Manga-ka: Riosuke Yasui
Publisher: Project H
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: August 2011

Synopsis: “Fed up with how the world is being run, Ryuubi decides to do something about it. She is determined to rule it herself! And her first step towards world domination is to enlist a strategist into her camp. But the minute she rinds said strategist, Takaaki, she seems to become preoccupied with making as many heirs with him as possible! Indeed for Takaaki, there isn’t much strategizing to be done, more like sexual servitude, as world domination seems to have taken a beat to Ryuubi’s carnal cravings. On the other hand, Kan’u and Chouhi, Ryuubi’s sisters-in-arms are truly intent on their duties. They plan to “help out” Ryuubi as much as they can in case their ruler fails to produce an heir! And as if things couldn’t get any steamier, Takaaki’s childhood friend Motoko suddenly realizes that she has the hots for him as well. It seems there’s no rest of the hapless strategist. Indeed, this “version” of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is something you’ve never seen before!”

The back cover’s rather thorough walk through of Shocking Pink!‘s plot makes it pretty clear that intrigue and cleverly withheld plot developments aren’t what this story is all about. As the first title released under DMP’s new hentai imprint, Project-H, we know it’s not the plot we’re going into Shocking Pink! For. Offering all the cover gives up and then some, if you like what you see on the book’s (uncensored) outsides then there’s a good chance you’ll favour its contents as well. Warning: Book and review contains 18+ only material!

For all the synopsis’ transparency, it was the plot that actually got me really curious about Shocking Pink!- reincarnated Romance of the Three Kingdoms characters in porn form? How was that going to work? Turns out it works about as far as getting the characters together, no more or less better then any of the old classics would’ve – long-lost childhood friend, a runaway looking for a place to stay, distant cousin, half-sister, surprise fiance, etc. etc. So why not the reincarnation of a general seeking out fellow reincarnations to build up a long-lost empire? Once the confident and very forward Ryuubi enters Takaaki’s life, the plot basically goes out the window share for a few moments where we need to be reminded just how dedicated all the girls are to their ’cause’.

I liked Takaaki as the main character, irrelevant as he really is amidst the harem of woman now surrounding him. He’s a little snarky and is often inflicted with momentary bouts of sane disbelief. A little personality definitely goes a long way compared to the faceless, ‘imagine-you’re-me!’ male leads that populate a lot of hentai. Brief situational concerns aside, Takaaki of course doesn’t have any issue with the continuous sex now afforded to him, except for maybe that it happens a little too frequently (a breather won’t kill anyone). When the going gets good, and going good for him it often does, he’s prepared to reciprocate in full making these scenes good two way streets, as it were, even if the ‘camera’ stays expectantly rooted on the girls’ reactions specifically.

The sex itself is pretty vanilla, keeping itself interesting with a variety of different poses and angles. Mostly the hook factor is just sex, sex and more sex. At about 250 pages, you get your porn’s worth. There’s just enough talking to show that it isn’t all these people do, just mostly. Along with Ryuubi, you have her initially two-person entourage. All three girls have their own somewhat unique personalities – be it the confident Ryuubi, strong girl Unchou or shy girl Chouhi, and the story takes just enough time to have each sex scene come about differently to play on their quirks and attitudes. An entertaining late edition to their strange little group is a young woman they find dressed as a horse on the street (yes, that’s what I typed). Her sullen, flat expression combined with her slightly more forward nature makes her one of the book’s more notable participants.

The book’s final chapters take the focus to Takaaki’s childhood friend (there she is) who must now defeat Ryuubi and her girls to lay claim to Takaaki. A four on four fight in a boxing ring does the trick, but of course none of the fights really play out in the way anyone expects. This is especially true when a boy-girl set of little twins get ‘involved’ (including with each other in the book’s one semi non-consensual scene). Then there’s the inclusion of said-childhood friend’s older sister who sports an eye-patch, an attitude and a perfect boyfriend all her own. Adding extra amusement to it all is the book’s extras’ section which includes detailed biographies and back-stories for each female character that never made it into the story itself.

The art style is attractive and professional looking with a style I could easily see depicting a more-ages-friendly high school comedy if not for the tell-tale chest baggage. If you like breasts large, then Shocking Pink! is for you (with the actual cover giving you a not-so-sneaky peek). When the story shifts near the end to some out-of-bed action, the art style keeps up with good fight scenes however brief. The inking is consistently sharp while the screen-toning makes every inch of flesh look nice and grippably plump. Just about everything here is uncensored also, so no invisible penises, though you will see that amusing teeny tiny black bar on genitals that covers absolutely nothing.

Digital Manga is giving their Project H books more attention than I had expected they would, going back to the larger trim sizes their boys’ love titles used to have. Shocking Pink! also has four full-colour pages at the beginning that wastes no time reminding you why it’s explicitly rated. There’s a reason their Project-H logo is a face with blood gushing from his nose (but so eloquently). Sound effects for every blush, goosh, slurp and ‘kulch’ are translated and typeset next to the original sound effect. It can make the sex scenes look a tad crowded but with everything going everywhere anyway, it hardly stands out.

I can hardly imagine a better sort of title to start their hentai imprint off with than Shocking Pink!. It’s got an assortment of girls, a guy with an actual personality, uncensored artwork, entertaining comedy and a very high sex-to-plot ratio. It was silly and fun. If you’re not out looking for porn – be it for entertainment or otherwise – then you best avoid this one to the best of your ability. But, if you fall in the other category of ‘yes please!’, then be sure to buy yourself a copy and enjoy.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes
Uncensored book cover available to see on the Project-H website

Digital Manga’s newsletter this week announced a new boys’ love title license – Shoko Takaku’s I’ve Seen It All. The series currently has two volumes released in Japan, though Digital Manga’s announcement doesn’t specify if their license is for the first or both.

I’ve Seen It All is about a doctor who specializes in male genitalia. He spends his days helping men with a variety of issues and becoming more and more disenchanted with the notion that a male can be attractive between the legs. Enter a man named Asano! I’m sure you can guess the rest. You can read (in Japanese) a more detailed description and see a close up of the cover on Amazon.jp. Sounds pretty entertaining to me!

I still get nostalgic seeing Shoko Takaku’s work since their title Passion was one of the first boys’ love released in English (excluding Gravitation which had strong BL elements). It was thus the first BL title I bought. I still remembering running to the store from school to buy it the day it came out and being the first in my group of friends to proudly hold up a boys’ love book. Her work was thus the first BL to hit my bookshelves and the start of many more to come!  Along with the four volume series, Passion, Digital Manga has also released two Shoko Takaku one-shots, Kissing and Shy Intentions.

There’s no news yet on when I’ve Seen It All will be published.

SuBLime – a boys’ love publisher in association with Viz Media – released their first digital titles today. While select SuBLime titles will be published in print, their premiering four titles – The Bed of My Dear King, Oku-san’s Daily Fantasies, Love Pistols (Vol.01) and Husband, Honeymoon are all digital-only. Upon purchasing, you’re able to download a PDF edition of the book(s).

A couple fans pointed on via Twitter and SuBLime’s website that Oku-san’s Daily Fantasies has been censored when compared to its run in Libre’s Be x Boy magazine. Genitals were removed/covered with the infamous-by-now blank glowing shape. SuBLime’s editor assured readers that they do not censor any of their titles and that these edits were done by the original publisher. They appear in SuBLime’s edition the same as they do in the original Japanese collected edition.

I hope these titles sell well for SuBLime – as the largest manga publisher in English, and with a lot of resources at their disposal, Viz Media is a company we definitely want to remain confident in the boys’ love market. I’m torn on their digital releases though – I don’t read manga digitally but I want to support titles in hopes they’ll actually be sent to the printers someday. A situation like this is where I think a fundraising program like Digital Manga has been doing would work better. SuBLime has already licensed the title, completed it and put it up for readers to preview and/or purchase to read in full at their discretion. A Kickstarter-like system could be used for readers who want it in print, where interest could be gauged with something more dependable than a simple poll, and serve as a pre-order system that only goes through if enough interest is shown. I’m not ready to pay for a digital copy I likely won’t read on the slim hope that means it gets printed but I would definitely pledge money towards a product presented like this to get published.

Manga-ka: Mitsuru Adachi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: February 2012

Synopsis: “The arrival of a new year brings Ko’s last shot at Koshien closer at hand, but Akane Takigawa and her striking resemblance to Wakaba cause Ko’s heart to stir. Meanwhile, something happens to make Azuma and Aoba grow closer. Young feelings wax and wane in Ko’s third year of high school. To top it off, the Seishu baseball team gets a new coach?!”

This new volume of Cross Game arrives at the perfect time of year (though one could easily argue that any time of year is perfect for another stirring volume of Mitsuru’s Adachi baseball-driven character drama). With events spanning from early January to mid-February, the snow has begun to melt, the summer Koshien tournament is around the corner and love is undeniably in the air.

In volume five I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the introduction of Akane, Ko’s new neighbour who bears a striking resemblance to the late Wakaba. It’s been cinched for me now that I love the direction she’s taking the story. Wakaba’s memory has always been something that drives everyone forward and simultaneously holds them back. Akane’s appearance invokes all the same memories but acts as a catalyst for moving people forward.

Akaishi’s feelings of love for Wakaba, for example, are stirred when he sees Akane yet his respect and care for Ko leads him to act as a sort of cupid for the two. It’s sweet but sad. Even Aoba comments that he’s throwing away what could be his ‘second chance’. Ko and Akane begin to grow closer (actual dates! …sort of?) and Azuma surprised me by openly expressing he has romantic feelings for Aoba. One of my favourite moments of the book is when Azuma consciously chooses not to correct an assumption Aoba made, one that works in his favour. It’s a move that while not really callous in nature, was an act just dishonest enough to emphasis the changing dynamics of everyone’s relationship. Everyone is so selfless in this series that this tiny detail sticks out and means a lot as a result. Even Aoba herself begins doing little things for Azuma that shows a careful balance of politeness and careful ‘testing-the-water’ responses to his confession.

On top of it all the casual nuance of Ko and Aoba’s reactions to the slow romantic evolution around them leaves me eager to finally see them open up to one another, while still also loving every moment of this slow burn. Their relationship maintains such an endearing combination of care, snarky teasing and silent understanding that I never seem to stop smiling when the two share page-time.

As everyone’s minds continously waver back to Akane, it occurs to me that a twist like this in another creator’s hands would be ripe for assumption – is Akane a long-lost twin to Wakaba? Is Akane ‘actually’ Wakaba? In Cross Game, I don’t entertain these notions past them coming to mind for but a moment. The series does such an amazing job of showing everyday life as a beautiful thing in it’s subtleties and it’s surprises. Akane is simply (but quite brilliantly) another one of those coincidences that makes life so interesting and I have no expectations, or want, of a giant plot-circling revelation. Mitsuru Adachi also casually slips in scenes of characters discussing Akane’s past just enough to quell any looming sense of mystery that might distract from the events happening now.

Adding a bit of kick to the story is a brief run-in with the rival baseball team who continues to garner a reputation for some underhanded recruitment methods. Aoba also takes a blow during practice that puts her in the hospital for some time. It preludes a scene where Ko and Akane discuss Aoba’s feelings towards being unable to participate in official baseball games because of her gender. “She’s extremely frustrated. Because she can’t play baseball… and because her absence doesn’t affect the team.” Everyone on their team knows that Aoba’s absence weighs on them for different reasons all the same, but that her determination, hard work and devotion ends her no where further than the bench is difficult to see. While I’d love to see an upset that allows her to take the pitcher’s mound herself, the skill synchronicity between her and Ko is being so well developed that it might almost be enough to sate us all one day (at least a little).

At two volumes a release in Viz Media’s omnibus editions, we’ve only got two volumes left until the end of Cross Game. I’m already feeling a foreboding sadness at it’s inevitable end but I’ve little doubt that future re-reads will prove nearly just as relaxing and satisfying as it is the first time through. Volume six really set a different tone for the story, not a shocking change, but one as intuitive and poignant as the character interaction itself. I can’t wait to see all these stirring emotions collide with the tension of the baseball season with their gloves on hand and hearts on sleeve.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Book bought from Strange Adventures

Author: Daisuke Sato
Manga-ka: Shouji Sato
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2012

Synopsis: “Takashi and his fellow students join up with a band of survivors who have barricaded themselves inside a local mall. Though the shopping center seems a well-stocked place to hide from the undead lurking outside, the policewoman in charge is having a hard time maintaining peace within. The group from Fujimi High would rather not get involved in a power struggle and tries to stay under the radar until they are ready to set off again. But with so many attractive, buxom girls among the students, it may be nearly impossible to avoid unwanted attention of the worst kind…”

I had some apprehension going into Highschool of the Dead. From the art and the write-up, I assumed that the manga was going to be little more than a mix of tits, ass, and gore. While those are indeed the three main ingredients in this volume, the manga has enough going for it that I enjoyed it anyway.

The series follows a small group of high school students (as well as the school nurse and an elementary school kid) as they try and survive a zombie apocalypse. When this volume starts the group has found shelter at a shopping mall, but other people are already holed up there and tensions between the survivors are strained. The only thing keeping the peace is Asami, a rookie traffic cop. Unfortunately, Asami isn’t the most intimidating authority figure: she cries a lot and can barely keep everyone from panicking. When one of the survivors tries to rape Marikawa, the school nurse, the kids realize that the mall isn’t as safe as they thought it was. The group is left to decide whether to get involved and help Asami or to get out of there before everything goes to hell.

What I love about the zombie genre is that it is a genre of ideas. Zombies can symbolize anything you want them to: consumerism, race, religion, mortality. HotD doesn’t cover any ground that zombie grandaddy Romero hasn’t covered repeatedly, but it does set up some good moral dilemmas. At one point in the story a character talks about how the characters always refer to the undead as ‘them’ because it’s easier to fight ‘things’ than humans. But at this point in the series the characters are in danger of dehumanizing even other human beings for the sake of survival. They’ve gone beyond ‘us vs. the zombies,’ and are now veering towards ‘us vs. everyone else.’

But it’s one thing to talk about having such a cold-hearted philosophy, it’s another to live it. When an old lady at the mall falls ill, some members of the group leave the building to get medicine for her. This is one of the best parts of the book and also the only section with any zombies (which is a good thing: zombies are best when they’re not overused). The zombie attack is well staged, but it’s robbed of some tension by the fact that there’s an obvious red shirt in the group.

There are five high school kids in the main cast, plus the nurse, the elementary kid, Asami and all the minor characters at the mall. With such a large cast list some of the main characters don’t get to do a lot in this volume: there are two high school girls who could be totally interchangeable (at least in this volume) as all they do is stand around and scowl. Also, the ‘leader’ of the group, Takashi, is so bland I have to keep reminding myself he’s in this series. There are some characters that are different and interesting though. The two seemingly ‘weakest’ members of the group, Marikawa the nurse and Alice the elementary-school kid, prove to have skills that may make them more likely to survive than the ‘strong’ characters.

And then there’s Kouta. Kouta is an overweight high school boy with a gun fetish. He’s not only knowledgeable about weaponry but human nature: he always knows exactly what to say to keep the group functioning. But Kouta has a dark side, a ruthless streak that allows him to do whatever he thinks is necessary to protect his friends. Kouta almost seems to enjoy the zombie apocalypse as it gives him an excuse to act on his darker impulses. Kouta’s a really interesting character and the best thing in this manga.

The art in this book is not a style I enjoy, but it’s more restrained than I was expecting so that’s something. While the artist clearly put a lot of thought into the various size and shapes of the girls’ boobs and how they move, it’s not as gratuitous as it could be. I guess the girls’ character designs are supposed to be sexy, but I just found them pointy and weird and not very attractive. If the idea of a woman with breasts bigger than her head turns you on, then you’ll probably have a more favourable opinion of the art. I actually liked the design of most of the minor characters more, as they weren’t so overly stylized.

The artist does a great job with the zombies, though the gory scenes look very different from the rest of the manga. The gore looks gritty and realistic while everything else is drawn in a sharp, clean style. I would have liked to see a little more integration between the two art styles.

I was a little wary when I saw the price for Highschool of the Dead: $13.99 USD and $15.50 Canadian. I got my copy from Yen Press, but if I was buying it in a store I’d be unsure about spending so much for such a short volume – it’s barely over 160 pages. Compare that to a volume of The Betrayal Knows My Name, also from Yen Press, which costs five dollars more but is almost three times as long. But I was entertained while I was reading Highschool of the Dead and the story moved along at a quick clip, so even with the higher price tag I’d be tempted to pick up the next volume. Highschool of the Dead isn’t a great manga, but it’s a good read if you’re looking for something gruesome and more than a little bit lurid.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Book provided by Yen Press for review purposes

As a little end of the week treat, Digital Manga announced via their Twitter account that they’ve licensed Momoko Tenzen’s one-shot, Flutter.  It’s one of their most recent works, published in Japan just this past October. Digital Manga confirmed on their Twitter shortly after that Flutter is one of their standard licenses, meaning it’ll go to print and have a digital edition.

Flutter is about two businessmen who come into a relationship after being paired together on a project at work. The book also includes another short story titled Sleepless Siesta.

Digital Manga has released seven other Momoko Tenzen one-shots in the past and each one was under their boys’ love imprint, June. Flutter will presumably be published under the same imprint as well. If curious about the creator’s other works, Shannon has reviews posted for La Satanica, Ciao Ciao Bambino and Suggestive Eyes. I also wrote a review for Momoko Tenzen’s Manhattan Love Story.

Releases Based On The New The Film By Hayao Miyazaki’s Famed Animation Studio Include Film Comics, Art And Picture Books

San Francisco, CA, January 26, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings the miniaturized adventure of famed Studio Ghibli’s newest animated creation – THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY – to readers everywhere with a collection of ARRIETTY film comics, art and picture books set to debut on February 7th, 2012. THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is scheduled for North American theatrical release on February 17th, 2012.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is based on the celebrated novel, The Borrowers, by Mary Norton and was produced by Studio Ghibli, the famed animation company founded by Hayao Miyazaki, which also created Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo. The new film, with planning/screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, will feature the voice talents of Bridget Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and Will Arnett for its English language release.

Arrietty isn’t your ordinary fourteen-year-old girl – she is small enough to make her home under the floorboards of a typical house, “borrowing” what she and her family need from the giants in whose shadows they live. A young boy named Shawn befriends Arrietty, but when adults discover the Borrowers, Arrietty and Shawn must work together to save her family.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY PICTURE BOOK  Rated “A” for All Ages  MSRP: $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN  Available February 7th, 2012
The colorful and easy-to-read THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY Picture Book is a full-color hardcover edition that will appeal to younger readers especially. The book uses the vividly colored animation cel art from the feature film combined with simplified text to retell the story of Arrietty and her adventures.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY FILM COMICS  Rated “A” for All Ages  MSRP: $16.99 U.S. each / $19.99 CAN each  Available February 7th, 2012
The official 2-volume film comic of THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY re-tells the film’s story with vivid full-color frames.

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY  Rated “A” for All Ages  MSRP: $34.99 U.S. / $39.99 CAN  Available February 7th, 2012
Co-founded by the legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli films enthrall and enchant audiences across the world. The Art of series gives fans the opportunity to follow their favorite film from initial concept to the silver screen, thanks to hundreds of sketches, concept drawings, and animation cels, plus in-depth interviews with the creators.

“Fans and readers of all ages won’t want to miss these new additions to VIZ Media’s Studio Ghibli Library of titles,” says Masumi Washington, Senior Director, Editorial. “Studio Ghibli has mastered the ability to tell poignant and engaging stories that captivate both children and adults, and their latest film, THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY, continues this tradition. Our forthcoming picture book and film comics are fun ways for young readers to visit the world of ARRIETTY while the gorgeous art book will be a must-have for the ardent Studio Ghibli fan or those who want to know more about the evolution of the film. Discover the adventures in-store for this band of ‘borrowers’ in these new releases scheduled for February!”

More information on VIZ Media’s Studio Ghibli titles is available at www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and website at www.VIZ.com.

Manga-ka: Hotaru Odagiri
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: December 2011

Synopsis: “Welcomed into the arms of the Giou clan and the Zweilt, Yuki reaches out to his comrades even as he is drawn into their war with the darkness. But the demonic Duras continue to spread their malevolence around Yuki, and the members of his new family are not impervious either, as one of their own vanishes without a trace and yet another is cornered by a sudden ambush. In the Zweilt, Yuki may well have found the long-sought-after place he belongs, but the enemy seems intent on stealing it out of his grasp forever. And when the shadowy figure of “Reiga,” the nemesis of the Giou, finally steps into the light, will Yuki find himself utterly alone, crushed by the weight of the truth?”

They say there are only so many types of stories, and one of them has to be ‘pretty people with super powers fight bad guys for fate of the world.’ The Betrayal Knows My Name not only follows this basic plot, it also has all the tropes you usually see in battle shojo manga: beautiful boys and girls, lots of destiny talk, plenty of fights and even more angst. While it’s not going to replace CLAMP’s X as the flagship title for the genre, it has its own strengths and charms that make it an enjoyable series.

Yuki Giou was an orphan who had no one in the world until his mysterious older brother, Takashiro, found him. Takashiro revealed that their family has been fighting demons, called the ‘Duras,’ for generations. He brings Yuki to the family mansion to meet the rest of the clan, all of whom have special powers. While most of the clan welcome Yuki with open arms, some of them still hold grudges over what happened in a previous life. This makes things slightly awkward for Yuki who doesn’t remember his past life at all.

Yuki is the typical pure shojo hero, big on heart but short on brains. He likes everyone he meets, is kind even to jerks, and just wants to be everyone’s friend. There are a lot of naive, sweet main characters in manga, but Yuki is less annoying than most. It helps that the manga-ka shows why Yuki is the way he is. Having grown up without a family, Yuki is delighted to have a group of people who not only love him but need him (he’s the healer for their group and his very presence makes them stronger). Yuki really loves his new found family, but part of that love comes out of a desperate need to belong.

As well as having a long title, TBKMN also has a big cast. While Yuki may be the main character, in this volume he only gets marginally more page time than anyone else. A lot of volume two focuses on Shuusei and Hotsuma, two members of the Zweilt who have a very close relationship both on and off the battlefield (they’re also the pretty boys on the cover of this volume). Personality-wise the two are total opposites: Hotsuma is quick-tempered while Shuusei is grounded and reserved. Both of them harbour deep angst over their pasts, but while Hotsuma lashes out, Shuusei bottles it up inside, something that has repercussions in this volume. I really like Shuusei. His character reminds me of folks I know in real life, the kind of people who listen to everyone else’s problems while keeping their own demons secret.

Hotsuma and Shuusei’s bond is tested when a string of strange events come to the attention of the Zweilt: teenage boys across the city are disappearing and high school girls are falling into comas. Could there be a connection? Is a Duras behind it? Just as the cast starts to investigate, Shuusei disappears. Hotsuma and the others must figure out what’s going on before they lose Shuusei forever.

That’s just the main plotline in this volume. Aside from a lot of nice character moments, we also learn the identity of the big bad and meet more of the good guys. All of it is well paced and even the action scenes help move the story along and develop the characters.

As much as I like all the characters, I think the manga-ka should cap the cast list or else I will start to forget people. She had a chance to thin the herd in this volume when it seemed like she was actually going to kill a main character. This made me happy for several reasons: 1. It would have shown that the bad guys were actually a threat, 2. By killing a sympathetic character the rest of the characters would have had a chance to develop in new and interesting ways, and 3. It would have reduced a large cast by one. The manga-ka even drew what would have been a very effective death scene…if the character had actually died! Instead he survives and gets to keep fighting. I like the character, and for that I’m glad he’s still around, but I think not killing him off was a missed opportunity.
While I’m talking about the characters and their relationships, I want to talk about Luka and Yuki. Luka is a Duras who switched over to the good guys’ side. He is wholly devoted to Yuki, something that leaves the teenager happy but confused. Why does this stranger care for him so much? And what exactly happened between them in Yuki’s previous life? Even after two giant volumes of manga, their relationship is moving as fast as a glacier. I actually like the slow pace here as it suits the characters.

Yuki has strong feelings for Luka but having lived a sheltered life he doesn’t know how to deal with them. Plus, he’s not sure if Luka actually likes him or if he’s just with him because of an oath he swore in a previous lifetime. Yuki may be in doubt, but it’s clear to everyone else that Luka loves him. Luka however tells the rest of the cast that he doesn’t want to rush Yuki into anything; in fact, if Yuki never returned his feelings at all, Luka claims he’d be fine with that too. He says he just wants Yuki to be happy, and it seems like he’s telling the truth. It’s such a relief to see a male love interest that is not dominating and controlling, who doesn’t stalk the person they like or try to keep them from caring about anyone else.

The art for the series is soooo pretty, but it’s not an empty prettiness. The manga-ka has a good eye for layouts, and while she doesn’t do anything really different or inventive, she knows how to effectively lay out a sequence. This is especially useful for the action scenes.

This volume has some weak points: there’s a minor character who gets a lot of build-up but no satisfying resolution, and the big reveal of the main bad guy’s identity was obvious from page one of the series. Also, the manga-ka keeps teasing the reader with tidbits about what happened in Yuki’s previous life but holds back on the details. I hope that in the next volume the manga-ka just tells us what went down.

Yen Press is doing a really nice job with the series and I’m glad it’s being translated into English. I just wish that I didn’t have to wait until April to see what happens next!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Book provided by Yen Press for review purposes

Manga-ka: kakifly
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: December 2011

Synopsis: “As the second school term begins, so do preparations for the upcoming school festival! The Pop Music Club starts working on some fresh lyrics as they tune up their act for their live show. But the third-year girls find themselves practising for a performance of another kind when Ritsu and Mio are selected to play the lead roles in their class production of Romeo and Juliet! With the rest of the girls tied up in play rehearsal, Azusa spends her afternoons alone in the clubroom … Will the show be ready to go on?!”

The synopsis for this volume is a bit misleading. While the themes it raises are present for the entire book, the plot surrounding the play is actually resolved very quickly. The rest of the volume is concerned mainly with the older girls of K-ON! as they face their imminent graduation and the challenges of getting into university.

While I have seen the first season of the K-ON! anime, this was my first time reading the manga. As a result, I found myself facing confusion early on as I wasn’t quite sure which order to properly read the panels. They are presented on the page as eight panels equally spaced in two columns. At first, I thought I was meant to read them horizontally however after a couple of pages I realized I had to read vertically. This confusion was added to by the opening colour section which is not done in the four-panel style and so is read from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom, as occurs in traditional manga. I’m not sure if the fault lies with Yen Press or with the original Japanese publication, but I personally would have liked the two columns to have had extra space between them, to make it easier to understand just how to read them, as has been done for other similar releases.

There were a few other flaws in this volume. At times, I felt as though material was missing, as events such as concerts would be skipped over and the transition between the end of one storyline and the next was not always the clearest. While this may be due to the strips being put together in a collection, rather than appearing separately in serialization, the effect is still a bit off-putting to a reader.

One main event of the story that did not appear much was, surprisingly, the actual music played by the band. The concert mentioned in the synopsis is over in a page. This may not necessarily be as much of a negative as it first appears though. Manga that deals with musical performance often falls a bit short when it tries to write out songs, especially given that J-Pop songs often have lyrics that quite frankly don’t make much sense.

One of the shining features of this volume is the inclusion of the colour pages, which let the art style really shine. This is especially true of the large panel at the beginning of each section, containing art that stands by itself, apart from the main comics. One panel featuring Mugi in front of a Christmas tree in particular made me stop and stare for a minute, before continuing on reading. Colour pages are always a treat in manga and one that I am glad to be seeing more and more of.

It’s hard to say much else about K-ON!‘s story. It meanders and is filled with moments that make you smile. There are not too many laugh out loud moments in this volume but it is still a very fun ride. When talking about K-ON!, it is difficult not to compare the series to Azumanga Daioh. Both series are four-panel gag manga, and both focus on high school girls. The main characters are also really quite similar, enough that it’s impossible to believe that kakifly was not inspired by Azumanga somehow, either directly or indirectly. And while K-ON! is not Azumanga‘s equal, it is certainly a decent successor and fans of one should enjoy the other (just don’t expect too much actual music involved in this one!). Also, the move to follow the girls into university does set it apart from its predecessor and has me very interested to see where things go, more than I expected to be when I picked up volume four.

That said, it is a bit unclear how exactly the series is going to continue, as there are two on-going continuations currently being published in Japan, one featuring the girls in university and the other featuring the younger cast members trying to keep the high school club alive. But given that there is no indication from Yen Press that this is the final volume, I have no doubt we shall see more in the future.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Book provided by Yen Press for review purposes

Digital Manga announced a new manga license early this weekend – Chihiro Harumi’s Velvet Kiss. The title has been licensed under their Project-H imprint which is for their hentai titles (18+ only!).

Velvet Kiss is currently four volumes in Japan. Digital Manga’s license is currently for the first two though there’s no info yet regarding when the first volume will be released. The series is about a young man who finds himself looking after a woman in lieu of paying off a large debt he owes.

(( Edit: The news of Velvet Kiss being licensed was previously announced back in November 2011. My mistake and apologies for forgetting I’d already posted on it, while Digital Manga themselves seems to have made the same ‘oops!’. Nothing wrong with some extra enthusiasm… right? ))

I haven’t had any luck getting copies of Digital Manga‘s Project-H books as of yet, with multiple titles currently released. The company’s books are tricky enough to get a hold of with release dates through their Akadot website varying by a couple months to bookstores and Diamond Comics. Project-H books seem to be doubly hampered by low print runs (which is not unexpected for this kind of title) that have left me on cancelled or waiting lists for Amazon, Chapters and the direct market since their first book was released mid-2011! I’ve heard from a few who’ve been able to get copies shipped their way though so the books undoubtedly exist, they just take a bit more effort than many it seems. If you’re ordering online, pre-ordering these titles seems your best bet to get a copy. You can expect a review or two here on Kuriousity for Digital Manga’s newest imprint as soon as me or my writers manage to find a book!

New Wednesday! New comics! The shipment’s a bit light this week but three of the four titles are some of my favourite currently running series – Sailor Moon (Vol.03), Arisa (Vol.06) and Afterschool Charisma (Vol.05). Huzzah! You can see the full list of titles and read a bit about the volumes over at my On The Shelf article at Otaku USA.

This week some places also got shipments of Yen Press‘s big batch releases for the month. Diamond Comics is still behind on their shipments from Yen Press but you’ll see their slew of titles on next week’s list including the first volume of their new series, Durarara!. Look forward to it!

On Friday Digital Manga Publishing launched their second Kickstarter – a crowd-souring website that takes monetary pledges towards a goal. While DMP’s first project was to fund Osamu Tezuka’s Swallowing the Earth back for a second printing, this time they’re collecting pledges to go towards licensing and publishing a new Tezuka title – Barbara.

“Wandering the packed tunnels of Shinjuku Station, famous author Yosuke Mikura makes a strange discovery: a seemingly homeless drunk woman who can quote French poetry. Her name is Barbara. He takes her home for a bath and a drink, and before long Barbara has made herself into Mikura’s shadow, saving him from egotistical delusions and jealous enemies. But just as Mikura is no saint, Barbara is no benevolent guardian angel, and Mikura grows obsessed with discovering her secrets, tangling with thugs, sadists, magical curses and mythical beings – all the while wondering whether he himself is still sane.”

In only two days the company has received pledges totalling more than the $6500 they were asking for. Their press release states that additional rewards (extras for those who pledge more than the $25 cost of the book) will be released throughout the month leading up to the date they’ll be closing the drive and collecting the money (February 13th).

While those who pledge $25+ in this drive have been guaranteed copies of the book once it’s complete – scheduled for sometime in July 2012 – Digital Manga’s Ben Applegate has stated that copies will also be printed and distributed to bookstores as well. I’m grateful for this as it allows me to keep supporting my local businesses and avoid the $20+ I’d very likely end up paying just for the shipping of a single book to Canada through their service (which I’ve now learned is considered overseas? Choose a better word, USPS!). It also means those new to Tezuka or manga, or those curious but not willing to buy blindly, can still have a chance to flip through and make an informed decision. There’s no word on what size this print run will be though and it’s questionable how available this title will be when they need to seek outside funding from consumers just to finance it initially.

The last time Digital Manga used a Kickstarter drive to fund their operations I was skeptical and even after the first’s success, I still am. I’m thrilled to see another older title get a shot at English publication, let there be no question of that. But that Digital Manga is again using a system like Kickstarter – typically used by individuals or small groups without financial backers or partners that companies have – still just doesn’t sit right with me. While I shared my initial thoughts back in November, this second project prompted elaboration as I continue to try and pinpoint what this kind of move means to me and other manga readers.

Note: The thoughts and opinions expressed in this editorial are based on Digital Manga’s use of Kickstarter and not other projects utilizing the website.

There is definitely excitement and enthusiasm from fans fueling this drive, but it also feels like driving the pledging frenzy is the underlying sense of guilt and worry. After all, if you don’t pledge, you may never see the book. If you don’t pledge, it means you don’t want the manga at all. If you don’t promote this book you’ve likely never read and this initiative you only have on a promise will deliver, there will be no book. If Digital Manga Publishing isn’t able to create and print this book it is your fault.

There’s a difference between empowering a consumer and passing off the responsibility to them.

It bothers me that DMP’s kickstarter expects a big blind buy by consumers. For some, this is okay. Maybe it’s faith of a creator’s previous work or simply artwork or a story that really strikes them. Ordering online is a blind buy in many respects already but usually previews, reviews and advertising play a large role in the decision to buy. For something like Barbara there’s certainly faith in Osamu Tezuka – his reputation, his previous works. But will you like this one? Do you have any way of knowing unless you’ve read it already via alternative means?

This is a pre-order process you cannot back out of. Typically with pre-orders you wouldn’t pay until your book is shipped or has arrived for you. You don’t give your money until you know you have a product in exchange. Kickstarter is designed to not have the pledges paid out until their goal is met, but even then the money is paid out on a promise. Digital Manga has even said in the case of Barbara, the title hasn’t even been licensed by them yet! That’s a tricky enough process to nail down in itself, let alone any production snags along the way. Pre-orders to me are about companies and retailers gauging the interest in a title and to stock accordingly. They’re a way for readers to feel confident they’ve secured themselves a copy and one they only pay out to when that confidence is rewarded come release-day, a security I don’t see this Kickstarter providing.

I believe a company holds the key responsibility for marketing, distributing and promoting their own product. It not only defines their role traditionally but also defines a great bulk of their purpose. Of course in this age of internet and social media, word of mouth is going to play a role but a company shouldn’t expect this to be the entire push process. It’s the companies’ job to determine interest, to fund their work and to put it out there. It’s readers responsibilities to then support it and the companies further responsibility to shoulder the results. This is what they use going forward – to know what to publish, what to decide against and how much to do. They have a vast library of previous titles at their disposal for example and financing. They’re a business and these are just some of the resources that further define them as such.

Companies traditionally take chances, put the work in, make a solid product and then give it to the customers, reaping the benefits of their hopeful successes. Digital Manga is watching as it’s consumers do the initial legwork, and then rewarding ‘us’ for our work – if we worked hard enough anyway.

What happens if the pledge numbers are reached (as they have been by this morning), and then the book doesn’t happen? License issues, printing problems, cut-backs, push-backs, cost fluctuations – who knows. Will everyone get their money back? What about those bonus rewards? Null, void? Is there any security you’ll be re-compensated if the promise isn’t met? I personally have faith Digital Manga will publish what they say they will eventually, but I’ve also been buying their books for almost a decade. Where’s the assurance for others? Kickstarter itself offers no assurance to individuals who pledge should a project owner for any reason not deliver. I wouldn’t expect them too either as the platform, not a partner. If this project hits the worst case scenario, where are we at?

Seeing so many pledgers in such a short period of time is promising. It’s great seeing eager fans come out and support the manga they want to see. Even so, the number of backers is still individually quite small – currently under 200. This makes the average pledge per person very high, much more than the same number of supporters would be giving to Digital Manga if they were buying the books off the shelf. We can assume this small pool of readers were buyers before but it makes me curious about past sales numbers. Actual numbers are usually a mystery with manga but with such little faith in a positive return for this work if done traditionally, it really makes me want to know how Tezuka’s works turned out previously for them. They seem to do well for Vertical, who pushes and promotes their works extensively, but what about Digital Manga? How did Swallowing the Earth do in its initial run?

It kills me that I feel so troubled over supporting manga in print, one of my greatest passions to see continue, but I can’t help but feel used. I feel like our love for manga is being taken for granted. Taken for granted we’ll do not only do the fund-raising but the marketing now as well. Not to mention the cheap crowd-sourcing already under way with Digital Manga Guild – it has its own barrel of pros and cons. This is different from community hyping – this is crowd-sourcing that lets a company sit safely on the sidelines while we shoulder the burden. It leaves those desperate to support left with nothing if others can’t or won’t step in to support something on blind faith. No one loses here but the reader, teased with a title they may never see…

I’m not entirely against a process like this. I do believe companies will need more consumer support to take risks on titles as the market continues to fluctuate. I love they say their backers may even get some input into things like the graphic design and access to extras like posters and t-shirts. I do believe, however, that a company like Digital Manga needs to still make the initial steps themselves. License a title. Ensure to us the product will actually be there first, in at least some capacity. Don’t tease us. Don’t make us shoulder the guilt that we can’t finance your company getting a title in the first place. If it’s an instance where it’s a multi-volume series and sales dip so much you can’t publish anymore, it’s alright. We understand. We’re sad but we know you at least tried. But right out the gate with a volume one or one-shot? That’s your train to get started. Get it for us and we will get on board.

Why not license and publish the book digitally first? Give us a way to preview it. Let us pay the digital amount to read the whole thing. If we want a print copy, go for print on demand or a system like Kickstarter. I think this where the method is appropriate. It shouldn’t be all or nothing. It’s allowing collectors a premium service, not denying them altogether if others aren’t able or willing to be as zealous.

I like that Digital Manga’s Kickstarter is working because I want to read this title. I will very likely buy a copy of this book when it’s released and available for me, when I’ve had a chance to flip through it, read reviews on it, learn about it, form my own opinion and then support it with an eager buy like I do all the other titles on my shelves. I still don’t feel this use of Kickstarter is the right way to go for publishing books like Digital Manga is, straight from the gate and with a license not evenly firmly in hand. It offers a great opportunity but at questionable cost. While for me as someone living ‘overseas’ , the almost 50% additional final shipping cost is painful enough, but I feel the price truly most harmful is the cost of faith in Digital Manga’s own independent abilities.

Gardena, CA (January 13th, 2012) As part of its effort to accelerate the licensing and publishing of high-quality niche and classic manga in the United States, Digital Manga, Inc., today launched a campaign on crowd-funding site Kickstarter to translate Barbara by Osamu Tezuka, an adult drama never before published in English. For the next 30 days, fans will be able to pledge in exchange for a variety of rewards, including copies of Barbara and exclusive bonuses. If the target total of $6,500 is reached by the deadline (Feb. 12, 2012), production of Barbara will move forward.

The campaign follows on a previously successful Kickstarter project to fund a new print run of another work by Tezuka, Swallowing the Earth, which made more than 220% of its goal in November and December. (New copies of Swallowing the Earth will be available through Akadot.com in February.) If the Barbara campaign reaches its target, Barbara will be published under Digital Manga’s DMP Platinum imprint in a large paperback, 5 7/8″ x 8 1/4″, the same size as Swallowing the Earth.

Additional bonuses include a digital companion to Barbara available exclusively to Kickstarter backers, a limited-edition Tezuka tribute poster with original art screen-printed by Two Rabbits Studios in downtown Los Angeles and original T-shirts printed by Forward Printing in Oakland, CA. Final art for the posters and T-shirts as well as additional rewards will be posted on the Kickstarter page as the month progresses.

“Put simply, Barbara is the story of a man caught between artistic decadence and madness.” – Osamu Tezuka

Barbara opens with famous author Yosuke Mikura wandering the packed tunnels of Shinjuku Station, where he makes a strange discovery: a drunk woman, her rags caked in mud, who can quote French poetry. Her name is Barbara. He takes her home for a bath and a drink, and before long Barbara has made herself into Mikura’s shadow, saving him from egotistical delusions and jealous enemies. But just as Mikura is no saint, Barbara is no benevolent guardian angel, and Mikura grows obsessed with discovering her secrets, tangling with thugs, sadists, magical curses and mythical beings – all the while wondering whether he himself is still sane.

The father of modern anime and manga, Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) is the creator of iconic characters including Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion as well as the author of many acclaimed graphic novels including Buddha and Ode to Kirihito. Written in 1973 and 1974 and inspired by the classic opera “Tales of Hoffman” by Jacques Offenbach, Barbara is one of Tezuka’s most psychological and personal manga, an allegorical look at the difficult choices and torturous doubts every artist must face.

“We are incredibly excited to bring Barbara to American readers, and to explore this new route to publication for niche-oriented manga,” said Ben Applegate, editor of the DMP Platinum imprint. “In the future, we hope to offer more Tezuka titles through Kickstarter as well as titles from other Japanese artists whose work is underrepresented in the United States. First and foremost, of course, we are grateful to the fans who made this possible and to Tezuka Productions for taking a chance on a brand new way to license manga.”

The Kickstarter campaign, with promotional materials and a video, can be viewed here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitalmanga/publish-osamu-tezukas-barbara-in-english

* – All logos and art are not final.

_______________________________

About Digital Manga, Inc.

Located in Gardena, CA, Digital Manga, Inc. is one of the industry’s most unconventional and innovative companies, specializing in building corporate and cultural bridges from Japan to the Western Hemisphere – specifically through the licensing, importation and preparation of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comic books) and related merchandise for the North American mainstream and subculture markets. In this capacity, DMI serves as a catalyst for the expansion of Japanese pop culture institutions into global arenas. The company’s DMP Platinum imprint publishes classic manga from Japan, including Swallowing the Earth by Osamu Tezuka and Speed Racer: Mach Go Go Go.

For more information about Digital Manga Publishing, visit www.digitalmanga.com or www.dmpbooks.com.

Follow us on Twitter at: @digitalmanga
Find us on Facebook: Digital Manga Inc.

Let’s Eat Ramen appears in GEN 8 and will be available nationwide Jan. 2011!

NEW YORK, NY – GEN Manga Entertainment, Inc. announces the release of Let’s Eat Ramen in GEN 8. (GEN 8, 162 pages, black and white, 1.99) will be available Jan. 2011.

Nagumo is the author of the popular series Radio de Go! Making his debut in Manga Time Kirakira Carat in 2007 he has since made waves in the Japanese doujin community with his smash hit Radio de Go! Now Nagumo will be releasing a new original story for GEN Manga titled Let’s Eat Ramen.

Let’s Eat Ramen is the story of Saeki, a girl who loves ramen noodles. At last, she thinks that she has finally found the perfect ramen shop, but the problem is the shop is completely full of old regulars and she can’t get in. Will the timid Saeki ever summon the willpower to reach out and get the ramen that she desperately wants? An indie manga about the finer points of eating ramen noodles from the creator of the radio manga Radio de Go!, brought to you by genmanga.com.

Junji Ohno creates his second sassy new cover for GEN 8. Ohno made his debut at the age 19 in Weekly Shonen Magazine, and has been a regular contributor to numerous weeklies in Japan, such as Weekly Shonen Fang, Comic Bonbon, and Shonen Comic Champion. Ohno’s work includes: Shiritsu Justice Gakuen (1998), Hotshot, Axel Rex, and Spider Riders. Junji Ohno is the newest edition to GEN, America’s number one source for authentic doujin manga, where Junji will be making his American debut as the new cover artist.

Readers can also find consecutive issues available on Graphicly. Graphicly is available on numerous platforms, including the Nook, iphone, and Android.

GEN stories are published nowhere else in the world. These stories are created by the elusive doujincreators in Tokyo’s secret underground circles, otherwise known in the west as independent creators and hard core fans.

Presenting new indie manga circles from Japan, GEN, a monthly publication, will be released in the US and Japan simultaneously. Digital format and print editions for GEN are available now. Based in New York,GEN Manga Entertainment (www.genmanga.com) endeavors to publish new and unseen graphic workfrom Japan, being in the unique position to bring readers work first, more original and untamed manga will be sure to come!

For more information, please contact Robert McGuire by phone – (646) 535-0090, or by email –editor@genmanga.com

Better late then never for me posting about this week’s new manga, right? Otaku USA has my On The Shelf article posted with the list of what new manga made it to bookstore and comic shop shelves this past Wednesday.

The list is short and contains the bittersweet final volume of Kannagi. It’s not the series last volume, just the last we’ll see of it from Bandai Entertainment after last week’s news. That coupled with Media Blasters and now remaining anime companies suing each other, I think the North American anime industry is in desperate need of a hug. Fingers crossed 2012 treats manga companies better. Either way, the best hug you can give either industry is a purchase so get out there and hug, er I mean buy, away!