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Author Archive for Andre Paploo

Review: Kurozakuro (Vol.01)

Reviewer: Andre
Kurozakuro (Vol. 01)

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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Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends (Vol. 03)

Reviewer: Andre Paploo
Natsume's Book of Friends (Vol. 03)

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

Synopsis: “Takashi is busy returning the names his grandmother trapped in her book and helping the local yokai with their problems. But he has to put his good deeds on hold when a black Nyanko Sensei snatches the Book of Friends! Takashi and the real Nyanko trail the bad cat to a secret yokai meeting deep in the forest. Will they be in time to stop the impostor’s wicked plans?!”

Bringing in a pleasant new addition to their Shojo Beat line of graphic novels, VIZ’s choice of Natsume’s Book of Friends has provided readers with yet another subtle manga treasure. A laid back adventure that slowly builds its mystery, the work presents itself in a gentle fashion while not shying away from contemplating darker story elements. Takashi Natsume’s world is both uncertain and hopeful, depicted in welcome shades of grey and light that make for a relaxing, involving reading experience.

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VIZ Launching Digital Supplement for Shonen Jump Subscribers

In the December 2010 issue of Shonen Jump USA, VIZ makes a major announcement with a splash page in the opening pages, and a small blurb in the  next issue previews  indicating-

“Subscribe NOW and next month you’ll get to read:

  • Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
  • Bakuman
  • Toriko

Available exclusively for subscribers online @shonenjump.com

VIZ already operates a digital preview of monthly issues of the print magazine at on the Shonen Jump website along with sample  of chapters of its ongoing graphic novel series. It appears this feature will launch next month, as there’s no news on VIZ’s Shonen Jump homepage as of yet.

Update: Shonen Jump Online Ad 01 | Shonen Jump Online Ad 02
(Editor’s note: Text is bottom of second image typed out for clarity.)

Shueisha themselves also have many sample chapters at their official English Shonen Jump homepage with sample chapters of their most popular series, and revolving samples of series unlicensed in the US like the currently showcased Light Wing. I’m assuming that VIZ’s site address in the magazine was a typo, though it would be interesting if they took over or merged with Shueisha’s shonenjump.com.

Whether the chapters of the three titles will simply be the usual 2-3 chapters of manga we see each month in Shonen Jump USA,  chapters running simultaneously with the Japanese edition similar to Shonen Sunday’s Rin-Ne , or simply the usual 3-chapter preview we normally get for new manga in Shonen Jump  is also unclear. At the moment, VIZ simply advertises it as an “online preview for subscribers only”. As such, it might be that these previews will be rotating series, though Toriko, Nura and Bakuman would make excellent ongoing additions if VIZ is planning longer runs. As both Toriko and Bakuman have already had short runs in the magazine, one would assume these online chapters will be from later in the series.

Nonetheless, this sounds like a major step forward for VIZ, adding a number of popular series that expand their offerings to their subscibers, and finding a way to potentially capitalize on digital manga by giving subscribers both a print and digital edition of the magazine with different sets of content. Given how lowpriced VIZ’s subscriptions are, around the same as 3-4 issues of the print magazine, this looks to be an excellent value for potential subscribers, and a different take from other initiatives not just by charging a subscription fee, but also by teaming it up directly with the print edition.

As a digital edition won’t be limited by page numbers, it also gives VIZ lots of room to grow in terms of adding further content. Personally, I hope fans support this iniative and encourage VIZ to build upon it. It’s a different approach with a more tangible value, a smart move to convince readers into boosting their magazine’s circulation, an inventive way to build on their existing digital anthologies, and a definite treat for those already subscribing to the magazine.

This is a small, but bold step for VIZ, considering the popularity of Bakuman, with Nura‘s anime being simulcast by their anime division, and Toriko also having a sizeable cult following. When one considers that there are only four regular ongoing series in the print edition currently, having three additional chapters online is a considerable boost, and the range of themes adds some diversity. Toriko‘s strange combination of First of the North Star style heroes and the cooking manga genre, Bakuman‘s manga about making manga aspect and Yura‘s anime tie-in make for an excellent range of titles. This will apparently be further augmented by the addition of print chapters of YuGiOh 5D‘s and Psyren, which appear to be ongoing additions rather than previews. It’s been awhile since VIZ added an ongoing series to the book, and these two should help break up the  Naruto/OnePiece dominance the magazine has had lately.

I imagine some might quibble over the subscription aspect, but this is a move that serves their artists and subscribers well – rewarding their existing readership, and setting up a system that will potentially allow more content and profitability than an advertisement focused website like Shonen Sunday and SigIkki.

It remains unclear if this is the big news VIZ was touting as arriving this week, though the timing would indicate it just might be. This is a move with lots of potential, and a major step forward considering up until now, the majority of VIZ’s digital content came from Shogakukan. Having access to Shueisha’s titles for digital editions opens a lot of opportunities, and I hope fandom will move forward with VIZ on their new venture, and help stabilize manga in what have been uncertain times for the industry.


Review: Bokurano Ours (Vol. 01-02)

Reviewer: Andre
Bokurano (Vol. 01)

Manga-ka: Moiro Kitoh
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: February 2009

Synopsis: “Saving the world is hard. Saving yourself is even harder. One summer, 15 kids innocently wander into a nearby seaside cave. There they meet a strange man who invites them to play an exciting new video game. Sounds like fun, right? This game, he explains, pits a lone giant robot against a horde of alien invaders. All they have to do is sign a simple little contract. The game stops being fun when the kids find out the true purpose of their deadly pact.”

Mohiro Kitoh’s Shadow Star was an unsettling yet somehow charming series. It combined the wonder of the assorted adorable battle monster anime that populated fandom around the time it debuted in North America, with a dark take on the unpleasant aspects of adolescence as its heroine Shina and her new friend Hoshimaru confronted other teens with decidedly less chipper attitudes and sinister friends of their own. Bokurano continues the strange combination of childhood wonder with the grim nature of humanity that Shadow Star had, this time in the giant robot genre. In some ways, it is a more tranquil series, yet in others just as brutal as Shadow Star.

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No New Del Rey Titles After November 2010?

DelRey Manga

After checking this months Diamond Previews, I noticed that there were no new solicitations for DelRey manga. All that was listed were reoffered volumes of their previously published Avatar the Last Airbender and Ben10 graphic novel adaptations.

When I checked Amazon.ca for a sign of future books, no new titles were listed after November 2010 – a month which sees the final volume of Tsubasa and the brand-new series I Am Here!, as solicited in the previous edition of Diamond Previews. In fact, the only titles past November of this year appear to be a handful of titles curiously now listed for March 2013, such as Night Head Genesis (Vol. 03), Arisa (Vol. 02) and Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei (Vol.09). The CLAMP in America book by Shaenon K. Garrity remains on schedule, though now delayed again until February 2011.

DelRey has been slowing their output lately, while still launching new series and putting out a fair number of titles each month. The recent layoff of marketing manager Ali Kokmen and their declining profile at conventions has had many fans worried about their status. The lack of new solicitations in the major comic distributors monthly catalogue is yet another addition to this uncertain situation.

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Review: St. Dragon Girl (Vol. 08)

Reviewer: Andre
St. Dragon Girl (Vol. 08)

Manga-ka: Natsumi Matsumoto
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: September 2010

Synopsis: “Mio has severed the red string of fate between Ryuga and Momoka that destines them to be soul mates. Momoka wants to tell Ryuga she loves him, but he has fallen victim to Mio’s magic spell. Will Momoka be able to repair her and Ryuga’s destiny?”

St.Dragon Girl’s charming mixture of fantasy, martial arts and flowery shojo visuals comes to a sugary end as Natsumi Matsumoto closes the chapter on Momoka and Ryuga’s youth. The gleeful combination of Chinese and Japanese mythology and adorable details common to Ribon magazine manga leaves a warm impression on its readers, leading one hopeful that VIZ will see fit to import the sequel series promised in the concluding notes.

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Review: Dorodedoro (Vol. 02)

Reviewer: Andre
Dorohedoro (Vol. 02)

Manga-ka: Q Hayashida
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2010
Synopsis: “Once a year, hordes of the dead rise and roam the streets of the Hole, hungry for live flesh. And every year, Caiman and Nikaido sign up for the local zombie-killing contest! Whoever sends the most zombies back into the ground will win some fantastic prizes. But the fun ends quickly when En’s cleaners finally track down Caiman and Nikaido. Somebody’s going to lose their head. Literally.”

Continuing on the violence and food focused buffet of the previous instalment, Dorohedoro volume two offers us more helpings of this charming ultra-violent manga. While continuing with its constant food references and cheerful, chummy cast of vigilantes and villains, it amps up its stark visuals and draws us further along the plot and the origins of Caiman’s unusual, lizard-headed appearance while also shedding more light onto Nikaido’s mysterious past.

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Review: Magic Touch (Vol. 09)

Reviewer: Andre
Magic Touch (Vol. 09)

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

Synopsis: “For a brief moment, Chiaki fears that another girl is giving Yosuke a massage on the sly. As graduation day approaches, she must untangle her feelings for Yosuke and tell him how she really feels. Love, romance and massage…the exciting conclusion to The Magic Touch!”

Having heard both good and bad things about this series, I decided to undertake a review of the final volume for team Kuriousity. Catching up on the series with a previous volume beforehand, reading this last instalment left me pleasantly surprised. Magic Touch takes a fairly odd concept and delivers an entertaining, offbeat shojo series.

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Review: St. Dragon Girl (Vol. 07)

Reviewer: Andre
St. Dragon Girl (Vol. 07)

Manga-ka: Natsumi Matsumoto
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2010

Synopsis: “Momoka is eager to give Ryuga the antique pocket watch she bought him for his 17th birthday, but when she gets to school, the Ryuga she meets is only 13 years old! A tiny trickster fairy who lives in the watch has taken Momoka back in time, and now Momoka must find her way back to the present day.”

As Matsumoto adds the element of dinosaur-obsession into an already panda-inclined manga, cuteness levels jump into overdrive in this volume of St. Dragon Girl. A personable narrative combines with clever design elements to make a very readable series that touches upon most of the basic elements of shojo manga for a younger audience, while also appealing to general manga readers. Everything is handled in an efficient fashion that endows it with endearing charm, whether it‘s time travel, sinister paintings or overly violent mermaids.

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Review: St. Dragon Girl (Vol. 05)

Reviewer: Andre

Manga-ka: Natsumi Matsumoto
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “During the Sports Festival, Momoka brings lunch for Ryuga so they can eat together, but Akira isn’t happy that Ryuga rejected her lunch in favour of Momoka’s. Jealous, Akira calls on three impish wind demons to break the couple apart.”

A charming mixture of Chinese pop culture with the traditional styling of Ribon manga, St. Dragon Girl is a sweet, spirited piece of manga fluff. It also slips in just enough fantasy elements and strange cuteness to avoid being overly sweet, relying on an upbeat tone that will overcome many a jaded manga fan.

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