Wednesday is deadline day for my freelance job, and I was working on another big story, so posting is late today. And by the way, have you noticed my cool new URL? You don’t have to update your bookmarks, but from now on, if you’re recommending me to someone, feel free to use the grownup address, www.mangablog.net.
ICv2 releases the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga #15, which includes a top ten manga list that yields no surprises:
1. Naruto (Viz Media)
2. Fruits Basket (TOKYOPOP)
3. Kingdom Hearts (TOKYOPOP)
4. Fullmetal Alchemist (Viz Media)
5. Loveless (TOYKOPOP)
6. Tsubasa (Del Rey)
7. Death Note (Viz Media)
8. Negima (Del Rey)
9. Rurouni Kenshin (Viz Media)
10. Bleach (Viz Media)
I got this list from MangaCast, where Ed wonders
Two volumes of Loveless gives it more pull than 28 volumes of Rurouni Kenshin (even with Kenshin reaching the USA Today top 150)?
Also in the ICv2 guide is a list of the most powerful people in anime. At Love Manga, David issues a challenge:
In response to ICV2’s Top Most Powerful People in the American Anime Industry would anyone want to have a try at the Manga equivalent?
First we got the word “manga” into the dictionary, and now manga finally gets its own convention, MangaNEXT. Here’s the announcement on ANN and here is the site. I’m hoping to be there!
At Manga Talk, Jamila of Bento Physics asks people to say what they think of the representation of women in shoujo manga and cite titles. This is just the beginning of what promises to be an interesting discussion, so hop aboard now.
Back at Love Manga, David interviews UK creators Emma Vieceli and Sonia Leong of Sweatdrop Studios. Both are working on manga adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays; Vieceli is doing Hamlet and Leong is working on Romeo and Juliet.
Manga is only mentioned in passing, but I’m fascinated by this discussion on Mely’s blog about what is and isn’t a children’s book. Mely summarizes a panel discussion from Wiscon, and then the commenters have at it. Good stuff!
