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Archive for March, 2011

PR: Demons are Vanished in Viz’s New Series Blue Excorcist

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A TEEN BOY VANQUISHES DEMONS IN THE NEW PARANORMAL MANGA SERIES BLUE EXORCIST FROM VIZ MEDIA

A Teenager Fights Against His Infernal Destiny In A New Shonen Jump Advanced Title

San Francisco, CA, March 30, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of the manga (graphic novel) series BLUE EXORCIST, by creator Kazue Kato, on April 5th. The new title will be published under the company’s Shonen Jump Advanced imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth – the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

Categories: Press Releases, Viz Media |

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PR: Viz Media Premieres New Manga Series Sakura Hime

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF NEW MANGA SERIES
SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA

Latest Fantasy Series By Visionary Shojo Creator
Arina Tanemura Launches In April

San Francisco, CA, March 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight shojo readers and fans of creator Arina Tanemura with the North American premiere of her current manga (graphic novel) series – SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA – on April 5th. The new title launches under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her…

Categories: Press Releases, Viz Media |

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Review: Taro and the Magic Pencil

By Andre Paploo on Thursday, March 24, 2011

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Reviewer: Andre Paploo

Manga-ka: Yukiya Sakuragi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: All Ages
Release Date: November 2010

Synopsis: “Before the day his comic book drawings came to life, Taro was an ordinary boy. Now his characters are in danger and it’s up to him to save them! With the flick of a magic pencil, Taro transforms into Terry (a terrier) and enters his comic book world. The adventures ahead are more amazing than anything he ever imagined.”

Children’s manga has only recently started to trickle into the domestic market, with VIZ and Udon each offering a clutch of Japanese titles tailored to this growing segment in the graphic novel market. While there has been lots of manga targeting younger fans like the Shonen Jump line, what struck me as interesting about this range of titles is that they are aimed at early readers. Taro and the Magic Pencil takes this a step further than other all-ages manga in serving as a bridge between children’s story books and comics, similar in the approach of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underwear books, if for a slightly younger audience.

Categories: Manga, Reviews, Viz Media |

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PR: Digital Manga Guild Acquires First 487 titles

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 21, 2011

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Gardena, CA (March 21, 2011) - Digital Manga is excited to announce the first acquisition of 487 titles from Japanese publishers for the Digital Manga Guild (DMG). That number is expected to grow exponentially, as publishers have shown an increased interest within the past few weeks to be a part of DMG.

While the names of the publishers must still be kept under wraps, the growing amount of titles has astounded everyone at Digital Manga Publishing (DMP). In addition, the genres have varied between yaoi, shojo, josei, and seinen, with more to come. DMG has been President Sasahara’s personal project over the past years, as he sought a new way to produce more titles quickly for manga fans. The Guild finally came to fruition in October of last year under the DMP umbrella, and has steadily grown with over 1,100 members joining to take part in this manga community initiative. With their help, DMG promises to be a guaranteed success.

The titles keep rolling in from Japan, further establishing the Digital Manga Guild as a serious business changing the way manga will be localized.

Read more…

Categories: Digital Manga, Press Releases |

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Kodansha Comics Announces Release of Sailor Moon Manga

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, March 19, 2011

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Kodansha Comics Announces Release of Sailor Moon Manga

Many fans wished on a star and Kodansha Comics gave us the moon – yesterday it was announced that Kodansha would be re-releasing the Sailor Moon manga in English starting this upcoming September. They’ll also be releasing the never-before-released-in-English short series, Codename: Sailor V which was a precursor in both events and creation to Sailor Moon.

Suffice to say, many fans are excited (myself undoubtedly included) and the news spread quickly to the eyes and ears of lots of happy manga-reading folks. There’s something sort of surreal about getting exactly what you asked for isn’t there?

The edition Kodansha will be releasing is the new deluxe collection that was last published in Japan as part of Sailor Moon’s anniversary celebration.

“The original 18 volumes have been condensed into 12 volumes covering the main storyline, and two volumes dedicated to short stories. Each volume has gorgeous new cover art, retouched interior art and dialogue along with extensive bonus material from Takeuchi, and detailed translation notes.”

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Vol. 06) During my trip to New York last year I had the extreme joy of visiting the Kinokuniya bookstore. Surrounded by thousands of untranslated volumes of manga, Sailor Moon was high on my list of must-finds. They only had one volume but I was quick to pick it up – the re-released edition of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Vol. 06). I hope Kodansha Comics’ release is kept very similar to the Japanese editions because it’s gorgeous! The trim size is a little smaller than the ‘standard’ North American manga release with a smooth-finished cover-slip adorned in brand new artwork for the new editions. Inside are three full-spread, full-colour illustrations before starting into the retouched manga chapters. The page-count is a bit higher than normal also, showing how the new editions are twelve books instead of the original eighteen.

Kodansha will begin releasing the series in September 2011 and the books will come out on a bi-monthly schedule. Kodansha Comics has yet to release anything past their republishing of Dark Horse’s editions of Akira and Ghost in the Shell but it goes without saying there’s a lot of anticipation for the first of their summer line-up to start in May so we can get a better look at the quality we can expect from them. I speculated before that with their books we’ve seen so far, it seems likely they won’t be straying far from the original material in terms of design. Holding onto my Japanese edition of Sailor Moon, I can only go from speculating to hoping that that’s the case.

But as we sit and wait for those first volumes to land in store-shelves, may I say THANK YO U, KODANSHA! You have made many a moon-fan’s day.

Categories: Kodansha Comics, Licensing, Manga |

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PR: Kodansha USA Announces the Return of Sailor Moon

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, March 19, 2011

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KODANSHA USA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF SAILOR MOON

Never-before-published Enhanced Editions of the Groundbreaking Manga SeriesShare Long-Awaited US Publishing Debut with CODENAME SAILOR V

NEW YORK, New York – March 18, 2011 – Kodansha USA Publishing, a subsidiary of Kodansha, announced today the exciting return of Naoko Takeuchi’s SAILOR MOON, one of the most significant names in comics and manga, to US publishing. Brand new deluxe editions of the acclaimed series will be released by Kodansha USA’s Kodansha Comics imprint in September 2011. Out of print for six years, SAILOR MOON re-launches along with Takeuchi’s two-volume prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, in print in the US for the first time—making this one of the most highly anticipated manga releases in years.

The SAILOR MOON manga, which originated in Japan in 1992 and debuted in the US in 1997, follows Usagi Tsukino, a young girl who transforms into super heroine Sailor Moon to combat evil and fight for love and justice in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. The first successful shôjo (girls’) manga release in the US, SAILOR MOON changed the book landscape and helped establish the foundation for the manga craze; in particular drawing attention to the popularity of comics among female readers.

Prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, the first of Takeuchi’s “magical girl” manga, will make its highly anticipated debut in the US alongside the SAILOR MOON re-launch. In CODENAME: SAILOR V, teenager Minako Aino fights as Sailor V against the villains of the Dark Agency before she discovers Sailor Moon.

The Kodansha USA editions of SAILOR MOON will be published on a bi-monthly schedule and follow the 2003 Japanese re-release format of the classic series. The original 18 volumes have been condensed into 12 volumes covering the main storyline, and two volumes dedicated to short stories. Each volume has gorgeous new cover art, retouched interior art and dialogue along with extensive bonus material from Takeuchi, and detailed translation notes.

Categories: Kodansha Comics, Press Releases |

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PR: Viz Media Donates to Japanese Disaster Relief Efforts

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, March 17, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA DONATES TO JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI AID AND RECOVERY EFFORTS

San Francisco, CA, March 17, 2011 – Manga publisher VIZ Media has joined global relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan with a substantial corporate donation to aid the recovery. The company will donate the funds to three prominent organizations – Save the Children, AmeriCares and Architecture for Humanity – working to provide immediate aid and assistance in the affected regions of Sendai and Fukushima.

In addition, VIZ Media is planning additional fundraising efforts with other San Francisco Bay Area companies and businesses, which will benefit Artists Help Japan (in partnership with Give2Asia).

The 9.0 earthquake displaced more than 100,000 children from their homes and more than 380,000 people have been evacuated across the country. Many tsunami-affected areas are still cut off from relief and Japan remains on high alert for the three nuclear reactors in Fukushima. More than 465 roads, 43 railways and seven bridges have been completely washed away.

“We were all shocked and saddened by the terrible events of March 11th, but we’re heartened and inspired by resilience of the Japanese people and the tremendous outpouring of physical aid, money, and global good will that has followed so quickly,” says Hidemi Fukuhara, President and CEO of VIZ Media. “Save the Children, AmeriCares, Architecture for Humanity and Artists Help Japan will provide critical support and aid for the youngest victims of the disaster, arrange for medical care and social services for all survivors, as well as help begin rebuilding efforts. We’re honored to contribute to Japan’s recovery, and encourage our fans to do the same.”

Categories: Press Releases, Viz Media |

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Super Savings: Loonie Manga Deals at Amazon.ca

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 14, 2011

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Loonie Manga Deals at Amazon.ca

Amazon always has some of the best pricing for purchasing books online and occasionally even manga gets the extra special discount treatment, such as Amazon.ca’s Loonie Deals. I was spelunking through the discounted section today and found some manga titles sitting there at some ‘get ‘em while you can’ prices:

Steal Moon (Vol. 02) (BL)
$11.36 (CAN) – 31% OFF

Devil Within (Vol. 02)
$9.03 - 40% OFF

Lover’s Pledge (BL)
$9.35 (CAN) - 43% OFF

Love Master A (Vol. 01)
$7.45 (CAN) - 50% OFF

Venus Versus Virus Omnibus (Vol. 01)
$7.04 (CAN) - 59% OFF

A-I Revolution (Vol. 04)
$3.85 (CAN) - 74% OFF

Inukami Omnibus (Vol. 01)
$11.72 (CAN) – 37% OFF

IDOL Pleasures
$9.77 (CAN) - 41% OFF

A-I Revolution (Vol. 01)
$8.17 (CAN) - 45% OFF

King of the Lamp (Vol. 01)
$6.57 (CAN) - 56% OFF

Your Honest Deceit (Vol. 02) (BL)
$5.13 (CAN) - 68% OFF

What’s most interesting and worth a look about these titles is the majority are out of print series. Several of from the now-defunct Go!Comi, and there’s a boys’ love title from DramaQueen. Newer titles are the two omnibus collections from Seven Seas and offer a great value for some huge books with hefty page counts!

Categories: DramaQueen, GoComi, June, Manga, Seven Seas, Yaoi/Boys' Love | Tags: Super Savings

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Swag Bag – Swords, Spectres, Students and Spaceships

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, March 13, 2011

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It’s the beginning of the month (sort of) and that means it’s Viz Media time! There were a bunch of new volumes out these last couple of weeks that I picked up, bolstered by my local comic store Strange Adventures holding their Ladies’ Night events which gives an extra 25% off all their books. Who can so no to that?

Starting out my stack of Viz Media titles were several continuing series. First came the shonen with the new volume of Bleach (Vol. 34) and my much anticipated purchase of Toriko (Vol. 04). Toriko has really surprised me in how much I’ve been enjoying it – feels very Dragonball-esque to me. Next was Rin-Ne (Vol. 05) which has proven itself more enjoyable with each volume, even if it is just Takahashi doing Takahashi stuff like it’s her own trope now.

Moving up to a more seinen title, I purchased Dogs (Vol. 05) – a series where the plot isn’t always coherent but the characters and art are stunning so it’s always worth the buy. Going into shoujo territory, I got the second volume of Kamisama Kiss (Vol. 02) as I really liked the first one. Lastly, and staying on the more mature-content train, I eagerly nabbed the newest volume of Butterflies, Flowers (Vol. 06). It feels like I just read the last volume of this but no complaints!

New series from Viz Media I bought were Nora the Demon Exorcist (Vol. 01) – purchased for snazzy looking artwork upon flip through – and Oresama Teacher (Vol. 01). The latter really felt like a Tokyopop title when I read it. I can’t exactly pinpoint why but it was a constant thought I had going through it. It’s pretty funny stuff though!

Toradora! (Vol. 01) Speaking of new series, and moving onto Seven Seas, I bought the first two volumes of Toradora! and Amnesia Labyrinth. Both really aren’t my usual kind of stories (they’re more ‘otaku-targeted’ if that makes sense?) but I’ve bee wanting to collect some more Seven Seas titles because of their great adaptation work. I must say the quality of Amnesia Labyrinth is really spot-on with a lot of Japanese editions I’ve seen including the little outside strip slip along the bottom.

And last but not least – Twin Spica (Vol. 06) from Vertical. Every volume of this series just keeps getting better! Such sweet character interaction and I’m really getting absorbed in the character back-story mysteries that’re weaving themselves together neatly.

So with lots of new books to read (and more Pokemon White to play!), I’m happy to have my free time spoken for this week. How about you?

Categories: Manga, Seven Seas, Vertical, Viz Media | Tags: Swag Bag

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Viz Media Elaborates On Pokemon Black & White Release Info

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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My recent post about Viz Media’s recent license announcements spurred a number of comments and a slew of off-site commentary about the fact the company would be releasing Pokemon Black & White. With lots of people asking questions, I passed them along to Viz Media and they promptly got back to me with some answers.

The version of Pokemon Black & White being published is the edition currently being published in Japan as Pokemon Special. Though currently being serialized, none of the chapters being published by Viz Media in their Black & White books have been released in Japan as tankobon yet (meaning full collected volumes). Currently Viz Media doesn’t know when (or if) the chapters will be collected into volume-editions in Japan but are working with the license-holders in Japan to compile the content for English readers.

Viz Media’s editions of Pokemon B/W will be a new format from their usual Pokemon releases with each volume being approximately 80-96 pages each to accommodate the content available. Because of this they are being sold at a lower price point of only $4.99/US. They’ll be releasing two volumes at a time – the first two in July, and then volumes 3 and 4 in November.

So I hope that clears up many of the questions folks had! While the material hasn’t yet been released compiled in Japan, Viz Media has been given permission to do so to ensure we get our Pokemon manga fix of the newest series. My thanks to Viz Media’s Jane Lui for answering our questions and elaborating on the license news.

Categories: Licensing, Manga, News, Viz Media |

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Review: Only The Ring Finger Knows (Vol. 02)

By Jaime Samms on Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Reviewer: Jaime Samms

Manga-ka: Satoru Kannagi (Author), Hotaru Odagiri (Artist)
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2006

Synopsis: “After all the studying he did for his exams, sacrificing time with his boyfriend Yuichi, Wataru gets a measly C-average on his summer prep test. Yuichi’s college classmate Asaka offers to tutor him, and he eagerly accepts. Wataru finds Asaka’s cool beauty and attitude strikingly similar to that of Yuichi’s, and subconsciously becomes vulnerable to his advances. For the first time in their relationship, Yuichi becomes enraged. Will they be able to overcome this new obstacle?”

When I started out reading this second volume of Only the Ring Finger Knows, I expected more tension between Asaka and Yuichi. Throughout the story, I kept expecting Asaka to step up and try to win Wataru’s affections. It seemed so obvious this is where the author was headed with this story. Instead, she spends a great deal of the book endearing Asaka not only to Wataru, but to her readers as well.

Categories: June, Light Novels, Reviews, Yaoi/Boys' Love |

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Viz Media Adds New Pokemon, Fantasy and Omnibus for 2011

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 7, 2011

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Viz Media

A press release sent out by Viz Media late last week revealed some new titles coming out later this year. A little lack-lustre a PR may be but I love to hear this kind of news directly from the publisher, and doubly so during this season which is generally down time for manga licenses.

So what new titles do we have to look forward to?

Pokemon Black and White First up on the list was a new Pokemon series - Pokemon ~~Adventures~~: Black & White (Edit: Currently it is unconfirmed if Pokemon B/W will be released under the Pokemon Adventures series’ title). This particular announcement is really well timed since the new Pokemon games just came out yesterday (of which I’m currently making my way through White!). This series is written by the same author responsible for the previous Pokemon Adventures volumes and has returning artist Yamamoto Satoshi who took over from artist MATO as of volume ten. The first two volumes will be released in July 2011 (Note cover image is a placeholder for final Viz Media cover design). [Editor's Note: More information about Pokemon B/W in follow-up post]

Offering more volumes of continuously loved franchises, there’s more Yu-Gi-Oh on the horizon with Yu-Gi-Oh 5D. I haven’t really followed the series since Yugi was no longer than main character but based on the synopsis this looks like the manga version of the story currently being aired on television – so battling in an apocalyptic future on motorcycles. The first volume is due out in July 2011.

Confirming and scheduling a previously revealed series, Viz Media lists Psyren – a story about a boy fighting for his life in an alternate dimension – for release in October 2011. Just in time for Halloween! Following that in November is a one-shot collection of stories by Natsume Ono title Tesoro – twelve short works and bonus material from the creator of not simple! and House of Five Leaves.

Lastly for ‘new’ series is Dawn of the Arcana with its first volume coming out in December. It sounds like a pretty classic fantasy series about a Princess being betrothed to a Prince and learning the backstabbing ways of the royal court and the magic that overlaps it. While I love a classic English-fantasy story, what really makes me curious about this story is the artwork since, upon looking them up, this artist has lovely covers!

And to top things off, we have coming to us omnibus collections of CLAMP’s X/1999! As a huge CLAMP lover and collector everything with their name on it I can find, this really excites me. I already own Viz Media’s last run of the series, and though I’m not one too bothered by flipped artwork, I’m looking forward to re-experiencing the story in it’s original format. Each volume will have 3 books in 1 plus extra full-colour illustrations. Combined with Dark Horse’s omnibus editions, CLAMP is getting an impressive second-wave shot at English readers for nearly all its series – that’s really something and speaks a lot to their popularity (and the faith in their works bringing in new fans as well).

Lots of neat stuff here and there’s more I’m eager for than indifferent towards so yay! How about you? Something here an especially exciting new title to look forward to?

Categories: Licensing, Manga, Viz Media |

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Rattled Faith As Tokyopop Lays Off Manga Editors

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, March 5, 2011

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Tokyopop

Tokyopop was the internet’s front-page news amidst the English manga-industry circle this week as news came that they’ve just recently laid off several staffers. Those given this very unfortunate and quite unexpected axe was Lillian Diaz-Pryzybl, Troy Lewter and Asako Suzuki – all three prominent editors of Tokyopop’s manga line-up.

Brigid Alverson (of MangaBlog.net) wrote a really well articulated article on the matter over at Robot6. She focuses heavily on company president Stu Levy and paints a pretty accurate, and unfortunately manic, picture of his management methods and a history of similarly poor timed lay-offs.

People losing their jobs is never good and as many have said, my sympathies go out to those who’ve lost them. This news also doesn’t paint an optimistic picture of the company itself. When I first read this, what immediately came to mind is that Tokyopop has now completely done away with their manga ‘face’ – the side of their company that really looked to me like it focused on the books as their primary focus. Stu Levy has never been about the manga to me – he’s always been the ‘face’ of the other stuff, all those little pet-projects and admittedly odd but flamboyant social projects he engages in for reasons I won’t dismiss but also won’t try to fathom understanding (ie: not intended to target consumers like me, such as their recent America’s Greatest Otaku reality show).

Though it doesn’t seem their manga line-up is taking any direct blows in terms of any more dropped titles (and in fact they still have a handful of new titles starting this year), it’s hard not to wonder what this really means. Are they going to be slimming things back we just haven’t heard it yet? Are those people remaining just getting really, really overworked? Are they hiring new freelancers on who they can pay less for the same work? Will the marketing disappear? Will the quality be affected? It seems hard to believe they could let-go such integral staff members and have things be business as usual.

On top of that, it was announced just yesterday that Blizzard (the company who owns the popular Warcraft franchise), is severing ties with Tokyopop. For years Tokyopop has published graphic novels based on the Warcraft world and, to my knowledge, they’ve always been some of the more consistent sellers with a cross-appeal outside the regular manga readers. Blizzard has since stated this dissolvement isn’t due to the recent cutbacks and was decideded some time ago, which makes me think that this news actually is the opposite effect some will assume simply from the timing of this announcement – that Tokyopop’s lay-offs are in fact (in part) because of Blizzard’s disconnection and not the other way around. All that’s been specifically said so far for reasons is that Warcraft can’t commit in full to the project any longer, which seems fair enough considering the game itself is definitely their bread and butter. Why read it when you can play it? (Though that’s certainly never my personal philosophy!)

It seems safe to say the biggest factor of these Tokyopop cuts, past Stu Levy’s often fickle-seeming management style, is the recent bankruptcy of the American bookstore chain, Borders. It apparently owned Tokyopop a lot of money which it now can’t pay back. Having never been in a Borders before, I can’t say I’ve personally seen the effect, as the closest we have is our Indigo chain of bookstores here in Canada (Chapters and Coles bookstores to many of us). However the pricing has long since become so terrible on buying books from chain stores instead of independent shops here that I’ve long since gotten a disconnect from that kind of manga buying. Still, remembering how huge a part Chapters used to be in my manga-buying binges until the Canadian dollar shot up, I can definitely see how if Borders was that to thousands of readers across the United States, then the loss is pretty huge.

It’s a shame this has all happened, Borders closing creating such issues for so many readers and publishers. What’s even sadder about Tokyopop’s situation in particular is that the loss of these jobs, unfortunate enough in itself, are more additions to a teetering tower within Tokyopop’s industry that is proving from internet response that people’s faith in Tokyopop is shakier than their history.

Tokyopop for me is still a huge part of my manga-life – I’ve probably got more books from them than anyone else, their titles shaped my early manga-buying days. I loved their title choices, their presentation, their pricing and yes even the sheer quantity that meant a lot of mixed quality (but you can’t knock the chance to choose from them all!) – I owe them a lot for the books I’ve been able to enjoy over the years. But now with Lillian in particular gone (never had I felt more in-touch with TP than via their webinars), and the continued production of money-sucking events I don’t really understand, I really have to question if the Tokyopop I love is still even the Tokyopop that exists today.

Categories: Editorials, Manga, News, Tokyopop |

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PR: Viz Media Details New 2011 Manga Acquisitions

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, March 4, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA MANGA ACQUISITIONS SLATED FOR RELEASE THE SECOND HALF OF 2011

Eagerly Anticipated New Titles Include Kids Favorites, Stirring Sci-Fi Action, Shojo Fantasy Drama, And Works By Natsume Ono And The Celebrated CLAMP Manga Creative Team

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed a variety of notable new manga (graphic novel) acquisitions for the second half of 2011.

Scheduled for release in coming months, perfect for kids’ summertime fun, are a pair of new POKÉMON™ titles including a Travel Activity Kit and the debut of the POKÉMON BLACK & WHITE manga series. The highly anticipated cute and quirky bean dogs of MAMESHIBA will also debut in their own manga and in a character guide. Other titles aimed at Teen and Older Teen readers will feature the high-speed action of YU-GI-Oh! 5D’s in an innovative new original story, the tense mystery drama PSYREN, a remastered 3-in-1 collection of the classic apocalyptic saga X by the celebrated manga creative team CLAMP, an anthology of 14 never-before-released stories by Natsume Ono in TESORO, and the dramatic fantasy of DAWN OF THE ARCANA.

POKÉMON TRAVEL ACTIVITY KIT • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $11.99 US / $13.99 CAN • Available May 2011
This Activity Kit offers a variety of brand-new Pokémon from the new Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games. The box of fun delivers hours of entertainment and allows kids to play alone or with friends. Included is a 64-page activity pad (featuring word puzzles, mazes, etc.), two sheets of stickers, one double-sided play poster, six crayons and two standees. All of this is contained in a durable, suitcase-type package with Velcro closures and a handle for easy portability.

POKÉMON BLACK & WHITE Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $4.99 US each / $5.99 CAN each • Available July 2011
Meet Pokémon Trainers Black and White! White has a burgeoning career as a Trainer of performing Pokémon. Black is about to embark on a Training Journey to explore the Unova region and fill a Pokédex for Prof. Juniper. Who will Black choose as his first Pokémon? Who would you choose…? Plus, meet brand-new Pokémon Tepig, Snivy, Oshawott, and many more never-before-seen Pokémon from the unexplored Unova region!

MAMESHIBA: ON THE LOOSE! • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available July 2011
It’s a BEAN! It’s a DOG! It’s…BOTH?! Meet Mameshiba, the cute little bean dogs with bite! Starring in their first-ever adventures, they rescue friends, explore outer space and offer interesting bits of trivia when you least expect it! Hold on tight–Mameshiba are on the LOOSE! And don’t miss the Mameshiba Shorts!

MEET MAMESHIBA • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available July 2011
Are they beans? Are they dogs? Not quite either one–they’re Mameshiba! Though they all love to share weird facts, each has its own quirky personality. Find out about Edamame, Chili Bean, Lentil and all their friends in this insider’s guide packed with trivia, quizzes, comics and activities!

YU-GI-OH! 5D’s Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available July 2011
In New Domino City, the hottest game in town is the Turbo Duel, fought on blazingly fast motorcycles called Duel Runners. On the outskirts of New Domino City, in a district known as Satellite, a new Turbo Duel hero emerges named Yusei Fudo! On his custom-built Duel Runner, Yusei takes on all challengers, fighting for his friends and the future of Satellite! Also included in first print-run editions is a bonus Dark Highlander collectible trading card!

PSYREN Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available October 2011
Ageha Yoshina just got transported to a warped alternate dimension where you’ve got to fight your way back to our world – or die trying. “Save me!” Those were Sakurako Amamiya’s last words to her friend Ageha Yoshina before she mysteriously went missing. Now Ageha’s on a quest to find her. He’s convinced that the mythical Psyren Secret Society has something to do with the recent rash of disappearances. And now he seems to be caught up as a player in their very deadly game…

X 3-IN-ONE Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
MSRP: $19.99 US / $22.99 CAN • Available October 2011
X, the epic fantasy series from CLAMP, will be released in deluxe collector’s editions. The pages have been recomposed in the original right-to-left reading format and restored to their highest quality. Each volume contains three of the original graphic novels, along with gorgeous, full-color illustrations never before published outside Japan!

In X, Kamui Shiro is a young man followed by mystery. Taken from Tokyo by his mother while still a child, he must leave behind his closest friends. Returning to Tokyo after his mother’s death, Kamui is now a changed young man – moody and distant to his old friends, yet determined to protect them from the dark forces that constantly swirl around him. He is the nexus of a great cataclysm to come, and the inheritor to a strange destiny that could decide the fate of the entire world.

TESORO • Rated ‘T’ for Teens • MSRP: $12.99 US / $14.99 CAN •
Available November 2011
This is an engrossing manga treasure trove containing 14 charming stories about family, friends, couples and unexpected bonds. Written by Natsume Ono over ten years, here is the long-awaited collection of her early work, including numerous illustrations and previously unpublished stories!

DAWN OF THE ARCANA Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available December 2011
To end the conflict between the warring kingdoms of Senan and Belquat, Princess Nakaba of Senan is sent to Belquat to marry Prince Caesar. Accompanied solely by her half-beast attendant Loki, Nakaba must learn not only how to survive the intrigues of a hostile court but also how to handle the mercurial Caesar. And in the swirl of secrets and treachery, there could be one thing greater than all: the mysterious power of the Arcana.

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PR: VIZ Media Presents SHONEN JUMP Magazine’s 100th Issue!

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA’S CELEBRATES THE 100th ISSUE OF SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE WITH SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

North America’s Most Popular Manga Monthly Delivers Heroes Of Manga Retrospective, DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE Crossover
Story And A Free YU-GI-OH! Trading Card

San Francisco, CA, March 1, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, celebrates the 100th issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine, which hits newsstands nationwide today. Cover price will be $4.99.

The commemorative April 2011 issue features special content including a pictorial retrospective of all the manga heroes that have graced the magazine’s pages since the very first issue. This includes original SHONEN JUMP heroes such as Goku from DRAGON BALL, Yugi from YU-GI-OH! and popular mainstays like Naruto, Ichigo from BLEACH, as well as more recent additions to the SHONEN JUMP Super Team including Ageha from the new manga series PSYREN, and Yusei from YU-GI-OH! 5D. The issue also contains the DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE CROSS EPOCH, a one-shot manga where characters from both popular series meet, and includes a free YU-GI-OH! trading card, Dark Magician.

SHONEN JUMP’s redesign for 2011, which launched in January, welcomed the new decade with a fresh, contemporary look and expanded print and web content. SHONEN JUMP continues to be the best-selling manga anthology in North America and now features 2 brand new series – the science fiction thriller PSYREN, and fan favorite YU-GI-OH! 5D’S – that join other current monthly favorites such as BLEACH, NARUTO and ONE PIECE.

The magazines team has also taken an aggressive approach to integrating the SHONEN JUMP web site (www.ShonenJump.com) with the print magazine with subscriber-only content available exclusively online, including the brand new manga series, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and new exclusive feature and news items every month.

“The celebration of SHONEN JUMP in the U.S. that we started in January with the magazine’s redesign and revamped web site continues with our 100th issue spectacular,” says SHONEN JUMP Senior Editor Joel Enos. “We’re committed to giving fans what they’ve asked for and we will continue to do so with even more direct communication with our readers! This issue’s Heroes of Manga gives fans a fun trip down memory lane and also lets them meet some new heroes for the first time. Plus, we are showcasing the DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE CROSS EPOCH, a unique manga mash-up never before seen in the U.S. that features Goku and Luffy, as well as many of their supporting cast, together for the first time in a story written and drawn by both creators Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda. This is definitely an issue not to be missed!”

Categories: Press Releases, Viz Media |

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