San Francisco, CA, August 27, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will release the Uncut DVD Box Set for the animated romantic rock and roll melodrama, NANA, on September 8th. The 3-disc set featuring 12 episodes will be rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences and carry an MSRP of $59.90 U.S. / $85.99 CAN. The first box set will also include an exclusive NANA guitar pick.

The NANA anime is based on the popular manga by Ai Yazawa, which has sold over 43 million copies in Japan and is published in North America by VIZ Media under its SHOJO BEAT imprint. NANA follows the adventures of two girls both named Nana. While they share the same name, they couldn’t be more different. Nana “Hachi” Komatsu follows her boyfriend to Tokyo in the hopes of finding a fresh start, while Nana Osaki, who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty with the ambition for making it big in the world of rock and roll. Although these two young women come from opposite backgrounds, they quickly become best friends while chasing their happiness and dreams.

Ai Yazawa is the creator of many popular manga titles, including Tenshi Nanka Janai (I’m No Angel) and Gokinjo Monogatari (Neighborhood Story). Another series, Kagen no Tsuk (Last Quarter), was made into a live-action movie and released in late 2004. American readers were introduced to Yazawa’s stylish and sexy storytelling in 2002 when her title Paradise Kiss was translated into English.

The NANA manga series has over 43 million copies printed to date in Japan. It is considered an all-time best selling shojo title from Japanese publishing giant, Shueisha and was the recipient of the Shogakukan Manga Award in the Girls’ category. Its tremendous success further inspired two live-action feature films which are available on DVD in North America from VIZ Pictures

“NANA has already captivated millions with its best-selling manga and live action films, and we are very excited to release the animated series as a special Uncut DVD Box Set,” says Brian Ige, Director, Home Entertainment Sales, VIZ Media. “The compelling, deeply-layered connections between the two Nanas and those around them are brought to life through the richness of the characters and all the great elements of the shojo genre that are combined to make NANA one of the most vibrant and stylish series to hit North America. This is definitely a series to watch!”

For more information on NANA please visit the dedicated website at nana.viz.com.