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Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

DMP Deals in Body Guard Drama with Kou Yoneda’s Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, August 19, 2013

Digital Manga took to Twitter on Friday to announce a new boys’ love license:

Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai – Kou Yoneda

Contrary to most license announcements, Digital Manga announced this one with the original Japanese title, Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai (囀る鳥は羽ばたかない). It’s a little odd to have a license announced without giving the English name, but I assume one’s coming. Currently they have no release date for the title either but did confirm it would be available as both print and digital editions.

Digital Manga has previously released Kou Yoneda’s No Touching At All, which Shannon Fay thoroughly enjoyed. Here’s hoping this newest work lives up to the expectations! SuBLime also recently announced their own Kou Yoneda license, NightS, which they’ll be releasing in January 2014.

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Digital, DMP, Kou Yoneda, Manga, Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai

Super Savings: Viz Media Bids Farewell to Summer With Digital Deals

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, August 16, 2013

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Viz Media is offering a silver lining to the dwindling days of summer with a sale on their digital manga. Until September 5, 2013, all their titles available on VizManga.com and its apps, plus the NOOK tablets, are 20% off. This means that their standard pricing of $4.99/US per book drops to $3.99/US. For an entire volume of manga? That’s pretty darn good!

While I’m always an advocate for buying the hardcopy books, the sad part of print reality is that some are just not possible to find anymore. However, Viz Media has been pushing out digital editions of a lot of older series, alongside simultaneous releases of their new ones. This is great for finally being able to read a lot of out of print titles.

Some of my recommendations from the out-of-print category include Red River, Please Save My Earth, The Cain Saga, and – one of my absolute favourites – Kaze Hikaru. Viz Media currently boasts a “library of over 1,500 volumes across 130+ series”. Get ’em while they’re cheap(er)!

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Categories: News, Super Savings
Tags: Digital, Kaze Hikaru, Please Save My Earth, Red River, Shonen Jump, Shoujo Beat, The Cain Saga, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Announces Release of Tiger & Bunny Comic Anthology 2-in-1

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, August 15, 2013

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF TIGER & BUNNY COMIC ANTHOLOGY 2-IN-1

First Of A 2-Volume Homage To The Superhero Smash Hit Anime Series Features A Humorous Collection Of Inspired Shorts

San Francisco, CA, August 14, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, delivers an entirely new take on the superhero manga action of TIGER & BUNNY with the release of the TIGER & BUNNY: COMIC ANTHOLOGY 2-IN-1. The new release is now available, and is rated ‘T’ for Teens, carrying an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

Inspired by the hit anime series from Sunrise Studio, Ltd., TIGER & BUNNY (also licensed in North America by VIZ Media), the TIGER & BUNNY: COMIC ANTHOLOGY features a collection of humorous shorts by an all-star manga artist line-up. The volume also includes 4 full-color bonus pages featuring key character artwork from the anime series.

The heroes of Stern Bild City are larger than life when they appear on Hero TV, but when they take off their costumes their lives are just like anyone else’s! Or are they?! What do you do when you’re a hero and invited to a Halloween costume party? See how our heroes stay in shape (and keep their hair from getting messed up). And exactly what is Saito saying under his breath? Over two-dozen stories take you deep into the world of Tiger & Bunny!

“The TIGER & BUNNY: COMIC ANTHOLOGY 2-In-1 is the first of a unique, 2-volume homage to the bestselling anime/manga series about a future where corporate-sponsored superheroes battle evil, and often each other, for reality TV ratings,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “This new release features 18 of Japan’s top doujinshi, self-published, amateur manga artists, who present a collection of distinctive and often hilarious shorts that imagine a whole new ‘off-duty’ side to Wild Tiger, Barnaby Brooks Jr. and other memorable characters from the hit series. Don’t miss this fun new addition to the TIGER & BUNNY universe!”

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Tiger & Bunny, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Debuts The New Fantasy Adventure Manga Series: Magi The Labyrinth of Magic

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, August 15, 2013

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VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS THE NEW FANTASY ADVENTURE MANGA SERIES MAGI: THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC

Deadly Dungeons Filled With Traps And Hidden Treasures Await Young Adventurer Aladdin In This Exciting Reimagining Of The Arabian Nights

San Francisco, CA, August 14, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, offers a captivating new reimagining of the classic story One Thousand and One Nights (also known as the Arabian Nights) with the debut of MAGI: THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC, now available. The new series, by Shinobu Ohtaka, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, is published under the Shonen Sunday imprint, and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

MAGI: THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC is also available digitally for $4.99 (U.S / CAN) from VIZManga.com and for digital download through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, and also for NOOK tablets and devices.

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

“MAGI: THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC is a enchanting mix of comedy, fantasy, and adventure, with dungeons full of treasures and deadly traps that hide mysterious magical beings,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “Aladdin and his trusty magical sidekick Ugo are in for the adventure of a lifetime as they journey across deadly deserts and exotic locales in search of fame, fortune, and destiny!”

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Magi, Viz Media

Review: Body Guard

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, August 15, 2013

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Manga-ka: Kimiyoshi
Publisher: Digital Manga Guild
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2013

Synopsis: “Takahiro’s normal life as a high school student gets turned on its head when his father marries a super rich Hollywood actress named, Elizabeth Adley, and leaves Japan to be with her. Takahiro is forced to leave his apartment home move into a lavish hotel room. Fantasies of naked nights of porn and debauchery begin to fill Takahiro’s mind. Too bad his new mother in law has other plans. In order to protect Takahiro (and her money) from kidnappings, Elizabeth hires two bodyguards from a distinguished American company. Any thoughts of unsupervised nights of fun quickly rush from Takahiro’s mind. On the up side, his new bodyguards are totally cool.”

Sometimes there are books so bad that you almost have to recommend them as an important genre piece. Some books just make the good books look better. That said, Body Guard is still not a book I would recommend to many, but I would lying if I said I hadn’t shown select pages to a number of fellow boys’ love fans just to get a good laugh.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Digital, DM Guild, eManga, Manga

On The Shelf: August 14, 2013

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, August 14, 2013

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MAGI is here! I’ve been eager to read this manga ever since I started watching the anime adaptation on Crunchyroll. I really love the characters, and hope the manga is as much fun. I’m still in shock it’s by the creator of Sumomomo, Momomo though. If curious, you can read Andre’s review of Sumomomo (Vol. 02).

Other exciting titles for me this week include the new editions of Embracing Love, courtesy of SuBLime, and volume one of the Tiger & Bunny Comic Anthology from Viz Media.

Blue Morning (Vol. 02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dorohedoro (Vol. 10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Embracing Love 2-in-1 (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Excel Saga (Vol. 26) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Inu Yasha VizBIG (Vol. 16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Itsuwaribito (Vol. 09) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Knights of Sidonia (Vol. 04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
MAGI (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Neon Genesis Evangelion 3-in-1 (Vol. 04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Tiger & Bunny Comic Anthology (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: News, On The Shelf
Tags: Blue Morning, Boys' Love/Yaoi, Dorohedoro, Embracing Love, Excel Saga, Inu Yasha, Itsuwaribito, Knights of Sidonia, Magi, Manga, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Omnibus, Shonen Jump, SIG Ikki, SuBLime, Tiger & Bunny, Vertical Inc, Viz Media

Vertical Inc Dishes Out Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, August 11, 2013

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And the manga crowds cheered! Vertical Inc has revealed at their Otakon panel this weekend that they’ve licensed a much anticipated series:

What Did You Eat Yesterday? – Fumi Yoshinaga

“The manga revolves around Shirō Kakei, a methodical lawyer, and his lover Kenji Yabuki, a sociable hairstylist. The manga tells the story of their everyday lives together in their apartment through their cooking and eating habits. The series also provides recipes and cooking tips for the food featured in each chapter.” – AnimeNewsNetwork

Vertical Inc has volume one planned for March 204 for $12.95/US, $13.95/CAN, and there will be a new volume out every two months. The series is currently seven volumes long and on-going.

The majority of Fumi Yoshinaga’s early series released in English have been boys’ love – by Digital Manga and BLU – but her strong characterization and expressive, minimalist artwork has made her work popular among all sorts of manga reading circles. Yen Press previously released her one-volume food manga, Not Love But Delicious Foods, and Viz Media is currently releasing her on-going feudal drama, Ooku.**

Fumi Yoshinaga is one of my favourite manga creators and I’ve never hesitated purchasing everything by her released in English. What Did You Eat Yesterday? has been a series I’ve been wanting to read for a long time, both because I enjoy reading series about food and food preparation that’s new to me (which is pretty much everything you don’t microwave) and for a story about a gay couple that doesn’t focus on that as it’s only story element. I also think the series is in really good hands with Vertical Inc, so this is a win-win-win situation.

**Edit: For more Fumi Yoshinaga, you can read Shannon’s review of Not Love But Delicious Foods and my review of Ooku (Vol. 01), as well as my thoughts on her series Flowers of Life, The Moon and Sandals, Solfege, Garden Dreams, Truly Kindly, Don’t Say Anymore Darling, Lovers in the Night, and Ichigenme.

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Fumi Yoshinaga, Manga, Vertical Inc, What Did You Eat Yesterday

Seven Seas Is On the Yuri Case with Milk Morinaga’s Gakuen Polizi

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, August 10, 2013

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Seven Seas handed out a treat to manga readers yesterday with news that they’ve licensed a new yuri series:

Gakuen Polizi – Milk Morinaga

This currently two volume series is about a girl named Sasami Aoba who has always dreamed of becoming “a defender of justice”. Now an adult, she’s become a police officer and is given her first assignment – enter into a high school and look for troublemakers. When she arrives, her first culprit turns out to be another undercover police officer. Is she friend, foe or something more?

I’m already a big fan of Milk Morinaga, after reading her books Seven Seas’ has already released – Girlfriends and Kisses, Sighs and Cherry Blossom Pink (adapted by our own Shannon Fay!) – so Gakuen Polizi instantly becomes a must-buy for me. Her other works have been very high-school-romance-centric, and while this new one obviously has the same theme, the additional story of being undercover police officers makes me all the more curious. It sounds like a lot of fun!

Volume of Gakuen Polizi is scheduled for June 2014, with the second following in the Fall.

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Gakuen Polizi, Milk Morinaga, Seven Seas, Yuri

On The Shelf: August 7, 2013

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, August 9, 2013

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Happy Birthday to me! Well, belated. Sort of. This week’s shipping day, August 7th, just so happened to be my birthday, and what a birthday it was! This week was a huge one for new manga – thanks predominantly to Viz Media – and among the spoils were some of my favourite series still running.

Notables for me included Toriko (Vol. 17), the final volume of Bakuman, A Devil and Her Love Song (Vol. 10), Kamisama Kiss (Vol. 13) and the very long awaited Kaze Hikaru (Vol. 21), a title that only comes out once a year! Plenty to choose from. Seek, read and enjoy~

A Certain Scientific Railgun (Vol. 08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
A Devil and Her Love Song (Vol. 10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Clockmaker’s Story [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Bakuman (Vol. 20) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dance in the Vampire Bund Omnibus (Vol. 03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Happy Marriage!? (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kamisama Kiss (Vol. 13) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kaze Hikaru (Vol. 21) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kimi ni Todoke (Vol. 17) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kitaro [Amazon CAN, Amazon US]
Knights of Sidonia (Vol. 04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Library Wars: Love & War (Vol. 10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Naruto (Vol. 62) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (Vol. 16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Otomen (Vol. 16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon Adventures: Heart Gold and Soul Silver (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon: Black and White (Vol. 11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Rosario + Vampire Season II (Vol. 12) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Slam Dunk (Vol. 29) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Tegami Bachi (Vol. 14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Sacred Blacksmith (Vol. 02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Wallflower (Vol. 31) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Toriko (Vol. 17) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
World War Blue (Vol. 02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: A Certain Scientific Railgun, A Devil and her Love Song, Alice in the Country of..., Bakuman, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Drawn and Quarterly, Happy Marriage?!, Kamisama Kiss, Kaze Hikaru, Kimi ni Todoke, Kitaro, Knights of Sidonia, Library Wars, Manga, Naruto, Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan, Otomen, Pokemon Adventures, Rosario + Vampire, Seven Seas, Shonen Jump, Slam Dunk, Tegami Bachi, The Sacred Blacksmith, The Wallflower, Toriko, Viz Media, World War Blue

Review: Blood-C (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, August 6, 2013

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Manga-ka: Ranmaru Kotone
Publisher: Dark Horse
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: March 2013

Synopsis: “Saya Kisaragi is a kindhearted, if somewhat clumsy, student who trains by day to perform standard religious duties at her father’s shrine – but she becomes an unstoppable, monster-slaying swordswoman by night! The saga that began in Blood: The Last Vampire and the Blood+ anime series continues here! Don’t miss the schoolyard foibles, weird creatures, and katana-swinging action in this new manga series by Ranmaru Kotone, based on the hit Blood-C anime and infused with CLAMP’s original concepts and characters!”

Blood-C is like the manga equivalent of lasagna – you can enjoy all the different ingredients, but it doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy the final product. And that’s kind of weird. This adaptation of the anime series, Blood-C, has a plot that’s easy to follow, cool fight sequences, a cute lead character and even some nice artwork. Unfortunately when all those things are put together, their result is a hollow read that is difficult to pinpoint the exact flaws of.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Blood C, CLAMP, Dark Horse, Manga