The big news of the past week was the launch of the JManga website; I wrote a news report, including an interview with JManga business manager Robert Newman, at PWCW, and I critiqued the site at MTV Geek. Other folks have been chiming in as well: Daniella Orihuela-Gruber goes through the pros and cons at All About Manga, Ed Sizemore bought a volume of manga and reflects on the experience, Erica Friedman comments on the organization of the site, and Rob McMonigal records his first impressions. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie checks out vol. 1 of Adekan, Sean Gaffney reads vol. 1 of Urameshiya, and the Manga Bookshelf bloggers devote their Pick of the Week to the JManga offerings as well.
ICv2 sits down with Viz honcho Alvin Lu for some frank talk about where the manga market has been and where it is going, the future of digital media, and what the kids are reading these days. Meanwhile, at Comics Alliance, David Brothers has a thorough review of Viz’s digital manga website and app.
The Manga Moveable Feast has wound up its celebration of Fumi Yoshinaga; check the archive page at Comic Attack to see a glorious buffet of writing by different bloggers about Yoshinaga and her work. Be sure to check out the roundtables at Manga Bookshelf and Manga Village.
The Manga Village team picks the best of the past week’s new releases.
David Welsh lists his ten nominees for the Hooded Utilitarians Best Comics poll.
Erica Friedman brings us up to date with the latest edition of Yuri Network News at Okazu.
Lissa Patillo shows off her latest manga purchases—and gifts—at Kuriousity.
Congratulations to Ash Brown on a year of blogging at Experiments in Manga!
News from Japan: Bad news for fans of Saint Young Men: Creator Hikaru Nakamura is putting the series on hiatus because she is expecting, which is, of course, good news for her. Good news for fans of Detective Conan creator Gosho Aoyama: He has a new, two-part Magic Kaito series starting in issue 38 of Weekly Shonen Sunday. A manga version of the Hakuōki game is in the works. And two series, Kyō mo Ashita mo and Ninku ~Second Stage Eto Nin-Hen~, are coming to an end.
Reviews: Ash Brown takes us through another week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf bloggers kick off the week with a fresh set of Bookshelf Briefs.
Connie on vol. 5 of Bakuman (Slightly Biased Manga)
Matthew Warner on vol. 9 of Black Bird (The Fandom Post)
A Library Girl on vols. 1-3 of Blood Alone (omnibus edition) (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
Matthew Warner on vol. 2 of Blue Exorcist (The Fandom Post)
Connie on vol. 8 of Butterflies, Flowers http://slightlybiasedmanga.com/2011/08/16/butterflies-flowers-8/ (Slightly Biased Manga)
Dave Ferraro on vol. 1 of Cage of Eden (Comics-and-More)
Carlo Santos on vol. 4 of Dorohedoro (ANN)
Connie on Empty Heart (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lori Henderson on vols. 1-4 of Flower of Life (Manga Xanadu)
Michelle Smith on vols. 1-4 of Flower of Life (Soliloquy in Blue)
Erica Friedman on vol. 14 of Hayate x Blade (Okazu)
John Rose on vols. 7-9 of Hell Girl (omnibus edition) (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of I Am Here! (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Anna on Ichigenme: The First Class Is Civil Law (Manga Report)
Carlo Santos on vol. 7 of Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit (ANN)
John Rose on vol. 52 of Inu Yasha (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 3 of Itsuwaribito (The Comic Book Bin)
Connie on vols. 1 and 2 of Karakuri Odette (Slightly Biased Manga)
George R. on Kurogane Pukapukatai (Okazu)
John Rose on vol. 10 of Legend (The Fandom Post)
Connie on vol. 4 of Maoh: Juvenile Remix (Slightly Biased Manga)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 3 of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Connie on Nozomi (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lori Henderson on vols. 1-3 of Ooku: The Inner Chambers (Manga Xanadu)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 6 of Ooku: The Inner Chambers (ANN)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 11 of Otomen (Kuriousity)
Connie on vol. 6 of Pandora Hearts (Slightly Biased Manga)
Matthew Warner on vol. 6 of Rin-ne (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on Seigakuin Kouka Daigaku Yakanbu (Okazu)
Connie on vol. 2 of Tenjho Tenge (omnibus edition) (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lianne Sentar on Tired of Waiting for Love (Digital Manga Guild title) (Sleep Is For the Weak)
Connie on vol. 6 of Toriko (Slightly Biased Manga)
Erica Friedman on vols. 11 and 12 of Tsubomi (Okazu)
Katherine Farmar on Your Story I’ve Known (Manga Village)
Zack Davisson on A Zoo in Winter (Japan Reviewed)
Thank you for the congratulations! :D