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Archive for July, 2009

PR: Go!Comi Announces Japan Ai iPhone App

GO! COMI AND ZEITGEIST GAMES ANNOUNCE
“JAPAN AI – THE IPHONE APP”

9 July 2009, LOS ANGELES

Innovative manga publisher Go! Comi and cutting-edge game designer Zeitgeist Games today announced the release of the iPhone version of Aimee Major Steinberger’s smash-hit manga journal “Japan Ai – A Tall Girl’s Adventure in Japan” – named one of the Young Adults Librarian Association’s Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens of 2009! It is now available, formatted for the iPhone or iPod Touch, for the introductory price of .99 CENTS!

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Review: Sarasah (Vol. 01)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Manhwa-ga: Ryu Ryang
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: July 2009

Synopsis: “High schooler Ji-Hae is desperately in love with her classmate Seung-Hyu. She has done all she can think of to win his affection, but to no avail. When her latest scheme crosses the line, Seung-Hyu decides he’s had enough… and inadvertently pushes her down a staircase! Ji-Hae awakens in the world beyond, only to learn that it’s not her time to die. But why go back when the love of her life hates her to death? Touched by her passion, the keepers send Ji-Hae to her past life to mend the rift between her former self and Seung-Hyu. But can Ji-Hae keep up the act long enough to find Seung-Hyu and set things right?”

Ever wondered what it was like from the other end of the stalker stare? Ever considered what it was like for the obsessive teenage girl with the one-sided passion for an uninterested party? Well say hello to Ji-Hae, a young girl who is madly in love with fellow student, Seung-Hya. Unfortunately he wants nothing to do with her and has been trying to ignore her in hopes she’ll go away. But refusing to be deterred, Ji-Hae tries yet another ploy to get his attention… only to find herself half way to heaven.

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PR: Viz Media’s Newest Imprint, Shonen Sunday

VIZ MEDIA’S NEWEST IMPRINT, SHONEN SUNDAY, WILL RELEASE THE FIRST MANGA TO EVER BE PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN JAPAN AND NORTH AMERICA

A New Imprint and Web Site Launch
Rumiko Takahashi’s Newest Series RIN-NE Gets Its First Volume

San Francisco, CA, July 8, 2009– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the launch of a brand new imprint, SHONEN SUNDAY. Featuring the works of some of the top shonen manga creators in the world today, the Shonen Sunday magazine in Japan provides the content for this imprint. The magazine recently celebrated its 50th anniversary since its first issue arrived on newsstands in March of 1959.

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VIZ Media Announces New Imprint – Shonen Sunday

Shonen Sunday

To think it feels only like yesterday Viz announced their IKKI online magazine and imprint. Today another press release circulated about Viz’s next endeavour, a second online magazine and imprint: Shonen Sunday.

The claim is that they will be releasing the first manga to ever be published simultaneously in Japan and North America. I certainly look forward to it! Badly resisting the urge to point out another such project that hasn’t really taken off yet… Viz’s array of titles has really branched out and taken off recentlyand I can’t wait to see what other titles this new collection will have to offer.

The imprint’s website, Shonen Sunday, currently has only a placeholder but it shows several series that are likely to be the initial licenses for Viz’s new line of books. The full site will go live on July 22nd. Viz Media has also let fans know that they’ll be announcing several of these titles at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con.

Rin-ne, the new supernatural series from Rumiko Takahashi, will be the first graphic novel released under the new imprint name. The series is still uploaded for free reading by Viz on a weekly basis, as a simultaneous release with Japan, over at The Rumic World website.

The full press release is available to be read here.


Review: Over The Rainbow

Reviewer: Andre


Manga-ka: Keiko Honda
Publisher: Central Park Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: January 2005

Synopsis: “A modern masterpiece of romantic storytelling! Arou and Keita are two clueless lawyers whose law office serves all manner of zany characters with way-out problems. Things get even crazier when they meet Key, a young woman with amnesia. Can the good-hearted heroes help Key retrieve her lost memories… and does she want them to?”

Central Park Media was an early shojo pioneer, releasing some charming works by bilingual manga-ka Tomoko Taniguchi. Towards the end of their manga output, they released two one-shot graphic novels by Keiko Honda in an attempt to build another stable of works around an obscure but charming artist. Thinking the first of these, Over the Rainbow, might be similar to Taniguchi’s output, I picked up this collection, hoping to find something similarly sweet and simple.

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Review: Time Guardian (Vol. 01)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Author: Daimuro Kishi
Manga-ka: Tamao Ichinose
Publisher: CMX
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: March 2007

Synopsis: “High school student Miu Asahina stumbles upon a shop where time is loaned to anyone who needs it. But the price is a memory one risks losing forever. Miu gets hired by the manager to help other people manage their time… too bad she can’t handle her own!”

With a bit of accidental dumb-luck, Miu Asahina finds herself a guest in a magical shop run by a man who exchanges time for people’s memories. Intrigued by her mistaken entry into the store, the shop-owner hires her on as an assistant of sorts, there to help be a bridge between his entrepreneurial prowess and his customer’s emotional needs.

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801Media Confirms Yellow 2, Omnibus Edition

Makoto Tateno's Yellow

Fresh back from this past weekend’s Anime Expo, the 801Media blog has been updated with information regarding Digital Manga’s upcoming omnibus edition of Yellow and the semi-mysterious listing of Yellow 2 that popped up on Amazon sometime ago.

I recieved a few e-mails from people asking if I could clarify my own hypothesis regarding the listing, and though I couldn’t offer anything info-wise before, now 801Media has confirmed my suspicions were correct. Yellow 2 will in fact be a sequel series to Makoto Tateno’s Yellow, a set of short stories that have thus far only been released in Japan on cellphones.

“These are called Yellow 2: Episode 1. It’s a sequel to the Yellow series. These have never been published before, but they have been distributed only in Japan via cell phones and hand-held portable devices. DMP is extremely lucky to be able to license these series! Yes, there are many more to come, of course. Episode 2, 3, 4 … etc etc These will be hitting the US market as a short-comic style, containing approximately 60 pages or so. It’s a classic Makoto Tateno!”

These are “tentatively slated for October 2009” and there will be limited copies available at Yaoi Con 2009.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty excited to have something released here so fresh and first-to-print. Even more so excited that it looks like we’ll be seeing it long before another semi-similar project that’s been leaving us fans waiting a long time. Fingers crossed for more projects like this from Digital Manga in the future. Don’t let their efforts be for naught, boys’ love fans :)

Edit: To clarify, it was the 801Media website that confirmed the releases but they’ll both be printed under the June imprint, just as the original Yellow series was.


Review: Gestalt (Vol. 01)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Manga-ka: Yun Kouga
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “After experiencing a crisis of faith, Father Olivier of the Valaria Order decides to go to G and find out the truth behind the legends. Olivier’s journey is unsanctioned, and the head of the Order engages the dark elf Suzu to stop him. As he begins his quest, Olivier encounters Ouri, a young girl from the south who cannot speak. But Ouri reveals another side of herself when Suzu catches up to them!”

Gestalt has been compared numerous times before to an RPG in manga form, and after reading this first volume for myself, it’s very evident as to why. From fantastical magic powers, multi-person party quests and even a stat box for each newly introduced character, Yun Kouga puts a classic fantasy RPG together on paper. But does it work…?

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Anime Expo 2009 Round-Up

Anime Expo 2009

Anime Expo 2009 rounds up today down in Los Angeles which means it’s time for a quick news round-up. Industry presence seems considerably less this year, an observation that I make as someone who wasn’t able to attend mind you, and the announcement list is considerably smaller than the whopping 61 manga licenses that Anime Expo 2008 had for us. Goes to show how the industry’s changed over the past year I suppose, right? Anime Expo did continue its reputation as the largest anime convention in North America however with an attendence of over 44,000.

For the manga news, check out my round-up under the cut.

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Review: The History of the West Wing

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Author: Sun Jiayu
Manhua-ka: Guo Guo
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “Lavishly illustrated in full color and based on the classic Chinese play Xixiang Ji by Wang Shifu, The History of the West Wing tells of the illicit romance between the daughter of a Chinese government official and the roaming scholar who seeks to win her hand. But before he can turn his attentions to his ladylove, the young man must win the heart of her mother! When it seems even heroic deeds in the face of murderous bandits will not please the strict matriarch, the young man goes off to become a civil servant. Will he return in time to marry his true love?”

Love at first sight, and with only deeper to fall, History of the West Wing is a fantastical visual treat that follows the quick-to-bloom love of two fated souls for whom potential suitors, invading ingrates and provincial exams hold no chance of separation. A gift for both the heart and the eyes, this is a quaint one-shot release worth taking notice of.

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