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Manga Bestsellers: 2011, Week Ending 25 December

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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. ↑1 (2) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [459.8] ::
2. ↑1 (3) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [449.3] ::
3. ↑1 (4) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [448.5] ::
4. ↓-3 (1) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [432.3] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [427.5] ::
6. ↑17 (23) : Fullmetal Alchemist 27 – Viz, Dec 2011 [371.0] ::
7. ↑7 (14) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [368.1] ::
8. ↓-2 (6) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [355.5] ::
9. ↑4 (13) : Black Butler 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2010 [345.1] ::
10. ↔0 (10) : Black Butler 7 – Yen Press, Oct 2011 [318.5] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shonen Jump 102
Yen Press 75
Viz Shojo Beat 65
Kodansha Comics 40
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 32
Vizkids 32
Del Rey 17
HC/Tokyopop 15
Dark Horse 14
Tokyopop 14

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,087.1] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [936.3] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [887.6] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Black Butler – Yen Press [783.1] ::
5. ↑1 (6) : Vampire Knight – Viz Shojo Beat [627.2] ::
6. ↓-1 (5) : Warriors – HC/Tokyopop [601.2] ::
7. ↑4 (11) : Fullmetal Alchemist – Viz [591.2] ::
8. ↓-1 (7) : Pokemon – Vizkids [579.9] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Ouran High School Host Club – Viz Shojo Beat [531.9] ::
10. ↔0 (10) : Legend of Zelda – Vizkids [530.3] ::

[more]

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

1. ↑1 (2) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [459.8] ::
2. ↑1 (3) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [449.3] ::
4. ↓-3 (1) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [432.3] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [427.5] ::
6. ↑17 (23) : Fullmetal Alchemist 27 – Viz, Dec 2011 [371.0] ::
13. ↓-6 (7) : Ouran High School Host Club 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2011 [309.3] ::
17. ↓-2 (15) : Bleach 37 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [282.0] ::
22. ↓-4 (18) : Warriors SkyClan & The Stranger 2 – HarperCollins, Nov 2011 [266.3] ::
26. ↑17 (43) : xxxHolic 18 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2011 [245.6] ::
27. ↑5 (32) : One Piece 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [243.6] ::

[more]

Preorders

7. ↑7 (14) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [368.1] ::
18. ↑22 (40) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [273.7] ::
24. ↑24 (48) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [256.6] ::
42. ↑72 (114) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [195.4] ::
51. ↑10 (61) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [169.2] ::
59. ↑188 (247) : Black Bird 12 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2012 [144.8] ::
71. ↑21 (92) : Negima! 33 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [127.2] ::
85. ↑10 (95) : Dance in the Vampire Bund 11 – Seven Seas, Jan 2012 [111.6] ::
97. ↑7 (104) : Negima! 34 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [102.9] ::
103. ↑24 (127) : A Fallen Saint’s Kiss – 801 Media, Jan 2012 [98.4] ::

[more]

Manhwa

319. ↑867 (1186) : Tarot Cafe 1 – Tokyopop, Mar 2005 [33.5] ::
404. ↓-82 (322) : Angel Diary 11 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [25.9] ::
512. ↑new (0) : Banya The Explosive Delivery Man 3 – Dark Horse, Mar 2007 [18.1] ::
564. ↑181 (745) : JTF-3 Counter Ops (ebook) – RealinterfaceStudios.com, Mar 2011 [16.2] ::
595. ↑102 (697) : March Story 1 – Viz Signature, Oct 2010 [14.9] ::
687. ↑486 (1173) : Angel Diary 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2006 [11.3] ::
690. ↑424 (1114) : Angel Diary 4 – Yen Press, Oct 2006 [11.2] ::
728. ↑1101 (1829) : Angel Diary 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2006 [10.0] ::
737. ↑228 (965) : Bride of the Water God 1 – Dark Horse, Oct 2007 [9.8] ::
762. ↓-142 (620) : Bride of the Water God 8 – Dark Horse, May 2011 [8.9] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

78. ↑15 (93) : Mr. Tiger & Mr. Wolf – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [114.8] ::
103. ↑24 (127) : A Fallen Saint’s Kiss – 801 Media, Jan 2012 [98.4] ::
134. ↓-37 (97) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [83.9] ::
137. ↑103 (240) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [82.6] ::
140. ↓-1 (139) : Private Teacher 2 – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [81.2] ::
176. ↓-45 (131) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [67.3] ::
198. ↓-46 (152) : Seven Days Friday-Sunday – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [60.8] ::
227. ↑3 (230) : Only Serious About You 2 – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [51.5] ::
265. ↓-63 (202) : Black Sun 2 – 801 Media, Dec 2011 [44.7] ::
283. ↓-9 (274) : Secrecy of the Shivering Night – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [41.1] ::

[more]

Ebooks

66. ↑18 (84) : Manga Moods – Japanime’s Manga University, Mar 2006 [132.7] ::
98. ↑10 (108) : Manga Cookbook – Japanime’s Manga University, Aug 2007 [102.7] ::
137. ↑103 (240) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [82.6] ::
159. ↑49 (208) : Amazing Agent Luna Prequel: Amazing Agent Jennifer 2 – Seven Seas, Jan 2012 [74.8] ::
247. ↑254 (501) : Kanji de Manga 1 – Japanime’s Manga University, Jan 2005 [47.5] ::
268. ↑224 (492) : Vampire Cheerleaders 1 – Seven Seas, Mar 2011 [44.3] ::
272. ↓-155 (117) : Papa’s One Summer (ebook) – Stren Co. Ltd., Mar 2011 [43.5] ::
316. ↑367 (683) : I am an Alien. I have a Question. (ebook) 1 – [self-published, Yoshitaka Abe], Mar 2010 [34.1] ::
336. ↑677 (1013) : Vampire Hunter D (manga) 1 – DMP, Nov 2007 [31.6] ::
356. ↑404 (760) : Dragon Ball Z Legend: The Quest Continues – Cocoro Books, May 2004 [30.0] ::

[more]

PotW: 13th Boy, Twin Spica, Book Girl, Durarara!!

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Midtown Comics has a lot to offer this week, from Pokemon to Twlight. MJ, Kate, Sean, and Michelle make their picks below!

MJ: It’s nearly impossible for me to choose just one title, with new volumes of several favorites arriving at Midtown Comics this week. This week’s list runs the gamut when it comes to my personal tastes as well, with series as different as, say, Twin Spica and Pandora Hearts tempting me with pretty much equal power. But in the end, I’ll do the predictable thing, and throw my vote to volume ten of SangEun Lee’s supernatural sunjeong manhwa, 13th Boy. I know I keep raving about this series, but seriously, it’s just that enjoyable. With only two more volumes to go, the drama really ramps up here in volume ten, and we begin to understand more clearly just what the connection is between weirdly gifted Whie-Young and the boy-cactus he gave life to, Beatrice. It’s all kind of heartbreaking, really, and as a reader, I’m torn over even what I want to happen. This is a great thing. If you’ve never gotten around to trying this series, keep your eyes open, as I’ll be doing a giveaway later this week.

KATE: My vote goes to volume eleven of Twin Spica. Writing about Twin Spica in 2010, when I named it one my best manga of the year, I noted that Twin Spica is “an all-too-rare example of a direct, heartfelt story that’s neither saccharine nor mawkish.” Asumi, the story’s heroine, is painfully sincere, but she isn’t the least bit annoying; if anything, she may be one of the strongest, most resilient female characters I’ve encountered in a comic, in spite of her small size. The supporting characters are just as memorable as Asumi. Kei, Asumi’s hot-headed friend, is a great example: she means well, but has a tendency to fire from the hip, unwittingly insulting people she cares about. We’ve all known someone just like Kei — perhaps when we were in high school — giving her scenes with Asumi, Marika, and the other students an extra charge of realism. These true-to-life characters prevent Twin Spica from becoming too precious, even when it flirts with magical realism. (See Mr. Lion.) A lovely coming-of-age story that works for stargazers of all ages.

MICHELLE: With MJso eloquently advocating for 13th Boy, a series I also feel strong affection for, I’m going to branch out a bit and recommend the first volume of Durarara!!. I just read it this week, and found it to be “weird but intriguing.” Frequently, I am daunted by series that introduce this many characters and ideas right up front—this is why it took me a while to get back into Pandora Hearts, after all—but that didn’t happen with Durarara!!. I think it’s the hints of interconnectedness between the subplots that really pulled me in, not to mention the incredibly cool Ikebukuro urban legend: the Black Rider. I have no idea how the manga compares to the novels or the anime, but I really enjoyed this volume and look forward to the next.

SEAN: And since Michelle was kind enough to mention Durarara!!, it falls to me to plug another volume of my favorite light novel series coming out over here to date. Book Girl and the Corrupted Angel is the 4th in the Book Girl series, each of which I have greatly enjoyed. The books aren’t perfect, but they’re fast reads and really good at getting inside the teen psyche. They can also be quite creepy when they want to be, and not just because the titular book girl is a ‘goblin’. Each volume has turned out to focus on a different member of Tohko and Konoha’s social circle, and judging by the description this new volume will finally focus on Nanase Kotobuki. I’ve found her a bit of a cliched tsundere in the previous books, but have no doubt that we’ll see different facets of her here. Highly recommended.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 1/16/12

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This week, MJ, Michelle, Kate, and Sean take a look at recent releases from Yen Press, Viz Media, and Kodansha Comics.

13th Boy, Vol. 10 | By SangEun Lee | Yen Press – I swear, this series just keeps getting better and better. About the only thing keeping it from a perfect score in my book is the occasional obnoxious behavior from protagonist Hee-So, but the well-executed story and character growth more than make up for that. In this volume, Beatrice the erstwhile cactus strives to establish independence (and learns the price Whie-Young pays for using his power), Hee-So does her best to see Beatrice as an ordinary boy with legitimate feelings for her, Whie-Young is given the chance for a normal lifespan if he meets a specific condition, and one of the aspects of that condition falls in to place. This last is a great twist that leaves me honestly rather terrified about what’s in store for these characters in the final two volumes—which I need right now, please—but I wouldn’t have it any other way. – Michelle Smith

Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 5 | By Kumiko Suekane | Viz Media – For most of the series, Kai, St. Kleio’s only “ordinary” student, has remained an enigma. Volume five at last sheds light on Kai’s origins with a lengthy flashback in which he discovers that he, too, is a clone. These scenes bristle with tension; one can feel Kai’s frustration as he struggles to assert his unique identity, in spite of the fact his clone looks and acts just like him. Kai’s backstory serves another important purpose as well, offering several important clues about St. Kleio’s true purpose. Though volume five is one of the most information-dense installments of Afterschool Charisma to date, crack pacing, surprise twists, and a cliffhanger ending make it a swift and engaging read. – Katherine Dacey

Bamboo Blade, Vol. 11 | By Masahiro Totsuka and Aguri Igarashi | Yen Press – The start and end of this volume focuses on the self-doubts and backstory of Saya, the large tsukkomi of our little group of kendoists, and makes you think that this volume will be about the main cast. But just like Vol. 10 focused its attention on Ura and her backstory, here we get introduced to more participants in the television show that Kojiro’s team is going to be doing. There’s not much new here – the jealous actress who realizes that her co-star can outshine her in any athletic event has been seen in manga before this – but it’s still a good mine for humor, especially watching her flip moods and beat the hell out of her manager (and later yell at him for sexism, probably the manga’s best moment). Still, as enjoyable as this has been, and as much fun as Totsuka-san can make things, I’m really ready for the TV show to actually happen. I hope we see it in Vol. 12.-Sean Gaffney

Bleach, Vols. 36-37 | By Tite Kubo | Viz Media – Volume 36 is the best volume of Bleach since the conclusion of the Soul Society arc, as it takes us away from the interminable battle to rescue Orihime from Hueco Mundo and focuses instead on the history of enigmatic Kisuke Urahara and the first, secret betrayal by certain villainous Soul Reapers. Though it would’ve been cooler to have this information ten or fifteen volumes ago, it’s plenty engrossing as it is and even seems to reinvigorate the action when we return to present day. Volume 37 offers more awesome interaction between Orihime and her de-facto warden, and though I still don’t care much about Ichigo, I welcome the chance to see bishounen like Yumichika and Hisagi again, and actually find myself somewhat eager to continue the series. I haven’t felt that way about Bleach in a long time. – Michelle Smith

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 2 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – The tension ramps up in this series’ second volume, as Princess Nakaba becomes more aware of her growing feelings for her new husband, as well as just how deeply those feelings conflict with her loyalty to long-time servant Loki. While this series is shaping up more and more to be another shoujo love triangle, it does have enough genuine intrigue to set it apart from the crowd. This volume also delves further into Nakaba’s preternatural abilities, which are perhaps more interesting than they first appeared. But what really makes this volume work is Nakaba’s inner conflict. Though there’s nothing really new going on there, it’s written from a place of real emotional truth, and that makes this series well worth reading. Toma’s expressive artwork is a highlight as well. Tentatively recommended. – MJ

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 8 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – Well, if you thought things would be easily resolved after last volume’s cliffhanger, think again. Kurosaki is quite aware that the message sent to Daisy was a fake – he says so on Page 21. But it doesn’t take much to make a broken soul shatter again, and Kurosaki is determined to remove himself from Teru’s life forever. Teru, after a brief chapter of self-pity and moping, isn’t having any of this, and asks everybody else to explain exactly what happened with Kurosaki and her brother. The explanation is the rest of the volume, and it’s by turns uplifting and crushing, as with most tragic backstories in shoujo. The drawback, of course, is that if you read this manga for the fun romance and humor between its two leads, there is precisely nothing here for you. Read it anyway, it’ll make the eventual reunion, presumably in Vol. 9 or 10, that much sweeter.-Sean Gaffney

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Vol. 3 | By Kenji Kuroda and Kazuo Maekawa | Kodansha Comics – The main reason for Phoenix Wright fans to pick up this third volume is featured prominently on the front cover – Franziska Von Karma is the prosecutor this time around, and that means a lot of foolish fools and a lot of whip jokes – none better than at the start, where her side job is revealed. In fact, that seems to be a problem with most of these Ace Attorney mangas – the setup is invariably more interesting than the trial. Anyone reading this for the mystery will be disappointed – it’s obvious. Those who read it to see more Phoenix adventures should be pleased – there’s even a few shoutouts to the Apollo Justice game, as Phoenix gets an eerily accurate fortune given to him. There’s also some nice art here, showcasing the dramatic poses and plot revelations in ways the writing can’t quite match up to.-Sean Gaffney

Toriko, Vol. 8 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – The eighth volume of Toriko offers readers an entertaining respite from hand-to-hand combat, as Toriko and Komatsu visit Chef Setsuno, one of four “gourmet living legends” in the world. Setsuno is a hoot: she’s a demon in the kitchen, dispatching a chicken with ferocious precision, slicing vegetables mid-air, and preparing a broth of such purity that it’s invisible to the eye. Lest anyone confuse Toriko for Oishinbo, however, this pleasant interlude is swiftly followed by an action-packed trip to the Antarctic, where Toriko wrestles sharks, serpents, and evil gourmands for the chance to taste century soup, a dish that only materializes once every hundred years. Subtle it isn’t, but the characters’ goofy antics and goofy powers (“Flying fork!” and “Long-range bazooka breath!” were my personal favorites) mitigate against macho excess. – Katherine Dacey

And the nominees are…

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The nominees for this year’s Manga Taisho Award were just unveiled. Of the fifteen titles on the list, two — Flowers of Evil and Drifters — have been licensed in English. The nominees also include Hiromu Arakawa’s latest series Silver Spoon, Kengo Hanazawa’s previously nominated I Am a Hero, and Katsumasa Enokiya’s Hibi Rock.

Mark your calendars: the next Manga Movable Feast begins on January 22nd, and focuses on Usamaru Furuya. Ash Brown will host.

Deb Aoki updates her list of 15 Ways to Enjoy Manga (Without Going Broke).

The internet is still abuzz over DMP’s recent Kickstarter campaign, which raised over $8,700 towards the licensing and publication of Osamu Tezuka’s Barbara. Alex Hoffman and Lissa Patillo offer their thoughts, pro- and contra-, about DMP’s use of Kickstarter. Over at Manga Worth Reading, Johanna Draper Carlson adds her two cents to the conversation.

And speaking of Tezuka, what classic manga would you like to see licensed next? Inquiring manga critics want to know!

Reviews: Ash Brown posts an assortment of brief manga, movie, and book reviews at Experiments in Manga. Here at Manga Bookshelf, the Battle Robot assembles to review a variety of titles, including the latest volumes of 13th Boy, Bamboo Blade, Dawn of the Arcana, and Toriko.

Kristin Bomba on vol. 3 of Ai Ore! Love Me (Comic Attack)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 2-3 of Animal Land (Anime News Network)
Connie on The Art of Hideshi Hino (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kristin Bomba on vols. 7-9 of Bakuman (Comic Attack!)
Jenny on vols. 2-6 of Dengeki Daisy (No Flying No Tights)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 7 of Dengeki Daisy (Anime News Network)
Katherine Dacey on vol. 1 of A Devil and Her Love Song (The Manga Critic)
Erica Friedman on vol. 4 of Girly (Okazu)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of Love Hina Omnibus (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lori Henderson on vol. 3 of Oresama Teacher (Manga Xanadu)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 6 of Oresama Teacher (Anime News Network)
Nic on vols. 1-2 of Pokemon: Black and White (No Flying No Tights)

Love Hina Omnibus, Vol. 2

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By Ken Akamatsu. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

At the end of the last Love Hina omnibus, we left our hero and heroine having just failed their entrance exams. We open this second volume with Keitaro depressed. This is his third straight failure, and the pressure is on him to find something else to do with his life besides apply to Todai. What’s more, a dashing (if eccentric) young man has arrived in town. This is Seta, Naru’s crush, and Keitaro completely fails to measure up to him. Seta also brings along a young girl, Sarah, who like many bratty young girls in manga proceeds to abuse and belittle our hero at every turn. Is it any wonder Keitaro decides to give up?

I’ll be honest, I still find Keitaro a weakness in this series. Searching for a purpose in life is all very well and good, and god knows we’ve all done it. The trouble is that we haven’t all had six different women all find they have feelings for us. Keitaro is still mostly defined by his failures and his bad luck, and occasionally being polite. He needs to have a better goal than ‘get into university so I can meet my mysterious promised girl’. We actually do start to see the first hint of that here, but I only know this because I’ve read the series before. For a new reader who is unaware that Keitaro’s gluing pots together is foreshadowing, it’s just 3 more volumes of him accidentally walking in on women naked.

Speaking of the women, aside from Naru and Mutsumi, they’re once again given short shrift here. It amazes me that Negima has a cast of 31 main girls, as Akamatsu has enough trouble handling the 6 he has here. Shinobu, Motoko and Su continue to get a focus about every 15 chapters, and Kitsune gets even less than that. That said, Kitsune’s focus chapter was actually a high point of the volume, as we see her love of alcohol and mischief is tempered by a genuine desire to see Naru and Keitaro get over themselves. We also see that one should not try to play mind games with her unless one is prepared to face the consequences – she’s quite cunning. As for the others, Shinobu continues to worry about immaturity (and first kisses), and Motoko about being a samurai yet having romantic feelings. Su gets a brief chapter where we see what she might be like as an adult, but this doesn’t really change her personality noticeably.

The exception is Mutsumi, who gets her largest role here (she sadly appears less often as the series goes on, the curse of not actually living at the Inn). Mutsumi is a lot of fun, and the revelation that she’s actually quite intelligent and only failed one entrance exam as she forgot to put her name down is unsurprising. There are bigger revelations, however, as it becomes increasingly apparent to Naru that Mutsumi is the girl Keitaro made him promise to. This leads to a situation where Naru has to make a decision to give up on Keitaro in order to let him find his destiny. His destiny, of course, has spent the entire manga showing that she already knows that Keitaro and Naru are destined to be together. And once again true feelings end up getting buried (at least on Naru’s side – Mutsumi honestly seems OK with letting Keitaro go).

Love Hina continues to show the strengths that Akamatsu had at this time. Lots of physical comedy, lots of fanservice, and the ability to develop a cliched yet likeable romantic plot. It also shows off many of his weaknesses, which he would improve on with Negima. In the end, though, the big drawback is that I’m not a 22-year-old guy anymore, and Love Hina is a title that’s very rewarding for 22-year-old guys but very frustrating for ones who are older and more mature. For pure nostalgia reasons, this is worth a buy, however. And I seem to recall the next volume should be more interesting.

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 1

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Maria Kawai, heroine of A Devil and Her Love Song, is a cool customer. Not only is she beautiful, talented, and smart, she’s also tough — so tough, in fact, that she was expelled from a hoity-toity Catholic school for beating up a teacher. Her blunt demeanor further cements her bad-girl impression; within minutes of enrolling at a new high school, she antagonizes all the girls in her class with a few sharp observations about their behavior. Only two boys — Yusuke, a cheerful, popular student who avoids conflict at all costs, and Shin, a moody outsider — try defending Maria from her peers’ nasty comments and pranks.

So far, so good: Maria is spiky and complicated, a truth-teller who lacks the ability to censor herself, even though she’s aware of the potential consequences of speaking her mind. Throughout volume one, there are some wonderful comic moments as Maria struggles to put a “lovely spin” — Yusuke’s term — on her acid comments. Alas, Maria’s sideways head-tilt and doe-eyed gaze look more sinister than cute; not since Kazuo Umezu’s Scary Book has a manga-ka made a doll-like character look so thoroughly menacing, even when superimposed atop a backdrop of flowers and sparkles.

Having created such a vivid character, however, Miyoshi Tomori isn’t sure where to go with the story. In several scenes, Maria does things that contradict what we know about her: would someone as perceptive as Maria willingly attend a party hosted by the class mean girls, especially after they’d harassed her on a daily basis? And why would someone as outspoken as Maria refrain from pointing out her teacher’s judgmental behavior — especially when it’s plainly obvious to both the characters in the story and the reader? These kind of abrupt reversals might make sense if we knew more about Maria’s past, but at this stage in the story, they feel more like authorial floundering than a conscious revelation of character.

From time to time, however, Tomori convincingly hints at Maria’s softer side. Midway through volume one, for example, Maria makes tentative overtures towards Tomoya “Nippachi” Kohsaka, a fellow bullying victim. (“Nippachi” means “twenty-eight,” and is a mean-spirited reference to Tomoya’s poor academic performance.) That scene is both sad and real; anyone who’s ever seen two ostracized kids turn their classmates’ scorn on one another will immediately appreciate the dynamic between Maria and Nippachi. Maria’s exchanges with Shin, too, reveal a different side of her personality; though the pair frequently engage in the kind of rapid, antagonistic banter that’s de rigeur for romantic comedies, their quieter conversations suggest a grudging mutual respect.

Maria’s interactions with Nippachi and Shin fill me with hope that A Devil and Her Love Song will find its footing in later chapters. If Tomori can find a way to reveal Maria’s fundamental decency without compromising her heroine’s tart, outspoken personality, A Devil and Her Love Song will be a welcome addition to the Shojo Beat catalog, an all-too-rare example of a story in which the heroine isn’t the least bit concerned with being nice or popular. If Tomori can’t, Devil runs the risk of devolving into a YA Taming of the Shrew, with Shin (or, perhaps, Yosuke) playing Petruchio to Maria’s Katherina.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media, LLC. Volume one will be released February 7, 2011.

A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, VOL. 1 • BY MIYOSHI TOMORI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp. • RATING: TEEN (13+)

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 1

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Maria Kawai, heroine of A Devil and Her Love Song, is a cool customer. Not only is she beautiful, talented, and smart, she’s also tough — so tough, in fact, that she was expelled from a hoity-toity Catholic school for beating up a teacher. Her blunt demeanor further cements her bad-girl impression; within minutes of enrolling at a new high school, she antagonizes all the girls in her class with a few sharp observations about their behavior. Only two boys — Yusuke, a cheerful, popular student who avoids conflict at all costs, and Shin, a moody outsider — try defending Maria from her peers’ nasty comments and pranks.

So far, so good: Maria is spiky and complicated, a truth-teller who lacks the ability to censor herself, even though she’s aware of the potential consequences of speaking her mind. Throughout volume one, there are some wonderful comic moments as Maria struggles to put a “lovely spin” — Yusuke’s term — on her acid comments. Alas, Maria’s sideways head-tilt and doe-eyed gaze look more sinister than cute; not since Kazuo Umezu’s Scary Book has a manga-ka made a doll-like character look so thoroughly menacing, even when superimposed atop a backdrop of flowers and sparkles.

Having created such a vivid character, however, Miyoshi Tomori isn’t sure where to go with the story. In several scenes, Maria does things that contradict what we know about her: would someone as perceptive as Maria willingly attend a party hosted by the class mean girls, especially after they’d harassed her on a daily basis? And why would someone as outspoken as Maria refrain from pointing out her teacher’s judgmental behavior — especially when it’s plainly obvious to both the characters in the story and the reader? These kind of abrupt reversals might make sense if we knew more about Maria’s past, but at this stage in the story, they feel more like authorial floundering than a conscious revelation of character.

From time to time, however, Tomori convincingly hints at Maria’s softer side. Midway through volume one, for example, Maria makes tentative overtures towards Tomoya “Nippachi” Kohsaka, a fellow bullying victim. (“Nippachi” means “twenty-eight,” and is a mean-spirited reference to Tomoya’s poor academic performance.) That scene is both sad and real; anyone who’s ever seen two ostracized kids turn their classmates’ scorn on one another will immediately appreciate the dynamic between Maria and Nippachi. Maria’s exchanges with Shin, too, reveal a different side of her personality; though the pair frequently engage in the kind of rapid, antagonistic banter that’s de rigeur for romantic comedies, their quieter conversations suggest a grudging mutual respect.

Maria’s interactions with Nippachi and Shin fill me with hope that A Devil and Her Love Song will find its footing in later chapters. If Tomori can find a way to reveal Maria’s fundamental decency without compromising her heroine’s tart, outspoken personality, A Devil and Her Love Song will be a welcome addition to the Shojo Beat catalog, an all-too-rare example of a story in which the heroine isn’t the least bit concerned with being nice or popular. If Tomori can’t, Devil runs the risk of devolving into a YA Taming of the Shrew, with Shin (or, perhaps, Yosuke) playing Petruchio to Maria’s Katherina.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media, LLC. Volume one will be released February 7, 2011.

A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, VOL. 1 • BY MIYOSHI TOMORI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp. • RATING: TEEN (13+)

Durarara!!, Vol. 1

by

Story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Akiyo Satorigi, Character Design by Suzuhito Yasuda | Published by Yen Press

Here is the sum total of my Durarara!! knowledge prior to reading volume one of the manga:

1. It is based on light novels.
2. There is an anime.
3. People were really excited about the license.

It turns out that those light novels are by the creator of Baccano!, another exclamatory property with an anime that I’ve never seen, but which has been praised by various reputable sources. So, even though I knew nothing about Durarara!! itself, I was definitely curious.

In the space of six pages, three concepts and one narrative conceit are efficiently introduced. Time for another list!

1. Inside a pharmaceutical laboratory, a speaker (presumably male) promises a girl in a tank that he will “get us out of here.”
2. A trio of anonymous hands chat about the Tokyo neighborhood of Ikebukuro and the twenty-year-old urban legend of the Black Rider.
3. Timid fifteen-year-old Mikado Ryuugamine moves to Ikebukuro to reconnect with a childhood friend and attend high school.

Each of these threads will be developed and expanded upon in the volume to come, with some slight overlap but so far not much. Because of that, I’ll address them separately.

1. We learn the least about this subplot in this volume, but it appears to have something to do with Seiji, a boy in Mikado’s class, who lives with his possibly evil sister. Seiji briefly has a stalker who sees something she shouldn’t, and I wonder if that doesn’t tie in with the next item on our list.

2. We see the anonymous chatters a few times throughout the volume and it soon becomes clear that Mikado is one of them and I’m pretty sure the Black Rider is another. Seriously, the Black Rider is the most awesome thing about the volume. A competent fighter with a body seemingly comprised of shadows, the Black Rider takes courier jobs around Ikebukuro, dispatches thugs efficently, and lives with a “shut-in doctor” who would not be averse to a romantic relationship even though the Black Rider has no head.

3. Mikado, alas, is not so interesting, though the fact that he came to town because he wanted something strange and exciting to happen to him is at least somewhat encouraging. He reconnects with his friend, Kida, meets some of Kida’s otaku friends, and is warned against associating with various unsavory people, including someone named Shizuo, who hasn’t really appeared yet but looks kind of awesome, and Izaya, an informant with bleak ideas about the afterlife who extorts money from those who intend to kill themselves.

There are some series that bombard one with so much information that one ends up frustrated. If I were more astute, I might be able to pinpoint how, exactly, the creators of Durarara!! manage to avoid this pitfall, but they do. Granted, there is a lot going on, but the exposition is sure-handed, leaving one with the expectation that all will eventually make sense. Perhaps it’s the light-novel foundation that inspires this confidence, though that is certainly no guarantee of quality.

“Weird but intriguing” is my ultimate verdict for this volume, and I look forward to the second volume very much. It’s a stylish title, one that’s more cool than profound at this stage, and I realize that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it pushed the right buttons for me so I’ll definitely be back for more.

Durarara!! is published in English by Yen Press. The series is complete in Japan with four volumes.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Manga Radar: 18 December

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Database Additions for 18 December

20th Century Boys 21 – Viz Signature, Jun 2012 ::
Blooming Darling (ebook) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2011 ::
Curve (ebook) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2012 ::
Doki Doki Crush (ebook) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2011 ::
Oh My Goddess! 40 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 ::
Papa’s One Summer (ebook) – Stren Co. Ltd., Mar 2011 ::
Shigenori Soejima Artworks – Udon, Dec 2011 ::
The Boys with Tomorrow to Conquer (ebook) 1 – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2011 ::
Tweeting Love Birds (ebook) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Dec 2011 ::

Minima! 4 – Del Rey, Oct 2009 ::
Minima! 3 – Del Rey, Dec 2008 ::
Minima! 2 – Del Rey, May 2008 ::
Minima! 1 – Del Rey, Feb 2008 ::
Legend of Kamui: Perfect Collection 1 – Viz, Mar 1999 ::
Legend of Kamui: Perfect Collection 2 – Viz, Mar 1999 ::

##

At the rate DMP is releasing DMG titles (and, as ebooks, how fast they hit the market) we’re likely to see new ebooks each week for all of next year. It’s going to get impressive very quickly.

I’m not sure how I missed Minima! before, since it was a Del Rey title and not that old — but hey, problem fixed. Please note, also, the The Legend of Kamui, 2 omnibus collections from old-school Viz, is completely different from and unrelated to Kamui, a 10 volume series that Broccoli Books released Dec. 2005 through Sep. 2008. (Wow. Broccoli Books…)

##

Top Preorders

14. ↔0 (14) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [313.0] ::
40. ↓-5 (35) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [216.7] ::
48. ↓-6 (42) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [198.0] ::
61. ↓-1 (60) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [147.4] ::
92. ↑1 (93) : Negima! 33 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [106.4] ::
95. ↑9 (104) : Dance in the Vampire Bund 11 – Seven Seas, Jan 2012 [101.4] ::
104. ↑16 (120) : Negima! 34 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [93.1] ::
112. ↑35 (147) : xxxHolic 19 – Kodansha Comics, Feb 2012 [89.3] ::
114. ↑129 (243) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [88.1] ::
115. ↓-2 (113) : Black Butler 8 – Yen Press, Jan 2012 [87.8] ::

[more]

Manga Bestsellers: 2011, Week Ending 18 December

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

##

Manga Bestsellers

1. ↑1 (2) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [452.5] ::
2. ↓-1 (1) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [452.0] ::
3. ↑2 (5) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [451.0] ::
4. ↓-1 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [445.8] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [440.3] ::
6. ↑1 (7) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [367.0] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Ouran High School Host Club 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2011 [356.3] ::
8. ↑3 (11) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [341.4] ::
9. ↑11 (20) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [339.5] ::
10. ↓-1 (9) : Black Butler 7 – Yen Press, Oct 2011 [338.3] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shonen Jump 97
Yen Press 76
Viz Shojo Beat 64
Kodansha Comics 42
Vizkids 35
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 34
Dark Horse 17
Tokyopop 17
HC/Tokyopop 15
Viz 15

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,058.1] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [969.3] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [916.5] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Black Butler – Yen Press [780.0] ::
5. ↑1 (6) : Warriors – HC/Tokyopop [687.9] ::
6. ↓-1 (5) : Vampire Knight – Viz Shojo Beat [667.0] ::
7. ↔0 (7) : Pokemon – Vizkids [653.5] ::
8. ↑1 (9) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [600.6] ::
9. ↓-1 (8) : Ouran High School Host Club – Viz Shojo Beat [581.9] ::
10. ↑1 (11) : Legend of Zelda – Vizkids [548.3] ::

[more]

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

1. ↑1 (2) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [452.5] ::
2. ↓-1 (1) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [452.0] ::
3. ↑2 (5) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [451.0] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [440.3] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Ouran High School Host Club 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2011 [356.3] ::
15. ↓-2 (13) : Bleach 37 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [308.9] ::
18. ↑3 (21) : Warriors SkyClan & The Stranger 2 – HarperCollins, Nov 2011 [292.8] ::
23. ↑8 (31) : Fullmetal Alchemist 27 – Viz, Dec 2011 [266.8] ::
24. ↓-5 (19) : Negima! 32 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [264.0] ::
26. ↓-2 (24) : Pokemon Black & White 4 – Vizkids, Nov 2011 [260.5] ::

[more]

Preorders

14. ↔0 (14) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [313.0] ::
40. ↓-5 (35) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [216.7] ::
48. ↓-6 (42) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [198.0] ::
61. ↓-1 (60) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [147.4] ::
92. ↑1 (93) : Negima! 33 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [106.4] ::
95. ↑9 (104) : Dance in the Vampire Bund 11 – Seven Seas, Jan 2012 [101.4] ::
104. ↑16 (120) : Negima! 34 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [93.1] ::
112. ↑35 (147) : xxxHolic 19 – Kodansha Comics, Feb 2012 [89.3] ::
114. ↑129 (243) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [88.1] ::
115. ↓-2 (113) : Black Butler 8 – Yen Press, Jan 2012 [87.8] ::

[more]

Manhwa

322. ↑97 (419) : Angel Diary 11 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [34.9] ::
360. ↓-89 (271) : Bride of the Water God 9 – Dark Horse, Oct 2011 [31.2] ::
524. ↓-115 (409) : March Story 3 – Viz Signature, Oct 2011 [17.7] ::
528. ↓-224 (304) : Angel Diary 1 – Yen Press, Oct 2005 [17.5] ::
559. ↓-303 (256) : Angel Diary 2 – Yen Press, Jan 2006 [15.9] ::
619. ↓-212 (407) : Angel Diary 8 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [12.9] ::
620. ↓-28 (592) : Bride of the Water God 8 – Dark Horse, May 2011 [12.9] ::
697. ↑53 (750) : March Story 1 – Viz Signature, Oct 2010 [10.0] ::
731. ↓-215 (516) : Angel Diary 7 – Yen Press, Oct 2008 [9.1] ::
745. ↓-360 (385) : JTF-3 Counter Ops (ebook) – RealinterfaceStudios.com, Mar 2011 [8.7] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

93. ↑38 (131) : Mr. Tiger & Mr. Wolf – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [106.2] ::
97. ↓-24 (73) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [100.4] ::
127. ↑46 (173) : A Fallen Saint’s Kiss – 801 Media, Jan 2012 [84.6] ::
131. ↑1 (132) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [82.4] ::
139. ↓-4 (135) : Private Teacher 2 – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [79.8] ::
152. ↓-29 (123) : Seven Days Friday-Sunday – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [72.1] ::
202. ↓-77 (125) : Black Sun 2 – 801 Media, Dec 2011 [58.1] ::
230. ↓-14 (216) : Only Serious About You 2 – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [51.1] ::
240. ↓-2 (238) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [49.9] ::
274. ↓-92 (182) : Secrecy of the Shivering Night – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [41.8] ::

[more]

Ebooks

84. ↑10 (94) : Manga Moods – Japanime’s Manga University, Mar 2006 [112.8] ::
108. ↑30 (138) : Manga Cookbook – Japanime’s Manga University, Aug 2007 [91.2] ::
117. ↑new (0) : Papa’s One Summer (ebook) – Stren Co. Ltd., Mar 2011 [87.0] ::
208. ↓-22 (186) : Amazing Agent Luna Prequel: Amazing Agent Jennifer 2 – Seven Seas, Jan 2012 [56.0] ::
240. ↓-2 (238) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [49.9] ::
492. ↓-187 (305) : Vampire Cheerleaders 1 – Seven Seas, Mar 2011 [19.8] ::
501. ↓-304 (197) : Kanji de Manga 1 – Japanime’s Manga University, Jan 2005 [19.3] ::
538. ↑147 (685) : Attacked on a Tiger’s Whim (ebook) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2011 [17.1] ::
624. ↑108 (732) : Amazing Agent Luna 1 – Seven Seas, Mar 2005 [12.8] ::
662. ↓-67 (595) : The Outcast 1 – Seven Seas, Sep 2007 [11.3] ::

[more]