Viz Manga Announcements from Anime Expo

Viz has acquired the rights to publish an English language version of Kazushi Hagiwara’s manga series Bastard! source of the popular OAV series translated by Pioneer. Bastard! will be released monthly in double-sized 64 page comic book from, starting with a 72 page first issue.

Obscure Japanese references will be edited out of the Ayashi no Ceres manga and replaced with American references; however each issue will include an index of these edits. If Ceres sells well Viz, may release some older Yu Watase works such as Utopia and Pajama de Ojama.

Viz has essentially lost its publishing rights to all CLAMP works, meaning that all further American publications of X/1999 will be delayed until the licensing dispute is cleared up. Animerica Extra is currently considering a new manga serial to take the place of X in the monthly manga magazine. Possible titles include Masakazu Katsura’s DNA² and I”s manga serials. Suggestions can be sent to extra@viz.com. Naturally, all CLAMP titles are out of consideration.

Starting in August, Utena creator Chiho Saito will provide some original covers for Animerica Extra. The August issue, which includes a feature on baseball in Japan, will feature a cover with the Utena characters dressed in baseball uniforms. Saito may also do a cover for the Halloween issue.

Source: Anime News Network