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Posts Tagged Rumiko Takahashi

PR: Viz Media Invites Fans to Catch the Exciting Return of Ranma 1/2…

VIZ MEDIA INVITES FANS TO CATCH THE EXCITING RETURN OF RANMA ½ IN A BRAND NEW OMNIBUS MANGA EDITION

Creator Rumiko Takahashi’s Groundbreaking
Gender-Bending Martial Arts Comedy Returns To North America In A Newly Re-Mastered 2-In-1 Manga Format

San Francisco, CA, February 28, 2014 – The wait is almost over as VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, announces next month’s exciting release of Rumiko Takahashi’s adored manga (graphic novel) series – RANMA ½ – as newly re-mastered 2-in-1 omnibus editions. The opening volume debuts on March 11th, presented for the first time ever in a right-to-left reading format that remains faithful to the original work. RANMA ½ is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Ranma Saotome never thought a martial arts training mission to China would turn out like this! Due to an unfortunate accident at the cursed Chinese training ground Jusenkyo, when Ranma and his father get splashed with cold water, papa turns into a giant panda and male Ranma becomes a buxom young woman! Hot water reverses the effect, but only until the next time! Constantly chased by battle-happy martial artists and lovesick suitors of both sexes, what’s a half-boy, half-girl martial artist to do?

Read more…


Viz Media Rescues Deadman Wonderland, Licenses Gangsta and Revives Old Fan-Favourites

Viz Media Rescues Deadman Wonderland, Licenses GANGSTA

Anime Expo had a bunch of great announcements from manga publishers last week, and I swear I’ll be caught up with them eventually! Viz Media had its panel on Sunday and pleased audiences with two new licenses:

Deadman Wonderland – Kazuma Kondou/Jinsei Kataoka
Gangsta – Kohske

Many manga readers probably recognize Deadman Wonderland as a Tokyopop title. Before shutting down, Tokyopop had released five volumes of the series. Viz Media will be beginning with their new, re-translated edition at volume one starting in February 2014. The volumes will sell for the standard Viz Media book price of $9.99/US, $12.99/CAN

I’m looking forward to getting to finish Deadman Wonderland, which I had mixed feelings about. The story follows a boy named Ganta who is locked up in a prison known as Deadman Wonderland after he’s framed for killing his classmates. There he must learn to survive through organized death matches against fellow inmates.

Gangsta is a series new to English publication. I’m not familiar with it, but a simple Google image search and a look at those cover images was all I needed to be excited. The artwork looks amazing. The story follows two men who take on an assortment of jobs from both gangs and the police in their city.

Viz Media will begin releasing Gangsta in February as well, but this title will be released at the slightly higher price point of $12.99/US, $14.99/CAN. This matches the price of other ‘premium’ series such as Dorohedoro and Dogs, so I’m hopeful that means Gangsta will get the same large trim treatment.

Ranma 1/2Other news from the panel included confirmation the Shonen Jump series, Nisekoi, would be released in print starting in January, as well as the new full-colour edition of Dragonball in February. The Dragonball volumes will be released in a size closer to North American graphic novels, which I think will suit the bright colours nicely. Both of these titles have been running chapter-by-chapter in the digital edition of Shonen Jump.

Viz Media is also re-releasing Ranma 1/2, offering the title as 2-in-1 omnibus editions released in their original right-to-left reading orientation for the first time in English. Yay! These books will be $14.99/US, $16.99/CAN a volume and will begin publication in March.

Credit for the news’ details goes to AnimeNewsNetwork


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – February 13, 2013

Otaku USA: On The Shelf - February 13, 2013

Our snow here was short-lived, two feet of beautiful white fluff now little more than some crusty banks after a night of rain. It was rather disappointing! On the other hand, it means there’s nothing but some distance between me and new comics.

For my thoughts on the new manga out this week, you can check out my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

Awkward Silence (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Deltora Quest (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Hayate the Combat Butler (Vol.21) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Hiroaki Samura’s Emerald & Other Stories [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
InuYasha VIZBig (Vol.14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Knights of Sidonia (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – November 14, 2012

Otaku USA: On The Shelf - November 12, 2012

It’s week two of wow-is-there-ever-a-lot-of-new-manga-coming-out-this-month (aka, November). There’s a lot of variety this week too – new books, old books, back-from-the-dead books, boys’ love, shonen, 4-koma, shoujo,  whatever the heck Excel Saga is, and more! Ahhh, I wish I could afford them all!

You can read my thoughts on a number of this week’s books over at Otaku USA’s On The Shelf article.

07 Ghost (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Arons Absurd Armada Omnibus (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Bad Teachers’ Equation (Vol.05) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Blood Blockade Battlefront (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Bunny Drop (Vol.07) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Cross Game (Vol.08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Excel Saga (Vol.24) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Inu-Yasha VizBIG (Vol.13) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan (Vol.06) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Missions of Love (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Nabari no Ou (Vol.12) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Neon Genesis Evangelion 3-in-1 (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Omamori Himari (Vol.09) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Rin-Ne (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Secret Thorns [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sleepless Nights [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Soul Eater (Vol.11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Soul Eater Not! (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Spice and Wolf (Vol.07) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Start With A Happy Ending (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Umineko When They Cry: Golden Witch (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

Note: Links on the site are affiliation links for Kuriousity with any and all proceeds from them going towards our hosting fees.


Year In Review: Lissa’s Favourites of 2011

Lissa’s Favourites of 2011

There are no shortage of ‘Best Of’ lists this time of year. While I like popping around to different peoples’ sites and seeing what they thought, it’s a bit of a frustration that I can’t seem to write one myself. How people choose a solid list containing five or ten favourites, from across different genres and subject matters, is just something I can’t seem to muster the brain power for. Not enough conviction I suppose? There’s just so much to love!

But I can’t overlook the perfect chance to look back at all the great titles a year had to offer and 2011 had some really fantastic ones. So then where is this going, oh rambling one, you ask? My semi-traditional equivalent to the yearly best of – the random Lissa’s favourites and best-ofs list! Which really just means you get a lot more titles broken into a lot more categories so I can remain a lot more loving to a lot more series. And in some cases not so loving… From the Best Release Quality to the Favourite Fan Service and even to the most Gag Worthy – here are a bunch of my favourite titles from 2011!

Read more…


Review: Rin-Ne (Vol. 07)

Rin-Ne (Vol. 07)

Manga-ka: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: November 2011

Synopsis: “When ghosts appear in Sakura’s house she commissions Rinne to find out what’s going on. Rinne’s on cloud nine at the thought of going to Sakura’s house, but when Jumonji and Ageha barge in on them, will the investigation grind to a halt? Ghostly cats, curses and haunted festivals… with all this trouble, Rinne’s definitely got his hands full!”

Rin-Ne has had me on the fence since the beginning. Do I like it or not? At seven volumes, I can finally say that I do. That’s quite a few books into a series to finally be able to say you’re enjoying it. Fortunately having numerous series under her belt offering years of entertainment, means I was willing to give Rumiko Takahashi the benefit of the doubt. Rin-Ne has been a lot like watching someone get a game set-up. First they have to put all the pieces out, make sure everyone knows the rules, let the audience get seated and now they’re finally ready to play the game. And since then, our patience rewarded, it’s been quite a bit of fun.

Read more…


Swag Bag: Gender, Drama and Baseball

Swag Bag

Another week gone by and another stack of lovely new books to read! Lately I’ve been reading a lot of older titles since my haul at Animaritime but this week’s new titles definitely put up a huge fight for my attention (and who am I kidding, they won!).

First up was  the new volume of Black Butler (Vol. 06) from Yen Press. Knowing that the whole curry fiasco is behind us and another mystery is afoot had me extra eager for this book. I was not disappointed! This series is worth  buying for the art alone – such gorgeous Victorian outfits ranging from the wonderful to just plain weird. Throw in some detective work and sexual tension between pretty people and it’s an easy sell.

Much less in-your-face about its charms is the fourth volume of Cross Game. I’ve completely fallen in love with this series – I love the baseball games, the characters, the romance – it’s all good! It’s so relaxing, the kind of book you just want to curl up in bed with and not put down until you’re done. Plus I think I join the many in-story characters who have a crush on Aoba.

Adding two more volume sixes to go with Black Butler, I also bought Rin-Ne (Vol. 06) and Time & Again (Vol. 06). Both are series I have hesitations buying because the volumes have been hit or miss since the beginning. All the same, this is the final volume of Time & Again so I had to pick it up to see how things fare between the leads. Rin-Ne I buy consistently because when it’s good I really enjoy it, the kind of entertainment only Rumiko Takahashi can offer.

Speaking of hit or miss, two books came in the mail this week from DramaQueen – Missing Road and JUNK!. With three books now under their belt since their ‘comeback’ began, I’m ready to give them another chance and take a look at the new offerings. First impressions say the quality of the publishing itself is great but will the content itself hold up?

Wandering Son (Vol. 01)The big purchase this week was undoubtedly Wandering Son (Vol. 01), however. I’ve been waiting, waiting and waiting (patiently you see) for this book since it was announced. With this description, how could I not?

“The fifth grade. The threshold to puberty, and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Shuichi Nitori and his new friend Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates, but they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy.”

The book has since been showered with praise and rightfully so for what it is. I absolutely loved reading it and will hopefully have a review done soon to highlight why. As a first impressions note, it’s another hardcover release from Fantagraphics so on publication quality alone you really get your money’s worth.

What was in your swag bag this week?


Review: One Pound Gospel (Vol. 02)

One Pound Gospel (Vol. 02)

Manga-ka: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2008

Synopsis: “Four years ago, Kosaku pulled off an astounding upset in his pro test by KO’ing a big-time boxer. More than simply sending his opponent down for the count, Kosaku also managed to mangle this pretty-boy fighter’s teeth in the process. Now this toothless tyrant is ready for a rematch, but can Kosaku drop down an entire weight class to qualify for the bout?”

Much as I enjoy the occasional volume of Ranma ½ or Inu-Yasha – Rumiko Takahashi’s (arguably?) most well-known titles – there’s nothing quite like going back and re-experiencing one of her older series. One Pound Gospel was a title I missed during its initial run from Viz Media but am more than happy to experience now. Volume one was your standard introductory fare while here volume two takes the ‘professions’ of Kosaku and Sister Angela and plays them for all their worth.

Read more…


PR: Summer Manga Readings Heats Up With Viz App Updates

SUMMERTIME MANGA READING HEATS UP WITH NEW DIGITAL RELEASES FOR THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH LAUNCHING THE FIRST HALF OF JULY

I’LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW, GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA And INUYASHA Among New Titles; Latest Update Also Features Additions To 15 Popular Manga

VIZ Media delivers more summer manga reading fun as it announces the debut of four new manga (graphic novel) series that join the extensive library of VIZ MANGA APP titles currently available for digital download for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ Touch.

Launching during the first-half of July will be Shunju Aono’s slacker-inspired I’LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW, as well as GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA, creator Kaori Yuki’s twisted tale of horror and tortured romance. The newest round of updates also features the debut of the VIZBIG omnibus version of Rumiko Takahashi’s classic supernatural adventure, INUYASHA. After shopping, also enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey, running through the end of August.

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.

Read more…


Swag Bag: Animaritime 2011 Edition!

Swag Bag: Animaritime 2011 Edition

We survived! Another year of Animaritime is behind us, bringing with it some much needed relaxation and a heavy sadness. I miss all the staff and chatting with the attendees and even that constant hectic mental state you get in when you’re running back and forth from 8am-12am everyday. Amazing times! If you’re curious to see some pictures or read some comments, our Facebook page is very lively this year.

Special thanks to Vertical Inc‘s Ed Chavez who attended as a guest and held several great manga panels. I loved being on a panel with him and Andre for our Manga Industry panel (my first time participating in a roundtable panel) and I learned a lot from Ed’s Manga Licensing panel (for the love of manga support our publishers!).

Though most of my attention stays as a staffer, I always make time to visit the vendors. I was really happy to see there was even more manga than usual this year and came back home with a satisfying stack of goodies.

Descendants of Darkness (Vol. 02)From the vendor Gamezilla (whose recently revamped store location I visited after the con ended) I got some great discounts on hard to find titles. My largest purchase was volumes 2-11 of Descendants of Darkness which I’ve been itching to reread – a supernatural story that teeters on the edge of being a boys’ love story. The switches between humour and really dark content is as strange as I remember it.

Having enjoyed the complete random of the last volume I read, I also bought Gatcha Gacha (Vol.06-07) and on some recommendations, Suppli (Vol. 02-03). Going for something newer, I bought the third volume of Afterschool Charisma.

Strange Adventures (always the Halifax store of choice!) returned as a vendor and had a bunch of manga to sift through. From there I found three volumes of Rumiko Takahashi’s One Pound Gospel, volumes 4 and 5 of Itazura na Kiss and A Drifting Life (so I can finally leave the library copy for someone else!). Lastly, despite a lacklustre feeling from the first volume, I gave Saturn Apartments another chance by buying volumes 2 and 3.

Other random purchases included two pretty art books by names I can’t read the Kanji for (thus sadly can’t tell you who they are), and a stack of old Mixx magazines because I got them for pennies and enjoy the nostalgia factor.

So yay for convention weekend! Animaritime is always a blast and somehow manages to out-do itself every year. More memories, more manga – it’s all a win-win! So what was in your swag bag this week?


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