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NYAF 2009: Viz Media

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wrapping up the manga-centric news of this past weekend’s New York Anime Fest, Sunday saw Viz Media staff take the panel stand with some fun new announcements.

New Licenses:

Gente ~Ristorante no Hitobito~ by Natsume Ono
What’s the Answer by Tondabayashi
Grand Guignol Orchestra by Kaori Yuki
Nice to Meet You, Kamisama by Julietta Suzuki
Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi
What’s the Answer? (Creator unknown)
Bob and His Funky Crew (Creator unknown)

The previously announced series Bakuman (by the same creators as Death Note which premiere in the May 2010 issue of Shonen Jump, and before that in February Shonen Jump readers will get to read the first chapter of Toriko with its first volume due out in June. A reminder also that the big One Piece speed-up will begin in January which will see a whopping 4 volumes a month until June. A big yikes to fans’ wallets but a yay to their eager eyes!

For Rumiko Takahashi fans, Rin-Ne volume one comes out on October 20th and Inu-Yasha anime fans can look forward to a simulcast of the upcoming Inu-Yasha anime finale. I have to admit, as much Rumiko Takahashi’s tendacy to overstretch her series gets a tad on my nerves, I still have a big soft spot for her stories and I think an anime adaptation of Inu-Yasha‘s finale is pretty neat and all the more spiffy that we’ll get to watch it so soon.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Bakuman, Conventions, Manga, One Piece, Rumiko Takahashi, Toriko, Viz Media

NYAF 2009: Del Rey

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, September 27, 2009

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Del Rey was up to proverbial bat yesterday for their panel at New York Anime Fest with some new titles and a well received title rescue from Tokyopop. (Source: AnimeNewsNetwork)

New Licenses:

Here I Am! – Ema Toyami
Arisa – Natsumi Ando
Yokai Navi Runa – Runa Rindo

The announcement of Yokai Navi Runa confirms Del Rey’s license of the series after a listing popped up on Amazon early this month. Nothing was said about the listings for upcoming omnibus of several of their other currently running serie,s but their choice of omnibus releases for their Tokyopop license rescues seems to prove a good indication of their growing preference for the format.

On that note, Del Rey also announced that they’ve picked up the license for the remaining unpublished volumes of Rave Master (previously released by Tokyopop) and they’ll be putting out the final volumes in one omnibus collection.

A piece of news for those who, like me, see everyone of these announcements as another reason to attend NYAF next year, this 2009 event marked the final incarnation of New York Anime Fest as it is now and next year it will return as a dual event with New York Comic Con. (Source: AnimeNewsNetwork)

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Conventions, Del Rey, Manga

NYAF 2009: Vertical Inc.

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, September 26, 2009

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Vertical Inc. took the panel stand yesterday at this weekend’s New York Anime Fest with first a handful of new licenses to share with the audience. Source: AnimeNewsNetwork

New Licenses:

Peepo Choo – Felipe Smith
Twin Spica – Kou Yaginuma
Needles – Nobuaki Tadano
Chi’s Sweet Home – Kanata Konami

Readers will likely recall the recent ‘leak’ of Chi’s Sweet Home on retail sites earlier in the month, which though soon met with denial of license by Vertical, was officially confirmed as an acquisition during their panel. In a move causing a rift of opinion between fans, Chi’s Sweet Home will be released in full colour and flipped (everything mirrored so it would be read in English-format left-to-right).

During the panel’s Q&A, Black Jack was discussed as likely seeing release to 17 volumes, and that the license of Osamu Tezuka’s pioneering shoujo series, Princess Knight, is a strong candidate for license as well. Both fantastic news I’d say!

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Black Jack, Conventions, Manga, Vertical Inc

NYAF 2009: Tokyopop

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, September 25, 2009

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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!

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Conventions, Hinako Takanaga, Manga, Tokyopop

ANN Posts Winners of Great Canadian Evangelion Ticket Give-Away

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 22, 2009

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Today’s AnimeNewsNetwork has posted its list of winners for the recently held Canadian-exclusive contest for tickets to Evangelion 1.0. Congrats to all the winners!

And as another reminder, the first showing of Evangelion 1.0 hits Canadian theatres across the country September 30th (next Wednesday!). The Empire Theatres’ website has information on participating locations including word that each theatre will again be holding cosplay contests for attendees with prizes and goodies for the winners on the premiere night!

I’ll be attending the Halifax showing as both a fan and promoter for 2010’s Animinitime events, so I hope to see lots of friendly and familiar faces there :)

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Categories: Contests
Tags: Anime, Canada, Movies

Media Blasters Sneaks In A Few More Yaois, DtB Omnibus

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Monday, September 21, 2009

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AAAAnime and RightStuf have made some recent updates to their inventory lists and a few new titles have wiggled their way in. Plus, we don’t want to think I’m just an Amazon-splunker, right?

Media Blasters has two new-ish yaoi listings up, continuing their history of under-the-radar licensing. Both are set for release this winter:

Erotikku ni Oborero! by Higashino Yuu, titled under the name Drawn To Him. (11/24/2009)

“Tomoki was specifically requested by Tougo Tsubaki, popular romance novelist to do the illustrations for his novels. Tougo calls it “inspiration” and seduces Tomoki. A love that started from sex…! His heart is racing and his body is so hot! Drawn to him is a manga artist’s professional and private life, with lots of sex!”

Douse, Koi Dakara by Naoka Kasuga, titled under the name Because of Love. (12/16/2009)

“Could you stop acting like my older brother already? I told you not to tease me, didn’t I? I’m not going to stop even if you beg me now.” Hana always seems to catch Nodoka at the most unflattering moments. I don’t like Hana treating me like his little brother. I’m not in high school (middle school) anymore. Tempted by Hana’s flirtatious demeanor, Nodoka takes Hana by force and…?! A story about a guy pursuing his older crush. (Heart) This book contains many short stories.”

There’s also a recent listing for Ellie Mamahara: Baseball Heaven, a boys’ love title licensed by Tokyopop’s yaoi imprint, BLU, which has been on hold for some time now. BLU’s website, rarely updated, doesn’t currently have the book dated for release but AAAAnime lists it for September 1st, 2010.

And on the not-yaoi side of things, there’s a listing up for a Darker Than Black omnibus from Yen Press. On their website Yen Press currently has two volumes listed for the series, each one priced at $12.99 at 192 pages while the listing on AAAAnime is priced at $18.99.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Manga, Yen Press

Release List: September 2009

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, September 12, 2009

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It’s September! Students go back to school and everyone says goodbye to the final days of summer as we count down the days to a golden Autumn (though Autumn seems to have hit us early here in Nova Scotia this year!). Lots of goodies out this month, highlights being Yen Press’s complete rerelease of Yotsuba&! and a whole bunch of volume one’s from several different publishers.

You can check out September 2009’s currently scheduled manga releases under the cut:

Welcome Back Internet, Del Rey Goodies on Amazon

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, September 9, 2009

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Eep, where has the time gone?! Oh right, I lost it in the obscurity of an internet-less world for two weeks moving into a new apartment. But now I return! Apologies for that little gap in updates, the first in two years and hopefully (if possibly?) the last. Lots of spiffy stuff has happened in the past week, including Tokyopop’s second webinar, news of Kodansha’s cutting ties with them and a variety of other goodies that always make Brigid of MangaBlog a mangaverse blessing.

I already made a quick post to appease the eager fans of Chi’s Sweet Home, to the later disappointment of Vertical’s denial of license, but that wasn’t all Amazon had to offer my return to the internet. It likely goes without saying that my Amazon posts are consistently the most visited on my site so I suppose it works out that my first posts after a (albeit short) vacation, cater to those fan-wants.

Del Rey was the company with a bunch of new updates on Amazon.ca this week. The first interesting find was a new license listing for Ikeda Miyoko and Kikuto Michiyo’s Yokai Navi Runa, a multi-volume story about a bracelet and a girl and boy who turn into a cat and an owl. That’s the extent of my understanding so fans of the series please feel free to elaborate.

More interesting than this to me however, was a few listings for what looks like upcoming Del Rey omnibi for currently running series. Hell Girl volumes 7-9 are listed as one book of 624 pages, as are volumes 8-10 of Mushishi, volumes 6-7 of Psycho Busters and volumes 3-5 of Orange Planet. All are series Del Rey is currently publishing one volume at a time.

With several manga companies requiring some belt-tightening to keep things financially doable, it’s nice to see a company take an alternative route to series cancellation. 624 pages is pretty hefty but fans of both series will undoubtedly be thrilled to recieve so much in one go. On top of that, both books are listed at $24.99, only ten dollars more than one individual volume. Good deal!

Other new listings of note are Del Rey’s books based on the movie based on the series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The two books, Avatar The Last Airbender and The Last Airbender were announced in detail at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Del Rey, Global Manga, Manga

ANN and The Great Canadian Evangelion Ticket Give-Away

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 8, 2009

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Reusing the above graphic because it’s cool and relevant. AnimeNewsNetwork is holding a contest giving away tickets to 67 showings of the upcoming Evangelion 1.0 film, coming soon to Canadian theatres. ANN is giving away 310 tickets in total and it’s one ticket per location per winner. The giveaway ends on September 19th so head on over for a quick and easy chance to see the movie compliments of ANN and Eleven Arts Inc.

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Categories: Contests
Tags: Anime, Canada, Movies

Chi Finds New Sweet Home With Vertical

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 8, 2009

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As if responding to recent request, Amazon.ca delivers what will undoubtedly be exciting news to hopeful fans: Vertical appears to now hold the license for Kanata Konami’s Chi’s Sweet Home.

What is Chi’s Sweet Home? I’m not entirely sure but I can venture it’s about a cat and is very cute. I’m not a cat person myself, but the description of “…it’s Yotsuba with a kitten instead of a green-haired pre-schooler.” from Precocious Curmudgeon is enough to pique my interest. Enjoy cat lovers! By Amazon’s listing, the first volume is slated for release in June 2010.

Edit: Ed Chavez of Vertical has informed me that Vertical does not infact have the license for Chi’s Sweet Home. Currently there is no word as to why this information was submitted as such to Amazon, which now lists the book on both .com and .ca websites.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Manga, Vertical Inc