Manga-ka: Mitsuru Adachi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: October 2010

Synopsis: “Cross Game is a moving drama that is heartfelt and true, yet in the brilliant hands of manga artist Mitsuru Adachi, delightfully flows with a light and amusing touch. The series centers around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street and the game of baseball. This poignant coming-of-age story will change your perception of what shonen manga can be.”

I have always been a huge fan of Mitsuru Adachi. When I was just a budding manga fan I happened to pick up a copy of Short Program, a collection of short stories by him published by Viz. That book not only got me into manga, but comics at large as well. While I got more into his stuff as I got older, I never really thought his work would ever catch on in North America. Adachi specializes in a mix of sports manga and slice-of-live stories, neither of which are exactly heavy hitters in the English comics world. So I was both surprised and ecstatic when I saw that Viz had picked up Cross Game, a baseball series from Adachi.

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Manga-ka: Yuki Midorikawa
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: October 2010

Synopsis: “Takashi’s quiet afternoon in the forest is disrupted when an angry spirit tries to possess him. He manages to dodge the spiritual attack, but he can’t as easily avoid the yokai’s pleas for help. Now he’s tracking down an escaped evil spirit that threatens the life of the forest. But he’s still learning that yokai never tell the whole truth, and the secrets spirits keep spell trouble for him!”

Yuki Midorikawa returns with yet another volume of Natsume’s Book of Friends, taking us back to the enchanting bittersweet realm of a boy haunted by Yokai due to his grandmother’s strange childhood hobby. Takashi’s grandmother Reiko Natsume made many enemies by enslaving yokai with her magical book of the work’s title, and this volume continues his encounters with the supernatural, and search for the comforts of a happy family life and friendships. With excellent art and characterization, Midorikawa creates a wonderful manga supported by VIZ’s strong production values.

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Manga-ka: Kaneyoshi Izumi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2010

Synopsis: “Remote, lonely and surrounded by the ocean. This isn’t Alcatraz we’re talking about, it’s Seiho Boys’ High School, where the student body is rife sexuality frustrated hunks! How can these young men get girlfriends when they’re stuck in the middle of nowhere? These are the stories of the students of Seiho High and the trouble they get into as they awkwardly pursue all girls who cross their paths. When the boys need to put on all-male performance of Snow White, they come up with the brilliant idea of finding a girl to sneak into the title role. And what’s this? Has Maki found a new love interest…?”

Another volume of Seiho Boys’ High School and more opportunities for the boys to woo some women. Or try to anyway. While one new girl is brought in, the bulk of the volume reintroduces two characters we’ve seen before – the school’s recently-revamped nurse and Fuyuka Miyaji who comes back to the school to return a favour.

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Manga-ka: Yoshinori Natsume
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2010

Synopsis: “Mikito Sakurai is tired of being a punching bag for all the delinquents on campus, but what can he do? By nature he’s a gentle and easygoing high school student. That all changes the night he swallows a mysterious orb and meets Zakuro, a strange kid who promises to grant his most heartfelt desire. “When you wake up,” says the pint-sized apparition, “you’ll be stronger and better than a human.” Ad that’s exactly what happens – Mikito wakes up with super strength. But there’s a catch: he may look the same on the outside, but deep inside lurks a monster that craves ultraviolence and the taste of human flesh. “I used to hate the sight of blood,” says Mikito to himself, “but now it looks so beautiful to me…”

In Yoshinori Natsume’s previous series Togari, he explored the story of a former killer who rediscovers what it’s like to be a normal teen when the forces of Hell return him to life to combat demons. Kurozakuro shares some similarities in being a fairly dark shonen manga work, yet it changes the status quo by having Mikito be a normal human suddenly thrust into the life of a demon, with a constant hunger for violence.

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