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Archive for July, 2010

Swag Bag for July 22nd 2010 – Evil Exes and Vengeful Counts

My usual Wednesday shopping had to be postponed until Thursday as I did an emergency replacement of my computer (warning to the masses: backing up your computer files is the best thing you can do for your technological-sanity) but a fan can never be kept from the bookstore for long!

Today specifically I first picked up Viz Media’s newest shoujo series, Dengeki Daisy. The plot doesn’t exactly wow me, and I haven’t read the artist’s previous work, Beast Master, but I’ve already hard lots of good things about this new story so I’m giving it a go! Thanks to a snazzy buy-one-get-one deal at Strange Adventures I was also able to snap up a copy of the third volume of Gankutsuou. While I haven’t read it through yet, just flipping through shows me this is going to be an entirely different, and considerably more disturbing, angle than the anime – yikes! And of course, I had to pick up a copy of the final volume of Scott Pilgrim.

While I never got a chance to visit the vendors for shopping purposes at last week’s Animinitime, I did stop by at the local Chapters to spend a convenient gift card I’d acquired. While there I also checked out the selection of French language manga. Such pretty design work! All with slipcovers and nice mini trim sizes. Also the selection was snazzy – over fifty volumes of Case Closed?! Very cool.

Chapters purchases included Calling, a boys’ love one-shot from BLU which sports an uke with very fluttering eyelashes; Cirque du Freak (Vol. 05) because my roommate adores the manga version (hasn’t read the books though) and I must admit it’s pretty darn fun to read; Flower in a Storm (Vol. 02) because despite thinking the first was sort of lame was interested when learning volume two was the end; Mad Love Chase (Vol. 04) because it’s Kazusa Takashima; and lastly, the fourth volume of my super guilty pleasure Zone-00 because it’s ‘awesome’. Ahhhhh the eye-candy in Zone 00!

As before, I encourage sharing of shiny manga purchases! What books made your swag bag this week?


Nickelodeon Officially Announces Avatar the Legend of Korra

Didn’t I promise a little more Avatar the Last Airbender content on here? I think I did. While an unfortunate computer-frying has slowed down the posting of my review to the recent graphic novel release of Zuko’s Story, I’m happy to post about this exciting news in the meantime.

After months of job postings, speculation and title dropping, Nickelodeon today sent out an official press release about their new Avatar animated series. Titled Avatar: The Legend of Korra, this sequel series will take place seventy years in the future and follows the title character, Korra, the next Avatar. Born to the water tribes, Korra leaves her home to seek mastery of the four elements and finds herself combatting crime in a steam-powered city of warring classes and those protesting the use of bending. In her travels she’ll also meet the son of Aang, the original series’ main character, whose name is Tenzin.

Created by the same dream team responsible for Avatar: The Last Airbender, there’s tons to be excited about for this series. No word yet how much, if at all, past characters will make appearances (being in their 80s after all) but there still sounds like more than enough reason to tune in. Set for release in 2011, let the countdown begin!


ANN Review: Maoh Juvenile Remix (Vol. 01)

New review posted at AnimeNewsNetwork over this past convention-busy weekend for the first volume of Maoh: Juvenile Remix. You can read this series online over at ShonenSunday.com

I’m really interested to read the second volume of Maoh because I’m pretty stumped on where I think the plot is going to go. The apparent antagonist is interesting too. He reminded me a lot of Griffith from Berserk, as I mentioned in my review. I’ll admit I did chuckle a bit at how dramatically the story emphasized the lead’s ability to make others say his own thoughts out loud though. Yes it’s a pretty crazy power to have but compared to so many other shonen-leads before him, it seemed a little initially silly. Could mean lots for future events though, I’m eager to see how he continues to use them.


PR: Seven Seas Acquires Three Red Hot Manga From Japan

LOS ANGELES, July 20, 2010 – From Sunday, July 18th to Tuesday, July 20th, Seven Seas released a series of cryptic anagrams and hints via Twitter (twitter.com/gomanga) that, when deciphered, reveal the titles of Seven Seas’ newest manga licenses. Twitter elite and anime fans were quick to decode the clues, and word quickly spread about the leaked titles.

Seven Seas is now pleased to confirm that it has licensed the following manga:

Amnesia Labyrinth (volume 1 coming February 2011)
Tora Dora (volume 1 coming March 2011)
A Certain Scientific Railgun (volume 1 coming June 2011).

Subsequent volumes in each series will follow every 3-4 months.

Read more…


Review: Age Called Blue

Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Est Em
Publisher: Netcomics
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: October 2009

Synopsis: “Forbidden love has a way of intertwining itself with destiny. Nick and Billy share a dream to become rock stars, but the dream comes crashing down the night Nick steals Billy’s guitar and life savings to pay off a debt. The crime breaks down the barrier of friendship between the two boys, revealing a far deeper level of connection than either was willing to admit. However, other members of the band grow tired of Nick’s free-thinking and careless ways. They want the “hippie” out of the band, leaving Billy faced with a heart-wrenching decision. He can either sacrifice his music, a career into which he’s invested countless hours of sweat and blood. Or he can sacrifice the boy who stole his heart long ago…”

Age Called Blue doesn’t feel like a yaoi manga. Instead it feels like a comic that happens to have gay leads. While the focus is on the main characters’ relationship, it’s more complicated than them just being boyfriends. For Nick, Billy is all he has in the world, while for Billy, Nick is the only thing holding him back. The way the characters act is sadly realistic, making this a believable and interesting drama.

Read more…


Review: Yakitate!! Japan (Vol. 23)

Reviewer: Andre

Manga-ka: Takashi Hashiguchi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2010

Synopsis: “Young Yamatoya, a spoiled brat with a thing for bread, is back – and this time he’s trying to buy a job as a bread judge. But when master taster Kuro-san decides to teach him a lesson about hard work, Yamatoya realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Later, Azuma’s team Pantasia is in a bind when their next opponent in the “Yakitate!! Japan” baking competition turns out to be an old rival who’s caught in the grip of a powerful mind-controlling substance: miso bread!”

Yakitate Japan offers some signature Shonen Sunday-brand humour, adding a dash of whimsical absurdity to the realm of cooking manga, with its strange yet involving tale of youths struggling to be the best bread-makers in all of Japan. This volume is well into the series, yet is quite accessible to new readers, piquing my curiosity to check out more of this offbeat bakery comic.

Read more…


Short Site Hiatus re: Animinitime Part Two

Two days without a post – we’re not dead, we swear! Though it means a lot people have actually asked. It makes us happy to know readers have come to look forward to Kuriousity’s daily posts and they shall be returning shortly!

Due to an upcoming convention that 5/6 of the Kuriousity are staffing at (just realized that – neat!), the site will be on a short hiatus for a couple more days. Manga news, reviews and that odd stuff in between will return after this weekend and the conclusion of our second Animinitime event.

Until then happy manga reading!


ANN Review: Chi’s Sweet Home (Vol. 01)

ANN Review: Chi's Sweet Home (Vol. 01)

New review posted over at AnimeNewsNetwork – the first volume of Vertical’s new series, Chi’s Sweet Home (Vol. 01).

I already noted in my short Swag Bag post how I’m not a big cat fan and it’s no surprise that’s nothing really changed after reading this book. It was cute, it was colourful, it is a pretty charming book – but it’s not really for me. I just don’t find the cat cute – a little dumb and silly but not over the top adorable as some had insisted I would. Sorry Chi, you tried! Vertical did a great job on the book visually though and I love the paper it’s printed on. The baby talk of the kitten though? Ehhhh… a swing and a miss.

Still, you like cats and comics then you should definitely check out Chi’s Sweet Home.


ANN Review: Flower In A Storm (Vol. 01)

ANN Review: Flower in a Storm (Vol. 01)

A new review of mine’s been posted over on AnimeNewsNetwork – this time for one of Viz Media’s new shoujo series, Flower In A Storm.

Overall I was really underwhelmed by this manga, falls on the dull side of things. It definitely lacks the hook-factor that many other shoujos have, though I suppose it helps to have one less addictive series growing on my shelf, right? It’s too bad though, a girl with superheroes versus a crazy guy with a gun sounded like it had a lot of promise. Upside though, the flower/gun design on the back of the book is beautiful – very nice work there.


Review: One Piece (Vol. 50)

Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Eiichiro Oda
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: June 2010

Synopsis: “The Straw Hats are in a desperate battle against time and Gecko Moria to get their shadows back before dawn. Gecko Moria unleashes his devasting power of a thousand shadows, but Luffy counters back with his “Gear” powers. To save his crew, will Luffy have to make the ultimate sacrifice?”

Part of One Piece’s charm is its madcap, anything-goes mix of adventure and comedy. The plot sounds like something an eight-year-old might come up with between swigs of Red Bull: our cast of heroic pirates run into one of the seven warlords of the sea, Gecko Moria, a bad guy who steals the crews’ shadows in order to become more powerful. If they don’t get their shadows back before the sun comes up, they’ll die. With the sun starting to peek over the horizon, Luffy engages Moria in a no-holds brawl in order to save his friends – and that’s just the first couple of chapters! The rest of the book packs in a fight between swordsman Zolo and warlord Kuma, the tragic back-story of a musical skeleton named Brook, and the introduction of a new storyline involving a mermaid and an undersea island. All that and the crazy comedy and action One Piece is known for.

Read more…


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