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Posts Tagged Fushigi Yugi

PR: Viz Manga App Adds Six New Digital Manga Titles for June

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, June 13, 2011

VIZ MANGA APP ADDS SIX NEW DIGITAL MANGA TITLES FOR THE iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH FOR JUNE

Latest Additions Complement Growing Library Of Titles Available Digitally; SMILE: PRAY FOR JAPAN Vols. 3-4 Also Debut

VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will launch six new manga (graphic novel) series during June that will be offered for digital download within the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ Touch. Also debuting are Vols. 3 and 4 of Takehiko Inoue’s SMILE: PRAY FOR JAPAN illustrations, with all VIZ Media proceeds donated to the Japanese Red Cross to aid vicitims affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Scheduled to make their North American digital debuts today are the shojo dramas of BACKSTAGE PRINCE and THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU. More shojo fun follows on June 20th with the launch of DENGEKI DAISY and AI ORE!, along with the critically acclaimed CROSS GAME. Finally, June 27th sees the debut of the lush and contemplative CHILDREN OF THE SEA. Updates to 22 other popular VIZ Media digital manga series are also scheduled.

The VIZ MANGA APP is now available for free for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices through the iTunes® Store, and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada from within the application for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Children of the Sea, Fushigi Yugi, Shoujo Beat, Slam Dunk, Vampire Knight, Viz Media

PR: Viz Manga App Presents Four New Manga Titles

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, May 3, 2011

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VIZ MANGA APP PRESENTS FOUR NEW MANGA TITLES FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH

VIZ MANGA APP To Offer HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, not simple, MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX And HYDE & CLOSER; Additions To 17 Other Popular VIZ Media Manga Series Also Announced

VIZ Media has announced four new manga (graphic novel) series that will be offered for digital download within the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ Touch. The latest update offers two acclaimed works from celebrated manga creator Natsume Ono – HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES and not simple – that are available now. Two additional new series – MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX and HYDE & CLOSER – will debut for digital download on May 9th and May 16th respectively. Updates for the first half of May to 17 other popular manga series have also been announced.

The VIZ MANGA APP is now available for free for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch through the iTunes Store, and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada from within the application for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

In Natsume Ono’s HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, recently nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award), a wandering samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve and diffident nature has time and again caused him to be let go by the lords who have employed him. Hungry and desperate, he becomes a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a gang called “Five Leaves.” Although disturbed by the gang’s sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi’s motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he’s drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.

Natusume Ono’s not simple (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) tells the story of Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian’s experiences in a novel titled, not simple.

Don’t miss Natsume Ono’s rare U.S. personal appearance at Kinokuniya Books in New York City on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 7:00pm.

Manga creator Megumi Osuga’s MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) features a boy with special powers who may be the key to stopping the spread of crime, big money and urban sprawl in a story of confrontation and determination. Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he’s thinking. Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city’s redevelopment plan. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage.

The fantasy driven action of creator Haro Aso’s HYDE & CLOSER introduces readers to Shunpei Closer, your average… well, slightly below average kid in junior high who finds himself in the middle of a great battle of dark sorcery. With cursed dolls coming after him one after another, Shunpei Closer’s life is in danger! If that weren’t enough, Hyde, the teddy bear given to him by his grandfather, suddenly comes alive to rescue him. With Hyde’s help, can Shunpei save himself and live to see another day?

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Fushigi Yugi, One Piece, Viz Media

Viz Media Adds New Artbook, Natume Ono and Omnibus

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, November 16, 2010

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Though news of Viz Media’s license-rescue of Tenjo Tenge stole the spotlight from yesterday’s press release, there was some other new titles slotted in there as well.

Blue Excorist and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan confirmed licenses previously revealed with more solid release dates while Natsume Ono’s La Quinta Camera is a fresh license from the creator of previous Viz Signature series, not simple and House of Five Leaves:

“A charming suite of linked stories from the acclaimed author of not simple and House of Five Leaves, set in an apartment in Italy. In four of the rooms live four single men with singular personalities. Into this peculiar ménage steps an exchange student, the new tenant of the fifth room. Brought together by chance, friends by choice, they pursue their dreams together as the days drift gently by.”

Icing on the cake of these licenses comes the reveal that Viz Media will be releasing the Vampire Knight artbook in English, similar to its previous art book releases for series such as Angel Sanctuary and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The book will be hardcover and presumably have the same large cut size as Viz Media’s previous art book releases.

There’s also some new releases to see on retail sites this week. Under Viz Media’s sci-fi novel imprint, Haikasoru, are two new books – Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights (src: AAAAnime) and Cage of Zeus (src: AAAAnime). They’re also listing the novel edition of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot (src: AAAAnime)

Also listing on said-retail sites are several more Shonen Jump series getting the omnibus treatment: Bleach, Naruto and Kekkaishi. Viz Media has already re-released several of its popular series in omnibus format, typically being 3-in-1, including One Piece, Dragonball and Fushigi Yugi. Each book will cost $14.99 putting the content at a fraction of buying them individually. I can speak from personal experience to say these are perfect for those looking to start these series from the beginning but are intimidated by the high book counts. (src: AAAAnime 1/2/3)

On the omnibus note, I continue to find it exciting just how many publishers are embracing omnibus editions – Viz Media, Tokyopop, Yen Press, Dark Horse, Vertical, DelRey (RIP), Seven Seas, Digital Manga – nearly the entire crew! It was near-exactly a year ago today we were contemplating their role in the future of manga and here we are now with such a strong mix of the two printed formats. While sometimes carrying a 600+ page book around isn’t the most feasible thing in the world, saving half-off the cost of buying them separately and getting triple the content still garners no complaints from me.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Fushigi Yugi, Light Novels, Manga, One Piece, Shoujo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media

Review: Right Here, Right Now (Vol. 01)

By Shannon Fay on Wednesday, May 26, 2010

1 Comment »

Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Souya Himawari
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: April 2010

Synopsis: “Mizuo, your average modern day teenager, is mysteriously transported into Feudal Japan and worshipped as a Living Buddha in a time when war is the way of life-so it’s no wonder he’s desperate to return home! But Mizuo soon meets the charismatic leader of the Yamako army, Takakage, whose bravado on the battlefield is matched only by his adoration of Mizuo! When Takakage demands that Mizuo stay and become his personal page, will Mizuo still desire to return home?”

Time travel romance is a tried and true staple of the shojo genre, with Fushigi Yugi, Red River and From Far Away being notable titles. Right Here, Right Now uses a similar template to the aforementioned: an ordinary high schooler gets sent to a distant past/fantasy world, is hailed as a deity of some kind, and falls for a hot local. It works just as well in yaoi as it does in other manga, and Right Here, Right Now looks like a fine addition to the time travel romance (time-rom?) genre.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Fushigi Yugi, June, Manga

PR: Viz Media Debuts Arata the Legend Manga

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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VIZ MEDIA TO RELEASE NEW FANTASY ADVENTURE SERIES ARATA: THE LEGEND FROM RENOWNED MANGA CREATOR YUU WATASE

For Two Boys Called Arata,
Switching Places Means an Adventure of a Lifetime!

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings famed manga creator Yuu Watase’s potent blend of mythical fantasy adventure and lavish artwork for the North American debut of ARATA: THE LEGEND on March 9th. The new series is published under the SHONEN SUNDAY imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In a world where humans and gods coexist, Arata is the unfortunate successor to the matriarchal Hime Clan–unfortunate because if he’s not cross-dressing to hide his gender one minute, he’s fleeing for his life the next! When Arata winds up in the modern world and switches places with a boy named Arata Hinohara, it’s a wonder which Arata is actually better off…
In Volume 1, Hinohara is the spitting image of Arata, so he suddenly finds himself fighting people after his life! As he navigates through this foreign world filled with power-hungry warriors, who will come to his aid? One thing’s for sure–it’s not easy being Arata!

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Arata the Legend, Fushigi Yugi, Shonen Sunday, Viz Media, Yuu Watase

PR: Pop Japan Travel TAF Tour to visit Studio Pierrot

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, January 27, 2010

1 Comment »

Gardena, CA (January 26, 2010) – Pop Japan Travel is proud to announce a special opportunity for any anime fan as part of their forthcoming Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) tour: the option to visit one of Japan’s most respected anime production studios, Studio Pierrot.

Founded in 1979, Studio Pierrot has produced some of the world’s most beloved anime titles, including Naruto, Bleach, Saiyuki, Fushigi Yugi, and many more. The studio tour will give anime fans a rare peek at how anime is produced and give them a chance to meet some of the creative talent that has helped produce it.

To commemorate this opportunity, Pop Japan Travel has launched a special contest on their YouTube channel, inviting anime fans to submit videos of their best questions for Studio Pierrot. The fan that submits the best question will receive their choice of three books courtesy of Digital Manga, Inc. and will get to visit Studio Pierrot free if they take the tour. Winners will receive a PJT credit towards a future tour if they cannot attend the TAF tour. The contest concludes on February 14, 2010.

The TAF tour is scheduled to take place from March 24 until April 1. The cost of the tour includes all accommodations, round trip airfare to Japan from Los Angeles, dinner in a cosplay-themed restaurant, transportation, professional bilingual tour guides, entrance fees to all activities, and a customized guidebook created exclusively for the tour. People interested in taking the tour may visit http://www.popjapantravel.com/ or e-mail popjapantravel@gmail.com to sign up. Applications received before February 1 will receive a $50 discount on their tour, and all applications are due by February 23.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Conventions, DMP, Fushigi Yugi

Manga Stuff Sunday – Contests and Continuations

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, January 24, 2010

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A bunch of interesting news and previews this past week – what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than getting caught up on a bunch of them! From contests to continuations, there should be a little something for everyone in this lengthy round-up of the week’s what-have-yous:

RightStuf’s most recent sale is on Tokyopop books, including their boys’ love imprint, BLU. Until February 1st, you’ll save at least 33% on each book. Perfect time to get caught up some series and get your hands on the recent ones – which include lots of fantastic new licenses including Alice in the Country of Hearts and Deadman Wonderland.

More information about Yen Press’s upcoming adaptation of Twilight has been released. The book will be a hardcover edition costing $19.99. It’s already one of the top-selling books on Amazon right now! Entertainment Weekly has an image of the cover and an interior preview. On a related note, Shannon Garrity has a great – and amusing – post comparing Twilight with most modern-day shoujo manga.

Fans of the series rejoice – Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei) is returning! After an eight year hiatus the supernatural manga laced with all that glorious homoerotic tension (perhaps biggest understatement of the new year so far) will be returning to publication with the release of its twelth volume in Japan. Viz Media has the English license to the series and has published up to volume eleven, last released in 2006.

DeviantArt is currently holding a contest: Ponyo Make A Splash – Online Banner Creation Contest. They’re looking for ad banners designed for use on the website to promote the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release of Studio Ghibli/Disney’s Ponyo. There are four different banner templates for designers to submit banners in. As for the prizes, “…each of the four winners will recieve a $500 Visa gift card, a devWEAR bag of Winner’s choice, a copy of Ponyo on DVD, a devWEAR shirt of Winner’s choice, and a one year Premium Membership to deviantART.”

After the continuation was pushed back to Spring 2010in early 2009, it looks like Yu Watase is finally able to put Fushigi Yuugi‘s prequel series, Genbu Kaiden, back into her busy production schedule! She posts about it over on her personal blog, though no complete translation is yet publicly posted of the entry. Viz Media has released the currently available nine volumes of the series. (via Manga Xanadu)

Lastly, the fairly-silent-in-recent-months publisher, GoComi has posted an update of their status via their forums. There isn’t a lot of specific news but they assure readers that despite some economic problems, they’re still plugging forward and going at it their best. Unfortunately a number of titles have gone on hold. You can read the whole post over there which also includes information of the potential future of their website community, the popularity of 07-Ghost and word about the status of books sold through their online store. (via @danielle_leigh1)

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Categories: Contests, News
Tags: Fushigi Yugi, GoComi, Manga, Tokyopop

Review: Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden (Vol. 09)

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, November 13, 2009

1 Comment »

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Yuu Watase
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “Back in her own world, Takiko tries to forget about The Universe of the Four Gods. Determined to live the life of an ordinary girl in Tokyo in 1923, she returns to her father’s home and concentrates on being a loyal daughter–and, soon, a dutiful bride. But she can’t leave her other life behind. And while Takiko struggles to cool her still-burning heart, the Celestial Warriors battle through a new ice age!”

Those who’ve read the original Fushigi Yugi series already know how Genbu Kaiden is going to end, but this volume is a clear indicator that Yu Watase isn’t going to ignore those of us thinking we have the end pegged. With Takiko transported back to her world at the end of the last volume, she’s now torn between the life she has there and the love she feels for those she left behind.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Fushigi Yugi, Manga, Shoujo Beat, Viz Media, Yuu Watase

PR: Shojo manga From VIZ Media! – Great for Holiday Gift ideas!

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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VIZ MEDIA MAKES IT A HOLIDAY SEASON OF SHOJO WITH FUN NEW RELEASES

Selections Make Thoughtful Gift Ideas
To Delight Even The Most Discerning Fan

San Francisco, CA, November 11, 2009– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, presents several new shojo manga (graphic novel) titles that fans and gift givers of all types might consider for wish list priority this holiday season.

The releases include THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, a collection of lavish drawings and designs from the hit series by famed shojo artist, Arina Tanemura. New manga title, BEAST MASTER, as well as the latest volume of the popular gothic high school drama VAMPIRE KNIGHT, and the VIZBIG omnibus editions of FUSHIGI YUGI and HOT GIMMICK.

“Shojo manga fans have much to look forward to during this year’s holiday season, with a variety of selections that make wonderful gift ideas to suit any budget,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Many of these series have dramatically expanded the core Shojo audience, receiving universal renown and acclaim. From VAMPIRE KNIGHT, which has become a national bestseller, to the launch of the wild new manga, BEAST MASTER, and gorgeous new omnibus editions of other shojo favorites, bookstore shelves have never been stocked with so much must-read Shojo manga!!

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Fushigi Yugi, Shoujo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media, Yuu Watase

Release List: November 2009

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, November 4, 2009

2 Comments »

Monthly Release List: November

Halloween month is behind us but with the chilly Autumn weather kicking in full force (or in some places even snow!), there’s still lots of reasons to wrap up in a warm blanket and relax at home – and of course how better than with a big stack of manga?

This month offers up lots of great titles including many of my favourites. Tokyopop offers up the newest volume of Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo, which features Count D wearing some of the cuteness outfits you’ll ever see the ageless shopkeep in, and bookshelves will see the next volume of the cluttered but highly energized Zone-00. A new Hinako Takanaga title, Liberty Liberty, makes up their BLU offering for the month.

Viz Media takes home the many-much-manga prize yet again with tons of amazing new volumes, from Ikigami to Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden, and from Pluto to Kaze Hikaru. Del Rey offers up a healthy assortment this month as well including the next volume of the charming Yokaiden and the first volume of You Higuri’s Night Head Genesis.

Toss in a great assortment of charming manhwa from Yen Press and a new volume of Black Jack from Vertical and you have just some of the awesomeness that is November 2009! What books have dibs on your paychecks this month?

You can check out the full list of November 2009’s currently scheduled manga releases under the cut:

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