Legend of the Otakufiend

RIGHT STUF’S NOZOMI ENTERTAINMENT Announces New Street Date of December 9, 2008 for MARIA WATCHES OVER US – Season 2 DVD Collection: Printemps

GRIMES, IA, November 11, 2008 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment have rescheduled the release of the MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) - Season 2 DVD Collection: Printemps.

The two-week shift was caused by manufacturing delays, said Right Stuf President and C.E.O. Shawne Kleckner. He continued, “We know the fans of Maria Watches Over Us have waited patiently for it to be available on DVD. We thank you for your support, and we’re looking forward to bringing its second installment to you just in time for the holiday season.”

The Season 2 DVD Collection is the second of several “season box sets” scheduled for the series’ North American DVD release.

Each set features Japanese audio, along with English on-screen translations, and English-language subtitle tracks: one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second, special subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics.

Additionally, each set will include the “specials” – comedic shorts that depict the series’ characters in “chibi” form – for its respective season.

Maria Watches Over Us, the anime is based upon an ongoing series of novels – written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Hibiki – that began in 1998 and currently spans 33 volumes. Short stories related to the series have been published in the shoujo (girls’) magazine Cobalt, and a manga adaptation is serialized in the anthology magazine Margaret. The series’ publisher, Shueisha, also produced 14 drama CDs (featuring radio-style plays).

The anime adaptation of Maria-sama ga Miteru – also referred to by fans as “MariMite” – encompasses two, 13-episode TV seasons, a 5-episode OVA (original video animation) as its third season, and a fourth season, currently in production in Japan.

Maria Watches Over Us feature animation by Studio DEEN (Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Rurouni Kenshin), direction by Yukihiro Matsushita (Blue Dragon, Sugar Sugar Rune), and scripting by Reiko Yoshida (Aria, Boys Over Flowers, Story of Saiunkoku).

The Maria Watches Over Us – Season 1 DVD Collection was released on July 29, 2008 and is now available.

Visit mariasama.rightstuf.com for more information about Maria Watches Over Us (Maria-sama ga Miteru), detailed character profiles, trailers, downloads and more.

About MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) – Season 2

The spring term is beginning for the students at Lillian Girls’ Academy. Friends are reunited, but for the Yamayuri Council, it’s a bittersweet time. Yoko, Eriko and Sei are busy preparing to depart Lillian, while Sachiko, Rei and Shimako are doing their best to ensure their dear sisters receive a memorable commencement. Soon, Lillian will have new leaders in the Council offices of Rosa Chinensis, Foetida and Gigantea, along with many new faces and budding relationships. Contains the complete 13-episode second season, plus Season 2 “specials” 1-6.

MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) - Season 2 DVD Collection: Printemps (TV)
Pre-Book: 10/28/2008
Street Date:11/25/2008    NEW Street Date: 12/9/2008
Runtime: Approximately 325 minutes, Dolby Digital Stereo, Color
Genre: Drama Suggested Rating: 13+

Catalog #: RSDVD0816
ISBN: 1-57032-791-2
UPC: 7-42617-0816-2-0
SRP: $49.99

Discs/Set: 4
Item Measurements: 5 3/8” X 1 7/32” X 7 5/8” (LxWxH)
Case Qty: 9

Scene access; Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio for Japanese dialogue; two English subtitle tracks (regular dialogue subtitles, plus a special subtitle track that includes Japanese honorifics); and English on-screen translations. PLUS: Season 2 “Specials” 1-6, liner notes and Nozomi Entertainment trailers.

MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) PRINTEMPS © OYUKI KONNO / SHUEISHA • YAMAYURIKAI • TV TOKYO Licensed by d-rights Inc.

** Product specifications and content may be subject to change.