At the New York Anime Festival Viz Media announced that it will release the 26-episode anime series based on Rurouni Kenshin creator Nobuhiro Watsuki's Buso Renkin manga in two 13-episode box sets.  The first Buso Renkin Box Set (MSRP $49.99), which collects the first half of the anime series that ran on Japanese TV from October 5th, 2007 to March 29th, 2007, will be released on April 29th with a second box set following several months later.

Viz Media also publishes the 10-volume Buso Renkin manga series (the 10th and final volume is set to be released in February, 2008).  Although it has not been as popular as Rurouni Kenshin, the Buso Renkin manga, which benefited from a preview in Shonen Jump, has been a solid performer in the North American market where it is currently ranked at #24 on ICv2's list of the 'Top 50 Manga Properties.'

By releasing Buso Renkin in a box set format Viz Media is pursuing a strategy that takes on the perception that anime is overpriced by providing consumers with access to a new series at a cost of $3.85 per episode, a considerable improvement over the pricing of anime episodes on the typical three to four episode TV anime disc.