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Archive for June, 2014

PR: On July 1st, Nice Guys Finish First in the Endearing and Laugh-Out-Loud MY LOVE STORY!! from Viz Media

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 27, 2014

NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST IN NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY MANGA SERIES MY LOVE STORY!! FROM VIZ MEDIA

Creator Of HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT Offers An Endearing Laugh-Out-Loud Story About An Underdog Who Finally Finds Love

San Francisco, CA, June 26, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, expands the catalog for its popular Shojo Beat imprint with the debut of the manga (graphic novel) series – MY LOVE STORY!! – on July 1st.

The new release, written by the author of the bestselling manga HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. Future volumes of the continuing series are scheduled to be published 4 times a year.

A digital version also will launch on July 1st for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as for the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

In MY LOVE STORY!!, Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They always go for his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn! Takeo can hardly believe it when he crosses paths with Yamato again, and he finds himself falling in love with her… But with handsome Sunakawa around, does Takeo even stand a chance?

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: My Love Story!!, Viz Media

PR: VIZ Media Debuts Intense New Manga Of Humanity’s Future Gone Awry in TERRA FORMARS

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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MAN’S COLONIZATION OF MARS GOES SHOCKINGLY AWRY IN THE INTENSE NEW SCI-FI HORROR MANGA SERIES TERRA FORMARS

Off-World Terror Takes A Deadly New Form In A Gripping Sci-Fi Action Series From VIZ Media’s Signature Imprint

San Francisco, CA, June 25, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, administers a spine-tingling dose of sci-fi horror with the launch of the new manga (graphic novel) series – TERRA FORMARS – on July 15th.

The series, illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana with story by Yu Sasuga, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. Future volumes of TERRA FORMARS, which is continuing in Japan, will be released domestically on a bi-monthly basis.

In the late 26th century, overpopulation on Earth has reached the breaking point and humanity must find new frontiers. The terraforming of Mars has taken centuries but is now complete. The colonization of Mars by humanity is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terraforming process unleashes a horror no one could ever have imagined…

In the opening volume, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost, a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – to exterminate all humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” a terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Terra Formars, Viz Media, Viz Signature

PR: Naoki Urasawa’s Monster Manga Series Returns to Print In New Perfect Edition

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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NAOKI URASAWA’S MONSTER MANGA SERIES RETURNS TO PRINT IN NEW PERFECT EDITION RELEASE FROM VIZ MEDIA

New Definitive Edition Of The Acclaimed Psychological Manga Thriller Delivers A Tense Crime Drama Filled With Conspiracy, Political Intrigue And Murder

San Francisco, CA, June 24, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the release of the ultimate collection of creator Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga (graphic novel) suspense masterpiece. MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION, Vol. 1 will debut on July 15th. The new print-only oversized release will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.

MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION is the ultimate version of the acclaimed psychological crime thriller. This new release features a new translation, remastered pages, and a generous amount of full-color content. Future volumes of MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION will be released four times a year in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand for a total of nine volumes covering the entire series.

In Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER, Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracy and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterwork of suspense. In the first volume of the new PERFECT EDITION, everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension. Years later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another. The serial killer’s identity is known. The reasons why he kills are not. Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer’s twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the “Monster.”

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Monster, Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

Supernatural and Swimming – Seven Seas Licenses Four New Manga Series

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, June 24, 2014

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Convention season may be upon us, but Twitter is more and more becoming the only publisher panel you need to be present for – and you certainly won’t hear me complaining about the convenience! Seven Seas took to the social media platform last week to announce four new manga licenses:

Clay Lord: Master of Golems – Jun Suzumoto
Dance in the Vampire Bund 2: Scarlet Order – Nozomu Tamaki
Evergreen – Yuyuko Takemiya & Akira Kasukabe
Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary – Shake O

Clay Lord is a fun looking fantasy adventure. It follows a young man named Clay, who with abilities to create, control and befriend magical golems, enters competitions and travels the globe to further his skills and connection with them. The first volume of Clay Lord is scheduled from Seven Seas in April 2015, and is currently available to pre-order via Amazon CAN | US.

Dance in the Vampire Bund 2: Scarlet Order is the sequel series to Dance in the Vampire Bund, which it seems safe to say is one of Seven Seas’ most popular titles including several spin-off series. Taking off after the events of the first, this sequel follows its lead Queen of vampires as she attends the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, only to find herself a target for terrorists and embroiled amidst a new threat against her kind.

The first volume of Dance in the Vampire Bund 2: Scarlet Order is scheduled for December 2014, with pre-orders now available via Amazon CAN | US.

Evergreen seems like a well-suited summer announcement, telling the tale of a manga club president and the ace of his school’s swim team who become friends during a swim test, and perhaps something more. Seven Seas describes it as a romantic comedy, with the first volume scheduled for May 2015. Yuyuko Takemiya, the author of Evergreen, was also the author of another Seven Seas’ title, Toradora!.

Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary adds another to Seven Seas’ growing collection of monster girl stories. The story is about a one-eyed nurse who treats an assortment of unique students who come through her school office door. The first volume of Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary is scheduled for February 2015, and can be pre-ordered now at Amazon CAN | US.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Clay Lord, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Evergreen, Nurse Hitomi's Monster Infirmary, Seven Seas

Yen Press Beats the Bad Luck With Four New Manga Licenses

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, June 22, 2014

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This past Friday the 13th wasn’t unlucky for Yen Press, who made a post about some on-going title updates, and four new manga licenses:

Akame Ga Kill! – Takahiro & Tetsuya Tashiro
Kagerou Daze – Jin & Shidu
Secret – Yoshiki Tonogai
Sword Art Online: Progressive – Reki Kawahara & abec

Akame Ga Kill! is about a young man who leaves his village in order to earn money in his country’s Capital City. Though robbed halfway there, he finds himself taken in by a generous upperclasswoman. Things aren’t always what they seem however, when a band of assassins attack her mansion, yet don’t seem to be the bad-guys in the situation. The first volume of Akame Ga Kill! is scheduled for January 2015, and is available to pre-order on Amazon CAN | US.

Kagerou Daze is a double-dip license, including both the manga and light novel versions of the story. The series follows a shut-in forced to leave his home after his computer crashes, only to walk right into a dangerous hostage situation. Volume one of both the manga and light novel will be released in early 2015, while the manga can already be pre-ordered via Amazon CAN | US.

Sword Art Online: Progressive is also two licenses, the manga and the light novel versions of the same name. The title is “a retelling and expansion on the events that took place during Sword Art Online: Aincrad“. Volume one of the manga version is scheduled for January 2015, and is currently available to order via Amazon CAN | US.

Secret is a new title from the creator of JUDGE and Doubt, bringing English readers more creepy imagery of people in bloody bunny headgear:

“These are the ominous words given to the six survivors of a tragic bus accident, followed by an ultimatum. Within one week, the three murderers must anguish over their crimes and find some way to answer for them, or the evidence of their sins will be given to the police. But when every person has a secret, who can you trust…?”

The first volume of Secret is scheduled for January 2015 and is also available to order via Amazon CAN | US.

Along with the four new titles, Yen Press also noted that new volumes of both Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts II are on the way. Since announcing their acquisition of the Kingdom Hearts series, Yen Press has released new editions of all previously published material by Tokyopop. This is first time the new content will be released in English, which we’re told will be late 2014.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Akame Ga Kill, Kagerou Daze, Kingdom Hearts, Secret, Sword Art Online

Manga Minis: Captain Ken Reaches Kickstarter Goal, More Tsubasa from CLAMP, Rescuse from Viz, and CNN Doesn’t Get It

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 20, 2014

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CNN released a video report about manga and anime this week, in response to a recent bill being passed in Japan that bans child pornography. To little surprise, but plenty of outrage, CNN’s take on the subject was a pretty big over-simplification and make sweeping generalizations about entire mediums of entertainment. Fun!

I find the whole thing exhausting, as I generally do with these painful outsiders-looking-in reports that are just looking for a dramatic angle. It’s some relief knowing this sort of stuff always just blows over and away, but for those curious the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund did a good overview.

Digital Manga’s Kickstarter for Captain Ken reached its goal of $13000 this past Wednesday. The fundraising campaign still has twelve days to go, with additional pledges going towards its stretch goals for bonus material. The book is scheduled for release to backers in February 2015, with remaining volumes out to the public in March.

Viz Media announced two more ‘license rescues’ from Tokyopop’s expired library – Fate/Stay Night and Trinity Blood. Both titles are currently being released in digital editions under their Viz Select imprint. The books are available to read onViz’s website, or by downloading via their mobile apps.

Fate/Stay Night was never entirely finished by Tokyopop, though presumably we will see the end of the manga released by Viz. A new anime based on the original game of the same name is scheduled to start this Fall. Viz Media currently has the first three volumes available.

Trinity Blood was also an originally incomplete series. It had twelve of its currently seventeen (and on-going) volumes released by Tokyopop. Digital volumes will be made available on June 24th starting with volume one.

The manga-making team CLAMP announced that they’re creating a new Reservoir Chronicles Tsubasa series. The title will begin in Japan this summer and will connect to the already running, XXXHolic Rei. Each title acts as a semi-sequel to their original parent series, Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa and XXXHolic. It’s CLAMP, so it’s complicated. Both originals have already been released in full in English, along with their anime adaptations.

Dark Horse is currently releasing XXXHolic Rei and has been re-releasing most of CLAMP’s previously published titles in shiny new omnibus editions. I imagine it’s only a matter of time until we see them pick up this new Tsubasa series as well.

After a seven year pause between releases, Viz Media was pleased to announce that they’re publishing the third volume of Bisco Hatori’s Millenium Snow this week. The previous two volumes of the vampire series were released back in 2007. Viz Media also released a handy 2-in-1 omnibus edition of Millenium Snow this week (Amazon CAN | US), making it easy for readers who don’t have the original singles to purchase the complete series to date. Bisso Hatori is best known for their previous series, Ouran High School Host Club.

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Categories: Manga Minis
Tags: Bisco Hatori, CBLDF, CLAMP, Dark Horse, Digital Manga, Fate Stay Night, Millenium Snow, Tokyopop, Trinity Blood, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Viz Media, XXXHolic

Digital Manga Goes Dance and No Pants with Fanime Licenses

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, June 19, 2014

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Delivering more shiny eyes and panties, Digital Manga announced two new titles at their Fanime panel back in late May:

Dance Blade of the Spirit Master – Issei Hyōju’s
No Pants, No Problem – Azure Konno

Both titles will be released under Digital Manga Inc’s main imprint, Digital Manga Publishing, including print and digital editions. DMP doesn’t yet have release dates for either title.

Dance Blade of the Spirit Master follows the exploits of a young man who inadvertently becomes his world’s first male spiritualist. He enters into a spirit contract while peeping on the female student who was originally intended to be the spirit’s partner.

No Pants, No Problem is a comedy series where a school dress code is altered to put a ban on underwear. … large amounts of awkward ensue?

Licenses like these are difficult to write up without sighing, after a recent CNN article sent angry ripples through the anime and manga community. Is all anime and manga pornographic? Of course not! Still, it certainly isn’t hard to see why some could be fooled into thinking so with a few surface glances.

To each their own of course. And when it comes to all forms of legal perversity, I’m not one to judge – after all, I’m excited for Digital Manga’s confirmation that Ayano Yamane’s Finder (Vol. 07) is on the horizon.

Other new volume confirmations included volumes four and five of Kazuma Kodaka’s Border and volume two of Kou Yoneda’s Twittering Birds Never Fly.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Dance Blade of the Spirit Master, Digital Manga Publishing, No Pants No Problem

Viz Media Visits Jojo’s First Bizarre Adventures with Phantom Blood

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, June 15, 2014

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Like many a viewer, I’ve recently been enjoying the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime on Crunchyroll. Dark, twisted, and never more funny than when it’s trying not to be! Viz Media has released a number of Jojo volumes in English, but has never published the initial arc that this anime is based upon. It was tidy timing then that they made their recent license announcement:

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures: Phantom Blood – Hirohiko Araki

AnimeNewsNetwork confirmed this acquisition after a listing for the title was found on Amazon. The listings have since been removed, but showed a price point of $22.99/CAN | $19.99/US, and scheduled for release in February 2015.

“The legendary Shonen Jump series, now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe edition featuring color pages and newly drawn cover art!”

The price is the same as Viz Media’s 3-in-1 editions of Neon Genesis Evangelion, suggesting that as a deluxe edition this will likely also be multi-volume in length and with a larger trim size.

The last print volume of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure was released back in 2010. Hirohiko Araki’s one-shot manga, Rohan at the Louvre, was released more recently in 2012. Viz Media said they’d have more information about the Jojo franchise at their upcoming panel at Anime Expo.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Omnibus, Viz Media

Viz Media Licenses Pokemon Adventures X & Y For Perfect Square

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 11, 2014

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Viz Media knows what the people want and they aim to license ’em all. The publisher announced via press release last week that they’d licensed the manga adaption of Nintendo’s newest Pokemon games:

Pokemon Adventures X & Y – Hidenori Kusaka & Satoshi Yamamoto

The series will be published under Viz Media’s fairly recently added imprint, Perfect Square. Previously Viz released their Pokemon titles under their VIZKids imprint, which Perfect Square replaces, but the shift has lead to only minor changes in the package design (though us fans of consistently still weep some, I know!).

As the new Champion of the Pokémon Battle Junior Tournament in the Kalos region, X is hailed as a child prodigy. But when all the media attention proves to be too much for him, he holes up in his room to hide from everyone, including his best friends. What will it take to get him to come out?! How about an attack on his hometown of Vaniville Town by the two new Legendary Pokémon, Xerneas and Yveltal, and a mysterious organization named Team Flare…?

Volume one of Pokemon X & Y is scheduled for December at $12.99/CAN, $9.99/US. The series is still on-going in Japan so future volumes will be released twice a year. This also means we’ll get thicker initial volumes than the ‘minis’ that Viz released for Pokemon B/W.

Pokemon Adventures X & Y (Vol. 01) is available to pre-order via Amazon.ca | Amazon.com

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Perfect Square, Pokemon, Viz Media

Digital Manga Launches New Kickstarter for Tezuka’s Captain Ken

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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I’m not sure what surprises me more these days – how many different Osamu Tezuka titles I’ve never heard of, or how many of them Digital Manga takes to Kickstarter. Really, neither facts should shock me. Osamu Tezuka created over 700 volumes worth of manga (according to Wikipedia), and Digital Manga’s previous Kickstarters, which covered five Tezuka titles, were all successful.

Earlier this week, Digital Manga announced their newest Kickstarter, this time for a print edition of Osamu Tezuka’s Captain Ken. Last year DMP announced that they’d acquired the rights to Tezuka’s entire available library.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Captain Ken, Digital Manga, Kickstarter, Osamu Tezuka