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Posts Tagged Hinako Takanaga

YaoiCon Updates, Tokyopop Titles and GloBL for June

Some technical difficulties over the weekend put a bump in my final update regarding Anime North but while I await the retrieval of some material, I notice it’s been a while since we’ve had a news snippet post. Time for some boys’ love loving with news today.!There’s been a few tidbits the past while so here’s a quick round-up of each:

AnimeNewsNetwork is reporting the next Gakuen Heaven manga has been listed on Amazon by BLU (the boys’ love imprint of Tokyopop). The book was also listed in this month’s Preview catalog from Diamond Comics. The company has already released the first two of the Gakuen Heaven books. Based on a boys ‘ love sim game, each book follows the lead character being involved with a different character. The title of this third volume is Gakuen Heaven: Endo ~Calling You~. BLUManga has also posted on their Twitter account that the third volume of Voice or Noise has gone to the printers (yay!).

Yaoi Con has updated its website with a whole look and a bunch of new announcements. This year’s Yaoi Con, North America’s largest convention dedicated to boys’ love, is celebrating its ten year anniversary. They’ve updated their website with guest information – including Hinako Takanaga, Ayane Yamano, Jo Chen and Kano Miyamoto – as well as information regarding returning events such as their AMV contest.

Over at The Yaoi Review, blogger Jennifer LeBlanc has proclaimed June to be Global Boys’ Love Month. Over the month she’ll be covering boys’ love works from creators around the world. Should be lots of interesting stuff to come!

On the note of global boys’ love, there’s some related news to check out on that front as well:

Artist Jo Chen, whose gorgeous painted works can often be seen on the cover of Marvel comics and Buffy issues, has some new independently released books that are definitely worth a look. Firstly she’s completed her first doujin (noted by Yaoi Con) – In These Words. The work is 52 pages altogether and was sold at the recent Fanime, plus will be available at Yaoi Con. Secondly she’s also releasing an art book of her cover illustrations, restricted to only 1500 copies, that she’s selling through e-mail. The book is in Chinese, has 140 pages and costs $45.

Tina Anderson, GlobBL creator whose work include Only Words and the web comic, Whore of Turfan, has a new independently published work coming out with the pre-order date closing in. Loud Snow is  a story of “romantic ice-age hilarity” with art by Amelie Belcher. A digital edition is already available via Kindle with a version soon to be available on eManga. The print edition is coming out this July with pre-orders available for only $8.00.


PR: HINAKO TAKANAGA Appearing At Yaoi-Con 2010!

Gardena, CA (May 19. 2010)– Digital Manga Publishing is excited to announce their special guest for Yaoi-Con 2010, the prolific and fan-favorite yaoi mangaka-Hinako Takanaga! The creator of numerous manga, including Little Butterfly, The Devil’s Secret, Challengers, Croquis, Love Round!!, Liberty Liberty, and the soon to be released The Tyrant Falls In Love, Hinako Takanaga has been one of the most popular yaoi mangaka in the US, and will be making her second appearance at Yaoi-Con!

So come up to San Francisco in October, and meet the immensely talented Hinako Takanaga in person, and hear her answer questions about her process and her work!

Yaoi-Con takes place over the Halloween weekend, October 29-October 31, and at a brand new location in Burlingame, CA! For more information on Yaoi-Con, including location, hotels, and registration, please visit their site at: www.yaoicon.com


Tyrant Who Falls In Love Listed for OVA Release

Tyrant Who Falls In Love - Anime Announced

Hinako Takanaga’s Tyrant Who Falls In Love boys’ love series has been officially scheduled for an anime adaptation! The news was released in the May edition of Japan’s Gush magazine (where the series currently runs). There are no further details yet on the company producing or the release date. (via AnimeNewsNetwork)

But really, the news itself is impressive enough in itself isn’t it? Seems there’s been a good streak of boys’ love series being adapted into animes in Japan lately and the popularity of Tyrant is sure to have this news serve as music to many a fans’ ear. It’ll be entertaining in itself seeing Hinako Takanaga’s art brought to the screen for the first time as well and will allow her fans to ponder what other series would look like animated (a one-shot OVA of The Devil’s Secret anyone?).

The Tyrant Who Falls In Love follows the trials of Tetsuhiro Morinaga whose fallen hopelessly in love with his senpai – unfortunately this ponytailed, steely-eyed man who has won Morinaga’s affection also happens to be homophobic and bearer of a wicked temper. The series is currently up to five completed volumes in Japan and was originally a spin-off of one of Hinako Takanga’s older works, Challengers.

Though the real question in light of this news is… will we see this anime get licensed for English release so we can actually buy/watch it? With the way license-trends for boys’ love material have been in recent years, eyes should likely be looking in RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment’s direction as they prepare for their upcoming release of the anime adaptation of Junjo Romantica.

News of the series’ adaptation also comes at a great time for Digital Manga who announced at YaoiCon 2009 their acquisition of the manga for English release. The first volume is due out September 2010 and pre-orders are currently available via Amazon.


BLUManga.com Confirms Price Increase

Updates made this afternoon to BLU’s website have made official what online retail sites have been warning boys’ love fans since mid-November – starting in 2010, BLU (the boys’ love imprint of Tokyopop) will be releasing their books at a cover price of $14.99/US.

Scarier yet for some of us, $18.99/CAN – thank goodness for the strong Canadian dollar keeping those terrifying prices relatively obselete on bookstore shelves!

Original volumes of BLU manga, published first in 2005, were priced at $9.99/US. This includes the first volume of the popular now-completed series Love Mode and the on-going Junjo Romantica. This means boys’ love fans have seen a five dollar increase over five years – averaging out the costs, we’re looking at an increase of one dollar for each year BLU has been publishing. BLU’s last price increase was in early 2008, raising from their debut $9.99/US to $12.99/US.

The first book listed to be released at the $14.99/US price is Hinako Takanaga’s Croquis, due out February 2010.

Editors on the BLU forums have cited different reasons for the price increases and variances since their debut, including related-decisions to keep or remove colour pages from books because of shrink-wrapping issues. All Tokyopop books have seen price increases over the years, garnering some negativity from consumers when accompanied by lower quality paper and fewer-to-no colour pages. Tokyopop has since returned to a higher quality paper while their pages range around $10.99/US.

BLUManga.com’s recent updates included a new info page and banner for Croquis, as well as its addition to the release calendar. BLU’s recent press release outlined releases through to Spring 2010.

Edit: BLU Manga has since stated that their future releases will all have 2-4 colour pages to go along with the price increase. (via TheYaoiReview)


PR: BLU Presents the Spring 2010 Publishing Lineup

BLU Presents:
The Spring 2010 Publishing Lineup

Forget February – Romance Is in the Air All Year with BLU in 2010

Los Angeles, CA (December 3, 2009) – Romance blooms all year long with the latest releases from BLU. Fans will swoon over the latest JUNJO ROMANTICA, laugh through several unique short story collections, and fall in love with all new yaoi manga from Japan.

The year starts out with LOVE HURTS by Suzuki Tanaka (MENKUI!) in January – a truly unique collection of supernatural stories that are sometimes gruesome and unsettling, and often hilarious. From mysterious corpses to mystical crime lords, this manga will keep you on your toes and your thoughts spinning.

Read more…


Review: Liberty Liberty!

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Hinako Takanaga
Publisher: BLU
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “After fleeing Tokyo, trying to escape a personal crisis, hapless Itary winds up drunk and passed out on a neighbourhood trash heap. His misery is documented by prickly cameraman Kouki, who works for a local cable station, and soon the two end up roommates and co-workers. But with a company full of quirky characters, including a perky, winsome cross-dresser, and their own personalities to content with, will Itaru and Kouki ever truly understand one another?”

While out on assignment, Kouki stumbles across a runaway sprawled in an alleyway. A good deed not going unrewarded, he finds himself both puked on and his new camera smashed! None the less he generously takes the young man, Itaru, back to his apartment to get cleaned up – but with Itaru having no where to go and no money for payment, he soon becomes a more long-term tenant of Kouki’s home.

Read more…


Release List: November 2009

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:

Read more…


YaoiCon 2009: Digital Manga

YaoiCon 2009 - Digital Manga

Easily the most anticipated panel of this year’s Yaoi Con, Digital Manga brought out the big guns as promised in recent weeks to deliver to the eager audience. Deb Aoki and The Yaoi Review were both present and live-updating the panels so thanks to them both for the information.

You can read all about it under the cut –

Read more…


NYAF 2009: Tokyopop

Tokyopop at NYAF 2009

New York Anime Fest is happening this weekend and the mangaverse is ripe with all the newest info as it comes thanks to numerous dedicated bloggers and Twitter-folk. Anime News Network has its dedicated staff on hand to cover the big anime/manga news, and though sadly their servers aren’t holding up as well as their staff, they’re still the best up-to-date resource (past speedy Twitter-ers!) for all your NYAF goodies.

Tokyopop had its panel earlier today and had a bunch of announcement. Sadly their simulataneous broadcast was foiled by technical difficulties, but of course the show went on!

New licenses:

Songs and Laughter by Natsuki Takaya
.hack//Link by Megane Kikuya/CyberConnect2
Ratman by Inui Sekihiko
Qwasar Stigmata by Yoshino Hiroyuki/Satou Kenetsu

BLU Manga (TP’s yaoi imprint)

Croquis by Hinako Takanaga
Blood Honey by Yozakura Sakyou
Love Knot by Ichijou Lemon
Cute Demon by Madarame Hiro
Love Story in the Isolated Island by Duo Brand

Tokyopop staff were also greeted with positive response to repeated news that they’ll be returning to a higher quality paper print for their books and just in time for the return of some fan favourites, such as the fourth volume of Suppli and the eighth volume of V.B. Rose.

Along with an update on the upcoming movie-adaptation of the Tokypop released, Priest, they also shared word that they’ll be releasing graphic novels based on two Hollywood films, the recently debuted Shutter Island and the upcoming Joss Whedon written Cabin in the Woods.

Earlier this afternoon, Tokyopop also sent out a press release outlining their previously announced titles debuting in 2010. Lots of fun stuff on the horizon!


PR: DMP presents Little Butterfly Omnibus and Yaoi Con exclusives!

Gardena, CA (August 27, 2009) – Digital Manga Publishing is proud to present their newest reissue, the Little Butterfly Omnibus! Collecting the now out of print three volumes of Little Butterfly, the omnibus edition spans over 560 pages! Hinako Takanaga has long been a fan favorite and her Little Butterfly manga, one of the early yaoi titles printed by Digital Manga Publishing, quickly became a top seller, and has continued to be one of the most requested manga series in the Digital Manga library. Finally, the three beautiful issues of Little Butterfly will be available in this limited omnibus edition!

As a special thank you to our fans, Digital Manga Publishing will make exclusively available at Yaoi-Con only, a limited number of the Little Butterfly Omnibus for purchase! The street date is not until February 2010, and we will only be making the book available for Yaoi-Con attendees! After Yaoi-Con, the book will not be available until it ships to stores next year. So come to Yaoi-Con to own this beautiful title, way, WAY ahead of it’s ship date!

Also at Yaoi-Con, in honor of our amazing guest, Makoto Tateno, Digital Manga Publishing will have early advances of the Yellow Omnibus: Volume 1 AS WELL as early advances of Yellow 2: Episode 1 for con attendees! Yellow has remained one of Digital Manga’s best selling titles, and Yellow 2: Episode 1 is a special series of short stories written exclusively for cell phones in Japan. Never before published in print, Yellow 2 will be a three episode series of short 64 page booklets following additional adventures of Taki and Goh. Come and get these amazing advances, and then have them signed in person by the amazing Makoto Tateno!

Read more…


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