Harlequin manga are an interesting hybrid, Japanese manga adaptations of American romance novels, drawn by shoujo manga artists. Dark Horse tried to import them a few years ago, printing the tamer ones in pink ink and the more, ahem, adult ones in purple. Whether it was the colored ink or the lack of an audience, they just didn’t take off. Now Digital is putting them online at their emanga site, alongside their regular library of yaoi.
To be honest, Digital seems like a better fit for this line than the seinen-oriented Dark Horse; their primary product, yaoi manga, has been described as Harlequin romances with two males in the lead. And for those who can get used to reading on screens, web distribution is a logical way to buy romance novels, which fans like to read quickly and in quantity—but generally only once.
Anyway, here’s the PR on the launch as well as info, at the bottom, about a special offer that Digital is running for the next few days in which you get extra points every time you rent or buy a story.
Gardena, CA (December 3, 2009) – Digital Manga Publishing, one of the manga industry’s most unique and creative publishers,is proud to announce their online collaboration in making Harlequin romance manga available online at eManga.com! Harlequin Enterprises Limited (www.eHarlequin.com ) is a global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction. Harlequin manga are comic adaptations of Harlequin’s romance novels and are currently digitally distributed by Harlequin and SOFTBANK Creative internationally. Harlequin manga will now be available for rental through eManga’s online manga service, bringing the manga versions of the popular Harlequin romance novels to the US for english readers to enjoy!
Beloved by readers the world over, Harlequin has shipped 5.8 billion novels worldwide since its inception. In 1998, Harlequin Enterprises Limited began licensing their novels to Japanese publishers, culminating in the creation of Harlequin manga, which are drawn by various shojo mangaka, and geared towards teenage and adult women. Now, twenty of these titles will be available through eManga.com for rental alongside Digital Manga’s own rental library. These twenty titles have never before been available in their print manga form in the US, until now.
The first of the Harlequin manga titles available for rental will be: Millionaire Husband written by Leanne Banks and illustrated by Kanako Uesugi, Prisoner Of The Tower written by Gayle Wilson and illustrated by Karin Miyamoto, The Sheikh’s Reluctant Bride written by Teresa Southwick and illustrated by Ayumu Asou, Word Of A Gentleman written by Lyn Stone and illustrated by Tsukiko Kurebayashi, Married Under The Italian Sun by Lucy Gordon and illustrated by Mayu Takayama and Sale Or Return Bride written by Sarah Morgan and illustrated by Kazuto Fujita.
eManga.com streams content through an Adobe Flash player, which allows readers to access their library wherever they have an internet connection. The reader has custom features that include two-page, one-page, panel-by-panel reading, three custom zoom options, a bookmark bad and auto play. The reader is also made to work with different screen sizes to maintain great image quality at any screen size. The standard eManga rental package is $10 for 1000 points, with entire books averaging between 200-300 points. Higher packages come with free bonus points. Points are kept in user’s accounts, allowing for quick and easy rental of titles at anytime, anywhere. For most of the titles on eManga, you also have the option to read the entire book by spending eManga points to “rent” the title for a limited amount of time (currently 72 hours). If you later decide to rent the same title again, it will be automatically upgraded to an “unlimited” rental, which does not have time restrictions.
For more information and to begin reading right away, visit www.emanga.com and click on the Harlequin tab under “publishers”.
Harlequin titles are now available on eManga! And for a limited time only, we’re running a special offer for these Harlequin titles.
When you rent any Harlequin book for 200 points, you will automatically receive a promo code for 50 points. And, when you rent the book again to keep it, you will receive another promo code for 25 points!
These codes will be sent to your email. To use your points, just redeem the code on the eManga website. This code is one-time use, has no expiration date, and is transferable. The points are just like any other points purchased on eManga and are good towards any rental.
This promotion begins at noon (12:00pm PST) on Friday, December 4th, and ends at noon (12:00pm PST) on Wednesday, December 9th.
Enjoy reading the Harlequin books!
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Domo the Manga: Domo, the mascot for Japan’s NHK network, is like a Japanese version of the Cookie Monster: He’s big, simple-minded, and tends to let his enthusiasm get the best of him. I like this book because it is bright, colorful, and with short, simple stories, it is enjoyable for young readers and even pre-readers.
Warriors: As it happens, there was a 10-year-old fan of the novels in my house yesterday and he was asking for this. These manga are all original stories based on the characters in Erin Hunter’s prose novels, so it’s something new but stays within the familiar genre. Also, most of them are well written and well drawn. There are several series; links are for the first.
Hollow Fields: This story, set in a steam-powered boarding school for future mad scientists, is a great choice for imaginative kids who like adventures with a bit of magic to them. Harry Potter fans in particular may like the school setting, but it’s good for younger readers as well. The omnibus edition is a particularly good choice for gift giving.
Yokaiden, vols. 1 and 2: A good choice for teens and young tweens who like a bit of fantasy or folklore, particularly those who already have an interest in Japan. Nina Matsumoto’s story of a young boy traveling through the yokai realm to avenge his grandmother’s death puts an original and often funny spin on the traditional creators of Japanese folklore, but it’s clear that Matsumoto did her homework before she started writing.
Nightschool: Svetlana Chmakova’s spin on the supernatural-school story has more depth, darkness, and complexity than is the norm for this type of manga. The main character is very likeable, and her supernatural companion is an imaginative touch. Fans of the Twilight novels may find this book enjoyable.
Suppli: This series, about a twentysomething working woman reassessing her life after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, captures perfectly the feeling of reaching the end of your twenties and wondering what’s next. The art is accessible, if rather busy, and some of the characters and conversations are dead on.
Oishinbo: These short stories about Japanese food often evoke traditional Japanese culture as well. Each volume of the American edition focuses on a particular food: Rice, sushi, vegetables. The first one, Oishinbo: A la carte, establishes the storyline and provides a sampler of the delights to come.
Black Jack: When I talk to non-manga readers about how deleriously goofy manga can be, this is one series that springs to mind. With graphic drawings of surgical procedures, this manga about an outlaw doctor is not for everyone, but people with a high tolerance for the incongruous may get a kick out of this. Vertical’s production values give this a deluxe feel that makes this a good gift choice.
Real: I’m not a sports fan, but I love this manga about wheelchair basketball, because it wraps a good story in great art. The teenagers who are the main characters seem solid and real, and their interwoven stories are about much more than mere basketball. Takehiko Inoue’s art is outstanding, and Viz gives this volume the deluxe treatment as well.
Fire Investigator Nanase: This series has a great hook: A fire investigator who is being stalked by a mysterious arsonist she saved from a fire. Sparkies and fans of procedurals such as CSI should get a kick out of this book, which provides a lot of information about fire investigation along with the drama.
Astral Project: A young man finds a CD in his dead sister’s stereo; when he listens to it, he is transported out of his body to the skies above Tokyo. There are several mysteries in this complex story, including the origin of the CD and the riddle of his sister’s death; music lovers may be hooked by the jazz subplot.
Emma: This is a story you immerse yourself in for the atmosphere. Kaoru Mori’s re-creation of Victorian England is engrossing despite minor flaws. A single-volume choice is her less detailed but still charming collection of short stories, Shirley.
Pluto: No gift guide would be complete without a Naoki Urasawa recommendation. Pluto isn’t just a story of fighting robots, it also evokes questions about what makes us human, and in places, it’s heartbreaking. Readers of science fiction may find this story particularly appealing.