Time for part four, the last chunk of my look at English manga publishers. Aren’t you glad it’s the last time you’ll have to see my lazy reuse of the same header image? Today it’s my take on DramaQueen, Aurora Publishing, Go!Comi, Kitty Media and Del Rey.
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.
Publishers Weekly (link via Giapet) had the opportunity to talk to DramaQueen‘s Tran Nguyen about the status of the long-quiet publisher of boys’ love and manhwa dramas. While the idea of getting their long-awaited new batch of books by May 2008 is a pleasing one, DQ‘s forum spokesperson Taisa reminds people that it could very well just be wishful thinking, not in fact a solid piece of information. She says she’ll be forwarding the PW article to her higher-ups to get an official statement on what’s happening.
Here’s hoping it’s something positive, I like many others can’t wait to get Tyrant in my hands (among other licensed titles)!
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Manga-ka: Mio Tennohji
Publisher: DramaQueen
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: August 2007
Synopsis: “Yuu Ono has been waiting impatiently to have the house all to himself while parents to Guam for a weekend trip getaway. But no sooner do they board the plane than Yuu bumps into a man who whisks him away to an opulent hotel where he comes face-to-face with… himself?! Pressed into becoming the body double for the Crown Prince of Qurd, Yuu’s life is suddenly thrown into peril but Yuu can’t help but trust the handsome bodyguard who swears, “I’ll protect you, even at the cost of my life…””
Worth noting for Love Me Sinfully is that the title story lasts a mere 46 pages of this 178 page graphic novel. Though this is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s worth knowing ahead of time to avoid the inevitable surprise of the discovery.
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Manga-ka: Uki Ogasawara
Publisher: DramaQueen
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: December 2006
Synopsis: “Kenzo Shinozuka is a talented but under-appreciated pianist, so when wealthy noblemen Lorenzo Carlucci offers to be his patron, he leaps at the chance. However, being patronized by Carlucci exacts a price that the pianist may not want to pay. For Carlucci is an eccentric and demanding patron, whose temperant often clashes with Kenzo’s own stubbornness. The friction between patron and artist threatens to drive them both to the brink of madness, or that of desire.”
Kenzo Shinozuka finds himself employed by the mysterious and rich Lorenzo Carlucci, a man who asks nothing else of the young talented pianist but to live in his home and play the piano for him. Kenzo is a bit unsure about Lorenzo’s intentions but realizes that the men seems very familiar to him, a figure from his past. With Lorenzo breathing down his neck to be a better pianist, and the two of them soon embracing to do more than play piano together, Kenzo finds himself swept up in the man’s troubled present and both their turmoil pasts.
Though originally scheduled for August 15th, DramaQueen has pushed their pre-order period for their August books to the end of the month. A post in their forums today stated it was due to production problems.
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Manga-ka: Shoko Ohmine
Publisher: DramaQueen
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: March 2007
Synopsis: “In the emergency room where he and his parents were brought after a fatal car accident, Sumi-sensei was one of the surgeons who helped save Naoyuki’s life. During the time that Naoyuki recovered under Sumi’s care, the two developed a bond that transcended that of doctor and patient. For Naoyuki, this was his first step towards believing he was worthy of love. For Sumi, their burgeoning relationship represented all the possibilities and goodness that love brings.”
Lovely Sick is a classic Florence-Nightingale story, a caretaker finding himself falling in love with his patient during their time of need. In this case, the young boy’s time of need spans to nearly his whole life, going through the slow rehabilitation process after the accident that left his legs shattered. In this second volume, we are brought back five years to when the two characters first met. It is also through this that we are reminded just how far apart in age doctor and patient are, and through what means their relationship comes to be, leaving, for this reviewer at least, a bit of a sour taste left behind.
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Manga-ka: Akira Honma
Publisher: DramaQueen
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: April 2007
Synopsis: “Yamato works for his father’s company, is subordinate to his older sister’s fiancé, Sakaguchi-san, and harbours a secret affection for him. That day before his sister’s wedding, Yamato privately confesses his feelings to Sakaguchi. The answer he receives is surprisingly and unexpected, but at this last hour, can Yamato face the consequences of having his wish fulfilled…?” Extra Story: Stairway to Heaven
The story begins with Yamato, a talented artist with little self-esteem. He is crushed by the words his father spoke to him of the uselessness of art. Leaving his sketchbook to the hands of some stranger in the rain, Yamato attempts to move on. Six months later, he’s an employee in his father’s company. It’s here he meets, seemingly for the first time, the older Sakaguchi, his boss and soon to be brother-in-law. Unfortunately for the already emotionally troubled Yamato, it was love at first sight.
Sun Fish, Moon Fish - "...delivering a story with a pair of likeable characters, shows a lot promise despite a lack of polish."
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