Kuriousity | manga reviews and news

Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

PR: Viz Media Launches Free Viz Manga iPad App

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, November 2, 2010

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES FREE VIZ MANGA iPAD APP

App Debuting with NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, BLEACH and Other Greatest Hits of Manga; DEATH NOTE Volume 1 As A Free Download for a Limited Time

San Francisco, CA, November 2, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced its long-awaited digital manga (graphic novel) application for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device, launching today for FREE download through the iTunes Store. With this launch, the VIZ MANGA APP instantly becomes the leading destination to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world.

The VIZ MANGA APP will launch on its first day with five legendary manga series, BLEACH Vols. 1-2, DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-2, DRAGON BALL Vol. 1, NARUTO Vols. 1-2, and ONE PIECE Vols. 1-2, as well as the recently launched BAKUMAN。 Vol. 1. In Week 2, the shojo fan favorite OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 1 joins the lineup. All volumes will be available for purchase and download directly within the application for $4.99 per volume. In addition, DEATH NOTE Vol. 1 will be available as a FREE download for a limited time only. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad will also be featured and added on a frequent and regular basis.

Swag Bag – Stellar Stacks of Demon Omnibus in Space

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, November 1, 2010

6 Comments »

Happy Halloween! Er, a belated happy Halloween anyway. Hope those who celebrated it had a good time and didn’t get too stuffed on candy! While not treats of the sugary kind, I picked up a bunch of fun looking books last week.

It was a pretty hefty release week for Tokyopop titles so I left the store with a good armful of them. To start off, I picked up the first volume of The Stellar Six of Gingacho simply because it looked cute and I’m always up for giving a first volume a try. The interior art looks like a bit of a mess but hopefully the story proves more coherent. I love the colour scheme of the cover design though! Looking to try out another new series, and because I’m heard so many crazy things about it, I got the first volume of Demon Sacred which is by the same artist who did Jyu-Oh-Sei.

Next up I couldn’t resist their new How to Draw Shoujo Manga which shares how-to-dos and helpful tips for manga artists from a very Japanese-manga oriented perspective. This includes example material from a bunch of well-known manga artists including Fumi Yoshinaga. I’ll admit seeing her art on the back was the clincher to purchase this. Here’s hoping I learn something useful as I stare at the pretty artwork.

Continuing on with series I’m already collecting, into my basket went Mad Love Chase (Vol. 04) and Silver Diamond (Vol. 07). Both these series have admittedly begun to lose their luster for me but I’m stubborn with series I like (or have liked…)! Lastly for Tokyopop titles, I bought the second volume of Togainu no Chi because, well, it was on sale. I was pretty disappointed in the first volume but have been repeatedly told “It gets better!” so we shall see.

Adding to my swiftly growing stack of omnibus editions, from DelRey I bought the collected (Vol. 15,16,17) book of Air Gear -a series where the art is still fantastic even if the story keeps digging itself a deeper and deeper hole of WTF? – and (Vol. 08,09,10) of Mushishi – a series I’m collected sporadically because I liked the anime so much.

And to round out my shopping trips with a scattering from other companies, I got Twin Spica (Vol. 04) from Vertical, Dengeki Daisy (Vol. 02) from Viz Media – will it live up to my love of the first?! – and Himeyuka & Rozoine’s Story from Yen Press, which looks like a quaint little one-shot collection from a creator I’ve enjoyed works from in the past.

Anything exceptionally fantastic that came out recently that I’ve missed? Picked up something extra snazzy yourself? Let me know!

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Features, Swag Bag
Tags: Del Rey, Fumi Yoshinaga, Manga, Tokyopop, Vertical Inc, Viz Media, Yen Press

Digital Manga Announces New Kodaka, Kikuchi and More

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, October 30, 2010

2 Comments »

On the eve of this year’s Yaoi Con, Digital Manga has announced a handful of new titles, two of the three boys’ love. The news was posted on their website and official Twitter account.

Border – Kazuma Kodaka
Bad Teacher’s Equation – Kazuma Kodaka
Demon City Shinjuku: The Complete Edition (Novel) – Hideyuki Kikuchi

Edit: Kazuma Kobaka’s Border was originally announced publicly at the past Anime Expo. (Thanks, Jessica!)

They also announced the acquisition of the fourth volume of Makoto Tateno’s Blue Sheep Reverie. Also new to their website are Rabbit Man, Tiger Man (Akira Honma), Men of Tattoos (Aniya Yuiji), Butterfly of a Distant Day (Tooko Miyagi), That Was Good (CJ Michalski) and Your Story I’ve Known (Tsuta Suzuki). You can check out the pages for Border, Bad Teacher’s Equation and Demon City Shinjuku as well.

Though the titles themselves are exciting (more Kazume Kodaka – yay!), I was honestly even more pleased at the method of their announcement. Granted a blog-style announcement isn’t the most climatic delivery in the world, but it’s great to have it come directly from the publisher via their social media outlets and, most impressively to me, was also accompanied by the volumes being added to the website right away with the Japanese covers and release dates. An up-to-date website? Madness! Thank you, Digital Manga, for again proving you have one of the very best manga publisher websites for info on your titles! You make me and many others very happy.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Licensing
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, DMP, June, Makoto Tateno, Manga

PR: Yamane Ayano Official Site Is Open!

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, October 29, 2010

No Comments »

YAMANE AYANO OFFICIAL SITE IS OPEN!

Dear Yamane Ayano fans!!

All About Yamane Ayano! The world’s first official Ayano Yamane portal site by Animate U.S.A., Inc. is now open!

TOKYO, JAPAN – October 29 – Animate U.S.A., Inc. is extremely excited to announce the launch of Ayano Yamane’s first official portal site! Yamane fans will have access to the newest updates about Ayano Yamane’s projects, and get connected to Ayano Yamane via twitter & her blog. In addition, the site will host her manga and artwork as well. And best of all, you’ll be able to find all kinds of Ayano Yamane mangas available to purchase through the site! Multiple languages are available! (English and Japanese only at opening.) Show your love for Ayano Yamane by stopping by and checking out her site when it launches!

For more information, visit yamaneayano.com.

Also, a new title from the Finder Series by Ayano Yamane is now available in the Kindle Store. Don’t miss it!!

“Viewfinder Series – Akihito Takaba’s Refined Summer Vacation” by Ayano Yamane

Hot Summer Night, XX on the beach!?

A dangerous love that melts your body and heart. An invitation obtained on the summer beach… but it’s a sweet trap by Asami.

Enjoy this unpublished episode of the much-loved series all over the world, Viewfinder Series!

Read more…

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Boys-Luv.com

The Manga Revolution? Digital Manga Guild Accepting Applications

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, October 29, 2010

1 Comment »

Originally disclosed back in June, Digital Manga has now launched the official start of their newest digital manga initiative, and one that could potentially overhaul the way fans around the world enjoy the medium: The Digital Manga Guild. Credit and thanks to Daniella of All About Manga for sharing the link via her Twitter account.

“With the changing tide of the economy and the high cost and slow pace of producing print editions of your favorite manga, Digital Manga, Inc. has moved forward into this new digital venture to localize and produce manga online! Digital Manga has made agreements with six major Japanese publishers to provide content to our online platform, planned for a 2011 launch. Hundreds of untranslated titles will need to be adapted to the rest of the speaking world. That is where you, the fans step in.”

The website is pretty sparse right now but has open applications for groups and individuals to apply for potential roles as translators, editors, re-writers, touch-up artists and letterers. There’re no specifics on the experience required for applicants though there is a section to provide examples of your work.

It’s exciting to see the number of different languages Digital Manga is seeking translators for: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Korean and Chinese. Not only could this be a fantastic endeavour for Digital Manga’s current English market, but to manga readers around the world as well, offering a fan-involved, legal and artist supporting alternative to scanlations. This is a project definitely worth keeping an eye on and it’ll be great to see what first titles come out the door.

You can read more about the original discussion surrounding this project on the website, The Yaoi Review, including a follow-up response from the company president.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: News
Tags: DM Guild, DMP

PR: Udon to Release Street Fighter Gaiden Manga Series

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, October 28, 2010

No Comments »

Toronto, ON – Oct 28, 2010 – It’s time for more fast-flying Hadokens, jaw-breaking Cannon Spikes, and earth-shattering Sonic Booms as the gang at UDON brings you another never-before-translated STREET FIGHTER™ manga series straight from Japan! This November UDON returns to the most classic of all fighting game eras with STREET FIGHTER GAIDEN, a 2-volume manga series featuring the classic cast of Street Fighter(R) II!

Written and drawn by Mami Itou (Darkstalkers/Red Earth, ROBOT, Pilgrim Jäger), Street Fighter Gaiden spotlights the World Warriors’ adventures outside the tournament scene. The series is made up of short stories each devoted to a classic Street Fighter character. Fan-favorites like Ryu, Ken, Chun-li, and Guile each get their due, as do many other skilled fighters. Cammy teams up with Delta Red against the narcisitic Vega, T. Hawk has a desert showdown with Balrog, Fei-Long teaches everyone what it truly means to be a martial artist, and Ryu & Ken face off together against their deadliest rival – Akuma!

Street Fighter Gaiden Vol.1 goes on sales at comic shops and book stores everywhere November 24, 2010. Street Fighter Gaiden Vol.2 will follow in January 2011.

PR: Silly Fun w/ Heart for Younger Readers – Panda Man and Taro

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

No Comments »

TWO NOVEMBER RELEASES FROM VIZ KIDS

PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL Combine Stories of Fun and Mischief with Brain Tickling Puzzles and Games

San Francisco, CA, October 27, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, gives younger readers something to look forward to with the release of PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL on November 2nd.

PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE!, TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL, and the subsequent books in each series, were created to tap into every child’s sense of play. The new titles, recommended for readers ages 6 years or older and part of the VIZ Kids imprint, tell the stories of a flatulent panda and a brave little pup. Each book offers a unique reading experience, mixing comic book elements with traditional prose. In addition, readers solve mazes, puzzles and riddles to move the stories along.

“We are really excited to offer these two new series,” said Traci Todd, Senior Editor, Children’s Publishing. “PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL are good, silly fun mixed with a lot of heart.”

THE ADVENTURES OF PANDA MAN: PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE ·
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN · Available November 2nd
Boing Oing! It’s Panda Man, a roly-poly hero with a bottomless belly and the power of pee-yew! Evil villains are no match for our hero’s funky feet and flatulence, but he still needs your help! Together you can solve the mazes and puzzles that stand between Panda Man and ultimate justice…or his next meal. Whichever comes first!

THE ADVENTURES OF TARO: TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL ·
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN · Available November 2nd
Before 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 Terrie (a terrier) and enters his comic book world. The adventures ahead are more amazing than anything he ever imagined!

ANN Review: Black Gate (Omnibus)

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

No Comments »

Feels like I’ve been reading a lot of omnibus recently – not that I’m complaining to 600+ pages of manga for cheap! I kicked off a week of omnibus reading with Black Gate, a 3-in-1 omnibus from Tokyopop. You can read my full review of it over at AnimeNewsNetwork.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The beginning bored me a lot though, at first I didn’t think I’d be able to get through it all. Thankfully an assortment of interesting characters came in midway and made it exceptionally more entertaining. Pretty artwork too, which was my entire basis for picking this one up. See what a shiny cover can do?

Book purchased at Strange Adventures

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: ANN Reviews, Manga, Tokyopop

Two New Boys’ Love Anthologies Out for Yaoi Con

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, October 24, 2010

No Comments »

Just in time for the upcoming Yaoi Con, two new boys’ love anthologies are being released to offer up those in attendance, or those of us ordering online, a slew of beautiful looking original boys’ love stories.

The first is called the Adamo Anthology and is described as:

“…158 pages and contains four one-chapter comics and four illustrations all centering around the theme “strange love”.”

The book is currently available to pre-order online for $15.00 (plus shipping). Their website has previews of most of the content being published in the first book, which includes both comic pages and pin-ups, and info about the contributing creators.

The other anthology is called Crown Royale, with its first volume out for Yaoi Con and also available online for order now. This collection of stories from multiple artists is referred to as:

“A comedic re-imagining of classic fairy tales by boys’ love artists!”

The first volume is limited to 250 copies and is available to purchase for $12 in-person at Yaoi Con, or $17 shipped to Canada/US. Their website has previews of the work available in this first installment and a list of the artists.

Both releases are rated for 18+ readers, so a warning for all curious. Each of these books look super shiny and sport some fantastic and varied artwork. I hope those attending YaoiCon are able to pick up some of those advance copies and let us know what awaits those of us who’ve pre-ordered online.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Boys-Luv.com

ANN Review: House of Five Leaves (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, October 23, 2010

No Comments »

Newish review up over at AnimeNewsNetwork, this time for a new-to-English-print SigIKKI series, House of Five Leaves.

While Natsume Ono’s previous works have left me a on the underwhelmed side, I found I enjoyed House of Dead Leaves. Her subtle charaterization was a lot nicer and less over-dramatic for the sake of being so. The Ero-period setting worked well and I think her art’s improved a lot too, House of Five Leaves being one of her more recent series.

In hindsight, I think my C+ grade for the art was a little low but my decision there was based on how extra subjective I think it is to people’s tastes. Natsume Ono’s art is always an easy deal-breaker as I see it. Personally I liked it here but the masses at large? Eh, maybe not so much by first impressions.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: ANN Reviews, Manga, Viz Media