so much must-read Shojo manga!!"

See the full Press Release for more information on these titles.

Beast Master, by Kyousuke Motomi, will win brownie points with shojo lovers, animal lovers, and lovers of a good laugh. Released last week, volume 1 sets up the unusual friendship between Yuiko Kubozuka, an animal lover who freaks out animals, and Leo Aoi, a sweet guy with an unusual wild side. There are lots of reasons to read this series; here are just a few of our favorites:

• You love animals, even the mean ones.

• Animals don't always love you back, though.

• You tend to fall for the guy who's a little rough around the edges.

• You like a guy who's got your back.

• You might have a teeny, little crush on your best guy friend.

• You like high-school comedies, particularly the dark ones.

• You like when the bad guys get what's coming to them.

• You like when the boss man is a bit of a softie.

• You wonder why small fictional towns (Forks, Washington, anyone?) seem to have danger lurking at every turn.

• You like author's notes that explain the artwork in the volume.

• You like when volume 1 leaves you hanging, just a little.

• Stay tuned for volume 2 (the final volume), coming out in February 2010.


BEAST MASTER © 2007 Kyousuke MOTOMI/Shogakukan

Rinne tracks the source of the strange apparition that has been frightening the students at school. Finding the origin of a problem is one thing, but solving it is another, especially when it involves a romantic miscommunication!

Read chapter 28 of RIN-NE.

Like a nine-tailed fox spirit unleashed upon the land, the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN movie is out today, and it's out everywhere!

DVD: Naturally, we've got the uncut DVD of the movie (both dubbed and subtitled versions) in the VIZ Media store.

iTunes: You can also download the dubbed uncut version of the movie straight from iTunes.

PlayStation Network: To download the dubbed uncut version of the movie from PSN, log in to your account and look under VIDEO --> OWN --> GENRE --> ANIME.

Enjoy the movie, and be sure to chat about it in the naruto.com forums!

VIZ Media has announced the upcoming release of Taiyo Matsumoto’s celebrated manga GOGO MONSTER on November 17th. GOGO MONSTER will be published by the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $27.99 U.S. / $36.00 CAN.

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students' lives, and even nature itself.

See the full Press Release for more information.

Debuting November 10th is Rumiko Takahashi's original manga series, INUYASHA in new VIZBIG omnibus editions!

Each omnibus edition features three volumes of the original graphic novel series presented in a larger 5-3/4 x 8-5/8 size (larger than the standard 5 x 7-1/2 manga). The new editions serve as comprehensive introductions for new readers to some best-known titles, and a great way for seasoned fans to revisit favorite manga series from a new perspective. The VIZBIG INUYASHA series is also presented in a right-to-left reading format, just like the original manga counterpart.

Read the Press Release for more details.

VIZ Media has launched Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER on the PlayStation®Network video delivery service, available exclusively for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) entertainment systems. Episodes 1-6 (dubbed) of the animated series are now available for download for $1.99 each via the Network’s VIZ Media Channel page.

What would you do if a child you saved grew up to be a monster? An ice-cold killer is on the loose, and Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy named Johan. When the boy, now a coldhearted and charismatic young man, reappears nine years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders, Tenma must go on the run from the police, who suspect him to be the killer, to find Johan and stop the monster he set loose upon the world. Conspiracies, serial murders, and secret government experiments set against the grim backdrop of the formerly communist Eastern Europe are masterfully woven together in this compelling work of suspense.

For more information, see the full Press Release.

A strange entity is defacing the more artistic members of the student body, leaving them painted and prostrate in the art room. Nothing Rinne, Sakura and Tsubasa can’t handle, right? But what if the angry apparition isn’t a ghost at all?

Read chapter 27 now.

VIZ Media has previewed an array of new manga releases scheduled to debut throughout the Fourth Quarter of 2009. The new titles span a diverse range of genres everywhere from science fiction, fantasy/adventure, and crime thrillers to shojo and teenage coming-of-age stories.

Check out the Press Release for information on these titles.

NARUTO is ready to make its return to broadcast TV with a two-hour special on the Disney XD channel tonight at 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. Central time). NARUTO SHIPPUDEN dubbed episodes 1-4 will be featured tonight, and moving forward, one new episode will premiere each Wednesday, with episode 5 appearing on November 4 at 8:30 p.m. Stay tuned to all the latest NARUTO news and events at naruto.com.

If you’ve been following NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER on the SyFy network’s Ani-Monday block, then you are well aware of just how gripping a story it is. (If not, then be sure to download all six episodes on iTunes immediately before next week’s two fresh episodes!) Anyhow, as someone who has read the manga series and is just now experiencing the anime for the first time (I know, right? gasp!), I am so happy at how well the anime “translates” Naoki Urasawa’s manga masterpiece.

I’m talking about capturing the spirit of the manga. I’m talking about accurately portraying its complex characters in dynamic full color. Like MONSTER does.

A story like MONSTER doesn’t rely on over-the-top action, stealthy ninja, or even flying robots. MONSTER is about characters like Dr. Kenzo Tenma, Inspector Lunge and Nina Fortner. MONSTER is not about bloody battles, it’s about facing your deepest fear. MONSTER is about questioning the choices we make in life. Best of all, MONSTER is about to get even better. So if you haven’t been keeping up, now’s the best time to start watching.

Check out the trailer on monster.viz.com, and tune in to SyFy Ani-Monday’s block every week at 11PM PST.

The damashigami that made off with Sakura’s classmates has retreated to his otherworldly lair and Rinne, Sakura and Tsubasa are in hot pursuit. But getting into the hall of the damashigami is going to require an unexpected disguise…

Read chapter 26 of RIN-NE now.

VIZ Media expands the thrilling psychological suspense of DEATH NOTE with the release of DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd, a new novel featuring the master detective from the hit animated and manga series. DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd is available now from SHONEN JUMP Fiction.

In an alternative continuity in the DEATH NOTE setting, ace detective L's name has been placed in a Death Note. He has twenty-three days to bring a terrorist group to justice, or they will use a deadly new virus to change the world...by killing off most of humanity.

For more information on DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd, see the full Press Release.
For information on the DEATH NOTE series, visit Deathnote.viz.com.

The first four uncut episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN are now available on PlayStation Network -- just go to the PSN video store and search under TV Shows > Anime > VIZ Media. Until November 4, you can also get a free download of SHIPPUDEN episode 1.

At the school festival, Sakura and her class have set up a café, but when one of her classmates brings in a ghostly customer, things start to get complicated. The ghost seems to be interested in more than just a cup of coffee, and may not be the departed spirit everyone seems to think it is!

Read the new chapter of RIN-NE now on The Rumic World.

A few weeks ago we featured a one-hour Jiraiya anime special at NARUTO.com (check it out, it's still there, as are all the previous SHIPPUDEN episodes). Today we launched a fresh one-hour Jiraiya special, and if you've read the manga you'll know that these episodes represent a critical point in the NARUTO storyline. Head on over and watch 'em, and share your feedback in the NARUTO discussion forum.