Rozen Nation?

The blogs are alive with the news that Japanese Foreign Minister and noted otaku Taro Aso may be next in line for prime minister. Japundit notes that manga, anime, and game stocks are up. The Broccoli blog reports that the Wall Street Journal called up and requested a cover image of Murder Princess. In their article, the WSJ helpfully defines “otaku” as “nerds.” Simon Jones suggests investing in Rozen Maiden dolls. And Giapet isn’t thrilled with Aso’s politics.

Speaking of Broccoli, they have updated their site with previews of E’S and Coyote Ragtime Show.

ICv2 interviews Viz senior vp Liza Coppola about the Naruto blitz, retail shelving, anthologies, the problem of shoujo anime, and more.

Chris Mautner pens a nice overview of Naruto Nation.

And how is Naruto doing? Just fine, thanks. On this week’s USA Today booklist, vol. 18 charts at number 37, vol. 17 at number 65, and vol. 16 at number 74; all three are up from last week’s rankings.

Bookslut interviews The Comics Journal’s Dirk Deppey. (Via ComiPress.)

Jeff Yang reads Tekkonkinkreet while on a Disney cruise and pens a thoughtful column about the contrasts and parallels between the two. (Via Comics 212.)

David Welsh and Ed Chavez discuss Digital’s recent announcement that it would be co-branding with Japanese publishers.

The MangaCast crew check out this week’s new manga.

At Mania.com, columnist Nadia Oxford wonders if manga will go the way of the Hula Hoop.

ComiPress has an interesting exchange between a scanlator and a Viz editor frustrated with the flipping and slow release schedule of Inu Yasha. (ComiPress notes that Viz has not confirmed the response.) Also: Prince of Tennis is coming to an end.

Tiamat’s Disciple has more on the latest scanlation controversy.

The doujinshi artist who was arrested recently for distribution of indecent material has been fined 30,000 yen, which Canned Dogs says is a token amount. Simon Jones agrees (NSFW) it’s probably less than the artist’s printing bill but would like to see him fight it on general principles.

Wish I could be there: Manga maven Fred Schodt will give a talk in San Francisco tonight on the classic Four Immigrants manga.

Reviews: EvilOmar turns in a comprehensive review of vols. 1-5 of Basilisk at About Heroes. The latest volume of Fruits Basket leads off the Small Bodied Manga Reviews at Anime on DVD. Over at Manganews, Serenity reviews the one-shot Spell and Ishaan checks out vol. 1 of Gon. Connie is busy at Slightly Biased Manga, where she gives her take on vol. 5 of Adolf, vol. 2 of Golgo 13, Fake Fur, and vol. 1 of Walkin’ Butterfly. Ed Park reviews Apollo’s Song for the LA Times. At Prospero’s Manga, Miranda reviews vol. 1 of June Pride, Takumi-kun Series. Michael Aronson reads vol. 10 of Claymore at Manga Life. Tiamat’s Disciple wrestles with the shrinkwrap to review vol. 1 of Eden: It’s an Endless World.

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Comments

  1. I’m trying to get out of work early enough to drive up for Fred’s talk… I’ll post pics if I can make it (looking unlikely)… I’d love to hear him lecture again… Schodt lecturing on Tezuka/manga is inspiring stuff!

  2. I was hoping Giapet wrote a real commentary about Aso’s real politics, but I guess he’s like most gaijin-otas… more in tune with the otaku culture. Aso is actually older than the resigned PM Abe… and he often said dumb things, especially about Korea and China. That won’t sit well with the consevative side of the LDP, who are posed to take back power after the yonger reform faction of the LDP headed by ex-PM Koizumi. The conservatives in Japan wanted a better relationship with Korea and China, for they are the first generation to feel guilty about WWII. The new guns actually wanted to forget WWII ever existed, and Aso is one of those people. He as other faults as well, but this continued friction between Japan and especially China is hurting Japanese business growth, and if Aso becomes PM, even though the Akiba-kei would rejoice, would do very little for the future of Japan. Maybe at least we’ll get Suiseiseki printed on the 5,000 yen bill, and in addition to voting for Diet members the Japanese public will have to vote in Saimoe Tournament as well. ^^

Trackbacks

  1. […] Frederik L. Schodt, the writer of Manga! Manga! and The Astro Boy Essays as well as the translator of several manga classics, will speak about Henry Kiyama’s The Four Immigrants Manga: A San Francisco Japanese Experience 1904-1924 at the renovated Hotel Tomo in San Francisco, California on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. PT. Attendance is free, but attendees must reserve a place by emailing smcneil@afsc.org. Schodt translated this manga, which is considered one of the first comic books published in the United States. Source: Tezuka: The Marvel of Manga blog via MangaBlog […]