Series premieres 30 years after original script and one year after Japan earthquake, tsunami; Viki to launch donation campaign to help in revitalization efforts
SAN FRANCISCO and TOKYO, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Viki, the international video site where TV shows and movies are translated into dozens of languages by a community of avid fans, today announced the worldwide premiere of Leiji Matsumoto's OZMA, a new 6-part series by the legendary Manga writer. The series will first broadcast on Friday, March 16 at midnight, on Japanese satellite broadcast provider WOWOW Prime. Then 24 hours after the broadcast, it will debut on Viki.com, where fans from more than 200 countries (excluding Japan) will be able to view the show for the first time.
More than 30 years in the making, Leiji Matsumoto's OZMA is based on a science-fiction action concept developed by Matsumoto and is produced in conjunction with WOWOW, Viki, Equity Pictures Japan, Pony Canyon and Slow Curve. The show unfolds on an arid and devastated future Earth, and involves the mysterious, giant and moving "OZMA." An epic space opera that entwines exciting sci-fi action and a suspenseful story, Matsumoto tackles the ultimate questions of life and existence.
To visualize OZMA, anime veterans Ryosuke Takahashi (chief director), Takahiro Ikezoe (director) and Junki Takegami (script writer) behind such hits as Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto and One Piece all contributed to the series. Matsumoto is the writer behind dozens of Manga and Anime classics, including The Galaxy Railways, Space Pirate, Captain Harlock and Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato).
The show's opening theme is the new song "NEVERLAND" by the popular K-pop band FTISLAND, which has won many music awards, including the Golden Disk Awards' "Newcomer Award" with the overwhelming support of teenagers. The closing theme song is "Utagoe" by the talented Minami Kizuki, who has recently been active in the international arena.
"Premiering a new series like Leiji Matsumoto's OZMA on Viki worldwide, from such a legendary manga writer, is an exciting way to celebrate the popularity of Anime for adoring fans," said Razmig Hovaghimian, Viki, Inc. CEO and co-founder. "We're especially grateful to honor the theme of OZMA by recognizing the one-year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Northeast Coast of Japan."
Through a blog and social media campaign, Viki will encourage Anime fans around the world to donate to the Leiji World Summit (or other charity) to help in the effort to revitalize Tomioka, Fukushima.
In addition to Leiji Matsumoto's OZMA, Viki will launch dozens of new and classic Anime titles from Japan this spring. Additional titles coming to Viki include Astro Boy, Black Jack, and The Galaxy Railways.
About Viki
Viki is an international video site accessed from over 200 countries around the world, with TV shows, movies and other premium content, translated into more than 150 languages by a community of avid fans. With over 1 billion videos viewed and nearly 200 million words translated, Viki uniquely brings global prime-time entertainment to new audiences and unlocks new markets and revenue opportunities for content owners. Viki also syndicates its shows with fan-generated subtitles to partners such as Hulu, Netflix and Yahoo!
