In light of Tokyopop’s cutback news yesterday, including 39 layoffs (about 1/3 of the employees based on recent numbers), the effects of this news is already being felt. The forum reps for BLU manga responded to questions about if their parent company’s changes would affect them and it seems that’s already the case. One of the two site reps has been laid off (known on forums as Midorihebi) and Shonen-Ai-Samurai, one of BLU’s editors has this to say:

“This is a very unfortunate situation for us all and I’m close to tears right now just thinking about how I won’t have Midorihebi here to help me out any more. She’s done an awesome job the last 6 months or so checking the BLU emails and always being there to support BLU. She was so looking forward to representing us at Yaoi-Jam but those plans have been canceled now and Yaoi-con plans are also up in the air. Times are very tough right now and with problems in the bookstore industry, we’re facing a lot of challenges. I don’t know exactly how things will end up right now but I would expect some changes in the BLU release calender. Hopefully the changes will be minimal. We have had a lot of success selling our books on Amazon so I want to thank you all who support us even when you can’t find the books in stores.”

No doubt we’ll be hearing more news like this in the near future as the anxious wait to hear who’s cut: both employees and series.

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Just some random thoughts today. The next review theme will be posted up tomorrow (Saturday) and I’m still open for some more guest reviews from fellow Canadians! Also a heads up to those going to Anime North this weekend; have fun! I look forward to reading your blogs and journals on the event (and help me plan my own trip for when money allows ;p ).

By now I’m sure everyone’s heard of atleast one incident involving students writing names in Death Notes, and the reactions of people when they’re discovered. This of course spawns from the series Death Note, where writing a name in such a book would lead to that person’s death.

I was reading another news article today about just such an incident when one paragraph inparticular caught my attention:

“Kids can buy their own “Death Note,” complete with material from the movie and a set of blank pages to list their own potential targets. It’s listed for $15.95 at www.amazon.com.”

I had never thought of these imitation Death Notes as that before and that’s why this really stood out to me. I even own a Death Note of my own but I’d never considered writing names in it. I look at it more like a neat prop (I’m a big fan of replica merchandise) and I know it’s a popular cosplay item.

I’m not saying it surprises me that people write names in it, not at all, but it really made me think about how people percieve the item itself. Is that the intention of these sold Death Notes? Is it what people would assume they’re for? For those outside the culture, I can certainly see why but reading it was a bit of an eye-opener none the less.

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By now I’m sure most have heard about DramaQueen‘s apparent preparations for a come back, publisized highly in an article by Publishers Weekly. Quick recap, it’s been a loooong time since DQ has released any of their books, leaving many worried that they were going under or dropping licenses.

Now with word of a comeback on the near horizon, DramaQueen has begun sending out cease and desists to scanlation groups for some of their licenses, such as the Tyrant Who Falls In Love.

Taisa, DQ’s representative on the DQ forums, has been doing the best she can to keep the curious informed while remaining under a non-disclosure agreement. She did have this to say recently though: “I’m not sure what the bosslady intends to do as far as announcements. But if she doesn’t say something by the end of May, then I’ll be sure to spill whatever beans I have to spill.”

Just a little more to let us know there does indeed seem to be something stirring over at DQ. Now we just need some release dates!

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