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Manga the Week of 10/10

October 3, 2012 by Sean Gaffney

It’s a smaller week, Week #2, but it tries harder! What’s coming out right before New York Comic Con?

Kodansha has two titles that, as usual, came out yesterday via Amazon and bookstore-oriented places. (pats Diamond on the head) Arisa is in the homestretch with Vol. 9, and Cage of Eden is starting to gear up with Vol. 7. Cage of Eden’s cover is also only mildly socially unacceptable this time! (I make no guarantees about the inside, though. Expect boobs.)

Seven Seas has a troika of releases, many of which hit Diamond *and* bookstores this week. For some reason, the Northeast Corridor (including me) is getting these in next week. Dance in the Vampire Bund hits its penultimate volume (don’t panic: a sequel has already started in Japan), and still has Vampire in the title, in case you missed that. Venus Versus Virus has a 3rd omnibus out, which I think may be the last (total apathy about the series prevents me from verifying this). And Girl Friends, Morinaga Milk’s popular yuri manga, gets a print release with the first of two omnibuses. Girl Friends is sweet, likeable, funny, and does not end with dead lesbians (sorry for the spoilers).

Sublime, Viz’s BL imprint, has Vol. 2 of Punch Up. Which has a kitty on a hot guy’s head. I don’t think I need to say anything else, really. KITTY!

Speaking of kitties, or at least catboys, Viz is starting to re-release the fantasy manga Loveless, which runs in Comic Zero Sum and is… not *quite* BL, even though most of the fandom would disagree with you. It is extremely popular, though, and it’s nice to see Viz rescue it. They also have a new Case Closed and the penultimate volume (did I really use penultimate twice in one post?) of Kekkaishi, which is beloved by bloggers (and hence has mediocre sales, the usual fate of titles beloved by bloggers).

So what appeals to you guys? Also, would you buy a manga that has as a tag line ‘Beloved by bloggers!’?

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 30 September

October 3, 2012 by Matt Blind Leave a Comment

Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

Manga Bestsellers

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [370.3] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [357.6] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [350.5] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [345.2] ::
5. ↑1 (6) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [335.8] ::
6. ↓-1 (5) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [335.3] ::
7. ↔0 (7) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [295.3] ::
8. ↔0 (8) : Death Note vols 1-13 box set – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [289.4] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Bleach 46 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [285.3] ::
10. ↑1 (11) : Alice in the Country of Clover Cheshire Cat Waltz 2 – Seven Seas, Sep 2012 [278.7] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Yen Press 88
Viz Shonen Jump 85
Viz Shojo Beat 56
Kodansha Comics 45
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 37
DMP Juné 24
Dark Horse 20
Seven Seas 19
Vertical 17
Viz 12

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [977.4] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [777.1] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [701.2] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Alice in the Country of Clover – Seven Seas [470.7] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : One Piece – Viz Shonen Jump [461.2] ::
6. ↑1 (7) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [445.7] ::
7. ↓-1 (6) : Death Note – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [400.3] ::
8. ↔0 (8) : Yotsuba&! – Yen Press [386.3] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [377.6] ::
10. ↔0 (10) : Highschool of the Dead – Yen Press [354.7] ::

[more]

New Releases
(Titles releasing/released This Month & Last)

2. ↔0 (2) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [357.6] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [345.2] ::
7. ↔0 (7) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [295.3] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Bleach 46 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [285.3] ::
10. ↑1 (11) : Alice in the Country of Clover Cheshire Cat Waltz 2 – Seven Seas, Sep 2012 [278.7] ::
11. ↓-1 (10) : One Piece 64 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [274.7] ::
12. ↑2 (14) : Bleach 47 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [274.2] ::
15. ↓-2 (13) : Yu-Gi-Oh! GX 9 – Viz Shonen Jump, Aug 2012 [256.0] ::
18. ↑1 (19) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [240.5] ::
23. ↔0 (23) : Toradora! 5 – Seven Seas, Aug 2012 [210.4] ::

[more]

Preorders

14. ↑3 (17) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [262.2] ::
17. ↓-2 (15) : Sailor Moon 10 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013 [241.7] ::
19. ↓-3 (16) : Sailor Moon 9 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [237.3] ::
31. ↑26 (57) : Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus 4 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [170.1] ::
32. ↓-2 (30) : Avatar: The Last Airbender The Promise 3 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [169.8] ::
42. ↑10 (52) : Negima! 36 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012 [151.5] ::
53. ↑3 (56) : Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 2 vol hardcover box set [complete] – Viz Ghibli Library, Nov 2012 [134.6] ::
59. ↑20 (79) : Girl Friends: Complete Collection 1 – Seven Seas, Oct 2012 [123.5] ::
60. ↑12 (72) : Naruto 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [120.9] ::
64. ↑23 (87) : Berserk 36 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [117.5] ::

[more]

Manhwa

543. ↑1 (544) : Bride of the Water God 10 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 [16.5] ::
645. ↓-97 (548) : Time & Again 6 – Yen Press, Jul 2011 [12.2] ::
650. ↓-120 (530) : Time & Again 2 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [12.0] ::
662. ↓-83 (579) : Time & Again 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2010 [11.6] ::
751. ↓-185 (566) : Time & Again 5 – Yen Press, Mar 2011 [9.0] ::
788. ↓-47 (741) : Bride of the Water God 11 – Dark Horse, May 2012 [8.2] ::
794. ↓-130 (664) : Time & Again 1 – Yen Press, Dec 2009 [8.0] ::
808. ↓-141 (667) : One Thousand & One Nights 8 – Yen Press, Aug 2009 [7.7] ::
954. ↑256 (1210) : Let Dai 10 – Netcomics, Dec 2007 [4.8] ::
959. ↓-180 (779) : One Thousand & One Nights 11 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [4.8] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

18. ↑1 (19) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [240.5] ::
30. ↑5 (35) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [172.2] ::
167. ↑1085 (1252) : Secret Thorns – DMP Juné, Oct 2012 [66.0] ::
195. ↑40 (235) : His Arrogance – 801 Media, Dec 2008 [56.6] ::
201. ↓-5 (196) : The Man I Picked Up – DMP Juné, Aug 2012 [55.1] ::
234. ↑174 (408) : Il Gatto Sul G 1 – DMP Juné, Apr 2006 [48.0] ::
257. ↑13 (270) : Black Sun 1 – 801 Media, Nov 2008 [42.6] ::
258. ↑82 (340) : The Tyrant Falls in Love 6 – DMP Juné, May 2012 [42.6] ::
263. ↑2 (265) : Awkward Silence 1 – SuBLime, Jul 2012 [42.2] ::
274. ↔0 (274) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [40.9] ::

[more]

Ebooks

16. ↑2 (18) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [255.6] ::
22. ↑3 (25) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [220.5] ::
26. ↑10 (36) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [179.9] ::
34. ↑5 (39) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [167.0] ::
54. ↔0 (54) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [132.1] ::
55. ↑4 (59) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [131.3] ::
66. ↑3 (69) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [116.6] ::
80. ↑33 (113) : Naruto 1 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2003 [104.3] ::
83. ↑3 (86) : Blue Exorcist 1 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2011 [102.0] ::
93. ↑2 (95) : Maximum Ride 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [98.9] ::

[more]

Adventures in the Key of Shoujo: Sailor Moon, Vol. 6

October 3, 2012 by Phillip Anthony Leave a Comment

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 6 | By Naoko Takeuchi | Published by Kodansha Comics USA | Rated: T, Ages 13+

A curious thing happened to me the other night. After reading the sixth volume of Sailor Moon, I looked back over the earlier volumes of the series, and I came to the inescapable conclusion that the Sailor Senshi could be confused with a murderous vigilante gang. Now, before you laugh, let me explain it this way. In this volume, the girls find themselves tangling with the Mugen Group and their master, Pharaoh 90. The entire clan of bad guys all live in an evil-looking tower and seem to be happy drawing in unsuspecting minions rather than going out to destroy. Oh, and no, I’m not kidding about the evil tower part, several characters mention the fact that they get a weird feeling just looking at it. Therefore it becomes evil, the Trashheap has spoken on the matter.

As I was saying, the Mugen group are turning their students into monsters with the aid of some questionable science, at best, and then said monsters go on a rampage. The Senshi turn up and vaporize the bad guy and everything’s all right with the world. But if you viewed it another way, the Senshi have been going around destroying public property, causing mass panics and riots to break out, and killing any God’s amount of singers/idols/famous people because they were in league with that month’s chief villain. Isn’t anyone going to notice they’re, I dunno, dead? Or that there seems to be an abnormal amount of incidents around this particular part of Tokyo? Don’t get me wrong, I’m as OK with suspension of disbelief as the next person but does Takeuchi expect us to believe that nobody has noticed anything, at all? One of these days, I’ll get an answer, I just don’t think it’ll come from Sailor Moon. Not that I mind, because in this volume, we are introduced to Sailors Neptune and Uranus, two of the more interesting Senshi. I only know of these two by internet reputation so in that respect, I’m kind of trying to walk around spoiler territory for myself here. Haruka (Uranus) is interesting in that she is presented as a girl and a fella. There’s no ambiguity with her/him when they interact with other people. Strangely, the only person who is confused and states that she is confused is Usagi but that’s because Uranus kisses her in her male persona. There’s something familiar about Haruka to Usagi and it upsets her to think about it. Curiouser and curiouser. Michiru as Neptune is not as exciting but she definitely is more mysterious. I think because of her lower profile, I worry that Takeuchi will give all the revelations to Uranus, and that would be not so good.

Also, we are introduced to Hotaru Tomoe, a person whom I’ve heard about but know nothing about. Hotaru is a sick young girl whose father works for the Mugen group in their laboratory. He’s kind of like the Josef Mengele of the Mugen group insofar that nobody he knows specifically is being hurt by what he’s doing. In the meantime, eh, what do a couple of students matter? How do people like Professor Tomoe get college educations? Does nobody notice when his report cards read “COULD WORK HARDER. COULD APPLY HIMSELF. COULD BE LESS EVIL.”? Whatever his problem, Hotaru looks like she needs a friend, and she gets one in the form of Chibi-Usa. After stumbling into her in front of the Tomoe lab, Chibi-Usa decides to hang out with her. Is this going to end well? I don’t know but I’m happy that Takeuchi has decided to give Chiba-Usa something to do other than hang out with Usagi and Mamoru and monopolise their time together.

One of the wildest moments for me in this volume is the amount of bad guys who get vapourised by the Senshi. Sweet Christmas, they get enough time to say things like (and I’m paraphrasing here) “Sailor Mars! Sailor Jupiter! You won’t stop me or my master, Pharaoh 90! I’ll defeat-AARGGGHHHH!!!” before being turned into crispy critters. They even have their power levels displayed above their heads at one point and I was thinking going from head to head, “One round, one round, two round, end of level boss.” I am telling you, reading manga shouldn’t be this much fun. Every time a new villain is introduced to the series, I keep thinking of Col. Trautman saying to the Sheriff in Rambo that if he (the Sheriff) wants to send that many men to deal with the problem to not forget a supply of body bags. It’s almost like there’s no reason to give any credence to these lieutenants, they are literally not going to be in the book long enough to like or hate. Their job is to advance the plot or the characters or both. I’m not disparaging the practice, I’m just saying that you should be aware going into the series.

William Flanagan’s translation notes return in full and as always they are fun but not exhaustive. Things like naming structures and meanings of places and things always help me whenever I read manga so I was missing them in the previous volume. Kodansha continues to put out an excellent book with it being just the right size for me when I’m trying to find my groove at home (I would never read Sailor Moon out on the streets of Dublin. I value my life more!)

We are just around the halfway point in the manga and yes, we have a new villain who is in the Bwa-Ha-Ha mode again but this time, we don’t know if the new Senshi are friend or foe. This complicates matters and makes for an interesting interlude

Let’s read manga!

October 3, 2012 by Brigid Alverson

The fine folks at GEN, the digital manga magazine, have shared a preview of Let’s Eat Ramen with us over at MTV Geek; this is a short manga about—you guessed it!—eating ramen, and the creator, the singly-named Nagumo, will be at New York Comic Con next week. It’s very charming, so go take a peek, and if you like it, there’s more in issue 8 of GEN.

Lissa Pattillo looks at this week’s new releases in her latest On the Shelf column at Otaku USA.

At Heart of Manga, Laura looks at the new shoujo manga coming out in October.

Ryan Holmberg has a lengthy article up at The Comics Journal about Osamu Tezuka’s New Treasure Island.

The October Manga Moveable Feast is almost upon us, and this month’s host, Anne Whittingham of Chick Pixel, puts out the call for entries. This month’s theme: Vampires!

Meanwhile, Milo has declared October to be “Go Nagai Month” at Blog of the North Star, and he explains why in his first post.

Matt Blind posts the list of manga best-sellers for the week ending September 23.

News from Japan: Tohru Fujisawa’s GT-R, the third GTO spinoff, ended in Weekly Shonen Magazine recently, but it will be back in Kodansha’s monthly Magazine Special sometime next year.

Reviews: As part of The Hooded Utilitarian’s roundtable on the worst comics ever, MJ discusses why she hates The Color of Love trilogy.

Kristin on vol. 6 of Ai Ore! (Comic Attack)
Matthew Cycyk on vols. 1-8 of Chi’s Sweet Home (Matt Talks About Manga)
John Rose on vol. 4 of D.Gray-Man (The Fandom Post)
Sakura Eries on vol. 4 of GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (The Fandom Post)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Lizzie Newton: Victorian Mysteries (Comics Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Paradise Kiss (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Until Death Do Us Part (Manga Village)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 2 of Until Death Do Us Part (The Fandom Post)

Paradise Kiss, Vol. 1

October 3, 2012 by Sean Gaffney

By Ai Yazawa. Released in Japan by Shodensha, serialized in the magazine Zipper. Released in North America by Vertical, Inc.

I had already done a review/overview of this series for a Manga Movable Feast a while back, but now we have Vertical’s new re-release with larger trim and a new translation, so it’s time to give it another look. Which I honestly don’t mind, as this is such a terrific series. I won’t be talking too much about the technical details – the larger size makes the asides much easier to read, I do note. As for the translation, it’s definitely different, and there are pluses and minuses to both. I do prefer Arashi not sounding like Johnny Rotten, though.

The cover and chapter pictures, by the way, might give away a bit of the plot: Yukari becomes a model. But then, most of you probably guessed that as it’s the premise. Yazawa has an eye for fashion and posing, and it all comes to the fore here, with many long, lingering shots of outfits and fabric, and even the rudimentary drudgery of sewing beads is made to look glamorous. Paradise Kiss is a colorful, vibrant place. By contrast, Yukari’s life is as stark and black and white as the manga itself – we barely get to know anyone besides Hiroyuki at her school, and her attention is so quickly distracted by George and company that her diligence to study is in doubt. (Notably, the entire PK group urge her to keep studying, and constantly ask if she has to hit the books. They’re all good students, and don’t want to be seen as the reason she isn’t. It’s Yukari’s own fault that she winds up blowing everything off all the time.)

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again – I really like Hiroyuki, and I’m glad to see how he interacts with Yukari and the others. The sequence where Yukari drags him to meet Miwako is painful but very well done – and Yukari, as many ‘well-intentioned’ folks seem to do, immediately realizes she’s made a mistake. That said, it worked out well in the end, even if what we mostly get from the story of Miwako. Arashi and Hiroyuki is of things left unfinished – by forcing a choice onto Miwako, Arashi has unwittingly left everything more open-ended than it should be. This will come back to haunt him in future volumes…

A word of warning to those who hate it – this manga is rife with metatextuality. The non-Yukari cast constantly talk about chapters, page placement, etc., reinforcing the fact that Yukari is not only entering the fashionista world of Paradise Kiss, but the manga ‘world’ as well. There are also several references to Yazawa’s shoujo manga Gokinjo Monogatari, which starred Miwako’s older sister, Mikako. Mikako makes a cameo, and a few other characters also show up. Don’t worry if you’ve never read the (unlicensed) prequel; the references actually serve to better flesh out the characters, and show that this isn’t just a story that began once Yukari entered the scene.

Did I forget to mention George? I did. Hi, George. I’ll have more to say about him in my next review. In the meantime, Paradise Kiss has attractive, vibrant characters, gorgeous and striking art, and a wonderfully wicked sense of humor. I’m incr3edibly happy that it’s back in print.

Dabbling in Hate

October 2, 2012 by MJ 4 Comments

Those of you who have been reading this website for a long time have probably realized by now that I tend to gravitate towards things I like. Sure, I’ll indulge in a rant now and then, but overall, I’m just a lot more likely to spend time composing picture-filled essays on why you should read something rather than why you shouldn’t.

It’s easy to identify the stuff I love, because you’ll find lots of rapturous material about it. I love classic shoujo like Moon Child, Banana Fish, and Please Save My Earth. I love shounen epics like Hikaru no Go and Fullmetal Alchemist. I love plotty BL like Wild Adapter and One Thousand and One Nights. I love Fumi Yoshinaga. I love CLAMP. I love NANA. And I love to talk about all these things (and more!), because I honestly just can’t get enough of them.

A while back, Noah Berlatsky asked me if I’d consider participating in the Hooded Utilitarian’s fifth anniversary festival of hate, and at first I thought I simply could not do it. Despite my occasional ranting, I didn’t think I had it in me to spend real time with anything I hated enough (or even close to enough) to qualify for such an organized effort. After all, this is something I’ve tried hard to avoid.

Then I remembered Kim Dong Hwa’s Color trilogy. Back when I hosted its Manga Moveable Feast, I worked hard to keep my feelings about the series confined to my own posts, so that I could be sure to give enough room to those who were truly fans. Even then, I know there were those who felt I failed—and maybe I did—but I really did make an effort to contain my own feelings of negativity towards the subject so as to encourage opinions from all sides.

Now, though? I don’t have to. I’m free now to hate the Color trilogy with all my heart and soul. And behold…

The Color of Hate.

I hope you’ll join me there, whether you hate along with me or not.

Arina Tanemura speaks, Ken Akamatsu sells some books

October 2, 2012 by Brigid Alverson

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss their choices for Pick of the Week.

Thomas Zoth has an account of the Arina Tanemura panel at Anime Fest.

News from Japan: Ken Akamatsu’s J-Comi website just completed a successful crowdfunding drive that offered limited-edition e-books, such as a complete set of Love Hina, plus autographed postcards, to sponsors. The e-books sold out in about 20 minutes. Kazuhiro Kumagai (Samurai Gun) will launch a new manga adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo in the October 24 issue of Shueisha’s Grand Jump Premium. Author’s Pet creator Deathco Cotorino will draw a 4-koma manga based on the Brothers Conflict novel.

Reviews: Ash Brown reports in on a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf team posts some short takes on recent releases in their Bookshelf Briefs column.

Sean Gaffney on Barbara (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Johanna Draper Carlson on The Drops of God: New World (Comics Worth Reading)
Bill Sherman on In These Words (Blogcritics)
A Day Without You on vol. 1 of The Lizzie Newton Mysteries (Gar Gar Stegosaurus)
Raymond Herrera on vol. 1 of Paradise Kiss (Examiner.com)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 28 of Ranma 1/2 (Blogcritics)
Kristin on vols. 4 and 5 of Saturn Apartments (Comic Attack)

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 23 September

October 2, 2012 by Matt Blind 1 Comment

Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

Manga Bestsellers

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [372.2] ::
2. ↑3 (5) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [357.6] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [347.1] ::
4. ↑3 (7) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [339.8] ::
5. ↓-3 (2) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [337.2] ::
6. ↓-2 (4) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [329.3] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [295.0] ::
8. ↑2 (10) : Death Note vols 1-13 box set – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [288.4] ::
9. ↑6 (15) : Bleach 46 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [286.2] ::
10. ↑4 (14) : One Piece 64 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [280.5] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Yen Press 89
Viz Shonen Jump 88
Viz Shojo Beat 57
Kodansha Comics 45
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 37
DMP Juné 22
Dark Horse 21
Seven Seas 18
Vertical 15
Viz 13

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [978.1] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [760.2] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [703.0] ::
4. ↑1 (5) : Alice in the Country of Clover – Seven Seas [471.5] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : One Piece – Viz Shonen Jump [469.3] ::
6. ↑2 (8) : Death Note – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [401.5] ::
7. ↑10 (17) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [388.7] ::
8. ↑6 (14) : Yotsuba&! – Yen Press [387.3] ::
9. ↑2 (11) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [368.5] ::
10. ↓-1 (9) : Highschool of the Dead – Yen Press [363.8] ::

[more]

New Releases
(Titles releasing/released This Month & Last)

2. ↑3 (5) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [357.6] ::
4. ↑3 (7) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [339.8] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [295.0] ::
9. ↑6 (15) : Bleach 46 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [286.2] ::
10. ↑4 (14) : One Piece 64 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [280.5] ::
11. ↑2 (13) : Alice in the Country of Clover Cheshire Cat Waltz 2 – Seven Seas, Sep 2012 [280.0] ::
13. ↓-7 (6) : Yu-Gi-Oh! GX 9 – Viz Shonen Jump, Aug 2012 [275.9] ::
14. ↑5 (19) : Bleach 47 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [275.8] ::
19. ↑11 (30) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [232.9] ::
23. ↑8 (31) : Toradora! 5 – Seven Seas, Aug 2012 [205.2] ::

[more]

Preorders

15. ↓-3 (12) : Sailor Moon 10 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013 [260.7] ::
16. ↓-5 (11) : Sailor Moon 9 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [257.2] ::
17. ↔0 (17) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [253.3] ::
30. ↑4 (34) : Avatar: The Last Airbender The Promise 3 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [168.8] ::
52. ↑5 (57) : Negima! 36 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012 [136.7] ::
56. ↑6 (62) : Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 2 vol hardcover box set [complete] – Viz Ghibli Library, Nov 2012 [125.6] ::
57. ↑26 (83) : Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus 4 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [125.5] ::
72. ↑26 (98) : Naruto 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [106.7] ::
73. ↑8 (81) : Black Butler 11 – Yen Press, Oct 2012 [106.4] ::
74. ↑4 (78) : Omamori Himari 9 – Yen Press, Nov 2012 [106.4] ::

[more]

Manhwa

530. ↑178 (708) : Time & Again 2 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [17.0] ::
544. ↑1 (545) : Bride of the Water God 10 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 [16.5] ::
548. ↑136 (684) : Time & Again 6 – Yen Press, Jul 2011 [16.3] ::
566. ↑120 (686) : Time & Again 5 – Yen Press, Mar 2011 [15.7] ::
579. ↑96 (675) : Time & Again 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2010 [14.9] ::
664. ↑116 (780) : Time & Again 1 – Yen Press, Dec 2009 [11.3] ::
667. ↑205 (872) : One Thousand & One Nights 8 – Yen Press, Aug 2009 [11.2] ::
737. ↑152 (889) : Let Dai 11 – Netcomics, Feb 2008 [8.9] ::
741. ↓-60 (681) : Bride of the Water God 11 – Dark Horse, May 2012 [8.7] ::
779. ↑210 (989) : One Thousand & One Nights 11 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [7.8] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

19. ↑11 (30) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [232.9] ::
35. ↓-9 (26) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [163.7] ::
196. ↑24 (220) : The Man I Picked Up – DMP Juné, Aug 2012 [59.1] ::
235. ↑13 (248) : His Arrogance – 801 Media, Dec 2008 [48.9] ::
254. ↓-68 (186) : Alcohol, Shirt, & Kiss – DMP Juné, Mar 2007 [45.3] ::
257. ↑85 (342) : Author’s Pet – DMP Juné, Aug 2008 [44.8] ::
265. ↑21 (286) : Awkward Silence 1 – SuBLime, Jul 2012 [43.4] ::
270. ↑47 (317) : Black Sun 1 – 801 Media, Nov 2008 [42.5] ::
274. ↓-48 (226) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [41.8] ::
281. ↓-76 (205) : Samejima-Kun & Sasahara-Kun – DMP Juné, May 2012 [40.6] ::

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Ebooks

18. ↓-2 (16) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [253.0] ::
25. ↑15 (40) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [185.9] ::
36. ↑7 (43) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [161.2] ::
39. ↑5 (44) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [155.5] ::
54. ↑13 (67) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [129.6] ::
59. ↑79 (138) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [119.3] ::
69. ↑111 (180) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [109.8] ::
86. ↑50 (136) : Blue Exorcist 1 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2011 [96.7] ::
95. ↑78 (173) : Maximum Ride 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [93.9] ::
113. ↑15 (128) : Naruto 1 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2003 [85.8] ::

[more]

It Came From the Sinosphere: Manga and Manhwa Titles

October 2, 2012 by Sara K. 13 Comments

There is a famous sci-fi TV series called Yínhé Fēilóng which means “Milky Way Flying Dragon.” It’s part of a group of TV series called “Xīngjiàn Qíháng Jì” which roughly means “Tales of Strange Starship Journeys.”

What’s it about? Well. there is a starship, and the captain’s name is Ràng-Lǚkè Píkǎ’ěr. In addition to the captain himself, there are other characters, such as:
Bǎikē (who is a rénxíng jīqìrén, which roughly means “human-like machine person”)
Qiáodí Lāfújí (my favorite character)
Wò’ěrfū (who is a kèlíngòng)
Wéisīlì Kēluòxià (by sheer coincidence, Wéisīlì is also the name of the most famous character from original Chinese-language science fiction),
Díānnà Tèluòyī (who is half bèitǎrén)
Bèifúlì Kēluòxià
Wēilián Ruìkè

If you don’t recognize this TV show, take a look at one of the covers of the Taiwanese DVD set:

This is a big issue when English speakers and Chinese speakers interact with each other. The English titles and Chinese titles are often so different that it can be difficult to determine if we are talking about the same movie/TV show/book/etc.

Ok, there are some cases which are quite straightforward, such as the movie Měiguó Duìzhǎng, which literally means “Captain United States.” And it wasn’t too hard for me to figure out that Fùchóuzhě Liánméng (Avengers’ Union) is The Avengers. But without a reference, such as a movie poster, it’s difficult to make the connection between Biànxíng Jīngāng (Shape-Changing Hard Metal) and Transformers.

Not that things are any easier going in the other direction. Taiwanese people always stare at me when I explain that the most common title for Shéndiāo Xiálǚ (“Divine Eagle Gallant Companion,” alternatively “The Giant Eagle and Its Companion”) in English is Return of the Condor Heroes. And then there is Tiānlóngbābù which is often called Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils because that title is practically impossible to translate into English. An alternative English title, “The Eight Levels of the Heavenly Dragon” is more literal but misses the point, and yet another English title, “Dragon Oath,” demonstrates that the translator pretty much gave up on trying to translate the original title and instead tried to create a title which was appropriate for the work being translated.

Which raises the question … how are various manga and manhwa titles translated into Chinese? The answer is, the Chinese titles for various manga and manhwa are often as close to the Japanese/Korean/English title as Yínhé Fēilóng is to Star Trek: Next Generation, or Lǜ Yě Xiān Zōng (Traces of the Wild Green Celestial) is to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The cover of a Taiwanese manhua adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

I think some Chinese manga/manhwa titles are an improvement … and some make me groan.

So I have put together a collection of Chinese titles of various manga/manhwa with a literal English translation, and another list of the official English titles. And I’ve jumbled the order. I will post the correct correlations between the Chinese titles and the official English titles when I have time. Until then, have fun matching them up yourself.

Chinese Titles / Literal English

Huǒyǐng Rěnzhě (Fire-Shadow Ninja)
Huàn Hǎi Qí Qíng (Fantastic Sea Strange Happenings)
Wǒ de Yěmán Wángfēi (My Uncivilized Royal Consort)
Hánghǎi Wàng (Seafaring King)
Rényú Liànrén (Merman Lover)
Fàngkè hòu Bǎojiànshì (After Class Nurse’s Office)
Xiāngjù yī Kè (Together for a Moment)
Quǎnyèchà ([no translation])
Yāojing de Wěiba (Tail of the Evil Spirit)
Tōutōu Àizhe Nǐ (Secretly Loving You)
Měi Shàonǚ Zhànshì (Beautiful Maiden Warrior)
Wǒmen de Cúnzài (Our Existence)
Měiwèi Dà Tiǎozhàn (Great Delicious Challenge)
Juéduì Bǐshì (Absolute Bishi)
Sǐshén (Death Gods)
Yǐn zhī Wàng (King of Secrets)
Zhànlì Shājī (Trembling Intent to Kill)
Bǎo Mǎ Wángzǐ (Precious Horse Prince)
Huálì de Tiǎozhàn (Glamorous Challenge)
Wǒ hé Tā de XXX (My and Her XXX)
Měishí Lièrén (Gourmet Hunter)
Huā Yàng Rénshēng (Flower-style Life)
Mó Kǎ Shàonǚ Yīng (Demon Card Maiden Cherry)
Pósuōluó (I ought to put this as [no translation], but just for kicks, I will translate this as ‘Whirling Gauze’)

Official English Titles

7Seeds
Absolute Boyfriend
Afterschool Nightmare
Banana Fish
Basara
Bleach
Evyione: Ocean Fantasy
Fairy Tail
Flower of Life
Goong
Hana-Kimi
Inuyasha
Maison Ikkoku
Nabari no Ou
Naruto
Oishinbo
One Piece
Princess Knight
Sailor Moon
Skip Beat
Toriko
Your and My Secret

UPDATE: The answers are posted in the comment below.

Next Time: Spirit Sword (novel)

Sara K. thinks it is wonderful that this post is going live on her birthday.

Pick of the Week: Saiunkoku, GTO, Skip Beat!

October 1, 2012 by Katherine Dacey, MJ, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

KATE: It’s VIZ dump week, in which a large and random assortment of VIZ titles arrive at Midtown Comics. Although there are several great titles to choose from—Skip Beat!, Slam Dunk, A Devil and Her Love Song—my vote goes to volume eight of The Story of Saiunkoku. The volume is worth it just for the scene of Minister Ko’s unmasking, but there’s plenty more going on as well: sexual discrimination, clan intrigue, and romance. (Remember the emperor? He factors into the story in a more prominent way in this volume.) Frustratingly tidy as Saiunkoku can be, it’s still fun to read; I’m irresistibly reminded of Yentl and Mulan every time I sit down with a new volume.

MJ: While the VIZ dump certainly has a lot to offer, I admit I’m leaning in Vertical’s direction. Arrivals this week at Midtown include my pick from last week, Paradise Kiss, but also the fifth volume of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, one of my least expected current favorites. Though nothing about the premise suggests that this series would be something I’d fall in love with, the fact is, I have, and I can’t help looking forward to each new volume. It’s definitely a GTO week for me!

SEAN: I also went with ParaKiss last week, so I’ll dip into the Viz Blitz this week and pick Vol. 29 of Skip Beat!. First of all, that cover is pure Barbara Cartland, even if no actual hot hot seduction will be happening within the actual pages. What we’ll get instead, I suspect, is more acting angst, more of Ren brooding, Kyoko freaking out about something at least once, and hopefully a shot or two of humor. At 29 volumes and counting, this is one of the longest shoujo series to be published over here, and I’ glad that it still seems to sell well. Mostly as Kyoko is simply fun to read about.

MICHELLE: I think I am going to have to go with Skip Beat!, too. It’s a special series that still makes me go, “Oh, yay! New Skip Beat!” even when we’re talking about volume 29. I could probably love this series at volume 79, actually. It’s that good, and the characters that endearing.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?