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Archive for the ‘Seven Seas’ Category

Seven Seas Goes Omnibus With Some Genre Favourites

Seven Seas Licenses Girl Friend

Seven Seas has announced two new manga licenses today, both of which should please many a manga reader.

Girl Friends – Milk Morinaga
I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! – Kusano Kouichi

Girl Friends is a five-volume yuri series by one of the genre’s most well known creators, Milk Morinaga. This is Morinaga’s first title to be released in English.

“When it comes to grades, bookish high school student Mariko Kumakura is at the top of her class. Socially, however, she is shy and lonely, typically eating lunch by herself. Enter the charismatic and beautiful Akko Oohashi, whose mission is to befriend Mariko and burst her out of her introverted shell. In the process of transforming Plain Jane Mariko into one of the cutest, most popular girls in school, deep feelings begin to emerge that suggest something deeper than friendship.”

Seven Seas has previously put out several yuri titles – which are stories with a focus on romantic relationships between women – including The Last Uniform and Strawberry Panic. Girl Friends will be released as two omnibus volumes, each $17.99/US for 496 pages. The first will be on sale October 2012 with the second out in January 2013.

I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! is a multi-volume manga series about a girl with a severe brother complex:

“Junior High School student Takanashi Nao has a problem: she has a crush on her dreamy older brother, Shuusuke. Fortunately, when Nao discovers that she was adopted as a child and they’re not related by blood, it seems like the coast is clear–but Shuusuke just doesn’t see it that way.”

To be honest, this is the kind of series I’d actively avoid (incest, no thank you) but I know it has a decent-sized fan following so many will be very glad for this news! The series will be released as 2-in-1 omnibus books at )$16.99/US)/($19.50/CAN) with the first scheduled for release in August 2012 with a 320 page count.


PR: Seven Seas Goes Omnibus-First With Girl Friends and…

Seven Seas Goes Omnibus-First With GIRL FRIENDS and I DON’T LIKE YOU AT ALL, BIG BROTHER!!

(LOS ANGELES, November 22, 2011) – Seven Seas Entertainment is pleased to announce that it has added two much-requested manga series to its 2012 line-up–Kusano Kouichi’s hilarious harem comedy I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! and Morinaga Milk’s highly praised yuri romance manga Girl Friends. Seven Seas will release both series in value-priced omnibus editions.

“Fans have been requesting we license these series for a long time now, and we have responded,” said Jason DeAngelis, publisher of Seven Seas Entertainment. “Our various omnibus editions have done quite well, so we decided to publish these series for the first time as multi-volume omnibuses to give people a lot of bang for their buck.”

I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! is a popular harem comedy manga series that spawned a successful anime TV series which aired in Japan in spring 2011:

Junior High School student Takanashi Nao has a problem: she has a crush on her dreamy older brother, Shuusuke. Fortunately, when Nao discovers that she was adopted as a child and they’re not related by blood, it seems like the coast is clear–but Shuusuke just doesn’t see it that way. To make matters worse, Nao finds herself in direct competition against Shuusuke’s hot childhood friend, Iroha, not to mention class president Mayuka. As all three girls vie for Shuusuke’s attention, Nao soon learns that all is fair in love and war! I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! will be released in 2-in-1 omnibus editions for the low price of $16.99 starting in August 2012.

Girl Friends, a tale of forbidden love for fans of Strawberry Panic, is an all-new girls romance manga series by yuri icon Morinaga Milk:

When it comes to grades, bookish high school student Mariko Kumakura is at the top of her class. Socially, however, she is shy and lonely, typically eating lunch by herself. Enter the charismatic and beautiful Akko Oohashi, whose mission is to befriend Mariko and burst her out of her introverted shell. In the process of transforming Plain Jane Mariko into one of the cutest, most popular girls in school, deep feelings begin to emerge that suggest something deeper than friendship. Will these feelings destroy the budding relationship between Mariko and Akko, or will it turn into something else? Seven Seas will release the entire five-volume series in two affordable, 496-page omnibus editions ($17.99 each) with the first edition, Girl Friends: The Complete Collection I, on sale October 2012, and Girl Friends: The Complete Collection II on sale January 2013.

Read more…


Victorian Halloween: Seven Seas Schedules Print for 2012

Seven Seas Schedules New Print Releases for 2012

The end of 2011 is creeping up and companies are continuing to give us lots of manga-loving reasons to look forward to 2012. Seven Seas has listed print information for three new manhwa titles up on their website this week, all you can expect to be released this coming year. Two were announced back in August but fell under the radar as footnotes in a post about their online comics initiative.

Alongside their recent news about acquiring Young Miss Holmes, the company is starting a trend of mystery-solving, Victorian-era titles. Very neat! I really look forward to reading them and it’s fantastic seeing another publisher is still actively looking into the vast Korean market of comics.

Lizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries - Jeon Hye-Jin
First Volume (Omnibus, 1-2): August 2012

“Lizzie Newton, a young upper crust lady with a budding career as a mystery writer, is expected to know her place in Victorian society. …While the headstrong Lizzie tolerates earnest Edwin, she is not yet ready to accept him as her fiance. Besides, Lizzie is distracted by something far more important: an apparent suicide has occurred in the manor, and Lizzie is ready to solve her first real life murder case!” – Seven Seas

Witch Hunter – Cho Jung-Man
First Volume (Omnibus, 1-2): June 2012 | Second Volume (Omnibus, 3-4): October 2012

“Tasha Godspell, also known as the “Magic Marksman,” is one of the best Witch Hunters there is. Along with his sword-wielding Jack-o’-Lantern partner known as Halloween, Tasha puts his magical training and weaponry to good use, in his constant battles against witches. And yet, he cannot bring himself to fully hate the very witches he is tasked to destroy.” – Seven Seas

Jack the Ripper: Hell Blade – Jetae Yoo
First Volume: July 2012 | Second Volume: October 2012 | Third Volume: January 2013

“Jack the Ripper is not what he seems –but the truth may be more terrible than anyone imagined. A young police detective from Scotland Yard struggles to unravel the mystery behind the brutal slayings that grip 19th Century London. What he learns will turn his world upside down, and pit him face to face against the Ripper himself. But is Jack his savior or destroyer?” – Seven Seas

Witch Hunter and Lizzie Newton were originally announced as part of Seven Seas web-comic collection, Zoom Comics. The website is currently offering free online editions to read several of Seven Seas’ original properties, including the recently published Dracula Everlasting and Vampire Cheerleaders. It will be running the first volume of Witch Hunter starting in January.

With more titles on the horizon that’ll excite quite a few fans, Seven Seas is making an impressive come back into the licensed comic publishing market. With a bunch of new titles, strong digital initiatives and comics from sources few publishers are looking to these days, they’re a company you’ll want to keep an eye on.


Swag Bag: Mew Mew Manga Power

Swag Bag

New York Comic Con may’ve been almost a month ago but I’m still digging myself out of the stacks of stuff I bought there. What I brought back from the ‘big apple’ remains a post for another day but October proved itself manga-behemonth enough in release count to ensure every release-day was another manga buying opportunity.

Read more…


Seven Seas Licenses All Ages’ Young Miss Holmes

Seven Seas Licenses Miss Holmes

Seven Seas released a PR confirming their license of Kaoru Shintani’s Christie: High Tension series, titled for English release as Young Miss Holmes.

“Christie Holmes is a prodigy. At ten years old, she’s as familiar with the sciences and classics as any older student at Cambridge or Oxford. And her facility with logic is reminiscent of her uncle, the eminent Sherlock Holmes himself. So, what’s a brilliant young girl to do when her parents are away in India, leaving her behind in the care of maids and servants? Solve mysteries, of course.”

The series is labelled All Ages and will be released as two-in-one omnibus books. Young Miss Holmes is currently seven volumes in Japan and still on-going. Along with cameos from Christie’s famous uncle Sherlock and his crime-solving partner, Watson, Seven Seas also notes that the first book will include an arc about characters appearing in another of their currently running series, Dance in the Vampire Bund. On an amusing note, the PR specifically states the release date of March 2012 for this volume was chosen to coincide with the theatrical release of the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

The first omnibus book for Young Miss Holmes originally appeared on Amazon.ca in early October. It’s full price is listed as $18.99/CAN for a page count of 384 pages. It isn’t mentioned in the PR if a digital edition will be made available as with their recent omnibus release of My Boyfriend is a Vampire.


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – November 2, 2011

On The Shelf - November 2, 2011

Happy Halloween! Albeit a day belated. I hope everyone’s enjoying some tasty candy, be it from the day itself or via the wonders of discount candy shelves here in November. Hard to argue the joy of sitting down with a stack of new books and a box of little chocolate bars to rummage through.

There are some exciting books out this week and I found myself almost as eager to let others know about them as I was to get them myself. Vertical’s the hard-hitter with No Longer Human (Vol.01) and Princess Knight (Vol. 01). I reviewed No Longer Human earlier this week.

You can read my thoughts, summaries and the full list of books out this week over at my On The Shelf article at Otaku USA.


PR: Seven Seas To Release Young Miss Holmes…

SEVEN SEAS TO RELEASE YOUNG MISS HOLMES WITH VAMPIRE BUND CAMEO

(LOS ANGELES, November 1, 2011) - Seven Seas Entertainment is pleased to announce the release of Kaoru Shintani’s all ages manga Young Miss Holmes, featuring classic Sherlock Holmes tales retold from the point-of-view of his precocious niece, Crystal “Christie” Margaret Hope. Young Miss Holmes (known as “Christie: High Tension” in Japan) is a new manga series for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew, presented in two-volumes-in-one omnibus format.

The first omnibus reimagines several famous Sherlock Holmes cases, including a multi-chapter story arc “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” which features an all ages version of Mina Tepes, the vampire heroine from New York Times bestselling manga series Dance in the Vampire Bund. This story sheds further light on the past history of some of Dance in the Vampire Bund’s main characters. The first omnibus also features an epilogue illustrated by Dance in the Vampire Bund’s artist/creator Nozomu Tamaki.

Young Miss Holmes Casebook 1-2:

Christie Holmes is a prodigy. At ten years old, she’s as familiar with the sciences and classics as any older student at Cambridge or Oxford. And her facility with logic is reminiscent of her uncle, the eminent Sherlock Holmes himself. So, what’s a brilliant young girl to do when her parents are away in India, leaving her behind in the care of maids and servants? Solve mysteries, of course.

Along with her giant hound Nelson, Christie’s implacable curiosity leads her from one dangerous adventure to another, often joining forces with Uncle Sherlock and Doctor Watson on their famed investigations. Christie may look pint-sized, but her clever mind is never to be underestimated!

Read more…


Alice & Angels – Seven Seas Announces Two New Manga Titles

Seven Seas Licenses Alice and Angel

Every publisher can’t make it to every convention but Seven Seas still made their presence known in the manga world with two manga licenses during New York Comic Con this past weekend. It was a bit of a shame that the timing of their news meant it got buried in the convention shuffle. That said though, you can certainly see a good reason why they chose to do it then.

Seven Seas’ first new manga license is Alice in the Country of Clover. The title is a sequel to Alice in the Country of Hearts, which Yen Press just announced having during their NYCC panel. The story is a take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story but with a pretty-boy harem twist. One series split between two publishers – that’d be bizarre even without the ‘coincidence’ of the same weekend!

It sounds like Seven Seas is going the extra mile with this release too. “Each new volume will be released in oversized editions that feature impressive artwork and color pin ups.” Their press release also states that, despite events continuing after its prequel series, Alice in the Country of Clover can still be read as a standalone. Seven Seas is releasing the title in story-archs with the first book due out in June 2012.

Their second title is Angel Para Bellum, a series by the same artist as  the popular but controversial Dance in the Vampire Bund. They describe it as “a new manga series about sexy angels vs. demons”. It’s about a young man, orphaned like so many lead characters are, who finds himself on the run from demons with only two gun-wielding angels to protect him. I have to admit, said angels look pretty snazzy.

If you want more information on the titles, you can read Seven Seas series’ synopsis and the release dates under the cut. Also my congrats to Seven Seas for what looks like another successful step forward into manga publishing again!

Read more…


PR: Seven Seas Announces Alice in the Country of Clover…

Seven Seas Announces Alice in the Country of Clover & Angel Para Bellum

LOS ANGELES, October 14, 2011 – Seven Seas Entertainment is delighted to announce two hot new licenses: Angel Para Bellum, a new manga series about sexy angels vs. demons by the artist of New York Times bestseller Dance in the Vampire Bund, and Alice in the Country of Clover, the follow-up manga series to New York Times bestseller Alice in the Country of Hearts.

Alice in the Country of Clover is an ongoing manga series that reimagines Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in a sly, shoujo style. This new series is a follow-up to QuinRose’s bestselling Alice in the Country of Hearts, but can be read independently. In June 2012, the one shot, Alice in the Country of Clover: Bloody Twins will kick off the series, followed by Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz volume 1 in July 2012 and Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz volume 2 in September 2012. Each new volume will be released in oversized editions that feature impressive artwork and color pin ups.

Seven Seas has published eleven volumes and one side story of the ongoing series Dance in the Vampire Bund, which repeatedly hits the New York Times Bestseller manga list with each new release. Creator Nozomu Tamaki’s latest work, Angel Para Bellum, offers fans of Dance in the Vampire Bund a thrilling new storyline with the amazing art his fans have grown to admire. Angel Para Bellum volume 1 will be released in July 2012, and volume 2 will follow October 2012.

Read more…


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – October 5, 2011

On The Shelf - October 5, 2011

Better late than never? My On The Shelf article went up last week on Otaku USA so check it out to see what new books you can expect to see on bookstore shelves right now. It’s the beginning of the month so that means lots and lots of Viz Media!

My top picks for the week are My Boyfriend is A Vampire from Seven Seas and Bakuman (Vol. 07) from Viz Media. The first sounds a lot like Until the Full Moon from Kodansha Comics, only with a manhwa and street-gang twist. It’s an omnibus too so ‘yay!’ for more manga for my money.


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – September 28, 2011

On The Shelf - September 28, 2011

It’s that day again! It’s Wed- wait, no, that was yesterday. Well yesterday was that day – new comic day! And finally the day that Sailor Moon and Sailor V was released through the ‘direct’ market (aka, Diamond Comics) meaning those of us who buy at our comic shops finally have them in hand. But really that was the week before last news.

Back to the now and, while a tiny week, there are a couple titles out I’ve been looking forward to. All the week’s releases can be read over at Otaku USA’s On The Shelf.

The most notable book out this week in my opinion is Stargazing Dog from NBM Publishing. It’s the company’s first time releasing manga and it sounds like they chose an interesting piece of work to debut with. There’s a review of it over at MangaWorthReading that makes me even more eager to find a copy. It does sound like my assumption of needing some tissues handy was right on though – dog stories always manage to make me tear up!


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – September 21, 2011

On The Shelf - September 21, 2011

It’s Full Metal Alchemist week! Only two volumes left, making tomorrow’s release (Vol. 26) the penultimate installment. With Viz Media‘s trend of stopping series mid-omnibus (which seems rather ridiculous to me!), I’m looking forward to buying the huge boxsetout in November. The whole series, plus some bonuses, all in one go – it’s a beautiful thing.

Back to the here and tomorrow, you can see the list of books released this week over at my Otaku USA: On The Shelf article . My top picks (alongside FMA) are XXXHolic (Vol. 17), Arata the Legend (Vol. 07) and Berserk (Vol.35). Some modern fantasy, overlapping modern/ancient fantasy and then some outright old-fashion, demon-ridden Western-style fantasy – an excellent combination for manga reading this week!


Swag Bag: Muscling In On Toronto’s Manga Supply

Welcome to what is definitely the longest Swag Bag to date! Mostly because I completely failed to compile my Swag Bag from last year’s Anime North… None the less! – my recent trip to Toronto was chock full of fun finds, and painful but no doubt hilarious attempts at cramming it all into my suitcases. This post here consists of the manga I bought while traversing the packed streets of Toronto while my TCAF purchases will come in a later post once I’ve finished oogling them enough to write something coherent.

The books listed here were all purchased from either my local Strange Adventures (pre-con buying is important, like eating before going to the grocery store – it helps… I think). The rest with exception of I think 1 or 2 came from what I’m dubbing the manga treasure trove of Toronto – The Beguiling. My thanks to their very accomodating staff! If curious about my other comic shop adventures in Toronto, you can check out the Ontario section of Kuriousity’s Canadian Comic Shop listings.

Now onto the swag!

Read more…


Swag Bag: Books, Demons, Vampires and Paint

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is coming up this week and though I’ve been saving pennies to lavish on the artists there, I had to leave some room in my pre-trip budget for new manga books!

From Viz Media this week I bought Kingyo Used Books (Vol. 03) which has a chapter about someone reading Sailor Moon in it – both nostalgic and well-timed. I also bought March Story (Vol. 02) and I enjoyed it even more than the first volume as it focuses more on the characters. Great atmosphere in this series. It only takes a quick flip through to stare at the artwork to see what I mean.

A little behind on this series but I finally came across a copy of Genkaku Picasso (Vol. 02). I’m expecting lots more of the same weirdness the first volume had and looking forward to it! I rounded out my purchases with a great discount-bin find of Buddha (Vol. 01) to add my Osamu Tezuka collection.

Blood Alone Omnibus (Vol. 01)From Seven Seas I bought Blood Alone (Vol. 01) which is omnibus of the first three volumes. I’ve wanted to read this series for a while because of the pretty covers (doesn’t take much for me to give a series at least a fair try!) and having it re-released as a 3-in-1 is the perfect opportunity. It’s also a nice omnibus physically-speaking, very light in hand despite the huge page count and still feels tightly bound.

And lastly I was able to finish at least one of my on-going Tokyopop series by purchasing Mad Love Chase (Vol. 05). The series hasn’t made the most sense in the past couple volumes but I’m a fan of the artist’s work so my fingers are crossed for a somewhat coherent finish.

Next week I plan to write about my non-manga purchases for a change with hopefully a long list of self-published comics I’ll get to buy at TCAF. Until then, what was in your swag bag this week?


Seven Seas Adds Vampire Manhwa for October Release

My Boyfriend's A Vampire

Seven Seas announced a new license late March (yes, I’m quite late on this among many other neat bits of news!) as the company continues to deliver to the vampire-fandom out there with My Boyfriend Is A Vampire. It’s also their first license of a manhwa title (Korean comic).

“Being beautiful is never easy, especially if you’re an eighteen year old boy like Ryu who is constantly mistaken for a girl because of his delicate good looks. When Ryu stumbles upon strange happenings in the forest, he gets sucked into a world of vampire intrigue and sinister romance that he never knew existed. And he learns that there are worse things than being turned into a vampire: being turned into a girl?!”

The books are being released in 2-in-1 formats which works well considering the series is 14 volumes long according to AnimeNewsNetwork. The first volume is due out this coming October.

So a gender-bender vampire manhwa – it’s got my attention! Out of curiousity it’s on my list of must-reads for Halloween this year.


Take me back to the top!