The revolutionary anime is back with more gore, gadgets and all-out-action

GDH K.K. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Shinichiro Ishikawa, Securities Code: TSE Mothers 3755, hereinafter GDH) will present an exclusive trailer premiere of its latest animated series AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION at Comic-Con International 2008 (hereinafter Comic-Con 2008) to be held on July 24-27 in San Diego, CA., U.S.

Based on Takashi Okazaki’s manga, the first season of AFRO SAMURAI was a five-episode series following Afro Samurai’s quest to avenge his father following his brutal murder. This action packed show provided a glimpse into a unique world fusing American hip-hop culture with the world of the classical samurai. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and featuring a musical score by The RZA, the series won high praise among young adults when it first aired in the U.S. on Spike in January 2007 and was the best-selling anime DVD release of 2007.

Afro Samurai picks up his sword once again in a television event movie entitled AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION. The movie picks up the story just a few years after the end of the previous season, and follows Afro Samurai as he once again becomes entangled in an endless search for vengeance. The AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION trailer will premiere at Comic-Con 2008, during a star studded event featuring Samuel L. Jackson, The RZA, and Takashi Okazaki, creator of AFRO SAMURAI.

AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION is once again produced by GDH’s main production subsidiary GONZO K.K. (Head Office: Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Managing Director: Junji Fujita, hereinafter GONZO) with Samuel L. Jackson returning as Afro Samurai and as an Executive Producer. Joining the cast are Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels) and Mark Hamill (the Star Wars series). The RZA again provides the original score, fueling the show’s intense drama and taking it to a new level of uniqueness and artistry.

AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION is scheduled to premier on Spike TV as a two-hour movie event in January 2009, and FUNimation Entertainment will release it on DVD in early 2009.
[About AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION]
A few years have passed since Afro’s nemesis Justice was finally defeated on Mt. Shumi. Afro is back in his Swordmaster’s dojo meditatively carving statues as penance for those he has murdered. The blood cycle is broken – the wearer of the “No.1″ headband shall rule the world and only the “No.2″ shall challenge the “No.1,” but Afro holds both headbands and so there is no challenger. The fragile peace Afro has created is shattered as ghosts from the past appear and wreak havoc in Afro’s dojo, escaping with the No.1 headband and also with the remains of Afro’s father.
Afro is forced once again to take on the burden of the No.2 headband and go back out into the world in search of the No.1 and his father’s remains. The power of the two headbands is felt in the world once more, the world is once again painted with blood and the spiral of violence begins once again.

[About Comic-Con International: San Diego]
Comic-Con International: San Diego, commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, is an annual summer convention for comics and related industries held in San Diego, California. Numerous companies, as well as artists and writers participate in Comic-Con, announcing new releases and staging promotional events. The event has grown to attract over 100,000 attendees in the recent years, and is the largest convention of its kind in North America.

[About SPIKE]
Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

[About FUNimation Entertainment]
FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation is known for acquiring top-rated anime series from Japan and for being the market share leader for home video sales of anime in the United States. The company has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution.

[About GDH K.K.]
GDH is a globally-focused Japanese media company founded in February 2000. The group produces cutting edge entertainment for teens and young adults through its GONZO animation brand. Kids and family product is distributed through the GONZO FILMS and GONZINO brands.
GDH is a world leader in content development targeting both domestic and international audiences with Japan’s trend-setting animation culture and, usually, GDH controls licensing management and international distribution for the content it produces.
For additional information, visit www.G.D.H.co.jp/english (for GDH) and www.Gonzo.co.jp (for GONZO – Japanese only).
GDH group companies include GONZO Rosso K.K., GONZO K.K., Future Vision Music K.K., GONZINO K.K., GDH Capital K.K. and GK Entertainment K.K. anime press release