Giveaways

Manga Giveaway: Yona of the Dawn Giveaway

September 28, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of September is almost here, which means it’s once again time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly giveaway. This month everyone participating has the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the first volume in Mizuho Kusanagi’s manga series Yona of the Dawn as published in English by Viz Media. And as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

I generally appreciate a good epic fantasy, but I seem to particularly enjoy those with compelling female leads. Some of the Japanese novels, manga, and anime that I love the most fall into this category, such as Nahoko Uehashi’s Moribito, Fuyumi Ono’s The Twelve Kingdoms, and Yumi Tamura’s Basara to name just a few. One of the most recent manga of this type to be released in English is Mizuho Kusanagi’s Yona of the Dawn which, like Basara, is even more specifically a shoujo fantasy epic. And so, it’s probably not too surprising that I’m looking forward to reading the manga series, and there’s an anime adaptation to watch, too!

So, you may be wondering, how can you win Yona of the Dawn, Volume 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about one of your favorite shoujo fantasy manga with a great female lead. (Haven’t read one? Simply mention that instead.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

That’s all there is to it. Those participating can earn up to two entries for the giveaway and have one week to submit comments. Comments can be sent directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if you have trouble using the comment form or if you would prefer. I will then post those comments here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on October 5, 2016. Good luck!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest Winner Announced–Manga Giveaway: Yona of the Dawn Giveaway Winner

Save

Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio Winner

September 7, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Tokyo Ghoul Trio manga giveaway is… Briell Saunders!

As the winner, Briell will receive the first three volumes of Sui Ishida’s manga series Tokyo Ghoul as published in English by Viz Media. For this giveaway, I asked that participants tell me a little about their favorite half-human characters from manga. Kaneki Ken, the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, was mentioned a fair number of times, but he’s not the only well-liked half-human. Check out the giveaway comments for everyone’s details responses, and check out the list below for some of the manga that feature half-humans of various types.

Some of the manga licensed in English featuring half-humans:
Bleach by Tite Kubo
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Ceres: Celestial Legend by Yuu Watase
Cirque du Freak by Takahiro Arai
Claymore by Norihiro Yagi
D.Gray-man by Katsura Hoshino
Dawn of the Arcana by Rei Toma
The Devil Is a Part-Timer by Akio Hiragi
Franken Fran by Katsuhisa Kigitsu
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi
Jiu Jiu by Touya Tobina
My Girlfriend Is a T-Rex by Sanzo
My Monster Secret by Eiji Masuda
Negima by Ken Akamatsu
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan by Hiroshi Shiibashi
Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
Rin-ne by Rumiko Takahashi
Rust Blaster by Yana Toboso
That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! by Yoko Nogiri
Three Wolves Mountain by Bohra Naono
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida
Übel Blatt by Etorouji Shiono
Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda
YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway and took the time to share your favorites with me. I hope to see you all again!

Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio

August 31, 2016 by Ash Brown

Not only is it the last Wednesday of August, it’s the last day in August which means it’s yet again time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly giveaway! This month you’ll all have the opportunity to win not one, not two, but three volumes of Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul as published in English by Viz Media. The giveaway is open worldwide, too!

Tokyo Ghoul has been doing very well for Viz Media. The first volume has currently been on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list for fifty-nine weeks strait. The eighth and most recent volume is currently at the top of that list, and other volumes are frequently found on it, too. While I haven’t followed the series closely beyond the first few volumes, there are still quite a few things I like about the manga. In addition to the series’ dark and gritty aesthetic, I particularly appreciate that the protagonist must come to terms with who he is, struggling to find his new identity after a near-death experience leaves him part-ghoul and part-human. In general I find explorations of personal identity to be engaging and Tokyo Ghoul‘s supernatural variation on the theme to be interesting.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win the first three volumes of Tokyo Ghoul?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite half-human from manga. (If you haven’t encountered any half-humans, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

Not too difficult, is it? Participants in the giveaway can earn up to two entries and have one week to submit comments. If you have trouble with comment form or if you prefer, comments can be sent directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. The comments will then be posted here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on September 7, 2016. Best of luck to you all!

Contest Winner Announced–Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio Winner

Save

Giveaway: Sparkler Monthly Year 4 Giveaway Winner

August 3, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Sparkler Monthly Year 4 giveaway is… Isaac!

As the winner, Isaac will get to choose two Sparkler paperbacks, ebooks, or audio dramas. Last week, I was honestly afraid that Sparkler Monthly wouldn’t be able to raise the funds to continue the online magazine for another year. However, over the last few days there was an amazing surge of support, and the Kickstarter campaign not only met, but surpassed its initial goal. I am so incredibly happy (and relieved) that Sparkler Monthly will continue to thrive for another year. I decided to coordinate a giveaway to go along with the Kickstarter campaign and asked that participants tell me a little about their favorite Sparkler Monthly title. As can be seen from the giveaway comments, Jennifer Doyle’s comic Knights-Errant is very well-loved, but here’s a list of all the great content currently freely available from Sparkler Monthly:

Awake by Tory Woollcott, Barabara, and Angela Sham
Bad Chemistry by Barabara
Before You Go by Denise Schroeder
The Cat Lover’s Circumstances by LAMP and Aiwa
Dead Endings by Jessica Chavez and Irene Flores
Dinner Ditz by Alexis Cooke
Dire Hearts by Christy Lijewski
DNA-RW by Sarah Elkins and Ru Xu
Dusk in Kalevia by Emily Compton and Onorobo
For Peace by Alexis Cooke
Gatesmith by Jen Lee Quick
Guantlet by Ellery Prime and T2A
Inhabitant of Another Planet by KaiJu
Knights-Errant by Jennifer Doyle
Lettera by Studio Kosen
Magical How? by Eurika Yusin Gho
Mahou Josei Chimaka by KaiJu
The Maiden and the Fish by Lydia Mackenzie and Phong Anh
Nine Circles by Jen Lee Quick
Off*Beat by Jen Lee Quick
Orange Junk by Heldrad
The Ring of Saturn by KaiJu
Shut In Shut Out by dee Juusan and Lianne Sentar
Skyglass by Jenn Grunigen and Mookie
Sparkler Podcast by the Sparkler Team
Sparkler RPG: ESPU by the Sparkler Team
Tokyo Demons by Lianne Sentar
Windrose by Studio Kosen
Witch’s Quarry by Jen Lee Quick

That’s quite a list, isn’t it! And because the Sparkler Monthly campaign was a success, even more comics, prose, audio, and games will be able to be added over the coming year. A huge thank you to everyone supported Sparkler Monthly, and a thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I hope to see you again for the next one!

Giveaway: Sparkler Monthly Year 4 Giveaway

July 27, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of the month is fast approaching, which means it’s time for another giveaway at Experiments in Manga. It also means that the Kickstarter campaign for Year Four of Sparkler Monthly is drawing to a close. I actually held a Sparkler Monthly giveaway last year to coordinate with the campaign to raise funds for the magazine’s third year. Normally, I try not to repeat myself too much when it comes to giveaways, but this year’s campaign still needs some boosting if it’s going to succeed. Also, I love what Sparkler Monthly is doing and I want to share that love! And so for this year’s Sparkler Monthly giveaway, the winner will have the opportunity to choose not one, but two Sparkler paperbacks, ebooks, or audio dramas. (Don’t worry, I’m more than happy to make specific recommendations if needed or desired.) And of course as always the giveaway is open worldwide!

I adore Sparkler Monthly and have been an avid supporter of both it and its publisher Chromatic Press for years. Although I am a little behind in my reviewing, I do make a point to feature the novels and comics released in print here at Experiments in Manga, but there is even more content available digitally, either as ebooks or freely serialized online. And it’s all marvelous; I have honestly loved everything that I’ve read or listened to from Sparkler Monthly. The magazine, which is currently a mix of prose, comics, illustrations, and audio, provides a wonderful variety of stories in a number of different genres. There’s romance, fantasy, horror, mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, comedy, satire, drama, adventure, and so much more.

As Sparkler Monthly continues to grow, so does its catalog. A fourth year will mean even more fantastic content including (but certainly not limited to) the Paper Star Studio’s visual novel Out of Sync, the light novel The Decoy and Retrofit by Hazel + Bell, a continuation of Denise Schroeder’s lovely comic Before You Go, and even a Skyglass novella that I personally commissioned from Jenn Grunigen. The work that the staff and creators of Sparkler Monthly and Chromatic Press is doing is phenomenal and important, too. I sincerely hope that the Kickstarter campaign succeeds because they all deserve another year and then some! If you can, please consider directly supporting the campaign if you haven’t already.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win some Sparkler Monthly goodness?

1) In the comments below, write a little about a Sparkler Monthly series that you’ve enjoyed. (Haven’t read or listened to any before? That’s okay! Simply mention that, or take the time to try one out!)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me). You can tag @SparklerMonthly, too, while you’re at it if you’d like!

That’s all there is to it. As usual, giveaway participants will have one week to submit comments and can earn up to two entries. If needed or preferred, comments can be sent to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will then post them here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on August 3, 2016. Good luck and sparkles to you all!

Contest Winner Announced–Giveaway: Sparkler Monthly Year 4 Giveaway Winner

Save

Manga Giveaway: Complex Age Giveaway Winner

July 6, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Complex Age manga giveaway is… Sean Kleefeld!

As the winner, Sean (whose writing at Kleefeld on Comics and elsewhere I greatly enjoy) will be receiving a copy of Yui Sakuma’s Complex Age, Volume 1 as published in English by Kodansha Comics. I read (and reviewed) the first volume and was rather surprised by how much the manga resonated with me and wanted to spread the love. For this giveaway, I asked participants to tell me a little about the manga that they’ve read that included cosplay, the passion of Complex Age‘s main character. Check out the giveaway comments for the detailed responses, and check out below for a list!

Some of the manga available in English which include cosplay:
Anything and Something by Kaoru Mori
Complex Age by Yui Sakuma
Genshiken by Shimoku Kio
Genshiken: Second Season by Shimoku Kio
Girl Friends by Milk Morinaga
I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara by Jiro Suzuki
Kiss Him, Not Me by Junko
Lucky Star by Kagami Yoshimizu
Maid-sama! by Hiro Fujiwara
Maniac Road by Shinsuke Kurihashi
My Girlfriend’s a Geek by Rize Shinba
Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
Servant X Service by Karino Takatsu
Sunshine Sketch by Ume Aoki

The above list certainly isn’t exhaustive, but it does have some variety. Although cosplay doesn’t take precedence in many series (or at least in many of the series that have been translated), there are numerous examples of manga where there’s a character who is into cosplay or a class that sponsors a cosplay cafe for a school festival. Manga with otaku themes usually mention it at least in passing, too. And depending on the definition being used, cosplay can be found in plenty of the more… ahem… adult-oriented manga of various ilk (which I decided to leave off the list this time). Anyway! The list presented above contains series which include cosplay that either immediately came to my mind or that were mentioned in the giveaway comments and some feature cosplay more heavily than others. Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway; hope to see you again at Experiments in Manga!

Manga Giveaway: Complex Age Giveaway

June 29, 2016 by Ash Brown

While I’m currently following a more relaxed posting schedule at Experiments in Manga if there’s one thing that you’ll be able to count on it’s the monthly manga giveaway. And as it is now nearing the end of the June, it’s time for another one! This month you all have a chance to win a copy of Yui Sakuma’s Complex Age, Volume 1 as recently published in English by Kodansha Comics. As always, this giveaway is open worldwide!

I reviewed the first volume of Complex Age not too long ago and was surprised by how much I could identify with a manga that focuses on cosplay. Not that I have anything against cosplay. Quite the contrary, I admire the enthusiasm and devotion that so many cosplayers display and enjoy seeing the results of their efforts; it’s just that cosplay isn’t something that I’m personally invested or involved in. Complex Age is one of the few manga I know of in which cosplay has such a prominent role, but I can think of a few others that incorporate it in passing as well. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I tend to enjoy them, but Complex Age was the first to really hit close to home for me.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Complex Age, Volume 1?

1) Have you encountered cosplay in a manga? If so, tell me a little about it in the comments below! (If you haven’t, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as simple as that. Everyone participating has one week to submit comments and can earn up to two entries each for this giveaway. If you prefer or if you have trouble with the comment form, you can also send your comments to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and they will be posted here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on July 6, 2016. Best of luck to you all!

Contest Winner Announced–Manga Giveaway: Complex Age Giveaway Winner

Manga Giveaway: Paradise Residence Giveaway Winner

June 1, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Paradise Residence manga giveaway is… Chris Lawton!

As the winner, Chris will be receiving a copy of Kosuke Fujishima’s Paradise Residence, Volume 1 as published in English by Kodansha Comics. I’m currently in the process of moving, so I’ve recently been thinking about the different ways that people live together a fair amount. And so for the Paradise Residence giveaway, I was interested in learning about some of the manga that the participants enjoyed which involve communal living, whether it be boarding schools, dormitories, or something else entirely. Be sure to check out the giveaway comments for everyone’s detailed responses!

Some of the manga in English with communal living arrangements:
After School Nightmare by Setona Mizushiro
Akuma no Riddle written by Yun Kouga, illustrated by Sunao Minakata
Beauty Is the Beast by Tomo Matsumoto
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Dokkoida?! written by Taro Achi, illustrated by Yu Yagami
Hana-Kimi by Hisaya Nakajo
Hayate X Blade by Shizuru Hayashiya
The Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio
Here Is Greenwood by Yukie Nasu
Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi
Love Hina by Ken Akamatsu
Oh My Goddess! by Kosuke Fujishima
Paradise Residence by Kosuke Fujishima
Persona 3 by Shuji Sogabe
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Prison School by Akira Hiramoto
Revolutionary Girl Utena by Chiho Saito
Seihou Boys’ High School by Kaneyoshi Izumi
Strawberry-chan by Ai Morinaga
Sunshine Sketch by Ume Aoki
Tenshi Ja Nai!! by Takako Shigematsu.
Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino
Venus in Love by Yuki Nakaji
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX by Naoyuki Kageyama

The above list is by no means exhaustive, but it does include the favorites that were mentioned as well as some more well-known examples. (And some lesser-known examples, too.) I tried, I think successfully, to show a range of different genres and types of stories, so there should hopefully be a little bit of something for everyone. Thank you to all of the participants in the giveaway who shared some of your favorite manga with me! I hope to see you all again for the next one.

Manga Giveaway: Paradise Residence Giveaway

May 25, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of May is almost here. I’m very aware of this fact since my family’s goal is to be completely moved in, or at least living in, the new house by the end of the month. So this last week of May is crunch time and I’m rather preoccupied, but there’s no way that I could forget this month’s manga giveaway! This time you’ll all have a chance to win Paradise Residence, Volume 1 by Kosuke Fujishima as published in English by Kodansha Comics, which means that the manga also includes Volume 0 as bonus material. And, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

As mentioned above, I’m currently in the process of moving. There’s been so much cleaning, painting, packing, unpacking, yard work, general maintenance, repairs and such going on that I’ve been keeping very busy. It’s also making me a little nostalgic for the days when I lived in dorms and cooperatives where most of that work wasn’t my responsibility (except for that one year I served as the maintenance manager for a 30-person household). Boarding schools and dormitories aren’t terribly uncommon when it comes to manga and in some series they even end up as one of the primary settings. With that many people living together in one place, there is plenty of opportunity for all sorts of antics and other drama to ensue. In addition to Paradise Residence, Yukie Nasu’s Here Is Greenwood immediately comes to mind as another example, as does the communal apartment in Akiko Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish even though it’s not associated with a school.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Paradise Residence, Volume 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about one of your favorite manga that takes place in a dorm or other communal living arrangement. (If you don’t have a favorite, or haven’t read any, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

Pretty easy, right? Participants have one week to submit comments and can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. Comments can also be sent to me at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if needed or if preferred. I will then post the entries in the comments here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on June 1, 2016. Good luck! (And now back to moving!)

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Paradise Residence Giveaway Winner

Manga Giveaway: Superhero Duo Winner

May 4, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Superhero Duo manga giveaway is… Cody Kemp!

As the winner, Cody will be receiving a copy of Batmanga, Volume 1 by Jiro Kuwata as well as a copy of Ultraman, Volume 1 by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, two superhero manga that were released relatively recently in English. I don’t really consider myself to be a huge fan of the superhero genre, but when I do finally get around to reading manga featuring superheros of one ilk or another, I generally do enjoy them. So, for this giveaway, I asked that participants tell me a little about some of their favorite superhero manga. For everyone’s detailed responses, be sure to check out the Superhero Duo giveaway comments. (The lesson learned from the responses? If you’re not already reading One-Punch Man, you should be!)

Some of the superhero manga available in English:
Apocalypse Zero by Takayuki Yamaguchi
Batmanga by Jiro Kuwata
Big Hero 6 by Haruki Ueno
Dead End by Shohei Manabe
Duklyon: Clamp School Defenders by CLAMP
Hero Heel by Makoto Tateno
Hero’s Are Extinct by Ryoji Hido
Heroman written by Stan Lee, illustrated by Tamon Ohta
Junk: Record of the Last Hero by Kia Asamiya
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer by Satoshi Mizukami
My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi
No. 5 by Taiyō Matsumoto
One-Punch Man written by One, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Ratman by Sekihiko Inui
Tiger & Bunny by Mizuki Sakakibara
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning by Tsutomu Ono
Tiger & Bunny: Comic Anthology edited by Asuka Henshubu
Tokyo ESP by Hajime Segawa
Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy by Yudetamago
Ultraman by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi

Depending on your definition of “superhero,” the above list could be much longer (or much shorter, for that matter) but it’s probably not a bad place to start for someone interested in reading super-heroic manga. Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway and took the time to share your favorite superhero manga with me. Until next time!

Manga Giveaway: Superhero Duo (Batmanga and Ultraman)

April 27, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of the month once more draws near which means it’s once more time for a manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga! For this month’s giveaway you all have the chance to win not one, but two manga of the superheroic nature, a mix of the old and the new as well as the East and the West: Batmanga, Volume 1 by Jiro Kuwata from DC Comics and Ultraman, Volume 1 by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi from Viz Media. And, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide, too!

It’s a little strange: I would never really go out of my way to describe myself as a fan of superhero comics, nor is it a genre that I specifically seek out. And yet, when I do end up reading about superheroes, I often find that I enjoy myself. Over the last few years, manga featuring superheros seem to have become increasingly common in English, whether it’s a classic like Jiro Kuwata’s Batmanga inspired by American comics or a modern take on a well-established Japanese franchise like Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi’s Ultraman. Some superhero manga are fairly serious, but there have been quite a few with a comedic bent of late as well, such as One-Punch Man by One and Yusuke Murata and My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi. And I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed them all.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a duo of superhero manga?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about one of your favorite manga featuring superheroes and why you like it. (If you don’t have a favorite, or haven’t read any superhero manga, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there you have it! Everyone participating in the giveaway can earn up to two entries and has one week to submit comments. If preferred or needed, entries can also be emailed to me directly at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. Those comments will then be posted here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on May 4, 2016. Good luck to you all!

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Superhero Duo Winner

Manga Giveaway: Princess Jellyfish Giveaway Winner

April 6, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Princess Jellyfish manga giveaway is… Laura!

As the winner, Laura will be receiving a copy of the first omnibus in Kodansha Comic’s English-language edition of Akiko Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish. There are quite a few manga releases that I’m looking forward to in 2016, but the debut Princess Jellyfish in English was one of my most highly-anticipated. I was curious to know what other upcoming manga people were excited about, so for this giveaway I asked participants to tell me a little about some of the manga they’re looking forward to. Check out the giveaway comments for the detailed responses, and check out below for the compiled list of manga mentioned (plus a few more that I’ve added for good measure).

Some upcoming manga releases to look forward to in English:
Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei
Don’t be Cruel by Nekota Yonezou
Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito
A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi
The Gods Lie by Kaori Ozaki
Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi
Haikyu!! by Haruichi Furudate
I Am a Hero by Kengo Hanzawa
In/Spectre written by Kyo Shirodaira, illustrated by Chasiba Katase
Magia the Ninth by Ichiya Sazanami
Neo Parasyte F by Various
Nichijou by Keiichi Arawi
The Osamu Tezuka Story by Toshio Ban
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Orange by Ichigo Takano
Otherworld Barbara by Moto Hagio
Queen Emeraldas by Leiji Matsumoto
Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda
Sherlock: A Study in Pink by Jay
A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima
Sweetness and Lightning by Gido Amagakure
That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! by Yoko Nogiri
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle by CLAMP
Welcome to the Ballroom by Tomo Takeuchi
Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their excitement with me; quite a few of the manga that were mentioned are releases that I’m looking forward to a great deal as well. This should be a great year for manga!

Manga Giveaway: Princess Jellyfish Giveaway

March 30, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of March is drawing near, which means it’s time for another manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga! Thanks to the fine folks at Kodansha Comics who provided the manga for this month’s giveaway, you all have a chance to win the first omnibus of Akiko Higashimura’s manga series Princess Jellyfish. And, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

As a fan of manga, I’m constantly looking out for new releases and license announcements. While I will happily read older titles, and find great joy in tracking down out-of-print gems, I eagerly await news of what’s to come in the future. Akiko Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish, which hit the shelves just last week, was one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2016. I watched and loved the anime series, but it only adapted a small portion of the manga, so I was left wanting more. For years, fans wished for the original Princess Jellyfish to be licensed in English. Sadly, josei hasn’t always done particularly well in North America, so for a very long time it looked as though a license would never materialize. I was absolutely thrilled when Kodansha Comics announced that the Princess Jellyfish manga would finally be getting an English-language release, and I preordered it as soon as I was able to.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win Princess Jellyfish, Omnibus 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about a upcoming manga release that you’re excited about. (If you don’t have anything in particular in mind, or don’t know what’s coming out, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

There you go! For this giveaway, each person participating can earn up to two entries and has one week to submit comments. If preferred, or if you have trouble using the comment form, entries can also be emailed to me directly at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post the comments here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on April 6, 2015. Best of luck!

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Princess Jellyfish Giveaway Winner

Manga Giveaway: World Trigger Giveaway Winner

March 2, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the World Trigger manga giveaway is… Serene!

As the winner, Serene will be receiving the first two volumes of Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger as published in English by Viz Media. One of the most notable aspects of World Trigger is it’s setting in which gates between parallel worlds appear. I asked participants of the giveaway to tell me a little about some of their favorite manga that feature parallel dimensions, worlds, or universes. Be sure to check out the giveaway comments to read all of the detailed responses.

Some manga available in English featuring parallel worlds:
Alice 19th by Yuu Watase
Arata: The Legend by Yuu Watase
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Drifters by Kohta Hirano
From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa
Gate written by Takumi Yanai, illustrated by Satoru Sao
Higurashi: When They Cry written by Ryukishi07
Into Illusion written by Rieko Yoshihara, illustrated by Ryo Tateishi
Kyo Kara Maoh! by Temari Matsumoto
Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP
MeruPuri by Matsuri Hino
Orange by Ichigo Takano
Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki
Persona 4 by Shuji Sogabe
Reborn! by Akira Amano
Steins;Gate by Yomi Sarachi
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle by CLAMP
World Trigger by Daisuke Ashihara
xxxHolic by CLAMP

The above list is certainly not exhaustive, and I’ve deliberately left off a few titles in order not to be too spoilerific, but it’s a decent place to start for anyone interested in reading manga with parallel worlds or dimensions. Thank you to everyone who shared your favorites with me; I hope to see you all again for the next giveaway!

Manga Giveaway: World Trigger Giveaway

February 24, 2016 by Ash Brown

February’s a short month, so it’s already time for another manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga! For this giveaway, participants will have the chance to win not one, but two volumes of Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger as published in English by Viz Media. Why? Because it’s the second month of the year, or something. (Really, it’s mostly because I just felt like it.) Anyway, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Parallel worlds, dimensions, and universes provide interesting narrative opportunities for creators to explore. In some instances the worlds remain parallel and separate, allowing for multiple realities to exist simultaneously. But in some stories, like World Trigger, those separate realities end up crashing together. Either approach can be equally fascinating, though invasion scenarios like those found in World Trigger do perhaps lend themselves to more action-oriented tales.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win the first two volumes of World Trigger?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite manga that makes use of parallel worlds. (If you don’t have one, or haven’t read one, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that! Each participant has one week to submit comments and can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. Comments can also be emailed directly to me at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if preferred or if you have difficulty with the form. The comments will then be posted here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on March 2, 2016. Good luck!

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: World Trigger Giveaway Winner