We have a lot going on here at Manga Bookshelf these days, thanks to an expanding list of regular contributors, new features, and quite a number of upcoming special events. So here on this dreary Tuesday, I’d like to take a moment just to highlight some of what’s in store!
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First off, please welcome our newest contributor, Jia Li, who recently reviewed Émile Bravo’s Beauty and the Squat Bears for her column, “A Kid’s View.” With her first book review now under her belt, Jia’s ready for more! Look for her seven-year-old’s take on Yotsuba&!, due out tomorrow morning!
Coming up later this month, new contributor Cathy Yan will discuss the anime adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga’s Antique Bakery (released just this week by Nozomi Entertainment), in her regular monthly feature, “Don’t Fear the Adaptation.” Be sure to check out her previous installments, covering adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi’s Maison Ikkoku and Natsume Ono’s House of Five Leaves.
Speaking of Rumiko Takahashi, look for a week-long tribute to her work from our own Kate Dacey as part of April’s Manga Moveable Feast. Planned features include reviews of her short story collections as well as an appreciation piece on shounen epic InuYasha.
Also in April, Michelle and I will be taking Off the Shelf on the road, with an extended discussion of Saki Hiwatari’s shoujo sci-fi series, Please Save My Earth, hosted at The Hooded Utilitarian.
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May opens with the release of the final volume of Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata’s Hikaru no Go. And since this series has a very special place in my heart and in the hearts of several of our contributors, we’ll be celebrating its completion in English with a joyous group roundtable and more! Come spend May 5th with Manga Bookshelf and Hikago!
Roundtables are the stuff of May, it seems, with the final installment of Breaking Down Banana Fish hitting the blog sometime before month’s end. Join guests Michelle Smith, Robin Brenner, Connie C., Eva Volin, Khursten Santos, and me as we discuss the final three volumes of this classic 80s series!
In June, Michelle and I will play host to the Manga Moveable Feast, with a week-long focus on Kazuya Minekura’s delicious BL action series, Wild Adapter, including a special roundtable-style installment of BL Bookrack featuring guest David Welsh.
Elsewhere in June, also look for a roundtable discussion on Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son coming out from Fantagraphics, featuring all the Manga Bookshelf bloggers and Michelle too!
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Finally, I’d just like to draw your attention to the new donation button at the bottom of the blog. Manga Bookshelf has expenses (as of course we all do). If you enjoy the blog and you’d like to help us pay our bills, please feel free to click that button and toss us a dollar or two.
And while every bit surely helps, let it be known that we value support of all kinds, so if you’re reading, thank you.
CJ says
April 5, 2011 at 5:20 pmI can’t wait for the last volume of Hikaru no Go! I’ve actually been too heartbroken to read the volume 22 I already have, heh! I was gonna read them both at once.
Can’t wait to see what the group thinks of the end of Banana Fish too!
And Antique Bakery is a great one to do anime vs manga since some of my friends keep asking me, but I’ve only read the manga, I somehow have yet to find anyone who both read and watched it. I’m happy with my manga set either way though!
And PSME goodness! Who can resist!
Melinda Beasi says
April 6, 2011 at 7:02 amI’m looking forward to all this too! It looks to be a fun few months!
Noura says
April 6, 2011 at 1:41 amI am a big fan of Hikaru no Go. One of the best shonen manga ever made. I sure will miss it once it ends in English but I am definitely planning on rereading the whole thing once I get the last volume. The anime adaptation for it was awesome too.
Wild Adapter is another series I enjoyed and loved. I would be so happy if more volumes were to be made.
Melinda Beasi says
April 6, 2011 at 7:03 amWild Adapter is another series I enjoyed and loved. I would be so happy if more volumes were to be made.
Wouldn’t we all… *sigh*