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Column by Scott Green

In the day leading into Anime Expo, an announcement that many fans have been hoping for has been made...

FUNimation Entertainment has obtained the exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of established Geneon titles, including international successes "Ergo Proxy", "Hellsing Ultimate" and "Black Lagoon".

Follow up releases include "Black Lagoon Second Barrage", “Karin”, "Kyo kara Maoh! Season 2", and "Lyrical Nanoha".

Among the first titles to be released includes the special edition of "Hellsing Ultimate", directed by Tomokazu Tokoro and produced by Satelight (“Aquarion” and “BALDR FORCE EXE Resolution”).

Additional titles include: “Black Lagoon”, “Elemental Gelade”, “Fate/stay night”, “Kamichu”, “Ninja Vixens”, “Paradise Kiss”, “Rozen Maiden”, “Rozen Maiden - Träumend”, “Shana”, “Shonen Onmyouji”, “The Familiar of Zero”, “The Story of Saiunkoku”, “When They Cry”, and “The Law of Ueki”.

These titles were previously licensed and scheduled to be distributed by Geneon USA before that company shut down its sales, marketing and distribution opperations.

An extensive preview of Black Lagoon can be read here. The original manga, previewed here, will be released by Viz Media on August 12, 2008.

Reviews of the first two volumes of Hellsing Ultimate can be read here and here