If you live in the Greater Boston area, Comicopia should be on your radar. This small shop is packed to the gills with manga, from best-selling shonen titles—Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen—to kid-friendly series, yaoi and yuri, horror, manly-man manga, and a few OOP treasures, as well as a modest selection of books in Japanese. I discovered Comicopia when I relocated to the Boston area in 2008, and it felt like an oasis. I’ve always found the staff friendly and funny, and the atmosphere comfortable; no one will judge you for buying something popular or—heaven forfend—girly. For more insight into what makes Comicopia a great place to shop, check out this interview with Comicopia’s Matt Lehman and Dan Palomares conducted by fellow Bostonian Brigid Alverson.
NEWS
This opening sentence pretty much says it all: “Hit Japanese manga One Piece is coming to Netflix as a live-action series — a development that’s both exciting and worrisome for fans who have seen mixed success in a growing list of Hollywood adaptations.” [Associated Press]
And speaking of One Piece, creator Eiichiro Oda consulted ChatGPT on an upcoming storyline, but rejected the bot’s suggestions as “boring.” [NDTV]
Band geeks unite! Azuki has just licensed Crescent Moon Marching, a coming-of-age story about a teenager who joins a marching band to get away from the stress of her fast-paced life in Tokyo. Look for the first chapters on March 16th. [Azuki Manga]
Everything old is new again: Dark Horse will be re-issuing Hellsing in a new paperback edition this fall. [ICv2]
Krystallina has the scoop on the upcoming merger of Manga Planet and futekiya. [The OASG]
Although the February 2023 NPD Bookscan numbers confirm what most of us know—folks loooooove Chainsaw Man and Spy x Family—there were a few surprises on last month’s Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels list, including the first volume of Blue Box and the seventh volume of My Dress-Up Darling. [ICv2]
Why is Osamu Dazai having a moment on TikTok? The New York Times investigates. (Hint: it involves Bungo Stray Dogs.) [New York Times]
LISTENING IN
On the latest episode of Screentone Club, Elliot and Andy discuss Slasher Maidens and Oshi no Ko, “two things that everyone loves – ladies kicking arse and ladies being idols.” [Screentone Club]
If you’ve been curious about Ramen Wolf & Curry Tiger, Xan has some thoughts about this unusual culinary manga. [Spiraken Manga Review]
The OverMangaCast gang weigh in on chapters 100-127 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba (better known to fans as the Swordsmith Village arc). [OverMangaCast]
Walt Richardson and Emily Myers review the February 2023 issue of Shonen Jump. [Multiversity Manga Club]
On the most recent episode of Manga in Your Ears, Kory, Apryll, and Helen discuss Is Love the Answer? and the first volume of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. [Taiiku Podcast]
Anyone nostalgic for Planetes will want to tune into Manga Machinations, which is doing a multi-part retrospective on this sci-fi classic. [Manga Machinations]
Ashley and Asher also take a trip down memory lane with a look at Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders, “a strange, comedic, and loving send up of tokusatsu shows.” [Shojo & Tell]
REVIEWS
If you read only one review this week, make it Leonard Pierce’s lovely, in-depth analysis on Gengoroh Tagame’s Our Colors, an honest look at a young teenager wrestling with his sexual orientation. “Tagame has been open about this being his own coming-out story in many ways,” Pierce observes, “but the manner in which he projects it into a contemporary setting while retaining its personal character is excellent storytelling.” At Brain vs. Book, Jocelyne Allen explores the surreal humor of Wayama Yama’s Onna no Sono no Hoshi, a comedy about a beleagured male teacher at an all-girls’ school… Carrie McClain explains why you should be reading The Invisible Man & His Soon-to-be-Wife and Gap Papa: Daddy at Work and at Home… Masha Zhdanova gives a thumbs up to Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand and thumbs down to volume two of Rainbow Days… and The Japan Times gives a big thumbs down to the big-screen adaptation of Inio Asano’s Downfall, pronouncing it dour and boring.
New and Noteworthy
- Ayashimon, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Call the Name of the Night, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Call the Name of the Night, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
- Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- I Fell for a Fujoshi, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)
- Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Pulse, Vols. 1-2 (Eleanor W., Okazu)
- Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
Complete and Ongoing Series
- Blue Box, Vol. 3 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
- Coffee Moon, Vol. 2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- The Elusive Samurai, Vols. 4-5 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 8 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- SHY, Vol. 2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Something’s Wrong With Us, Vols. 9-10 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Vol. 10 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 2 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Wandance, Vol. 4 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 9 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)