PR: Kekkaishi Comes to the Small Screen

Kekkaishi is coming to Hulu! I’d be the first to admit that I watch very little anime; generally speaking, I’d rather read the manga than watch its animated adaptation. I’m not even sure I’ll be tuning in to the Kekkaishi anime, frankly. But I do love the manga, and am hoping that more folks will discover just how entertaining the series really is; like her fellow sisters-in-shonen Rumiko Takahashi and Hiromu Arakawa, Yellow Tanabe is a terrific artist and storyteller who knows how to make familiar tropes seem fresh.

If you’re not familiar with Kekkaishi, the story goes something like this:

Yoshimori Sumimura, a seemingly unremarkable fourteen-year-old boy, is a kekkaishi, or barrier-master. When he isn’t consuming unhealthy amounts of coffee-flavored milk, dozing off in class, or baking architecturally magnificent cakes (one of his pet obsessions), he’s patrolling the grounds of his school, which sits atop the Karasumori, a locus of magical energy that proves irresistible to ayakashi (demons) looking to augment their power. Yoshimori traps unwanted visitors within cube-shaped barriers, then vaporizes them, barrier and all. Joining him on patrol are his sixteen-year-old neighbor Tokine Yukimura—a more disciplined kekkaishi whom Yoshimori secretly adores—and a small complement of demons that includes two dog spirits, Madarao and Hakubi, and a half-human, half-ayakashi, Gen Shishio. Further complicating matters are the families themselves: the Sumimuras and Yukimuras detest one another. Though their clans have been tasked with protecting the Karasumori for nearly 500 years, the oldest generation carries on an energetic feud, making it difficult for Yoshimori and Tokine to work together harmoniously. In short, Kekkaishi reads like an entertaining mash-up of Bleach, InuYasha, and Romeo and Juliet. (Or maybe Romeo Must Die. Take your pick.)

Even if the set-up has a been-there, slayed-that-demon quality, Tanabe’s brisk pacing, memorable characters, and beautifully choreographed fight scenes distinguish Kekkaishi from similar monster-of-the-week series. To read the first eight chapters online (legally and free of charge, I might add), follow this link to the Shonen Sunday website. The full press releases and links to Hulu are below.

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE KEKKAISHI ANIMATED SERIES ON HULU

San Francisco, CA, January 19, 2010 – Today, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the animated demon-battling action and adventure of KEKKAISHI to Hulu, an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites — anytime in the U.S.  The series debuts with 5 episodes with new installments launching each week. To view KEKKAISHI, please visit www.Hulu.com.

KEKKAISHI is based on a hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). Mystical forces are powerful in the region called Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard the land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to the area night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy. Following in the tradition that’s been passed down through generations, he is the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are feuding over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting people from danger while growing stronger himself, Yoshimori will battle the forces of evil again tonight!

“KEKKAISHI is the latest series to join the VIZ Media family of animated titles available to U.S. audiences on Hulu and we hope that fans will enjoy its lively mix of adventure, comedy and demon-slaying action,” says Candice Uyloan, Director, Brand Management at VIZ Media. “We are committed to utilizing the web to deliver the best in anime through innovative web-based, video streaming outlets like Hulu. KEKKAISHI is an exciting addition to all the other top-rated anime from VIZ Media and we invite audiences to dive into this new series!”

Other VIZ Media animated titles available on Hulu include: BLEACH, BUSO RENKIN, DEATH NOTE, HIKARU NO GO, HONEY & COVER, INUYASHA and INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, NANA, NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, and THE PRINCE OF TENNIS.

For more information on KEKKAISHI or other SHONEN SUNDAY series, please also visit www.shonensunday.com or www.viz.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and website at www.VIZ.com.