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Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

Super Savings: RightStuf Bags Viz Media Bargains

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, July 22, 2010

RightStuf’s weekly sale has gone live and this week it’s on all Viz Media books -that my friends is a large library of savings indeed. Just going through the first couple of listings pages shows you these are sales well worth taking advantage of too – almost 50% off or more on some titles! The sale ends on August 2nd.

Because they fall a little higher on the price scale, and because they’re generally fantastic, I recommend spelunking through the Viz Sig imprint. Along with the wonders that is 20th Century Boys and Pluto by Naoki Urasawa, the Viz Signature line also includes Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ooku and the fan-tabulous line-up of titles currently up to read chapters for free of over at SigIkki.com. Definitely doesn’t hurt to get caught up on your favourite running shonen series either, be it Bleach, Eyeshield 21, One Piece or Naruto (to name some). Not to mention the shoujo… and artbooks… and back issues… and omnibus…and DVDs… Oh boy, this could take a while.

As a bonus, RightStuf is also offering free Viz Media convention tote bags to those who purchase three or more Viz Media items.

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Categories: Features, Super Savings
Tags: 20th Century Boys, Fumi Yoshinaga, One Piece, Viz Media, Viz Signature

Swag Bag for July 22nd 2010 – Evil Exes and Vengeful Counts

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, July 22, 2010

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My usual Wednesday shopping had to be postponed until Thursday as I did an emergency replacement of my computer (warning to the masses: backing up your computer files is the best thing you can do for your technological-sanity) but a fan can never be kept from the bookstore for long!

Today specifically I first picked up Viz Media’s newest shoujo series, Dengeki Daisy. The plot doesn’t exactly wow me, and I haven’t read the artist’s previous work, Beast Master, but I’ve already hard lots of good things about this new story so I’m giving it a go! Thanks to a snazzy buy-one-get-one deal at Strange Adventures I was also able to snap up a copy of the third volume of Gankutsuou. While I haven’t read it through yet, just flipping through shows me this is going to be an entirely different, and considerably more disturbing, angle than the anime – yikes! And of course, I had to pick up a copy of the final volume of Scott Pilgrim.

While I never got a chance to visit the vendors for shopping purposes at last week’s Animinitime, I did stop by at the local Chapters to spend a convenient gift card I’d acquired. While there I also checked out the selection of French language manga. Such pretty design work! All with slipcovers and nice mini trim sizes. Also the selection was snazzy – over fifty volumes of Case Closed?! Very cool.

Chapters purchases included Calling, a boys’ love one-shot from BLU which sports an uke with very fluttering eyelashes; Cirque du Freak (Vol. 05) because my roommate adores the manga version (hasn’t read the books though) and I must admit it’s pretty darn fun to read; Flower in a Storm (Vol. 02) because despite thinking the first was sort of lame was interested when learning volume two was the end; Mad Love Chase (Vol. 04) because it’s Kazusa Takashima; and lastly, the fourth volume of my super guilty pleasure Zone-00 because it’s ‘awesome’. Ahhhhh the eye-candy in Zone 00!

As before, I encourage sharing of shiny manga purchases! What books made your swag bag this week?

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Categories: Features, Swag Bag
Tags: Del Rey, Manga, Viz Media

Nickelodeon Officially Announces Avatar the Legend of Korra

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, July 21, 2010

3 Comments »

Didn’t I promise a little more Avatar the Last Airbender content on here? I think I did. While an unfortunate computer-frying has slowed down the posting of my review to the recent graphic novel release of Zuko’s Story, I’m happy to post about this exciting news in the meantime.

After months of job postings, speculation and title dropping, Nickelodeon today sent out an official press release about their new Avatar animated series. Titled Avatar: The Legend of Korra, this sequel series will take place seventy years in the future and follows the title character, Korra, the next Avatar. Born to the water tribes, Korra leaves her home to seek mastery of the four elements and finds herself combatting crime in a steam-powered city of warring classes and those protesting the use of bending. In her travels she’ll also meet the son of Aang, the original series’ main character, whose name is Tenzin.

Created by the same dream team responsible for Avatar: The Last Airbender, there’s tons to be excited about for this series. No word yet how much, if at all, past characters will make appearances (being in their 80s after all) but there still sounds like more than enough reason to tune in. Set for release in 2011, let the countdown begin!

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Categories: Misc, News

ANN Review: Maoh Juvenile Remix (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, July 21, 2010

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New review posted at AnimeNewsNetwork over this past convention-busy weekend for the first volume of Maoh: Juvenile Remix. You can read this series online over at ShonenSunday.com

I’m really interested to read the second volume of Maoh because I’m pretty stumped on where I think the plot is going to go. The apparent antagonist is interesting too. He reminded me a lot of Griffith from Berserk, as I mentioned in my review. I’ll admit I did chuckle a bit at how dramatically the story emphasized the lead’s ability to make others say his own thoughts out loud though. Yes it’s a pretty crazy power to have but compared to so many other shonen-leads before him, it seemed a little initially silly. Could mean lots for future events though, I’m eager to see how he continues to use them.

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

PR: Seven Seas Acquires Three Red Hot Manga From Japan

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, July 21, 2010

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LOS ANGELES, July 20, 2010 – From Sunday, July 18th to Tuesday, July 20th, Seven Seas released a series of cryptic anagrams and hints via Twitter (twitter.com/gomanga) that, when deciphered, reveal the titles of Seven Seas’ newest manga licenses. Twitter elite and anime fans were quick to decode the clues, and word quickly spread about the leaked titles.

Seven Seas is now pleased to confirm that it has licensed the following manga:

Amnesia Labyrinth (volume 1 coming February 2011)
Tora Dora (volume 1 coming March 2011)
A Certain Scientific Railgun (volume 1 coming June 2011).

Subsequent volumes in each series will follow every 3-4 months.

Short Site Hiatus re: Animinitime Part Two

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, July 14, 2010

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Two days without a post – we’re not dead, we swear! Though it means a lot people have actually asked. It makes us happy to know readers have come to look forward to Kuriousity’s daily posts and they shall be returning shortly!

Due to an upcoming convention that 5/6 of the Kuriousity are staffing at (just realized that – neat!), the site will be on a short hiatus for a couple more days. Manga news, reviews and that odd stuff in between will return after this weekend and the conclusion of our second Animinitime event.

Until then happy manga reading!

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Categories: Site Updates
Tags: Conventions

ANN Review: Chi’s Sweet Home (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, July 12, 2010

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New review posted over at AnimeNewsNetwork – the first volume of Vertical’s new series, Chi’s Sweet Home (Vol. 01).

I already noted in my short Swag Bag post how I’m not a big cat fan and it’s no surprise that’s nothing really changed after reading this book. It was cute, it was colourful, it is a pretty charming book – but it’s not really for me. I just don’t find the cat cute – a little dumb and silly but not over the top adorable as some had insisted I would. Sorry Chi, you tried! Vertical did a great job on the book visually though and I love the paper it’s printed on. The baby talk of the kitten though? Ehhhh… a swing and a miss.

Still, you like cats and comics then you should definitely check out Chi’s Sweet Home.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: ANN Reviews, Manga, Vertical Inc

ANN Review: Flower In A Storm (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, July 10, 2010

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A new review of mine’s been posted over on AnimeNewsNetwork – this time for one of Viz Media’s new shoujo series, Flower In A Storm.

Overall I was really underwhelmed by this manga, falls on the dull side of things. It definitely lacks the hook-factor that many other shoujos have, though I suppose it helps to have one less addictive series growing on my shelf, right? It’s too bad though, a girl with superheroes versus a crazy guy with a gun sounded like it had a lot of promise. Upside though, the flower/gun design on the back of the book is beautiful – very nice work there.

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

Swag Bag for July 7th 2010 – Cats, Space and Pokemon

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, July 7, 2010

3 Comments »

Here we are kicking off day one of Kuriousity’s fourth year! How about starting a new tradition with some new weekly content?

Buying manga isn’t something that seems to be as shared and celebrated as I’d like it to be, despite knowing that thousands of people are out there enjoying their purchases on a daily basis. Though my reviewers and I have managed to accumulate almost 700 reviews these past few years, they’re barely even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the books we buy and enjoy (not enough hours in the day!).

So! I’m going to start sharing what I buy with a few first impressions before I sit down to read them. Whether they serve as a reminder that ‘oh such-and-such a title is out now!’ or a simple ‘neat, she’s reading it too!’, I hope people find some fun in what’s in my shopping bag this week and are encouraged to share what you’ve bought recently as well! And if you’re interested in hearing more about a particular title, please feel free to let me know and I’ll do my best to have that title reviewed in full here on Kuriousity once I’ve finished reading it.

So what was in the bag this week thanks to new-comics-Wednesday at my favourite stop-and-shop location, Strange Adventures? Let’s take a look-see! (anyone but me have a bad habit of forgetting what they bought on the way home? At least there’s that fun rediscovery later!)

Kuriousity – 3 Years and Blogging

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, July 6, 2010

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On July 6 2007 I posted my first review here on Kuriousity. Suffice to say I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I started using Kuriousity as a blog (and not simply a server for uploading stuff) – there were inline frames involved – but thanks to lots of helpful hints, inspiring experiences and lots of trial and error, here I am able to post that Kuriousity can celebrate (?) its third birthday!

Obligatory but completely deserved thanks go to Marsha, Shevaun, Shannon, Andre and Jaime who’ve joined me here on Kuriousity to add lots of variety to the titles reviewed, publishers doing a great job releasing all the material we enjoy, manga artists for making all the material we love and readers for reading the books and sharing our affection for them! Of course a thanks to fellow bloggers who always have something to get me thinking and Kuriousity readers who never cease to inspire us to share and inform, not to mention those who have suggested so many series to read in comments that I’ve discovered tons of great books thanks to you all as well!

Three years and nearly 700 reviews later, I like to think Kuriousity is still going strong. I know I keep having fun with it so I suppose that’s what matters. Happy three-years Kuriousity! And hopefully many more :)

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Categories: Misc, Site Updates