ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR SAKURA WARS TV: OPENING NIGHT

FIRST VOLUME OF THE 25-EPISODE TV SERIES TO BE AVAILABLE MAY 27, 2003; TIES IN TO POPULAR SAKURA WARS OVA, VIDEO GAMES

HOUSTON, February 28, 2003—ADV Films today announced a May 27, 2003 release date for Sakura Wars TV: Opening Night, first volume of ADV’s DVD release of the title. ADV will release Sakura Wars TV: Opening Night as a DVD only, and in a special edition including a custom art box, sized to hold the entire series.

Well known for its enthusiastic genre hopping, including robot combat, musical theatre, romance, a dose of history lesson and more, the Sakura Wars franchise—including video games, OVAs and this television series—has proven an enduring fan favorite.

The Story:
It is the 1920s, and Japan is under attack by demonic invaders. The government has designed sturdy, albeit steam-powered, robot armor suits for the impending battle, but only young ladies with the proper combination of virtue and spirit can pilot the robots successfully.

Enter young Sakura, arriving in the Imperial Capital from the countryside to join the Imperial Flower Combat Troop. She has the qualifications to be a fine robot pilot, but she’s surprised to learn that this secret Defense Force has a cover story as a musical theatre troupe—and they take their cover jobs very seriously indeed. It’s costumes, line readings and robot combat galore, as Sakura struggles to learn the ropes, learn her lines, and do her part to save the nation!

Special Edition available!
ADV Films is releasing Sakura Wars TV: Opening Night in two editions: as a disc in a standard DVD case, or in a Special Edition including the disc and its case, plus an exclusive custom art box designed to hold all of the Sakura Wars TV volumes.

Sakura Wars TV: Opening Night (DVD only $29.98 SRP; Special Edition $39.98 SRP ) is a DVD-only release containing five complete episodes. It includes both English- and Japanese-language versions, and English subtitles. DVD extras include production sketches, clean opening and closing animation, a printed booklet with background information and ADV previews.

About ADV Films:
In 1992, ADV Films (ADV) began to forge the international market for Japanese animation (“anime”) by combining unique titles, outstanding production values and efficient large-scale distribution. Today, ADV is the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation to the North American market, with the firm’s holdings including such premier titles as Spriggan, Sailor Moon, Samurai X, Medabots, Robotech, Gasaraki and Neon Genesis Evangelion. ADV has also expanded into other forms of genre programming, including live-action science fiction programs Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda and Farscape, and classic science fiction such as Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. ADV’s corporate parent, A.D. Vision, Inc., publishes Newtype USA, the premiere anime and manga monthly in the English-speaking world, and operates The Anime Network, broadcasting anime and anime-related programming via digital cable, 24 hours a day. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, with additional offices in the EU and Japan, and distribution on four continents, ADV is fast becoming an international entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit ADV on the web at http://www.advfilms.com.

SAKURA WARS TV: OPENING NIGHT
Running Time: 125 minutes; Age Rating: 12+
Pre-Book Date: 4/29/03
Street Date: 5/27/03
Format: DVD
SRP: DVD Only - $29.98
DVD + Custom Art Box - $39.98