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Manga the Week of 2/8

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*whine* Mercy!

We’ll start with some manwha, as Dark Horse has Vol. 10 of Bride of the Water God, the story of a girl and her gods.

Kodansha Comics has the 3 manga that came out this week, because Diamond is always one step behind. There’s Negima 33, which contains possibly the funniest joke in the entire series, as well as some of the most tear-jerking moments. Deltora Quest puts out its fourth volume of Emily Rodda-based fantasy. And if you like cute 4-koma goodness, there’s the 2nd volume of Shugo Chara-chan!

I apologize to Vertical, and Onizuka. I love GTO, and next week sees the release of the first volume of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan. It’s basically exactly what GTO fans want to see in terms of new material: Onizuka being an idiot, Onizuka being badass, lots of horrible children that need his special brand of ‘befriending’ (Onizuka and Nanoha would get along great), and a cameo by Urumi for you obsessives. It would absolutely get the picture this week, except my heart belongs to Maria. I hope you understand. Buy this anyway.

I’ve been waiting for this one it seems like forever, and it’s finally here. A Devil and Her Love Song is basically all the things I like in a shoujo manga in one package. Strong heroine without being overly dense. Likeable guys who have depth to them. Bullying being realistic but not dominating the entire series. And Ave Maria. This is my big release of the week.

It comes along with 80 bazillion other releases from Viz. We started with shoujo, so let’s continue with it. Ai Ore! Vol. 4 is now normal volume size, and also now runs in Asuka. Will the romance be any sweeter? … Probably not. Dawn of the Arcana puts out its second volume, which ties together political intrigue and forbidden romance. From Hakusensha, there’s new Kamisama Kiss, Library Wars, Natsume’s Book of Friends and Otomen. Lastly, there’s new Story of Saiunkoku (I’m still bitter about the beard shaving), and new Sakura Hime (because Viz has to publish at least one Tanemura title or they all die from the gypsy’s curse.)

Shonen time. First of all, Hayate, why are you here among all the Jump stuff? Also, why are you out a month earlier than I expected? Not that I’m complaining. Hayate the Combat Butler 19 is still funny, still not cancelled, and still not even close to resolving any romantic pairings. (Yes, it’s back to being funny. I’ll let you know when it gets serious again… around Vol. 23, I believe.)

Jump stuff! Bakuman 9, which will no doubt have lots of great Jump/publishing anecdotes and info mixed with treatment of female characters that makes my skin crawl (though I hear it’s improved. A bit.). There’s Bleach 38, not quite sped up (how does one speed Aizen up? The man has to move at his own pace, I tell you…). The highly underrated Blue Exorcist 6, continuing to flesh out Bon’s backstory. Another volume of Nura, which has been matching Kamisama Kiss and Natsume’s Book of Friends yokai for yokai. (They need to have a Yokai-Off.) Slam Dunk is up to Volume 20, which makes it about 10 volumes ahead of how far I thought it’d get. I sense the hand of Shueisha’s Japanese owners behind this one. Good stuff, though. Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee and Toriko have both hit Volume 8, and… really could not be more different from each other, aside from being shonen.

Lastly, there’s two game tie-ins. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Platinum Vol. 4 (I presume Platinum is good? Were there silver and gold prequels?), and Yu-Gi-Oh 5DS Vol. 2, a series with so many spinoffs and sequels I cannot possibly make glib jokes about it (I let Medaka Box do that for me).

Something for nearly everyone next week. Anything you plan to buy?

Kicking off the Year of the Dragon

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Daniella Orihuela-Gruber shares her personal top ten manga list at All About Manga.

Kate Dacey will be hosting the next Manga Moveable Feast, which will focus on Osamu Tezuka, at The Manga Critic.

Lori Henderson celebrates the Year of the Dragon with a roundup of manga that feature dragons. And Three Steps Over Japan spots some Dragonball Kai postage stamps!

It’s Luffy vs. Buggy in Derek Bown’s latest Combat Commentary piece at Manga Bookshelf.

News from Japan: A shoplifter stole all 64 volumes of One Piece from a bookstore in Shizuoka Prefecture, carting away ten volumes at a time in his duffel bag. Store personnel noticed the guy but the store was full of holiday shoppers, so they didn’t twig to the crime until the next day, when they noticed the missing volumes. The Freezing: First Chronicle spinoff manga has come to an end in the most recent issue of Comic Valkyrie.

Reviews: Carlo Santos takes an unvarnished look at a stack of recent releases in his latest Right Turn Only!! column at ANN.

David Brothers on 7 Billion Needles (4thletter!)
Kristin on The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty (Comic Attack)
Lori Henderson on vols. 11-20 of Black Cat (Manga Xanadu)
Connie on Boys Love (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on Cafe Latte Rhaphsody (Slightly Biased Manga)
Erica Friedman on Green (Okazu)
Connie on vol. 3 of Natsume’s Book of Friends (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 2 of No Longer Human (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 2 of Sailor Moon (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 6 of Sakura Hime (Slightly Biased Manga)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 5 and 6 of The Story of Saiunkoku (ANN)
Snow Wildsmith on vol. 2 of Wandering Son (Good Comics for Kids)
Connie on vol. 6 of Wild Adapter (Slightly Biased Manga)

Combat Commentary: One Piece Vol. 3, Ch. 18-20 – Luffy vs. Buggy

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And we save the best for last. Not necessarily the best fight, but most certainly the best series. One Piece is interesting when compared to the others of Jump‘s Big Three. As opposed to starting strong and losing steam as the years passed, One Piece did the exact opposite. It has become a war cry for One Piece fans trying to get new readers into the series, “Just make it past the first nine volumes, make it to the Arlong Arc and you’ll be hooked.” With oddly cartoonish art and stories that fans generally rank among the series’ worst, the early chapters of One Piece belie the powerhouse of a manga it would later become.

But surely there must have been something that drew readers in? After all, every manga fan knows that One Piece is easily the world’s number one manga (at least sales-wise). So what let it survive beyond its infancy? Well, if you’ve been reading this column for the past two weeks, chances are you have an inkling of my answer to this question.

Also, since this column is still new, I’m always testing new ideas for formats. Let me know what you think of this version.

What Happened?
After defeating the tyrannical Axe-hand Morgan, Luffy and Zoro find themselves drifting on the ocean with no food and no way to navigate. Luffy tries to catch a bird to eat, but ends up on an island occupied by the dread pirate Buggy the Clown. Luffy runs into Nami, who initially turns him over to Buggy in order to get to his treasure map, but then saves him at the last second. Luffy beats Mohji the beast trainer, and Zoro beats Cabaji the acrobat, leaving Luffy and Buggy ready for the final battle.

(click on images to enlarge)

What Happens?
Buggy’s devil fruit powers give Luffy a hard time at first, but before long he is able to take advantage of Buggy’s weaknesses. Buggy tells Luffy about the time he was an apprentice on a pirate ship with Luffy’s idol, Red Haired Shanks. After Shanks inadvertently ruin’s Buggy’s plan to sell a valuable devil fruit, Shanks then saves Buggy’s life, but earns his eternal ire. With some help from Nami, Luffy is able to defeat Buggy easily, sending him flying with most of his body parts missing.

What does it mean?
Compared to the straightforward action scenes in Bleach and Naruto, One Piece can often rub fans of those series the wrong way with how it portrays action. The early fights, especially the first three in the series (Alvida, Ax-Hand Morgan, and Buggy) come across as just ways to show off how cool the main character is.

Buggy stands out among the early fights, because he is the only antagonist Luffy faces (before Logue Town) that has devil fruit powers. While later on in the series every villain worth his (or her) salt has devil fruit powers, this early in the game it was a big deal. None of the other characters had powers like Luffy. What makes this fight stand out so much is how creatively these powers are put to use. Luffy always finds ways to make his strange power combat-worthy, but to see another character doing the same thing makes this fight stand out in a sea of sword-swinging and punching fights.

This is what makes Buggy’s status as a “joke villain” so strange. While he is portrayed as a serious threat, the ease with which Luffy deals with him (after some minor set backs) doesn’t quite match up. It feels as if Buggy could have either been taken seriously or written off as a complete joke, and seeing him as a little of both is jarring to say the least—still fun, but a little too much in the middle to make for easy classification.

Though Luffy is still portrayed as an invincible protagonist, Oda manages to throw in some tension by giving Luffy a weakness that Buggy can exploit. Luffy’s hat, given to him by Red Hair Shanks, is the only part of him that can be effectively damaged, and Buggy takes advantage of this.

But Buggy is not the only person who can take advantage of others’ weaknesses. As he learns to his suffering. Luffy takes advantage of Buggy still feeling the pain of his separate body parts. And with only two eyes, Buggy cannot both hunt down Nami (who is getting away with his treasure) and protect his lower half.

After this point, the seriousness of the fight dissipates, and Buggy goes from being a threat to being the the fight’s buttmonkey. While the transition is a little jarring, it helps that Oda does not switch back and forth. When Buggy is threatening, he is threatening, but once his weakness is discovered, Luffy takes full advantage of it, and Buggy becomes a joke. So in its own way, the shift from serious to gag goes as smoothly as it possibly could have.

This fight ranks as one of the best in the East Blue arc, solely because it stands out as the first real threat Luffy faces, as well as only one of two villains that have devil fruit powers. Compared to Kuro and Don Krieg, Buggy is one of the more memorable One Piece villains. The shift from serious threat to comedic foil may be jarring for some, but it’s One Piece in a nutshell. No matter how dangerous the situation, there’s always a good laugh to be had.

Shonen Jump makes the leap to digital

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The big news this week is the launch of Shonen Jump Alpha, Viz’s weekly digital edition of Shonen Jump, which will replace their monthly print magazine. Crunchyroll has a wide-ranging interview with Viz VP and general manager Alvin Lu, and John Jakala kicks the tires on the new magazine and finds a few glitches. The biggest problem: Despite Viz’s push to speed up releases of the English-language series, they still lag the Japanese releases by quite a few chapters—and since SJ Alpha runs each chapter two weeks after it runs in Japan, readers are left with a gap in the stories.

The Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast has wound up, and Ash Brown posts roundup posts for day two and day three, as well as a final roundup, at Experiments in Manga. Over at Manga Bookshelf, MJ and Michelle Smith devote their latest Off the Shelf column to Furuya’s No Longer Human, and at Slightly Biased Manga, Connie explains why Palepoli should be translated into English.

The Manga Bookshelf team (myself included) discusses their Pick of the Week. What’s yours? Also at Manga Bookshelf, Matt Blind posts a new set of recent manga bestsellers and a Manga Radar column about up-and-coming future releases.

Erica Friedman rounds up the latest yuri news at Okazu.

Three Steps Over Japan looks at a seasonal Japanese magazine, Jump Next.

Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo will be a guest at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

Makoto Tateno (Yellow) and Tomo Maeda (Beyond My Touch) will be guests at MangaNEXT later this month.

If you’re reading this in the Philippines, take a minute to take Khursten Santos’s survey on Philippine anime fandom at Otaku Champloo.

News from Japan: A Japanese manga called It’s Not My Fault I’m Not Popular has apparently become a hit on 4chan (Anonymous is scanting it, although the scanlations seem to be hosted elsewhere), and the latest volume bears a cover line celebrating that: “A smash hit on the overseas version of 2chan!!” Princess Resurrection manga-ka Yasunori Mitsunaga has a new series in the works that will launch in the April issue of Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine. Yūki Kodama’s spinoff of Sakamichi no Apollon will start in the May issue of Shogakukan’s Monthly Flowers.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf gang posts a new set of Bookshelf Briefs to greet the new week. Ash Brown post an unusually varied weekly roundup at Experiments in Manga.

Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan (Okazu)
Kate Dacey on The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty (The Manga Critic)
Anna on vols. 9 and 10 of Basara (Manga Report)
Michelle Smith on vols. 1 and 2 of Dawn of the Arcana (Soliloquy in Blue)
Kristin on vol. 1 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Durarara!!! (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Genkaku Picasso (Experiments in Manga)
Shannon Fay on vol. 5 of Highschool of the Dead (Kuriousity)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 15 of Higurashi: When They Cry (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on Houkago Kanon (Okazu)
Alex Hoffman on vol. 1 of Mardock Scramble (Manga Widget)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of No Longer Human (Experiments in Manga)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 3 of Sailor Moon (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 6 of Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (The Comic Book Bin)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Short Cuts (Experiments in Manga)
Ben Leary on vol. 16 of Slam Dunk (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 7 of Tears of a Lamb (Blogcritics)
Ken Haley on vol. 6 of Vampire Hunter D (Sequential Ink)
Kate Dacey on Yakuza Cafe(The Manga Critic)

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 3

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By Naoko Takeuchi. Released in Japan as “Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon” by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Nakayoshi. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

I had forgotten how much compressing the 18 original volumes into 12 (and 2 side-story books) would speed things up. That’s right, we’re already at the end of the first arc and starting the second! Indeed, you can definitely tell that, had Sailor Moon not been a huge success, Nakayoshi would have likely ended it here, right before Chibi-Usa arrives. But then, had that happened, we wouldn’t be discussing it now.

For fans of the anime, that’s Sailor Mars on the cover. You might not recognize her as she’s looking cool, calm and collected. :) In the actual manga, though, things really aren’t going so well. Mamoru has been possessed by Metallia, and even if Jupiter and Venus manage to kill off Beryl, things aren’t going to end quite that easily. (Speaking of which, a couple of things to note: a) there’s an ongoing gag about Venus’ sword being too heavy to use. Done for comedy in Vol. 2, it’s now quite serious, as Venus has a lot of trouble actually wielding it. That said, even if Jupiter (who is much stronger) gets in the first blow, it’s Venus who actually kills Beryl. b) Wasn’t there a shot of archaeologist Beryl being possessed by Metallia in a previous volume? I guess we’re assuming, like the Four Generals, that once they were converted to evil, they couldn’t be saved. Keep an eye out for villains killed in Sailor Moon going forward, and see how many were once human…)

Unfortunately, Mamoru is still evil, and so it’s up to Sailor Moon to kill him for the good of the world. Which she actually does, even using Venus’ huge sword. And then, very startlingly, she proceeds to reverse the sword and kill herself. Or at least, so it seems. I dunno, maybe it’s because of the anime episode 45 and 46, but I find the ending to the first arc in the manga somewhat confusing. It would appear that both Sailor Moon and Mamoru were ‘saved’ from a deadly blow from the sword; Mamoru by a crystal containing the essence of his four Generals, and Sailor Moon by Mamoru’s watch. This… seems a bit too pat. On the good side, Moon is just as awkward with a heavy sword as you’d expect. Honestly, none of them look comfortable with it.

The action then moves to the North Pole, where, in order to wake Sailor Moon and Mamoru, the senshi decide to sacrifice their lives. This involves using their transformation pens to somehow use all their power to wake Sailor Moon, and again kind of pales in comparison with the anime. But that’s not the manga’s fault. But now Sailor Moon is alive, and can use the power of love, the power of prayer and the power of basic light over darkness to defeat Metallia. Now she’s finally reunited with an unpossessed Mamoru, and they kiss. And then she… finds out her friends are all dead. Oopsie. (Note we see them in pools of blood, which are all drawn as ‘clear fluid’ rather than the typical ‘black blood’ you see in monochrome. I suspect this may be to make it less horrifying – they’re drenched in it.) Luckily, Sailor Moon can resurrect the dead with her new powerup, which she proceeds to do. (If you’re rolling your eyes at this, get used to it – it’s not the last time we’ll be seeing it.)

Yay! Happy ending, everyone’s alive and going back to school, Usagi has a boyfriend, and all is well… wait, who’s this kid? Yes, Chibi-Usa drops in, and sets the stage for the second major arc in the manga, which is generally called Sailor Moon R in deference to its anime counterpart. Chibi-Usa… is a brat at times, even in the manga. But at least in the manga it’s very clear that she is, at heart, a very scared child, and that much of her behavior is due to panic and stress as much as anything else. She arrives out of the sky with her mind-controlling ball that looks like Luna and immediately proceeds to ingratiate herself with Mamoru, get accepted into Usagi’s family, and get on Usagi’s nerves. And she’s also after the Silver Crystal… which the villains are also after. Is she a villain?

Yes, we get a new set of villains here as well, with the Black Moon Family. More on Prince Demande later, as he’s a truly horrible ass, but here we just get to see bits of the main villains. Instead, they send out disposable minions, each with the powersets to match up against a specific senshi, to capture them. And it actually works quite well, as first Mars, then Mercury are captured by the enemy and… well, not killed, but moved off the board for a while. This, by the way, results in the deaths of the minions. This is not the anime, no redemption for you! There are also, by the way, some lovely scenes of Ami, Rei, Makoto and Mamoru interacting with their friends in daily life. The friends don’t get big roles, but it helps to show that the cast are (mostly) quite popular and well-liked.

I’m not sure if there were any extras in this volume in Japan; there aren’t any here, I can tell you. But regardless of that, this was a solid volume of Sailor Moon. More battle-oriented than most, which means I like it a bit less than the others, as Takeuchi’s battle scenes can get confusing. But as we leave our heroes, the Senshi are now down to three. And somehow, I have a feeling that the start of Vol. 4 will end with Jupiter getting abducted as well, as that’s how these things go. Is this what happens when you find yourself on the cover?!?!

Yakuza Cafe

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Yakuza Cafe is a pleasant surprise, a cheerful, smutty send-up of gangster manga that playfully mocks maid cafes, foodie manga, and yakuza culture.

The titular gangsters are the Fujimaki Clan, a once-feared crime syndicate who’ve launched a legitimate business: a yakuza-themed cafe, staffed by the clan’s former foot soldiers. Though the food is tasty, and the waitstaff comely, the cafe is all but deserted — that is, until Shinri, the clan leader’s only son, discovers the root of the problem: no one can brew a decent cup of tea! Not to worry: Shinri just happens to be an expert on the subject, thanks to his grandmother, a tea connoisseur so dedicated that she grew her own leaves.

Of course, Yakuza Cafe is yaoi, so there’s also a romantic subplot running in tandem with the shop’s rehabilitation. That storyline involves Shinri and a brooding, muscle-bound thug named Mikado, who’s famous for his fiery temper. Though others warn Shinri not to become emotionally or physically involved with Mikado, Shinri finds himself irresistibly drawn to Mikado and his elaborate dragon tattoo. (The tattoo, it should be noted, is almost a character in its own right.)

Yakuza Cafe has three things working in its favor: a cast of handsome men, a clever premise, and a deep affection for the genres it parodies. Shinano Oumi draws elegant, if generic, characters in a variety of pleasing shapes and sizes: broad-shouldered types for readers who prefer rugged men and slender, snappy dressers for those who favor metrosexuals. Oumi doesn’t just populate her story with attractive characters, she inserts them into a situation that’s ripe with comic potential: what could possibly go wrong when former hit men serve tea and pastries to teenage girls? Of course, none of these scenarios would be funny if Oumi overplayed them, but she uses a light touch throughout the story, whether she’s borrowing ideas from The Drops of God — grandma’s tea expertise could easily spawn a manga of its own — or putting a BL spin on a gangster manga cliche. (Mikado tries to slice off his own pinky in order to atone for his relationship with Shinri.)

The main drawback to Yakuza Cafe is the romance. Shinri and Mikado’s attraction is explained by means of a very tired shojo trope — The Handsome Senpai From My Childhood — and never properly developed. That’s a pity, because the other lengthy story in Yakuza Cafe, “The Crimson Seal,” achieves a much better balance between the main story and the budding relationship between a college grifter and a Fujimaki foot soldier. “Seal” also offers the manga’s only really emotional moment, culminating in a Tragic Death as sincere and silly as anything in Crying Freeman. (I say this with love.)

Whether you’ll enjoy Yakuza Cafe boils down to a simple test: do you read yaoi for the stories or the pictures? If the former, you’ll find it entertaining, with passably exciting bedroom scenes; if the latter, you may not find enough visual stimulation to hold your interest through all the maid cafe and yakuza jokes.

Digital review copy provided by Digital Manga Publishing.

YAKUZA CAFE • BY SHINANO OUMI • DMP • 168 pp. • RATING: MATURE (18+)

Yakuza Cafe

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Yakuza Cafe is a pleasant surprise, a cheerful, smutty send-up of gangster manga that playfully mocks maid cafes, foodie manga, and yakuza culture.

The titular gangsters are the Fujimaki Clan, a once-feared crime syndicate who’ve launched a legitimate business: a yakuza-themed cafe, staffed by the clan’s former foot soldiers. Though the food is tasty, and the waitstaff comely, the cafe is all but deserted — that is, until Shinri, the clan leader’s only son, discovers the root of the problem: no one can brew a decent cup of tea! Not to worry: Shinri just happens to be an expert on the subject, thanks to his grandmother, a tea connoisseur so dedicated that she grew her own leaves.

Of course, Yakuza Cafe is yaoi, so there’s also a romantic subplot running in tandem with the shop’s rehabilitation. That storyline involves Shinri and a brooding, muscle-bound thug named Mikado, who’s famous for his fiery temper. Though others warn Shinri not to become emotionally or physically involved with Mikado, Shinri finds himself irresistibly drawn to Mikado and his elaborate dragon tattoo. (The tattoo, it should be noted, is almost a character in its own right.)

Yakuza Cafe has three things working in its favor: a cast of handsome men, a clever premise, and a deep affection for the genres it parodies. Shinano Oumi draws elegant, if generic, characters in a variety of pleasing shapes and sizes: broad-shouldered types for readers who prefer rugged men and slender, snappy dressers for those who favor metrosexuals. Oumi doesn’t just populate her story with attractive characters, she inserts them into a situation that’s ripe with comic potential: what could possibly go wrong when former hit men serve tea and pastries to teenage girls? Of course, none of these scenarios would be funny if Oumi overplayed them, but she uses a light touch throughout the story, whether she’s borrowing ideas from The Drops of God — grandma’s tea expertise could easily spawn a manga of its own — or putting a BL spin on a gangster manga cliche. (Mikado tries to slice off his own pinky in order to atone for his relationship with Shinri.)

The main drawback to Yakuza Cafe is the romance. Shinri and Mikado’s attraction is explained by means of a very tired shojo trope — The Handsome Senpai From My Childhood — and never properly developed. That’s a pity, because the other lengthy story in Yakuza Cafe, “The Crimson Seal,” achieves a much better balance between the main story and the budding relationship between a college grifter and a Fujimaki foot soldier. “Seal” also offers the manga’s only really emotional moment, culminating in a Tragic Death as sincere and silly as anything in Crying Freeman. (I say this with love.)

Whether you’ll enjoy Yakuza Cafe boils down to a simple test: do you read yaoi for the stories or the pictures? If the former, you’ll find it entertaining, with passably exciting bedroom scenes; if the latter, you may not find enough visual stimulation to hold your interest through all the maid cafe and yakuza jokes.

Digital review copy provided by Digital Manga Publishing.

YAKUZA CAFE • BY SHINANO OUMI • DMP • 168 pp. • RATING: MATURE (18+)

Manga Radar: 8 January 2012

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Database Additions for 08 January

20th Century Boys 22 – Viz Signature, Aug 2012 ::
Bastard King (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Sep 2011 ::
Bastard King (ebook) 2 – Yaoi Press, Oct 2011 ::
Big Deal (ebook) 1 – Ai Press, Jan 2012 ::
Bunny Drop 6 – Yen Press, Aug 2012 ::
Claymore 20 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Jul 2012 ::
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll 1 – Vizkids, Jan 2012 ::
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll 2 – Vizkids, Mar 2012 ::
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll 3 – Vizkids, May 2012 ::
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll 4 – Vizkids, Jul 2012 ::
Full Bloom (ebook) 1 – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2011 ::
Holy Night & Other Stories (ebook) – Enjugroup, Feb 2011 ::
My Boyfriend Is a Vampire (ebook) 4 – Seven Seas, Dec 2011 ::
NonNonBa – Drawn & Quarterly, Mar 2012 ::
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl/Platinum 5 – Vizkids, Jun 2012 ::
Rosario+Vampire Season II 9 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Jul 2012 ::
Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 ::
Spring Demon (ebook) 3 – Yaoi Press, Nov 2011 ::
Tenjo Tenge vols 13-14 collection – Viz Signature, Jun 2012 ::
The Manga Guide to the Universe – No Starch Press, Aug 2011 ::

Idol (yaoi) – Yaoi Press, Feb 2007 ::
Mobile Suit Gundam Blue Destiny 1 – Tokyopop, Jan 2003 ::

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Idol, from Yaoi Press, is also available as an ebook (for kindle) which is why it’s getting added to the database now, as opposed to 5 years ago. I’m not familiar at all with Gundam Blue Destiny, and that particular Gundam book is so old the cover thumbnail had a Mixx logo on it.

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Top Preorders

8. ↑1 (9) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [390.0] ::
18. ↓-3 (15) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [279.0] ::
22. ↑4 (26) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [257.8] ::
33. ↑11 (44) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [212.1] ::
88. ↑15 (103) : xxxHolic 19 – Kodansha Comics, Feb 2012 [114.9] ::
103. ↓-2 (101) : Negima! 34 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [98.5] ::
121. ↑7 (128) : Kannagi 4 – Bandai, Cancelled [84.8] ::
138. ↑144 (282) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [77.1] ::
143. ↑13 (156) : Toradora! 4 – Seven Seas, Apr 2012 [74.9] ::
148. ↑108 (256) : The Betrayal Knows My Name 3 – Yen Press, Apr 2012 [71.9] ::

[more]

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 8 January

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

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Manga Bestsellers

1. ↑2 (3) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [444.0] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [442.8] ::
3. ↓-2 (1) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [431.5] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Fullmetal Alchemist 27 – Viz, Dec 2011 [407.0] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [404.5] ::
6. ↑1 (7) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [392.8] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Ouran High School Host Club 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2011 [391.5] ::
8. ↑1 (9) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [390.0] ::
9. ↑12 (21) : Black Bird 12 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2012 [384.0] ::
10. ↑25 (35) : Rosario+Vampire Season II 7 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Jan 2012 [351.0] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shonen Jump 84
Yen Press 77
Viz Shojo Beat 72
Kodansha Comics 43
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 38
Seven Seas 23
DMP Juné 20
Vizkids 15
Dark Horse 14
Viz 12

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,072.2] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [981.9] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [745.3] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Black Butler – Yen Press [731.5] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Fullmetal Alchemist – Viz [609.6] ::
6. ↑4 (10) : Black Bird – Viz Shojo Beat [602.8] ::
7. ↓-1 (6) : Ouran High School Host Club – Viz Shojo Beat [567.5] ::
8. ↓-1 (7) : Vampire Knight – Viz Shojo Beat [548.4] ::
9. ↑9 (18) : Rosario+Vampire – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [533.2] ::
10. ↑11 (21) : Skip Beat! – Viz Shojo Beat [440.5] ::

[more]

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

1. ↑2 (3) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [444.0] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Fullmetal Alchemist 27 – Viz, Dec 2011 [407.0] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [404.5] ::
6. ↑1 (7) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [392.8] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Ouran High School Host Club 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2011 [391.5] ::
9. ↑12 (21) : Black Bird 12 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2012 [384.0] ::
10. ↑25 (35) : Rosario+Vampire Season II 7 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Jan 2012 [351.0] ::
14. ↑56 (70) : Skip Beat! 26 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2012 [320.5] ::
17. ↑106 (123) : Dengeki Daisy 8 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2012 [283.6] ::
19. ↓-3 (16) : xxxHolic 18 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2011 [276.1] ::

[more]

Preorders

8. ↑1 (9) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [390.0] ::
18. ↓-3 (15) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [279.0] ::
22. ↑4 (26) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [257.8] ::
33. ↑11 (44) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [212.1] ::
88. ↑15 (103) : xxxHolic 19 – Kodansha Comics, Feb 2012 [114.9] ::
103. ↓-2 (101) : Negima! 34 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [98.5] ::
121. ↑7 (128) : Kannagi 4 – Bandai, Cancelled [84.8] ::
138. ↑144 (282) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [77.1] ::
143. ↑13 (156) : Toradora! 4 – Seven Seas, Apr 2012 [74.9] ::
148. ↑108 (256) : The Betrayal Knows My Name 3 – Yen Press, Apr 2012 [71.9] ::

[more]

Manhwa

202. ↑18 (220) : JTF-3 Counter Ops (ebook) – RealinterfaceStudios.com, Mar 2011 [56.0] ::
233. ↑602 (835) : Angel Diary 11 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [47.0] ::
259. ↑ (last ranked 18 Dec 11) : Bride of the Water God 2 – Dark Horse, Jan 2008 [43.1] ::
311. ↑223 (534) : Angel Diary 13 – Yen Press, Dec 2010 [35.5] ::
351. ↑18 (369) : Bride of the Water God 9 – Dark Horse, Oct 2011 [31.1] ::
525. ↓-220 (305) : Angel Diary 9 – Yen Press, Jul 2009 [19.0] ::
540. ↑5 (545) : March Story 3 – Viz Signature, Oct 2011 [18.3] ::
585. ↓-255 (330) : Totally Captivated 6 – Netcomics, Feb 2009 [17.0] ::
674. ↓-96 (578) : March Story 2 – Viz Signature, Apr 2011 [12.5] ::
759. ↓-334 (425) : Angel Diary 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2006 [9.8] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

45. ↑9 (54) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [179.5] ::
70. ↑6 (76) : Mr. Tiger & Mr. Wolf – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [134.7] ::
84. ↑79 (163) : Seven Days Friday-Sunday – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [119.5] ::
96. ↓-16 (80) : A Fallen Saint’s Kiss – 801 Media, Jan 2012 [107.2] ::
110. ↑16 (126) : Private Teacher 2 – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [94.9] ::
114. ↑25 (139) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [89.3] ::
123. ↑20 (143) : Yakuza Cafe – DMP Juné, Oct 2011 [84.4] ::
140. ↑5 (145) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [76.7] ::
174. ↑109 (283) : Ambiguous Relationship – DMP Juné, Mar 2012 [62.6] ::
203. ↑59 (262) : Private Teacher 1 – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [56.0] ::

[more]

Ebooks

45. ↑9 (54) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [179.5] ::
65. ↑18 (83) : Dragon Ball Z Legend: The Quest Continues – Cocoro Books, May 2004 [142.5] ::
71. ↑18 (89) : The Outcast 1 – Seven Seas, Sep 2007 [131.2] ::
78. ↑34 (112) : Amazing Agent Luna 1 – Seven Seas, Mar 2005 [123.0] ::
79. ↑73 (152) : Maihime!! (ebook) Tale 1 – Stren Publishing, Dec 2011 [122.0] ::
80. ↑13 (93) : Fruits Basket Uncovered: The Secrets of the Sohmas – Cocoro Books, Mar 2007 [121.1] ::
81. ↓-3 (78) : Manga Cookbook – Japanime’s Manga University, Aug 2007 [120.0] ::
87. ↓-26 (61) : Manga Moods – Japanime’s Manga University, Mar 2006 [115.0] ::
92. ↓-19 (73) : Amazing Agent Luna 6 – Seven Seas, Sep 2010 [111.3] ::
101. ↑45 (146) : Amazing Agent Luna 2 – Seven Seas, Jul 2005 [99.3] ::

[more]

Pick of the Week: Time Warp

by , , , and 1 Comment

We may have stepped into a wormhole this week at Midtown Comics, whose incoming manga list is comprised mainly of not-quite-fresh releases. Fortunately, this gives the Battle Robot an excuse to recommend some well-loved titles.

MICHELLE: This week’s new manga list at Midtown Comics is comprised mostly of Vertical titles, some of which have been available elsewhere for a while now. Still, this is a good opportunity to recommend No Longer Human, Usumaru Furuya’s intriguing adaptation of the novel by Osamu Dazai. MJand I devoted our most recent Off the Shelf column to the title, which I enjoyed far more than I expected to. Yes, it’s dark and rather depressing, but there’s enough distance and self-analysis from and by the protagonist that one can enjoy it without getting bogged down. I recommend the series heartily and look forward to volume three!

SEAN: I’m not quite sure why the 6th volume of sublime baseball manga Cross Game is three weeks later than it should have been, but that’s okay. It gives me another chance to rave about this very different type of shonen we’re seeing here. Make no mistake, this series is a classic example of everything that doesn’t sell well in North America: subtle character humor, low-key art, no fights, no supernatural content (unless you think Wakaba has reincarnated as Akane), and a bunch of baseball. And that’s what makes it one to cherish. As the market continues to contract and companies keep looking for things that the kids will buy, series like these that take chances will be fewer and farther between. Never mind that Adachi is a household name in Japan: here he’s a cult, and as such, deserves love.

KATE: Since I’m a proud owner of a cat, I feel duty-bound to recommend the seventh volume of Chi’s Sweet Home. It’s totally accessible to the feline-free, of course; I was an unabashed Dog Person at the time I reviewed volume one, and I thought it was utterly charming then. Now that I can compare my cat’s behavior with Chi’s, however, I have a new appreciation of Konami Konata’s artistry. She nails the small details, whether it’s the sound of Chi’s feet on a hard floor or Chi’s tendency to misconstrue everyday objects as “prey.” (So far, I’ve had limited experience with cat barf, though years of dog ownership have prepared me for the worst.) Not much happens in a typical volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, but the scenes are artfully staged, whether the intent is humorous or heart-tugging.

BRIGID: Hmpf. Midtown seems to be well behind the rest of the world, but given the list in front of me, I would go for one of the volumes of Twin Spica. I can’t say enough about how much I like this series, and the characters, and I also like that Vertical is releasing it in double-size volumes so we get a lot of pages for the money. Go Asumi!

MJ: With all these Vertical catch-up releases coming in, it’s tough to know which to choose, but I think I’ll take the opportunity to back up Michelle on this one and recommend No Longer Human. It’s the kind of series that leaves me mulling over it for days after I’ve finished a volume, so despite the fact that it “had me craving cheese puffs” (not so good for my waistline!), I highly recommend it.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?