Weekend reading

The Hooded Utilitarian has a new writer, Kinukitty, who focuses on yaoi manga. In this post, develops an almost unhealthy curiousity about the creators of In the End, an Original German Language manga that actually made it to Japan in cell phone form.

Ed and the MangaCast crew roll out this week’s new releases and pick the best of the lot.

Melinda Beasi writes about what she looks for in manga, yaoi or otherwise: a good story.

Keiji Nakazawa is wrapping up Barefoot Gen, his semi-autobiographical manga about surviving the bombing of Hiroshima, and he would like to present a copy to President Obama.

John Jakala lists the 25 greatest romances in manga at Sporadic Sequential, and commenters chime in with more.

Shaenon Garrity tries to explain her trip to Japan in her latest comiXology column, but she ends up writing about much, much more.

DokiDoki is offering signed art to readers who buy their books and fill out a survey. Lissa Pattillo just got hers, and she’s impressed.

The Manga Recon folks are having a poetry contest: write a haiku about Death Note, win tickets to a showing of the live-action movie DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd.

If you’re under 20 and in the San Francisco area, check out the Comic Arts & Anime Teen Expo. Deb Aoki has the details.

Coming this fall: more Mega Man art books and manga from Udon.

News from Japan: Canned Dogs reports that the June issue of Dengeki Daioh will include a special heroine’s gallery. ANN catches Takehiko Inoue’s comment that he plans to wrap up Vagabond in a year or two. And manga versions of The Fujoshi Manual and The Middle School Second-Grade Disease Manual are in the works.

Reviews: At Good Comics for Kids, Snow Wildsmith looks at three hefty shoujo manga tomes: Castle of Dreams and the VizBig editions of vol. 1 of Fushigi Yugi and vol. 1 of Hot Gimmick. The deconstruction of Helter Skelter continues at The Hooded Utilitarian, as Bill Randall discusses fashion and body image and Tom Crippen takes a look at the art. And there are more responses to Rumiko Takahashi’s Rin-ne from Brad Rice and the Japanator commenters and Lori Henderson.

Justin Colussy-Estes on vol. 26 of Case Closed (Comics Village)
Diana Dang on vols. 1 and 2 of Emma (Stop, Drop, and Read!)
Sam on vol. 3 of Free Collars Kingdom (The Otaku’s Study)
Tangognat on vol. 1 of Future Diary (Tangognat)
Connie on vol. 7 of Go Go Heaven (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 4 of Goong (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 3 of Hayate x Blade (Slightly Biased Manga)
Snow Wildsmith on Hey, Sensei? (Fujoshi Librarian)
Emily on Kinkyori Lovers (Emily’s Random Shoujo Manga Page)
Julie on vol. 7 of Kurohime (Manga Maniac Cafe)
AstroNerdBoy on The Manga Guide to Electricity (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Nightschool (Comics Should Be Good)
Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Octave (Okazu)
Margaret Veira on vol. 30 of The Prince of Tennis (Active Anime)
Rachel Bentham on vol. 5 of Shugo Chara! (Active Anime)
Melinda Beasi on vol. 2 of St. Dragon Girl (there it is, plain as daylight)
Cynthia Ward on vol. 1 of Wolverine: Prodigal Son (Sci Fi Wire)
Sarah Boslaugh on vol. 1 of Yokaiden (PLAYBACK:stl)
Sam on Yoki Koto Kiku (The Otaku’s Study)

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