A Devil and Her Love Song

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Licensing | Press Releases | Release Lists

Oofuri Licensed!

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While I don’t make a point of posting each time a new anime is licensed, I make the occassional exception for series I really like. Today is just such an exception as Gia has posted that Funimation has acquired the distribution rights to Ookiku-Furikabutte (“Big Windup!”).

It’s a anime that revoles around the sport of baseball with a lot of charming character drama and a likeable cast of characters. I have to say I’m surprised by this choice by Funimation but very happily surprised, especially with the feeling that with Ookiku in the hands of Funimation, I can be confident in the fact that the DVDs will actually show up someday, even if they are taking forever with certain other series (where’s my Ghost Hunt, Funi?).


New Yaoi on the horizon?

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Looks like there’s a new yaoi publisher ready to make its debut (via MangaBlog). Yaoi Generation’s website popped up when YG was listed as one of the dealers at the upcoming YaoiCon. While their website doesn’t have anything too specific, upcoming products include English edition mangas (estimated 24 a year), merchandise and a magazine.

“Yaoi Generation is a publishing company that brings the flourishing yaoi genre to English-speaking countries around the world. We are committed to delivering high quality publications to our readers, translated seamlessly into colloquial English while maintaining the coherency and brilliance of the original work. Look for our exciting titles this winter 2008!”

Rumours are already going around on if Yaoi Generation is a new independant group or a part of a previous company (such as Yaoi Press), but either way it’ll be interesting to see what becomes of this, especially in light of recent industry tremors involving Tokyopop’s BLU and DramaQueen.


Where’s my Kingdom Hearts?

Possibly connected to the recent Tokyopop hullabalo, I got an e-mail from Amazon telling me that my pre-order for Kingdom Hearts II volume three had been cancelled. Boo! So I looked into it. While I found the listing for that book was still there on both Amazon.com and .ca (where I make my orders of course!), I discovered that a lot of listings for Tokyopop’s books have vanished. While TP never had as many advance listings as Viz or DelRey, they still had a couple volumes ahead of many of the series I collected. Well, no longer! Relevant to recent events? Perhaps.

Also Kingdom Hearts related: Despite it being one of Tokyopop’s best selling books on a fairly consistant basis, it seems they won’t be publishing the side manga stories. Also drawn by Shiro Amano, as the three KH series Tokyopop’s released so far, they’re collections of short stories relevant to the video game and it’s cast. Two of the short story series, The First Door and Darkness Within are being published instead by Disney Press. What TokyoPop does seem to be publishing, however, is a Kingdom Hearts artbook in October 2008.


Review Themes: Yen Press!

 

Since I have a backlog of new release reviews to catch up on posting, this next week is going to be dedicated to some new books from Yen Press, including today’s review for One Thousand and One Nights! Another theme with focus on older releases will begin next week.

And to round out the reviews, have a little news: Originally announced back in November 2007, Yen Press’s upcoming boys’ love releases by Lily Hoshino have been recently posted on online retail stores and in Yen Press’s book listings. Titles include Mr. Flower Groom, Love Quest and Mr. Flower Bride. Yaoi fans may remember Lily Hoshino as manga-ka of DMP’s Alone in My King’s Harem and My Only King.


DramaQueen Speaks (Sort of)

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Work yesterday kept me from posting this up myself so I’m happy to see the folks over at Boys Next Door were right on the ball with this! Taisa over at the DramaQueen forums came through best she could with information regarding DQ’s current state… and it doesn’t sound very good. DramaQueen and it’s licenses are still as up in the air as they were before and Taisa paints a bleak picture, for both the employees and the fans, despite the President’s optimism.

The interested should head on over to Boys Next Door where they’ve posted the whole thing.


GoComi Blogs with Setona Mizushiro, upcoming contest

After School Nightmare Key Replica

Go!Comi’s daily blogs from Japan continue: this time they got to sit down with After School Nightmare creator, Setona Mizushiro. Not only do they get to hear about her upcoming series, Black Alice Rose (vampires = intriguing), but also recieved a gift from her that they’ll be using in an upcoming contest.

Go!Comi will be posting details of an After School Nightmare art contest. The prize will be a replica of the key (see picture above)  that students in the series must find in their ‘dreams’. Go!Comi staffers are telling visitors to check the site in the next couple of days for more information.


GoComi Continues 07-Ghost Promotion on DA

Go!Comi on DA

Since yesterday announcing the license of their manga series 07-Ghost, Go!Comi has continued using the art-community DeviantArt to further advertise the series. Up in their DA gallery account today they’ve uploaded the covers of volumes 1-5.

From the artwork alone, I know I’m sold. It’s really attractive and has a compelling sounding plot. I’m amazed it’s the manga-ka’s premiere publication and I can’t wait to get my hands on volume one in January!

Unrelated, but the crafty 801-chan has hinted at some new licenses on their forums over at 801Media. No word yet on what they are but something to look forward to!


Go!Comi licenses 07-Ghost

07-Ghost

Go!Comi made an announcement today that they have licensed the series 07-Ghost by Amemiya Yuki. Never thought I’d get a license annoucement through DeviantArt! Fun surprises.

“Set in a gothic fantasy world, 07-GHOST tells the story of Teito, a former slave who is now pursued by the forces of the Barsburg Empire because of his exceptional ability to use a form of magic called Zaiphon. Teito’s discovery of his true nature and his subsequent quest for revenge involve him in the affairs of the Gods themselves, as he finds himself at the center of the conflict between Verloren, the God of Death, and the mysterious “beings of light” sent by Heaven to oppose him: the Seven Ghosts.”

Volume one will be out in January 2009.


801’s Will

801Media put up confirmations and publication plans for their NYCC announced licenses, Ze by Yuki Shimizu and Don’t Rush Love by Mio Tennohji. They’ve also got some new titles, and one that was originally in limited supply, restocked in their online store.

Also, there’s a listing on Amazon.com for Heaven’s Will by Satoru Takamiya, a manga due out by Viz Media on January 6, 2009. I don’t recall hearing word of this but a few manga sites do have the licensing listed, though most of the big guys do not (most likely pending an official statement). Cute art style; though I’m having trouble digging up anymore about it… plot anybody?

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NYCC License Round Up

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Because I can never seem to plug Gia‘s great blog enough, head over there to see her round-up of the NYCC licenses. Pictured above (in order): Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (manga), Ze (yaoi), Dragonball Z VIZBig, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (anime), Kyo Kara Maoh! (light novels)

Mildly unrelated, I was Amazon splunking again today and there’s lots of new and updated cover images uploaded for future manga releases for any who’re interested in getting an idea of what store shelves’ll look like in January 2009 (or a better idea of how empty wallets could be).


Take me back to the top!