MangaBlog

At MTV Geek, I posted my list of the best manga of 2011 and rounded up some recent manga news from Japan.

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss their Picks of the Week.

Kristy Valenti discusses theatrical influences on two Osamu Tezuka manga, Princess Knight and The Book of Human Insects.

Deb Aoki posts a guide to comics gifts that support good causes.

News from Japan: Be x Boy 13* includes a story by the French manga-ka Eternal-S; you can check out more of her work, including the cover of her Black Butler doujinshi, on Deviantart. The second issue of Cocohana will include Setona Mizushiro’s Nōnai Poison Berry along with a number of other series, both new and carried over from its predecessor magazine Chorus. Maki Murakami has returned to work on Kanpai! after ten years; the first chapter of the relaunched series appeared in this week’s issue of Comic Spica. Nodame Cantabile manga-ka Tomoko Ninomiya gave birth to a baby boy on November 24.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf team turns in a fresh set of Bookshelf Briefs. Ash Brown reflects on another week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga.

Connie on About Love (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 3 of Ai Ore (Slightly Biased Manga)
David Brothers on Blue Exorcist (Comics Alliance)
Jeff Jackson Ian Johnson on Breathe Deeply (Comic Attack)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Dawn of the Arcana (Comic Attack)
Connie on vol. 4 of House of Five Leaves (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 4 of Mars (Slightly Biased Manga)
Matthew Warner on vol. 6 of Rosario + Vampire, Season II (The Fandom Post)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 7 of Toriko (ANN)

*Correction: This is the French Be x Boy, not the Japanese edition, so I guess I should put it in the News from France section. Thanks to JRB in the comments for setting me straight!

Lori Henderson has the latest list of all-ages comics and manga at Good Comics for Kids, and the Manga Village team makes their picks from the past week’s new manga releases as well.

Erica Friedman posts the latest edition of Yuri Network News and answers questions on a variety of topics, including yuri, at Okazu.

Looking for a gift for the otaku who has everything? Check out the 2011 manga gift guides from Kate Dacey at The Manga Critic, Anna at Manga Report, and Tony Yao at Manga Therapy. Erica Friedman goes old school with a retro anime and manga gift guide at Okazu.

Lissa Pattillo notes Digital’s announcement that they have a new license, Starry☆Sky, but she wonders if it’s a shoujo series being marketed as yaoi (in their June imprint) because of “a high pretty boy count.” She also has news of some new Seven Seas series that will be published in omnibus volumes.

Connie continues her discussion of the world of From Eroica With Love with a look at Seven Seas, Seven Skies.

Matt Blind compiles the list of manga best-sellers for the week ending November 13.

News from Japan: Koji Aihara, co-creator of Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga, started a new zombie series, Z ~Zed~, in last week’s issue of Bessatsu Manga Goraku. Love Roma manga-ka Minoru Toyoda has a one-shot story in the December 7 issue of Shonen Sunday. Übel Blatt returns to Big Gangan magazine after a two-year hiatus. Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Ghost launches in the January issue of Gundam Ace, and ANN has lots of details for you. The retail chain Animate has a great deal going: Buy a volume of a manga series that is carried in Asuka magazine, get a free bookmark with a drawing of a Tiger and Bunny character done by an Asuka artist. Three Steps Over Japan takes a look at Manga Town, the magazine that carries Crayon Shin-chan.

Reviews

Kimi-chan on vol. 2 of Absolute Boyfriend (Kimi-Chan Experience)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 2 of A Bride’s Story (ANN)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 8 of Butterflies, Flowers (Kuriousity)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Dawn of the Arcana (Comics Worth Reading)
Sweetpea616 on Dolls (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 16 of Fairy Tail (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Jocelyne Allen on vols. 9-17 of IS (Brain Vs. Book)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 1 of Laddertop (The Fandom Post)
Johanna Draper Carlson on The Manga Guide to Biochemistry (Comics Worth Reading)
Matthew Warner on vol. 3 of March Story (The Fandom Post)
Carlo Santos on vol. 6 of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (ANN)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure (Comics Worth Reading)
Matthew Warner on vol. 7 of Rin-ne (The Fandom Post)
Anna on vol. 2 of Sailor Moon (Manga Report)
Jong Chung on vol. 4 of Spice and Wolf (Something Deeper)

It’s Black Friday, the big shopping day for some and Buy Nothing Day for others. Me, I’ll be staying home and doing some reading and writing, as well as organizing my books for the end of the year. We all have to shop sometime, though, and to help us, Danielle Orihuela-Gruber is once collecting links for manga gift guides, including these from Deb Aoki and Rob McMonigal.

Lissa Pattillo looks at this week’s new manga in her On the Shelf column at Otaku USA. Meanwhile, Sean Gaffney looks ahead to the new manga hitting the shelves on November 30.

Jason Thompson has an imaginary conversation with Shaenon Garrity about Midori Days, the manga about a teenage boy whose right hand is his girlfriend—literally!—in the latest House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.

Tim Beedle revisits a post he wrote in his Tokyopop days: So you want to be a manga-ka?

At The Fandom Post, Chris Beveridge has the list for Kodansha’s May 2012 lineup, which includes the first volume of their omnibus edition of Genshiken.

Helen McCarthy lists three manga she would like to see brought back into print in English, a la Digital’s Kickstarter campaign for Osamu Tezuka’s Swallowing the Earth.

News from Japan: Three Steps Over Japan continues its series on Japanese magazines with a look at Weekly Morning. The idol group AKB48 is the subject of a new anime, to be titled AKB0048, and no fewer than four manga series running in four different magazines. The Moonlight Mile manga is going on hiatus, apparently because the creator has a new project in the works. Hekiru Hikawa (Pani Poni) is starting a new series, Candy Pop Nightmare, in the next issue of Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan, which is available today. Shinobu Kaitani is back at work on Liar’s Game after a year-and-a-half hiatus; the new chapter appears in this week’s Weekly Young Jump. The next edition of Jump Next! will include a Medaka Box spinoff by NisiOisin and Akira Akatsuki. The manga team Akira Himekawa will draw the newest Legend of Zelda manga, which will be based on the new Zelda game Skyward Sword. And ANN has the latest Japanese comics rankings.

Reviews

TSOTE on vol. 1 of Acony (Three Steps Over Japan)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 4 of Afterschool Charisma (Kuriousity)
TSOTE on Naoki Urasawa’s Billy Bat (Three Steps Over Japan)
Connie on vol. 36 of Bleach (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 8 of Cipher (Slightly Biased Manga)
Thomas Zoth on vol. 1 of Dorohedoro (The Fandom Post)
Connie on vol. 1 of In the Walnut (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kate Dacey on vol. 1 of No Longer Human (The Manga Critic)
Zack Davisson on Oishinbo: Izakaya—Pub Food (Japan Reviewed)
Drew McCabe on vol. 58 of One Piece and vol. 52 of Naruto (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Connie on vol. 1 of Wandering Son (Slightly Biased Manga)

Just in time for shopping season, my Manga Gift Guide is up at MTV Geek, and if you’re looking for a good read for the long weekend, check out my picks from this week’s new manga.

Seven Seas has been busy lately, and Sean Gaffney takes a look at the new licenses they announced last month, while Lissa Pattillo comments on their decision to release some stories in omnibus format.

Daniella Orihuela-Gruber asks the readers: What’s your favorite sci fi/fantasy manga?

Reviews: Carlo Santos rounds up a stack of recent releases in his latest Right Turn Only!! column at ANN.

Kristin on vols. 1 and 2 of Asch the Bloody (Comic Attack)
Anna on vols. 1 and 2 of Basara (Manga Report)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 2 of Chobits (Blogcritics)
Danica Davidson on vol. 1 of Daniel X (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 3 of Grand Guignol Orchestra (ANN)
Kristin on vol. 3 of Gunslinger Girl (omnibus edition)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 13 of Higurashi: When They Cry (ANN)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 3 of Oresama Teacher (ANN)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 12 of Pokemon Adventures (Blogcritics)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 1 and 2 of Pokemon: Black and White (ANN)
Brigid Alverson on vol. 1 of Psyren (MTV Geek)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Pumpkin Scissors (Blogcritics)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 5 of Ranma 1/2 (Blogcritics)
Carlo Santos on vol. 4 of Saturn Apartments (ANN)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 8 of Seiho Boys’ High School (ANN)
Lori Henderson on vols. 7-8 of With the Light (Manga Village)
John Hogan on A Zoo in Winter (Graphic Novel Reporter)

Guest writer Shaenon Garrity celebrates Chobits in the latest House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.

David Welsh takes a look at this week’s new manga, and he teams up with his fellow Manga Bookshelf bloggers to discuss their pick of the week. Meanwhile, the Manga Village team is busy sorting through the past week’s new releases.

Erica Friedman has the latest Yuri Network News at Okazu.

Alex Hoffman posts links to more writing about Natsume Ono on the day 4 archive and the end-of-the-week page, along with a few final links, at Manga Widget. And Ono is the topic of discussion for the new, revamped Manga Out Loud podcast as well.

Connie puts the spotlight on manga artist Senno Knife at Slightly Biased Manga.

Erica Friedman takes a look at Kiss Magazine and Matt Blind breaks out another list of manga best-sellers, these ones from earlier this month, at Manga Bookshelf.

Here’s a funny bit from Matt Thorn’s blog: Kitty-chan tells all.

Reviews: Ash Brown takes us through a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf bloggers keep it short and to the point in their latest set of Bookshelf Briefs.

Sean Gaffney on vol. 3 of Ai Ore (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 5 of Arisa (Kuriousity)
Connie on Attacked on a Tiger’s Whim (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 35 of Berserk (Slightly Biased Manga)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 2 of A Bride’s Story (Comics Worth Reading)
Erica Friedman on the November issue of Comic Yuri Hime (Okazu)
Kate Dacey on vol. 1 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Manga Critic)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 21 of D.Gray-Man (The Comic Book Bin)
Connie on vol. 3 of House of Five Leaves (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 4 of I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 6 of Kamisama Kiss (Slightly Biased Manga)
Dave Ferraro on Kekkaishi (Comics-and-More)
Sweetpea616 on Land of the Blindfolded (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Kristin on vols. 7 and 8 of Maoh: Juvenile Remix (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 4 of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-Chan (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on Men of Tattoos (The Comic Book Bin)
TSOTE on vol. 2 of Murder Princess (Three Steps Over Japan)
Lori Henderson on vols. 46-50 of One Piece (Manga Xanadu)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 19 of Please Save My Earth (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 4 of Pokemon Black & White (Kuriousity)
Connie on Prime Minister’s Secret Diplomacy (Slightly Biased Manga)
Chris Kirby on vol. 1 of Princess Knight (The Fandom Post)
Connie on RA-I (Slightly Biased Manga)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Tesoro (Comics Worth Reading)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 7 of Rin-ne (Kuriousity)
Ken Haley on vol. 1 of Sailor Moon (Sequential Ink)
Julie Opipari on vol. 5 of Stepping on Roses (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Sean Gaffney on Tesoro (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Kimi-Chan on Unlocking Emotional Bonds (The Kimi-Chan Experience)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 13 of We Were There (The Fandom Post)
Dave Ferraro on A Zoo in Winter (Comics-and-More)

Lissa Pattillo takes a look at this week’s new releases in her latest On the Shelf column at Otaku USA, and back at Kuriousity she comments on a weird discrepancy that bedevils those of us who do new-release posts: The dates given by Previews and ComicList often don’t match the release dates on the publishers’ websites. My own attitude toward this is pragmatic: The release date is the date you can get it in any channel. If Sailor Moon is out in bookstores or available online, I’m not going to wait two weeks to buy it in a comics store.

Meanwhile, Sean Gaffney is looking at next week’s new manga.

The Manga Moveable Feast continues this week with more posts on Natsume Ono, and Alex Hoffman gathers them up on the MMF archive page at Manga Widget.

Reviews

Anna on vols. 7 and 8 of Arata: The Legend (Manga Report)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 5 of Cross Game (The Comic Book Bin)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of House of Five Leaves (Experiments in Manga)
Lori Henderson on vols. 1 and 2 of House of Five Leaves (Manga Xanadu)
David Welsh on not simple (The Manga Curmudgeon)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 8 of Seiho Boys’ High School (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Dave Ferraro on Stargazing Dog (Comics-and-More)