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Otaku USA: On The Shelf – June 5th, 2013

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 5, 2013

I have a feeling June is going to be one of those months where my manga budget gets stretched… …by a lot. Enjoy the first wave of manga out this month, and check out my thoughts at Otaku USA’s On The Shelf article for books out this week.

Are You Alice? (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Black God (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Blood Lad (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Blood-C (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
BTOOOM! (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dragonball 3-in-1 (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Durarara!! Saika Arc (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan (Vol.09) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Missions of Love (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Omamori Himari (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon Black & White (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sacred Blacksmith (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Soul Eater (Vol.14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Thermae Romae (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Umineko: Turn of the Golden Witch (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Are You Alice?, Black God, Blood C, Blood Lad, Btooom!, Dark Horse, Dragonball, Durarara, GTO, Haruhi Suzumiya, Kingdom Hearts, Kodansha Comics, Manga, Missions of Love, Omahori Himari, Pokemon, Sacred Blacksmith, Shonen Jump, Soul Eater, Thermae Romae, Umineko, Vertical Inc, Viz Media, Yen Press

Yaoi-Con To Resume in 2014 with Return to San Francisco

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, June 2, 2013

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There are too many anime & manga conventions to cover them all, but I make exceptions for a show like Yaoi Con as the only one in North America owned by a manga publisher. It’s an interesting combination. The internet was surprisingly silent over how Yaoi Con 2012, the first event held by Digital Manga, went, but the absence of a 2013 show spoke a lot on its own.

Digital Manga recently announced, however, that Yaoi Con will be returning in 2014. While there is no specific date or location, what they have confirmed is that the show will be returning to San Francisco in the Fall. After years of the boys’ love dedicated event being held there, Digital Manga moved the show to Long Beach. While we can’t blame them for wanting a location more convenient for their staff, the decision didn’t go over so well with veteran attendees or volunteers.

Who knows, maybe 2014 will be the year I attend and cross Yaoi Con off my bucket list. Will it bounce back bigger and better? Time will tell, and I think a lot of that will be determined for attendees by what guests they announce for the show.

Digital Manga also announced they were returning to print early by announcing the availability of Tyrant Who Falls in Love (Vol.08) and Ze (Vol.07) on their own retail site, Akadot. As this only applies to those who can buy from Akadot, I consider it a minor comfort. For the rest of us, the date on retailers, such as Amazon (CAN/US), remains August.

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Categories: News
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Conventions, DMP, Manga

Sharpen Your Pencils – Shonen Jump Launches Multi-Language Manga Contest

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, May 31, 2013

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Exciting news, comic artists! Shonen Jump has launched a contest awarding winners with not only a nice chunk of change, but also the chance to have their work published in Shonen Jump. Can you imagine seeing your name and work next to mega behemoths like One Piece and Dragonball?!

Artists looking to participate are asked to submit original, one-shot stories that are either 15, 19, 31 or 45 pages in length. The contest is open to submissions in three languages – English, Japanese and Chinese.

I only occasionally dabble in artwork these days, but contests like this really make me want to use the ol’ Wacom for something other than logos and photo restorations. The idea that something I wrote or drew being looked at by the editors of the world’s most popular comics… It makes a person’s heart flutter doesn’t it?

The deadline for the content is October 1st, 2013 and winners will be announced in November, with their works available to read come December. For now you can read all the ins, outs, whos and hows on the contest application page, and don’t forget to spread the word.

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Categories: Contests, News
Tags: Global Manga, Manga, Shonen Jump

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – May 29, 2013

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 30, 2013

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Sailor Moon! And that means a one-track manga mind for me this week… Sailor Moon! Volume eleven is now out from Kodansha Comics. This volume is a real emotional trip as new villains show up with as many new things to learn as they have blows to deal. I may have teared up a bit.

But that’s not all there is, so be sure to check out all the books released this week and visit Otaku USA for more of my thoughts on them in our weekly On The Shelf article.

Cage of Eden (Vol.10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Limit (Vol.05) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sailor Moon (Vol.11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: Features, News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Cage of Eden, Ghost in the Shell, Kodansha Comics, Limit, Manga, Sailor Moon, Vertical Inc

Dishing the Digital: Shonen Jump Staff Launch Weekly Podcast

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

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New podcast alert! The podcast world is sadly sparse when it comes to manga-centric content, but the staff of Shonen Jump have taken it upon themselves to fill that void with their new Shonen Jump podcast! And it’s pretty fun you guys.

So far there are three podcasts with plans to keep it a weekly occurrence. On the podcast, a collection of the magazine’s editors get together and talk about what happened in the newest issue and a few other tidbits related to the content and its production. While there is the occasional industry talk (which I love!), ultimately this is a group of individuals who love Shonen Jump talking about Shonen Jump, as fans to the fans. It’s a podcast I never realized how much I wanted until I got to listen to it.

The group have great chemistry and are a lot of fun to listen to. They’re naturals, and I hope they continue having the time to keep this podcast going while also pumping out 150+ pages of Shonen Jump manga every week.

You can listen to the podcast via their website, and subscribe on Apple devices through iTunes. Make sure you give it a listen, subscribe, leave a nice review and, should you have them, submit a question or two via their Twitter account and website for potential answering on the show.

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Categories: News
Tags: Digital, Magazine, Manga, Podcast, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

Porntastic Profit: Project-H Announces Six New Titles for Print

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Monday, May 27, 2013

2 Comments »

Digital Manga’s boys’ love operations are just creeping back to life, butt their hentai imprint, Project-H continues it’s impressive momentum with no signs of slowing yet. This past weekend they announced half a new dozen new titles at Fanime:

Fetishisms with Dignity – Yuzuki n Dash
Holy Knight (Vol.01) – Maya Miyazaki
Not Enough Time to Pull It Out – Johji Manabe
Love Story of a Kinky Girl – Ryu Shinonome
Pretty Please – Moral Anzaki
You’re Too Hot For Me – Taira Azuma

Writing up a Project-H post is never short of entertaining. This time’s winning title has definitely got to be Not Enough Time to Pull It Out. Transparent and telling – while they can make the books a little tricky to order, I love them all the same. And there’s no question why the books are most commonly ordered online, though it would be fun and suiting to see a wall of Project-H’s titles at an adult entertainment store alongside the other colourfully titled media.

If we’re judging the books by their covers, than I’m most interested in Holy Knight (as pictured above). The series has the usual average-Joe-suddenly-has-hot-women-interested-in-him plot, but adds a little twist with some vampires and a silly looking animal mascot.

Each book will likely retail for the Project-H standard of $17.95/US, $19.99/CAN. Each of the books is by a creator new to English publication, with exception of Johji Manabe from whom Project-H has licensed a number of titles before, including the upcoming Ring x Mama series.

News courtesy of AnimeNewsNetwork

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Conventions, Fanime, Fetishisms with Dignity, Hentai, Holy Knight, Johji Manabe, Love Story of a Kinky Girl, Manga, Not Enough Time to Pull It Out, Pretty Please, Project-H, You're Too Hot For Me

Digital Manga Announces Return to Print with Two New Licenses

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, May 26, 2013

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Do you remember the time when all of Digital Manga‘s boys’ love books were in print? Sometimes it feels like only yesterday I was unwrapping the plastic from a new volume of Tyrant Who Falls in Love, and other times it feels like ages ago. And, yes, the irony of their company name to the woes of them going almost entirely digital for a while does not escape me.

Digital Manga’s print hiatus is soon coming to an end, and the company confirmed upcoming dates along with announcing two new licenses at their recent panel at Fanime:

Apple and Honey – Hideyoshico
Apple and Honey: His Rose Colored Life – Hideyoshico
Wolf Magic – Natsuki Zippo

All three titles are one-shots, with the first two connected by some overlap in the collection of short stories that make them up. This is the first time either artist has had works released in English. Digital Manga hasn’t yet given dates for their publication. It seems likely all three books will be published under the company’s June imprint.

According to Digital Manga’s release schedule, their next boys’ love book in print will be the one shot, A New Season of Young Leaves. The release schedule also includes updated release times for most of their upcoming titles. While SuBLime‘s excellent book selection has done a great job filling the hole left by Digital Manga’s hiatus, I am glad to see the company back to its’ BL book roots and will definitely continue purchasing what they put out as they become available again.

Other little news tidbits from the panel include word that DMP will, at some time in the future, be releasing the last volume of Vampire Hunter D and the second volume of Castle Mango. They also said that they do plan to have Yaoi-Con back for 2014 (it was cancelled for 2013), but do not yet have a date or location. Digital Manga also plans to slow their licensing over the next six months and launch some new Kickstarters in the new year.

Credit for the details goes to AnimeNewsNetwork and Deb Aoki.

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Apple and Honey, Conventions, DMP, June, Manga, Wolf Magic

Seven Seas Needs No Con For Three New Manga Licenses

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, May 24, 2013

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It’s a big weekend around North America for anime conventions – Anime North, Fanime, A-Kon – just to name a few. But while some companies are picking and choosing their con(s) of choice, Seven Seas skipped that in between step by announcing several new manga licenses directly on Twitter earlier today:

Devils and Realist – Madoka Takadono & Utako Yukihiro
Dragonar Academy – Shiki Mizuchi & Ran
Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky – Yuuki Tanaka

Devils and Realist is about a young intellectual named William, who upon trying to liquidate family assets to help with finances, unwittingly summons a demon who tells him he’s to determine the next ruler of hell. The first volume is scheduled for April 2014.

Dragonar Academy stars a bumbling dragon-trainer who is the laughing stock of his academy. Just when he thinks he’s doomed to be the world’s worst dragon rider, his own dragon finally appears – in the form of a pretty young woman who proclaims herself his master. Volume one of Dragonar Academy is due out in February 2014.

And lastly is Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky, a spin-off manga series based on the anime. Strike Witches is an anime about Earth fighting back against aliens by using young girls gifted with magic and armed with weaponry that can only be controlled by their powers. Maidens in the Sky follows a young healer new to the militia. Seven Seas has stated that this is the first Strike Witches they’ll be publishing with plans to move forward with others in chronological order once it’s complete.

Of the three, Devils and Realist is the title I’m looking forward to. Aristocratic pretty boys, a butler and a demonic contract with a one-way trip to hell – what’s not to like? Sounds like Seven Seas has their own little Black Butler in their hands. The image on the left of this post shows the series’ lead. Look at that fangirl smoldering gaze!

Seven Seas has only already created landing pages for each series on their websites – Devils and Realist, Dragonar Academy and Strike Witches. I love a company that moves quick on stuff like this. The moment news is out, people want to know more, and ensuring your own website has what they want is a simple concept that seems to be set aside by most publishers. All three series are being released at $12.99/US a volume.

Credit for the news details goes to AnimeNewsNetwork (1|2|3)

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Devils and Realist, Dragonar Academy, Manga, Seven Seas, Strike Witches

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – May 22, 2013

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

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And now it’s time for this week’s new manga! And last week’s manga! Last week’s On The Shelf article wasn’t posted, but this week’s is up so you can head over to read my thoughts on the new manga released today.

This week’s quick-list below also includes last’s week releases:

07 Ghost (Vol.04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Disgaea 3: School of Devils (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
InuYasha VizBIG (Vol.15) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Jormungand (Vol.11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Negiho [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Neon Genesis Evangelion 3-in-1 (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame [Amazon CAN, Amazon US]
Saturn Apartments (Vol.07) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Sunny (Vol.01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]

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Categories: News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: 07 Ghost, Disgaea, Disgaea 3, Gengoroh Tagame, Inu Yasha, InuYasha, Jormungand, Manga, Negiho, Neon Genesios Evangelion, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Otaku USA, Picture Box Inc., Saturn Apartments, Seven Seas, SIG Ikki, Sunny, UDON, Viz Media, Viz Signature

Short Stories and Ships: PictureBox Announces New Manga for Fall

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, May 19, 2013

1 Comment »

This news was missed here back in April but better late than never! In early April, Picture Box Inc announced they’d acquired two more manga series for publication:

Gold Pollen and Other Stories – Seiichi Hayashi
World Map Room – Yūichi Yokoyama

Gold Pollen and Other Stories is a collection of short stories and will be released in full colour and hardcover. This book will be a part of a new imprint they’re calling ‘Masters of Alternative Manga’. The book is listed at $27.50/US. More information and preview pages are currently posted on Picture Box’s website.

World Map Room is a one shot title released as a black & white paperback for $17.95/US. You can read about the book and see preview pages for this book on Picture Box’s website as well.

Both books are scheduled to be released in Fall 2013.

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Categories: Licensing, News
Tags: Gold Pollen, Manga, Picture Box Inc., World Map Room