Press Release

GENEON ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE LICENSING DEAL WITH CUTTING-EDGE RETAIL CHAIN HOT TOPIC

Specialty Stores To Carry New Merchandise From Red-Hot Anime PropertiesGankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo, Fafner, Jubei Chan 2 and R.O.D. The
TV
 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Geneon Entertainment, a leader in introducing anime to the United States, announced today that is has entered into an agreement to provide licensed merchandise for three of its hottest anime properties in an exclusive 90-day window to specialty retailer Hot Topic.  Beginning September 1, 2005, t-shirts, stickers and buttons for the wildly popular Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo, Fafner, Jubei Chan 2 and R.O.D. The TV will be placed on special anime islands or boutiques within the chain’s 670 stores.  Recognizing the increasing consumer demand for high-quality anime properties in the U.S., Hot Topic began expanding its anime product offerings in 2004.

“Hot Topic is continually ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying the latest trends and predicting what will be hot in the future,” said Rand Brenner, Director of Licensing Geneon Entertainment.  “We are thrilled to be partnering with this premiere specialty retailer to bring exciting merchandise that extends the experience of our ground-breaking properties to their rapidly growing fan bases.”

Headline Entertainment will produce the initial product offerings, which Hot Topic will promote through special window displays as well as on the dedicated islands within its stores leading into the holiday season. Set in a world of timeless beauty and exquisite splendor that could only be brought to life with the rich colors and sweeping lines of expert animation, Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monet Cristo is a vibrant retelling of Alexandre
Dumas’ unforgettable saga of betrayal and retribution.  Hotly anticipated by science fiction and anime fans for its high production value and intense storyline, Fafner takes place in the aftermath of an extraterrestrial attack, where citizens must take up arms against the invaders utilizing giant humanoid-type robots. In Jubei Chan 2, two seemingly ordinary teenage
girls vie for the vaunted title of the legendary samurai Yagyu Jubei. Three young sisters have the extraordinary power to manipulate paper at will to face down deadly enemies too bizarre and too extreme for normal humans to believe in the fan-favorite R.O.D. The TV.
 
About Geneon Entertainment
A leading supplier of Japanese animation in North America, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.Geneonanimation.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD and CD. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan's top anime production companies.  Additionally, Geneon Entertainment distributes critically acclaimed musical performances on DVD and CD from renowned artists.  Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment’s parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu, Inc.