Torrance, Calif. February 1, 2008 - Bandai Visual USA, is pleased to host the premier of HARUKA: Beyond the Stream of Time ― A Tale of the Eight Guardians at Sakura-Con 2008!

In honor of the US premiere, the director of HARUKA, Aki Tsunaki, will be a Guest of Honor at Sakura-Con 2008, March 28th -30th, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, WA.

Aki Tsunaki belongs to Yumeta Company, an acclaimed anime production company in Japan. He comes from Kumamoto Prefecture and began his career in the anime industry when he was 20 years old. In addition to directing HARUKA: Beyond the Stream of Time ― A Tale of the Eight Guardians, he’s also involved as animation director in various titles such as: Go Forward., Pokémon the Movie, Yu-Gi-Oh TV and Initial D. Sakura-Con is very pleased to host Mr. Tsunaki's first appearance in the United States.

Bandai Visual USA recently announced the release of “Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time – A Tale of the Eight Guardians” on DVD. “HARUKA” is a hit Japanese romance adventure video game which has been adapted into an equally popular manga in Japan. The first volume of director Aki Tsunaki's animated version of HARUKA is set to hit store shelves April 22, 2008. The manga is now serialized in SHOJO BEAT magazine and vol. 1 of the manga will be in stores April 1, 2008. Both are published by VIZ Media.

Those attending Sakura-Con 2008 have a unique opportunity to see and purchase the HARUKA before the official DVD release. The first DVD volume will be exclusively available for purchase at Sakura-Con 2008! Don't miss this chance to see it first and meet the Director in person! Details about the premier screening will be made available at www.sakuracon.org.

For more information on the Haruka DVD please visit Bandai Visual USA's official website to be made online early this month: http://www.bandaivisual.us/haruka/ and for more information about the Haruka manga and Shojo Beat please visit www.shojobeat.com.

BANDAI VISUAL USA INC. was established in 2005 as a wholly owned subsidiary of BANDAI VISUAL CO., LTD. with a mission to facilitate stronger, more active involvement in positioning, marketing and distribution of BANDAI VISUAL programs in North America. From its base in Torrance, California, BANDAI VISUAL USA seeks to form new alliances and reinforce existing ties in an effort to strengthen BANDAI VISUAL’s international presence as a producer and content provider in the ever expanding and diversified specialty programs market.