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Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

On The Shelf: June 19, 2013

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 19, 2013

June showers bring summer… manga? I wish, because with all the rain here this summer I’d be drowning in manga instead.

Much more summery is this week’s release of Viz Media‘s Children of the Sea (Vol. 05). It’s also the last volume of the series that exists so far. While I’ll be sad to see it go, I’m really eager to see where the story ends up and hope it has a satisfying finish.

The other must-have book for me this week is Vertical Inc‘s Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (Vol. 02). I loved the first book; and the hard copy treatment with the high quality paper is a great added bonus.

Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz (Vol.05) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Children of the Sea (Vol.05) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kitchen Princess Omnibus (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Alice in the Country of Hearts, Children of the Sea, Kitchen Princess, Kodansha Comics, Manga, Mobile Suit Gundam, Seven Seas, SIG Ikki, Vertical Inc, Viz Media

Review: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica – The Innocent Malice (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, June 17, 2013

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Puella Magi Kazumi Magica - The Innocent Malice (Vol. 01)

Author: Magica Quartet/Masaki Hiramatsu
Manga-ka: Takashi Tensugi
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: June 2013

Synopsis: “Kidnapped and stuffed into a trunk by an unknown assailant, teenager Kazumi bursts forth from the confines of the case to discover that she has been stripped not only of her clothes, but also of the memories of her life before the kidnapping. When she is recovered by a pair of schoolgirls, she doesn’t recognize them as her best friends and roommates, Umika and Kaoru. As Kazumi tries to settle back into her normal life, she quickly realizes that her former “normal” was anything but!”

Puella Magi Madoka Magica was one of the best anime series I’ve seen in some time. The concept, the characters, the execution – it was a well-constructed story all on its own, but also one that laid out an entire universe’s worth of potential. I wanted to know more about this world’s magical girls, and who else had their wishes granted and became bound to battle witches. Puella Magi Kazumi Magica – The Innocent Malice is one of several spin-offs that have come about to fulfill just such a wish. Unfortunately, based on the amount of nudity and skimpy outfits on underage girls this book has, I’m not the particular audience Kazumi Magica spin-off is targeting.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Madoka Magica, Manga, Yen Press

Review: The Misfortune of Kyon & Koizumi

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, June 15, 2013

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Manga-ka: Various
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: February 2013

Synopsis: “Boisterous, impulsive Haruhi Suzumiya commands the spotlight wherever she goes! But the SOS Brigade chief wouldn’t be any kind of chief at all without a supporting cast of club members to command as well. And there’s no one she loves ordering around as much as Kyon! In this collection of short comics and illustrations by various artists, the boys of the SOS Brigade will at last have their moment to shine!”

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was never a franchise I could get into. I’ve watched half the anime, I’ve read half the manga, but neither compelled me to finish. Each of the leads – Haruhi, Nagato and Mikuru – feel like they’ve been popped from the anime cliché mold. Regardless of any intent by it, they bored me. However, there were two characters I did find interesting and those were the male characters, Kyon and Koizumi. Their responses and responsibilities came off to me as more ‘real’ than anything the girls did and I loved how the story used them to ground the supernatural stuff in reality. It didn’t seem odd then that if any book was going to compel me to experience the Haruhi story again, it’d be this one.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Yen Press

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – June 12, 2013

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, June 13, 2013

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Another week, another list of new manga – another week of lots of manga. Huzzah! This week’s On The Shelf on Otaku USA has been posted, but it will also be my last On The Shelf article for Otaku USA. It’s hard to believe I’d been doing it nearly two years!

For those still looking for the weekly list, new books will continue to be posted every week here on Kuriousity as normal. On The Shelf mini lives on!

A Devil and Her Love Song (Vol.09) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Arata: The Legend (Vol.14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Attack on Titan (Vol.05) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Bleach (Vol.57) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dawn of the Arcana (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Demon Love Spell (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
His Favorite (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossoms Pink [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Knights of Sidonia (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Loveless (Vol.11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
No.6 (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (Vol.15) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
One Piece (Vol.67) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
One Piece Omnibus (Vol.06) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokémon Adventures Platinum (Vol.08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sankarea: Undying Love (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Skip Beat! (Vol.31) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Slam Dunk (Vol.28) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sleeping Moon (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Toriko (Vol.16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Trigun Maximum Omnibus (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: A Devil and her Love Song, Arata the Legend, Attack on Titan, Bleach, Boys' Love/Yaoi, Dark Horse, Dawn of the Arcana, Demon Love Spell, Haganai, Kisses Sighs and Cherry..., Knights of Sidonia, Kodansha Comics, Loveless, No.6, Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan, One Piece, Otaku USA, Pokemon, Rurouni Kenshin, Sakura Hime, Sankarea, Seven Seas, Shonen Jump, Shoujo Beat, Skip Beat, Slam Dunk, Sleeping Moon, SuBLime, Toriko, Trigun, Viz Media, Yu-Gi-Oh

Review: Dawn of the Arcana (Vol. 10)

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, June 8, 2013

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Manga-ka: Rei Toma
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2013

Synopsis: “Princess Nakaba of Senan and Prince Caesar of Belquat married each other for the sake of peace between their warring countries, yet the two find themselves drawn to each other even as political forces threaten to tear their world apart. In Lithuanel, Nakaba desperately searches for a way to save both her friend Akhil and his brother Azhal. Unfortunately, her visions show that only one of them will live. Meanwhile, Caesar’s return to Belquat may mean the end of his relationship with Nakaba…”

I’ve made no secret about my frustrations with this series every time I write about it, and yet I keep on buying each and every volume as it comes out. Volume one had moments that impressed me, but they were buried under a stiff delivery and disappointing character devolution. While time has helped the pacing issues, the change of Nakaba’s character from strong, independent woman to a cowering dependent remained on-going. Throw in the love triangle created when she falls for her abuser, and leaves her loyal best friend on the sidelines, and you have a mixed bag of yuck.

But wait, you may be wondering, ‘why is this reviewer still reading the series then?’. The answer is volumes like this. (Warning: Review will contain spoilers)

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Dawn of the Arcana, Manga, Shoujo Beat, Viz Media

Seven Seas Licenses Manga Sequel, Zero’s Familiar Chevalier

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 7, 2013

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Seven Seas’ announced on their Twitter earlier today that they’ve licensed Zero’s Familiar Chevalier. This is a direct sequel series to Zero’s Familiar, which Seven Seas recently released the first omnibus volume of.

The story of Zero’s Familiar follows a young man bound to serve a fledgling witch who accidentally summoned him as her life-long magical servant. Zero’s Familiar Chevalier is four volumes long and will be released mid-2014 after Seven Seas’ run of the original series ends.

I haven’t read the original series (yet), but judging by response to its initial license, I imagine there’s a lot of happy people knowing there’s more for them to enjoy after the first series finishes its three-omnibus run.

Seven Seas also reminded readers about their license of the Dance in the Vampire Bund sequel, Dance in the Vampire Bund: The Memories of Sledge Hammer, which is being released starting this December (Amazon CAN/US).

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Dance in the Vampire Bund, Manga, Seven Seas, Zero's Familiar

PR: Viz Media Releases the Samurai Manga Action of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 7, 2013

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VIZ MEDIA RELEASES THE SAMURAI MANGA ACTION OF RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION

RUROUNI KENSHIN Creator Nobuhiro Watsuki Offers A Twist On His Original Smash Hit Samurai Story in a New Manga

San Francisco, CA, June 7, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, celebrates the return of one of manga’s most iconic samurai – Rurouni Kenshin – with the release of RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION. This new series is published under the Shonen Jump imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. A digital edition is also available on VIZ Manga and the VIZ Manga App for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN).

Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of the original RUROUNI KENSHIN series (also published by VIZ Media in North America; rated ‘T’ for Teens) revisits his classic manga story. Action, romance, and historical intrigue abound in RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION, a tale of a wandering swordsman during Japan’s chaotic Meiji Restoration.

During the violent upheaval of the Bakumatsu era (1853-1868), Hitokiri Battosai was a feared and ruthless assassin. But now that the Meiji Restoration has begun to heal the wounds of civil war, Battosai has taken up a new name and calling! He is now Rurouni Kenshin, a ronin (masterless) wanderer who has vowed only to draw his sword to protect those in need. But not everyone is pleased with Kenshin’s new direction, and enemies from his dark past have vowed to bring him down!

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Rurouni Kenshin, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

Review: Alice in the Country of Hearts – My Fanatic Rabbit (Vol. 01-02)

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, June 6, 2013

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Alice in the Country of Hearts – My Fanatic Rabbit (Vol. 01)

Author: QuinRose
Manga-ka: Delico Psyche
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2012

Synopsis: “One day, a mysterious rabbit-eared man named Peter suddenly appears in Alice’s garden and kidnaps her, whisking her off to a dangerous world where every resident brandishes a weapon. Trapped in this land in the midst of a three-way power struggle, Alice accepts an offer to stay at the Hatter’s mansion. At the mansion, Alice meets the Hatter’s right-hand man, Elliot March, who is likable and charming and…also sports a pair of bunny ears! And yet, Alice cannot get over the fact that Elliot is actually a Mafia hitman, willing to kill people without hesitation…In this popular Wonderland manga, the March Hare has finally arrived!!”

It’s been almost a year since I read, and very much enjoyed, Yen Press’s release of Alice in the Country of Hearts. Since then, I’ve been reading the spin-off series published by both Yen Press and Seven Seas in the hopes of filling in some of the plot holes left by the original story. So far I’ve been met with disappointment, not only for a lack of substantial plot expansion but also by stories that were dull from the forced pairing of Alice with one individual. None have been awful though, simply sub par, that is at least until I read the two part series, My Fanatic Rabbit.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Alice in the Country of..., Manga, Yen Press

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – June 5th, 2013

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 5, 2013

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I have a feeling June is going to be one of those months where my manga budget gets stretched… …by a lot. Enjoy the first wave of manga out this month, and check out my thoughts at Otaku USA’s On The Shelf article for books out this week.

Are You Alice? (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Black God (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Blood Lad (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Blood-C (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
BTOOOM! (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dragonball 3-in-1 (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Durarara!! Saika Arc (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan (Vol.09) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Missions of Love (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Omamori Himari (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon Black & White (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sacred Blacksmith (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Soul Eater (Vol.14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Thermae Romae (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Umineko: Turn of the Golden Witch (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Are You Alice?, Black God, Blood C, Blood Lad, Btooom!, Dark Horse, Dragonball, Durarara, GTO, Haruhi Suzumiya, Kingdom Hearts, Kodansha Comics, Manga, Missions of Love, Omahori Himari, Pokemon, Sacred Blacksmith, Shonen Jump, Soul Eater, Thermae Romae, Umineko, Vertical Inc, Viz Media, Yen Press

Yaoi-Con To Resume in 2014 with Return to San Francisco

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, June 2, 2013

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There are too many anime & manga conventions to cover them all, but I make exceptions for a show like Yaoi Con as the only one in North America owned by a manga publisher. It’s an interesting combination. The internet was surprisingly silent over how Yaoi Con 2012, the first event held by Digital Manga, went, but the absence of a 2013 show spoke a lot on its own.

Digital Manga recently announced, however, that Yaoi Con will be returning in 2014. While there is no specific date or location, what they have confirmed is that the show will be returning to San Francisco in the Fall. After years of the boys’ love dedicated event being held there, Digital Manga moved the show to Long Beach. While we can’t blame them for wanting a location more convenient for their staff, the decision didn’t go over so well with veteran attendees or volunteers.

Who knows, maybe 2014 will be the year I attend and cross Yaoi Con off my bucket list. Will it bounce back bigger and better? Time will tell, and I think a lot of that will be determined for attendees by what guests they announce for the show.

Digital Manga also announced they were returning to print early by announcing the availability of Tyrant Who Falls in Love (Vol.08) and Ze (Vol.07) on their own retail site, Akadot. As this only applies to those who can buy from Akadot, I consider it a minor comfort. For the rest of us, the date on retailers, such as Amazon (CAN/US), remains August.

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Categories: News
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Conventions, DMP, Manga