Archives for March 2008

Vol. 28 of Naruto leaps to number 17 on the USA Today best-seller list, up from 73 last week. ANN says only vol. 16 of Fruits Basket has done better. Vol. 17 of Negima! debuts on the list at number 115.

The MangaCast team deconstructs this week’s new manga list. And Ed posts a list of ero titles to be published in Japan this month. Also of interest: Taiyosha’s top-selling manga for this week.

David Welsh looks over the week’s new crop of manga at Precocious Curmudgeon, and Danielle Leigh lists her picks at Manga Over Flowers.

Free manga on the web: Over at MySpace, check out previews of Batman: Death Mask! and Crayon Shinchan. (Via Blog@Newsarama.)

Hazel posts a sampling of images from her favorite scanlations from the first week of March.

At Same Hat! Same Hat!, Ryan reports that both Drawn & Quarterly manga releases, Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s Good-Bye and Seiichi Hayashi’s Red Colored Elegy, have been delayed from April until July. And it’s worth clicking over there just to see the cover of Suehiro Maruo’s newest book.

801 Media posts an update on their March titles.

Has yaoi peaked? Gia surveys the landscape.

Tokyopop will launch Phantom Dream (Geneimuso in Japanese), a five-volume manga by Fruits Basket creator Natsuku Takaya, in December.

At Sleep Is For the Weak, Lianne lists six reasons why right now is a great time to be a girl geek.

News from Japan: ANN reports that shoujo manga artist Keichiro Suzuhara died on Feb. 9.

Reviews: Connie checks out vol. 31 of Dragon Ball and vol. 8 of Berserk at Slightly Biased Manga. Julie Gray reviews vol. 1 of The Outcast at Manga Jouhou. Kethylia can find only one nice thing to say about vol. 1 of Sundome. Save your ten bucks: David Welsh dis-recommends vol. 1 of Switch at Precocious Curmudgeon. Save your money instead for To Terra and Andromeda Stories, which he heartily endorses in this week’s Flipped column at its new home, The Comics Reporter. Julie enjoys vol. 11 of Skip Beat! at the Manga Maniac Cafe. Manga Life has posted a new set of reviews: Barb Lien-Cooper on vol. 1 of Metro Survive, Joy Kim on vol. 1 of Peace Maker, Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane on Train Man: A Shojo Manga (Del Rey’s version) and Shannon Fay on vol. 1 of SOS. Lori Henderson reviews vol. 1 of Bride of the Water God at Manga Xanadu. Scott Campbell reads vol. 2 of Red String at Active Anime.

This came in last night, and if you’re thinking of taking advantage of it, I suggest you register with the Tokyopop website now. (It’s free, and as far as I can tell, hasn’t generated any spam for me.) Worried you’ll be busy at 7:19 p.m. and forget to log in? Tokyopop has a handy downloadable widget to help. Read on for the official PR.

TOKYOPOP is launching an unprecedented promotion for Fruits Basket volume 19, which goes on sale March 18. On Friday, March 14, at 19:19 EST, TOKYOPOP will release the entire volume online free to members of TOKYOPOP.com—for 19 minutes only. TOKYOPOP will also give away copies of Fruits Basket volume 19 each day leading up to the promotion. Members of TOKYOPOP.com who join the Fruits Basket clan and are logged on at 19 minutes after the hour between noon and midnight will have a chance to win. One winner will be chosen each day.

With more than 2 million copies in print, Fruits Basket is the #1 selling shojo manga on the planet, peaking at #1 on the graphic novel bestseller list with each release. Celebrated by fans around the world, Fruits Basket is the winner of the 2007 American Anime Award for Best Manga and a YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens winner.

Ed Chavez tells the story of The Guin Saga at PWCW, and Calvin Reid has an advance look at NYCC.

Comic Book Resources talks to Jim Pascoe about Undertown.

John Thomas takes a look at the first issue of PiQ Magazine, the replacement for Newtype USA.

Tangognat’s fifth anniversary is coming up, and she will be giving away some manga to celebrate.

Tokyopop plans some more manga based on video games: Starcraft, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and more Warcraft.

News from Japan: Canned Dogs has the scoop on Shounen Magazine‘s 50th anniversary celebration, which includes sthe return of MMR. And a virtual bookstore will be offering Tezuka manga online.

Vampire Knight starts serialization in Indonesia, joining the already extensive lineup in the shoujo magazine HanaLaLa.

Reviews: Erica Friedman reviews vol. 1 of Gakuen Alice at Okazu. Julie checks out vol. 1 of Devil’s Bride and vol. 5 of Love*Com. New dad Matthew Brady reviews vol. 1 of Phoenix at Warren Peace Sings the Blues. New reviews at Comics Village: Dan Polley on vol. 3 of My Heavenly Hockey Club, John Thomas on vol. 1 of Minima, Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Switch, and Charles Tan on vol. 2 of Eyeshield 21. Isaac Hale reviews vol. 11 of From Eroica With Love at PopCultureShock’s Manga Recon blog.

Katherine Dacey digs deep for this week’s new manga, and she reviews a couple of new titles as well, in her Weekly Recon.

David Welsh has nominated some manga for the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.

Canned Dogs has some lovely art from the 4-koma manga Hitsugi katsugi no Kuro, which Yen Press will be releasing later this year as Shoulder-A Coffin-Kuro.

John Jakala can’t wait for September, when Viz will start reissuing Slam Dunk.

Same Hat! Same Hat! posts the cover art for Kazuo Umezu’s Cat Eyed Boy.

Manga-ka Moyoco Anno, creator of Happy Mania, Sugar Sugar Rune, and Hataraki Man, is taking a break from work due to health problems.

This is sort of interesting: Japan’s latest child-porn legislation specifically exempts anime and manga. Click the link to read the reasoning.

News from Japan: Libre, known for its boys love titles, plans to launch a new “all-genre” manga magazine titled Kurofune ZERO on May 28.

Reviews: Lori Henderson just can’t stop: She read 11 volumes of Naruto (vols. 17-26) in 7 days. Dave Ferraro enjoys vol. 7 of Emma at Comics-and-More. At Anime on DVD, Greg Hackmann finds vol. 1 of Kamen Tantei “unsatisfying” and Ron Quezon posts a brief review of vol. 3 of Cipher. Nick finds vol. 1 of Yozakura Quartet promising, if not top-notch, at Hobotaku. Down at the Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie reads vol. 4 of Yurara and vol. 1 of Seduction More Beautiful Than Love. Erica Friedman reviews Yozora no Ouji to Asayake no Hime at Okazu. Connie checks out vol. 7 of Berserk at Slightly Biased Manga. At Active Anime, Holly Ellingwood reviews vol. 2 of Ai no Kusabi and vol. 1 of The Third. At Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, the eponymous Graeme Flory reviews Y Square, vol. 2 of Black God, and vol. 2 of Zombie-Loan.

The folks at Viz have a big stack of new manga titles for you to enjoy this spring, including Gimmick!, which sounds like a manga version of F/X. Read on for more.

VIZ MEDIA TO DEBUT NINE NEW MANGA SERIES FOR SECOND QUARTER 2008

Unique Subjects And Genres Ranging From Action Adventure And Romance To Vampires And Horror To Be Offered

San Francisco, CA, March 11, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced its plans to launch nine eagerly awaited new manga (graphic novel) series in the Second Quarter of 2008.

The new releases are aimed primarily at Teen and Older Teen readers, which form the core of the manga market, and encompass a unique selection of genres ranging from action/adventure and shojo romance stories to darker, more twisted tales that exemplify the gothic and horror genres that have become extremely popular. The new series will include GUN BLAZE WEST, HARUKA: BEYOND THE STEAM OF TIME, NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR: YUMEKUI KENBUN, B.O.D.Y, FAIRY CUBE, THE RECORD OF A FALLEN VAMPIRE, ROSARIO+VAMPIRE, GIMMICK! and CAT EYED BOY.

“VIZ Media again shows the diversity that is at the core of the manga medium with our latest range of offerings for the Second Quarter,” says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, VIZ Media. “From the western-themed GUN BLAZE WEST, the latest title from the famed creator of RUROUNI KENSHIN, to HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME, which is based on a popular Japanese dating video game for girls, there is an array from which to choose. As the gothic genre flourishes among a growing legion of fans, FAIRY CUBE, NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR: YUMEKUI KENBUM, and THE RECORD OF A FALLEN VAMPIRE will delight with captivating visual style and dark characters. Finally, for those who relish the spine chilling, we are extremely pleased to announce the North American debut of CAT EYED BOY from Kazuo Umezu, who is considered the master of the horror manga genre that has recently captivated legions of domestic readers.”

GUN BLAZE WEST • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $7.99
• Available April 1, 2008
A brand new addition to the SHONEN JUMP imprint from Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of the successful samurai manga series RUROUNI KENSHIN and BUSO RENKIN (both published domestically by VIZ Media), GUN BLAZE WEST puts a new twist on the genre as it is set in 19th century America. Legend has it that in the far West lies a sacred land called Gun Blaze West, where only the strong can set foot. Viu Bannes, a cheerful and persistent boy, aspires to become a great gunslinger and yearns to travel to the West and test his strength. He befriends a vagabond, Marcus Homer, and they both decide to set off on a journey to find Gun Blaze West. The new title is VIZ Media’s first Western/Wild West series and will also be previewed in SHONEN JUMP magazine. Nobuhiro Watsuki’s critically acclaimed previous series RUROUNI KENSHIN is a fan favorite that has sold more than 1.1 million copies in North America and his BUSO RENKIN series likewise enjoys a wide and growing following.

HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME • Rated “T+” for Older Teens
• MSRP: $8.99 • Available April 1, 2008
HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME is a highly anticipated new series based on a popular PS2 and Nintendo DS video game that is hugely popular in Japan. Akane is your typical teenage girl, until she swallows eight Dragon Jewels and is transported to the Heian period of ancient Japan! There in the Capital City, Akane learns that she has been preordained to lead the people as the Priestess of the Dragon God. But all is not well: Akram, the head of the Demon Clan, has sworn death and destruction on the Capital. So Akane is appointed Eight Guardians to stand by her side as she faces the danger that waits. HARUKA: BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME is a new addition to VIZ Media’s SHOJO BEAT imprint and is currently being serialized in SHOJO BEAT magazine. The original Haruka video game was created by Ruby Party (aka Ruby Patty), the same group that designed the wildly popular Neoromance video game Angelique, and helped to define the modern Neoromance dating RPG format. Bandai Visual USA is also releasing the anime in April 2008.

NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR: YUMEKUI KENBUN • Rated “T” for Teens • MSRP: $9.99 • Available April 8, 2008
For those who suffer nightmares, help awaits at the Silver Star Tea House, where patrons can order much more than just Darjeeling. Hiruko is a special kind of private investigator, he’s a dream eater, and he’ll rid you of your darkest vision – for a price. Each chapter of NIGHMARE INSPECTOR is a self-contained story that offers a glimpse of mankind’s folly and gradually reveals a little more about Hiruko and his dark past. A highly anticipated new series with a gothic edge, NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR was published in Japan by Square Enix, the publisher of the first manga series from Shin Mashiba. Fan-buzz has abounded on this series and comparisons have been made to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and DC’s classic House of Mystery/House of Secrets.

B.O.D.Y. • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $9.99 • Available April 8, 2008
Everyone thinks 16-year-old Sakura has weird taste in guys because she can’t stop drooling over Ryunosuke, the strong silent type who sits next to her in class. When she discovers he works for a host club, where women actually pay men to date them, will she finally wise up? Will he leave his job to be with her? Or will she take a job at the club so he can quit so she can be with him so…? Only one thing’s for sure in B.O.D.Y. – you can’t put a price on love! B.O.D.Y. originally appeared in the Japanese shojo monthly Bessatsu Margaret was created by Ao Mimori. It is her third shojo manga series and is also currently serialized in SHOJO BEAT magazine.

FAIRY CUBE • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $8.99
• Available May 6, 2008
Ian and Rin used to just see spirits. Now Ian is one. Using the Fairy Cube, Ian must figure out how to stop the lizard spirit Tokage from taking over his life and destroying any chance he has of resurrection. FAIRY CUBE is the long-awaited new series from gothic manga mastermind Kaori Yuki, who created ANGEL SANCTUARY, GODCHILD, and THE CAIN SAGA (all published by VIZ Media). A new addition to VIZ Media’s SHOJO BEAT imprint, FAIRY CUBE will be previewed in the April 2008 issue of SHOJO BEAT magazine.

THE RECORD OF A FALLEN VAMPIRE • Rated “T” for Teens • MSRP: $9.99
• Available May 13, 2008
Thousands of years ago, Vampire King Akabara Rosered Strauss lost both his kingdom and his queen. Since humans were unable to kill the queen, they sealed her away, erecting thousands of fake seals so that the king would never find her true location. Despite being pursued by relentless humans and half-vampires alike, Akabara continues to search for his queen to this day. Akabara’s quest takes a sinister turn when an entity called the Black Swan appears. The Black Swan inhabits the body of a young human girl every 50 years, giving her the power to destroy the Vampire King and his queen. With each incarnation the Black Swan grows stronger –will the 49th Black Swan mean the end of Akabara? THE RECORD OF A FALLEN VAMIRE is illustrated by Yuri Kimura and written by Kyo Shirodaira, the award-winning writer behind the popular mystery manga and animated series SPIRAL – BONDS OF REASONING.

ROSARIO + VAMPIRE • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $9.99
• Available May 13, 2008
All-around average teenager Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one, but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’, are those her teeth around his neck too? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in hell of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between the jocks and the nerds but between vampires and the werewolves? Find out in the new series from Akihisa Ikeda.
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GIMMICK! • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $9.99
• Available June 10, 2008
Gimmick! is an interesting new series by Youzaburou Kanari and focuses on Kohei Nagase, a genius in the realm of movie make-up and special effects. With his stuntman buddy Kannazuki, Kohei helps various people in need get out of tough situations through the use of his brilliant make-up skills. This series has action, mystery, and lots of insights about the technical aspects that go into doing really cool movie make-up.

CAT EYED BOY • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $24.99 •
Available June 17, 2008
Cat Eyed Boy is a half-human, half-monster child whose mostly human appearance bans him from the demon world. He lives hidden in the shadows of the human world, hated by humans and demons alike. Wherever he goes, awful events occur as the humans and demons interact. In 11 stories of revenge and retribution full of disturbing images, Cat Eyed Boy acts as a trickster, saving the innocent and helping the wicked receive the punishment that fate metes out. The first volume contains four stories and the first part of a fifth and longer story. CAT EYED BOY was created by Kazuo Umezu, the undisputed master of Japanese horror manga and creator of the critically acclaimed DRIFTING CLASSROOM (also published by VIZ Media). Cat Eyed Boy offers up a concoction of dark vignettes dripping with the macabre and the absurd.

Start saving your pennies, kids: DrMaster has three new titles coming down the pike. I particularly like the concept of Feng Shui Academy, in which, apparently, the hero battles monsters and demons using … feng shui. And “other spiritual methods in architecture.” Read on for more.

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
DRMASTER PUBLICATIONS TO RELEASE MAMORU THE SHADOW PROTECTOR, NEPHYLYM, AND FENG SHUI ACADEMY

SAN JOSE, CA – March, 2008 – DrMaster Publications has announced the impending release of three new titles, Mamoru the Shadow Protector by Sai Madara & Taro Achi, Nephylym by Rei Kusakabe, and Feng Shui Academy by Haruka Shouji.

Mamoru the Shadow Protector is the manga adaptation of the popular Japanese novel and anime, Kage Kara Mamoru by Taro Achi. Feng Shui Academy is also a manga adaptation of a Japanese novel series, Fuu Sui Gakuen by Midori Natsu. Nephylym is a new Japanese manga series by the up-and-coming manga artist Rei Kusakabe. Both Mamoru the Shadow Protector and Nephylym will hit stores this summer! Brace yourselves for all the hilarious adventures in store for you!

Mamoru the Shadow Protector
A story about protecting someone you love… in secret. Mamoru Kagemori is a dull high school boy who’s not handsome, athletic, or intelligent. But things aren’t always what they appear. He is actually the eldest son of the 400-year-old Ninja clan specializing in protecting their neighbors, the Konnyaku’s. And the object of Mamoru’s protection is none other than their only daughter, Yuna Konnyaku, a natural born accident-prone troublemaker. Mamoru must continue to protect her and carry out his duty regardless of how strong, bizarre, or stupid his advisories are. Will Yuna ever learn who her brave protector is?

Nephylym
Shun is has a unique power to electrically charge metal materials. A mysterious winged angel-like being named Ale picks up on his powers and chooses him to become her partner, thus enhancing Shun’s powers. The next day, Shin’s classmate, Sanari, who he has a crush on, tells him that she also has a winged angel partner, named Blissful. These beings are called Nephylyms. Sanari tells Shin that people like them, who have Nephylyms are called Answerers, and they are tasked to purify the crystals of negative consciousness called Noir. Together with their nephylyms Shun, Sanari, and Tsukasa (Shun’s rival in love) battle against Noirs that possesses human beings.

Feng Shui Academy
Ozunu is the top student at Kusanagi School of Magical Architecture, a national polytechnic high school dedicated to raising professional magical architects of the future. Their job is to apply feng shui and other spiritual methods in architecture to exterminate fiends and demons in Tokyo, where the protective feng shui seal has been broken due to wars and urban development. Being raised by a spider fiend, Ozunu has always tried to purify or return monsters to where they came from, but he clashes with his rival Tsugaru, the heir to a magical architecture corporation, who believes strength is the key to everything.

Availability
Mamoru the Shadow Protector will be available June 2008. Nephylym will be available September 2008. Feng Shui Academy will be released in 2009. All three titles will be priced at $9.95.

About DrMaster Publications Inc.:
DrMaster Publications Inc. is a uniquely quirky publishing company that was started in 2004. Specializing in bringing interesting graphic novels from Japan and China, across the Pacific for American audiences, DrMaster Publications offers a myriad of titles to cater to its various niche readers. The company is what some may call a boutique publisher, which tailors each its titles to suit every reader’s unique desires. Ranging from side-splitting comedies and heart-wrenching dramas to explosive action adventures and enchanting fantasies, DrMaster books provide a glimpse into a new realm as seen through the eyes of the authors and artists. You don’t just read a DrMaster book-it jolts you to life, as you are propelled through the pages.

Please visit www.drmasterbooks.com for information on our current and upcoming titles. And feel free to tour the site. Regular updates will follow as our line of “masterful” comic series expands.