Del Rey has posted its release calendar for the rest of 2006 (pdf file). I could get all snarky about being six months late, but hey, at least they did it!
Here’s a sneak peek at their new series:
Not on the calendar but due out on June 27 is Kurogane. (Link is to the preview.)
July 25
Q-Ko-Chan looks rather kawaii from the cover. Del Rey has no info, but Anime Castle supplies the standard writeup:
Kirio is the iceman at school: brilliant, cool, and distant. But now Kirio’s cool is in for a real test. Up in the sky, a giant robot is seen battling a fleet of gunships – and then lands right at Kirio’s front door and rings the bell! Which is just the last thing Kirio needs. After all, he already lives in a world gone mad: a grim, near-future Earth where neverending war is a fact of life. But could it really be that the worst threat of all is what’s shown up on his doorstep: an alien invader robot with the face of an adorable girl?
Air Gear: Here’s Del Rey’s writeup:
Itsuki Minami needs no introduction–everybody’s heard of the “Babyface” of the Eastside. He’s the toughest kid at Higashi Junior High School, easy on the eyes but dangerously tough when he needs to be. Plus, Itsuki lives with the mysterious and sexy Noyamano sisters. Life is never dull, but it becomes dangerous when Itsuki leads his school to victory over some vindictive Westside punks with gangster connections. Now he stands to lose his school, his friends, and everything he cares about. But in his darkest hour, the Noyamano girls come to Itsuki’s aid. They can teach him a powerful skill that will save their school from the gangsters’ siege–and introduce Itsuki to a thrilling and terrifying new world.
I prefer the Manganews summary:
Brought to you by the artist who knows his boobies and his fighting. Oh Great!’s brings us Air Gear. You can easily think of Air Gear as another Tenjou Tenge but with skater gangs. Again you are blessed with hot girls and lots and lots and lots of fighting and stuff.
August 29
Suzuka: This is rated M (18+) and priced a little higher than usual at $13.95. There’s no other info in the Del Rey catalog, but again Manganews has the scoop:
Akitsuki Yamato, 15 years old, moved to Tokyo to enter high school. He’s now staying at the public bath house managed by his aunt! What was supposed to be the start of a normal life is now “heaven and hell” in this public bathhouse and women’s dorm! One guy in a forbidden “flower garden”!? Something has to happen… it’s inevitable!
With that many exclamation points, it has to be good!
December 26
Gacha Gacha: Next Revolution
I got nothin’. Too early, I guess.
I loved Ueda Hajime’s take on FLCL, so Q-Ko-Chan has been on my wishlist for ages and ages. Really excited about the English release; especially as it’s Delrey and they have a habit of being awesome.
Del Rey Manga itself is like a shonen manga in how it powers itself up every few months.