I made my picks from this week’s new manga at MTV Geek, and I also wrote about my favorite quirky Japanese mascots from the San-x family.
David Welsh looks over this week’s new releases as well at The Manga Curmudgeon, while Sean Gaffney looks ahead to the new manga due out next week.
The latest Manga Out Loud podcast takes on the plight of josei manga, and afterward, participant Melinda Beasi climbs on her soapbox to tell publishers and readers alike: Show some pride in manga that’s made for women! Meanwhile, David Welsh reaches the letter V in his josei alphabet.
Jason Thompson takes a look at Junji Ito’s Uzumaki, about a town cursed by spirals, in his latest House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.
Ash Brown is giving away the first volume of the Rurouni Kenshin omnibus at Experiments in Manga. Click over for instructions on how to enter.
News from Japan: The romantic comedy Kemeko Deluxe! has ended its six-year run in Comic Dengeki Daioh. Writer Yuyukoh Takemiya and artist Akira Kasukabe are working on a new series, Evergreen, to start in the summer issue of Dengeki Daioh Genesis. Hunter X Hunter is coming back to Shonen Jump in August. The latest subject to be personified as moe girls is Japanese constitutional law. The character designer POP is adapting the anime Kowarekake no Orgel, for which he designed the characters, into a manga. The Fractale manga is continuing despite the anime creator’s request that it stop. And ANN has the latest Japanese comics rankings.
Reviews: Anna has some quick takes on recent releases at Manga Report. Other reviews of note:
Kate Dacey on vol. 1 of The Betrayal Knows My Name (The Manga Critic)
Carlo Santos on vol. 14 of Black Jack (ANN)
Connie on vol. 2 of Dengeki Daisy (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kristin on vol. 3 of Grand Guignol Orchestra (Comic Attack)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 12 of Higurashi When They Cry (ANN)
Zack Davisson on vol. 2 of I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow (Japan Reviewed)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 9 of Kimi ni Todoke (The Comic Book Bin)
David Welsh on vol. 3 of Saturn Apartments (The Manga Curmdgeon)
Connie on vol. 14 of Sensual Phrase (Slightly Biased Manga)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Silent Mobius (Okazu)
Lori Henderson on the June issue of Yen Plus (Manga Xanadu)
