Eye-openers

As predicted, the blogosphere is having a lot of fun with ICv2’s lists of the top ten most powerful people in manga publishing and top ten manga properties. At MangaCast, Ed Chavez looks at the list, compares it to last summer’s efforts, and calls for us to do one of our own. One of the people who voted on the list joins the discussion at the ANN forum. And the folks at June Manga are all excited that president and founder Hikaru Sasahara made the list.

BookListWatch: Vol. 11 of Naruto finally slips off the USA Today top 150 and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories debuts at number 112.

Meanwhile, volume 2 of Dramacon starts its run at number 4 on the BookScan charts, according to Tokyopop blogger Andre, who picked that up from Peter Ahlstrom on the Pseudome forums. Congratulations Svetlana! I thought the first volume was one of the strongest titles in Tokyopop’s global line, and I’m looking forward to volume 2. Happily, Tokyopop’s online store is running a buy two get one free promotion this month. Can’t think of two other books? This would be a great time to try Afterlife risk-free—or volume 1 of The Dreaming, or Off*Beat, if you haven’t already.

Just one more day until Yaoi-Con, and excitement is running high. The folks at June manga will have copies of their November, December, and January releases at their booth, including two new series, Hero Heel and Princess Princess, and the infelicitously titled Only the Ring Finger Knows: The Ring Finger Falls Silent

At Sporadic Sequential, John Jakala updates his Dark Horse release dates chart, noting further slippage. John headlines the post “I need a new hobby,” but I’m thinking maybe he just needs some new series to read.

Here’s a little something to get him started: Google has a new manga directory. (Via MangaNews.)

Also from MangaNews (no permalink): Fruits Basket will finally be drawing to a close.

Vegetable love: MangaCast and ICv2 have info on Broccoli’s newest title, E’s.

Viz doesn’t usually run translation notes in its manga, but translator Tomo Kimura helps fill the void with her excellent blog, which often includes little tidbits about Japanese culture like this description of a Buddhist funeral. I subscribe to her RSS feed because she updates irregularly, but her comments are always worth reading.

MangaCast is giving away a copy of Reborn. All you have to do is tell them your dying wish! If that’s too much for you, Tokyopop is giving away ten signed copies of the light novel Magic Moon.

Newtype USA has a treat in store for its readers: a new manga, Once Upon a Glashma, by Kumiko Suekane, will debut in the November issue, replacing Angel/Dust neo. The Newtype blog describes the new manga as

a series that our female fans will especially appreciate since it’s got quite a bit of “guy candy.”

Mmm. Guy candy.