press releases

New summer series from Viz Media

July 31, 2010 by MJ 1 Comment

With just a fraction of the summer left to enjoy, Viz Media reminds us of what we could be reading over the next month or so!

Of special interest to us here at Manga Bookshelf is the debut of Bakuman, the latest from one of our favorite artists, Takeshi Obata, and his Death Note collaborator, Tsugumi Ohba.

Here’s a recent press release with all the summer news from Viz!

San Francisco, CA, July 29, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has provided details regarding the launch of brand new manga series set for release this summer. The series will tantalize the most discriminating manga tastes and features romantic dramas, fantasy driven action, the trials of aspiring manga creators, and a tasty slice of life story set in a romantic bistro in Rome.

BAKUMAN。· Rated ‘T’ for Teens · …

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SDCC, Otaku tour & more!

July 14, 2010 by MJ 3 Comments

The stream of San Diego Comic-Con press releases has begun (with more to come over the next week). So far, my inbox has mainly had word from Viz Media, who are mostly touting anime and game-related items, with just a couple bits of manga news in the mix.

First of all, they’ve got Stan Lee lined up to sign copies of volume two of Ultimo, his co-creation with Hiroyuki Takai, on Saturday the 24th, 2pm at the Viz booth. I had difficulty getting into the series’ first volume, but I’ve got the second in line for a look soon. Mr. Lee will also appear on Viz’s Shonen Jump panel earlier that day.

Secondly, there’s quite a bit of fuss being made around the Vampire Knight anime series, which is not something I’d normally mention here, except that Nancy Thistlethwaite, editor of the manga translation, will be appearing alongside the Vampire Knight voice actors on a panel …

Hinako Takanaga at Yaoi-Con 2010

May 20, 2010 by MJ 18 Comments

The big news in the yaoi corner today is last night’s announcement from DMP that Hinako Takanaga will be appearing as their special guest at this year’s Yaoi-Con.

I’ll admit I’m ambivalent on Takanaga. Though I enjoyed You Will Fall in Love (sequel You Will Drown in Love somewhat less so), my greatest criticism of it was the same as the first work of hers I read, Little Butterfly. I know everyone loves Little Butterfly, but my impression of it when I first read it (when I had not yet read a lot of yaoi) was that the main relationship was too rushed to be truly believable. Though Kate Dacey’s recent review has inspired me to put Little Butterfly back on my list for another try, I can’t help but wish that I could experience Takanaga over the course of a much longer series.

As you know, I have a few chronic complaints about yaoi in general, but the one that frustrates me most often is the fact that the genre (and I don’t know who to attribute this to… publishers? fans? both?) doesn’t take romance seriously enough. It is hard to write good romance, with the right balance of careful pacing and giddy excitement, and there are not all that many instances in which this can be accomplished in under five volumes.

People have done it. Fumi Yoshinaga manages better than most (Ichigenme… The First Class is Civil Law is one of my favorite short yaoi series) and Korean manhwa-ga Rakun (aka Yeri Na) even managed it in a single volume with U Don’t Know Me. But these successes are rare, at least in my experience reviewing yaoi manga over the past couple of years.

The point I’m slowly coming around to here, is that I’ll soon get my wish! Hinako Takanaga’s The Tyrant Falls in Love stands at five volumes (and counting?) and though there are things I’ve read about it that suggest it may not be quite my kind of story in other ways, I’m pretty interested in seeing what Takanaga does with something longer than three volumes. (Question to fans: do I need to read Challengers first?)

Check out my post at Examiner.com for the official word on Takanaga’s appearance at Yaoi-Con. Here’s the info from DMP on The Tyrant Falls in Love:

THE TYRANT FALLS IN LOVE, VOL. 1, Rated M+ (for ages 18+), MSRP: $12.95, Available: August 18, 2010, B6 Size, June’ Imprint

University study Tetsuhiro Morinaga has been in love with his homophobic, violent and tyrannical sempai Souichi Tatsumi for more than four years now. Even though he’s told Tatsumi how he feels and even managed to steal a kiss, expecting anything more seems like nothing more than the stuff of dreams… That is until the long-oppressed Morinaga gets his biggest chance ever. Might his unendingly unrequited love finally be returned?

Future Lovers Available on Kindle

May 18, 2010 by MJ 2 Comments

One press release that got pushed to the bottom of my inbox during last week’s manga industry shakeup came from Animate USA, announcing two more Libre Publishing yaoi titles for the Kindle. Libre’s jump to Kindle is not news and it’s been reported here before, but what is news is the inclusion of one of my all-time favorite yaoi titles, Saika Kunieda’s Future Lovers.

Future Lovers is one of those few yaoi titles fans of the genre can feel confident recommending to non-fans, standing alongside works by est em and Fumi Yoshinaga. It’s a rare brand of yaoi, featuring a couple of schoolteachers who fall in love and must deal with what that means for them at home, at work, and in the bedroom. It’s both sexy and down-to-earth, a combination not at all easy to come by. Not convinced? Check out my reviews of volumes one and two, or better yet, this fantastic review by Manga Curmudgeon David Welsh. …

Bakuman finally makes US debut!

April 16, 2010 by MJ Leave a Comment

Everybody knows what a big Takeshi Obata fangirl I am (or at least they should), and it’s no secret that I’ve been anxious for the US debut of Bakuman, his latest collaboration with Tsugumi Ohba, author of Death Note.

Finally that day has come! Not the first volume (we’ve got a ways to go for that), but in the May issue of Shonen Jump, available now at an otaku-friendly newsstand near you. Check out the press release from Viz:

San Francisco, CA, April 14, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of the manga series BAKUMAN。. The series, rated ‘T’ for Teens, will be released on August 3rd under VIZ Media’s popular Shonen Jump imprint and will carry a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. …

Viz Releases Kingyo Used Books

April 16, 2010 by MJ Leave a Comment

Press Release: VIZ MEDIA TRANSPORTS READERS TO
KINGYO USED BOOKS – A FANTASTIC PLACE WHERE READERS FIND THEIR DREAMS IN MANGA

A Charming Bookshop with a Special Inventory Becomes a Place Where Lives Are Changed Through Manga

San Francisco, CA, April 15, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, transports readers to an unassuming store that stocks all the manga a fan could ever desire with the release of KINGYO USED BOOKS on April 20th. The new series, by Seimu Yoshizaki, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

In KINGYO USED BOOKS, a businessman discovers how his childhood memories …

The Gentlemen’s Alliance† Finale!

April 6, 2010 by MJ Leave a Comment

See today’s press release from Viz Media:

April 6, 2010 – VIZ Media will bring on the conclusion of Arina Tanemura’s acclaimed shojo drama THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE† with the release of Volume 11 today.

Haine goes to Shizumasa and Takanari’s grandfather, the head of the Togu family, to ask him to release the twins from their fate. But he tells her that she must pass the same trial the twins went through for determining the rightful Togu heir. Haine agrees, but little does she know that a former friend is now out for her life!

Published under the Shojo Beat imprint, THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE† (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) has helped to define the shojo genre of manga, selling more than 2.5 million copies in Japan. …

DMP rescues Finder

March 11, 2010 by MJ 11 Comments

Twitter is a-buzz this evening with licensing news from the folks at Digital Manga, who have announced the rescue of Finder, a popular series previously held by the now-defunct Central Park Media. Here’s the official press release:

Gardena, CA (3/11/10)– Digital Manga Publishing and Libre Shuppan are proud to announce the licensing of the Finder Series by Ayano Yamane! The Finder series has been one of the most heavily requested series from our readers, and has been considered by fans of the yaoi genre to be the quintessential yaoi title. From one of Japan’s top-selling yaoi mangaka, Ayano Yamane, DMP is proud to release the Finder series beginning with volume one in the summer of 2010 under the June’ imprint. For more information, news updates, and to keep on top of all things Finder, visit the Finder website at www.finderseries.com!

From our friends at Libre Shuppan:

We are pleased to announce that Kazuma Kodaka’s KIZUNA-絆- and Ayano Yamane’s Finder Series, both of which were previously licensed by Central Park Media, are now acquired by Digital Manga Publishing (DMP). For these series, all volumes will be newly translated and will be published under DMP’s June imprint. Finder Series is set to be released in Summer of 2010 and Kizuna is scheduled for September of 2010.

For further inquiries regarding this matter, feel free to contact us at rights@libre-pub.co.jp or Digital Manga Inc, at contact@emanga.com We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our books and for your continued support.

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FINDER VOL. 1: TARGET IN THE VIEWFINDER, Rated M+ (for ages 18+), MSRP: $13.95, Available: SUMMER 2010, SIZE: B6, June’ Imprint

While out on assignment trying to document the illegal activities of the Japanese underworld, photographer Takaba crosses paths with the dark and mysterious leader Asami. Asami takes Takaba captive, in an attempt to subjugate and possess him. But when the son of the Chinese mafia enters demanding evidence that Takaba may have, will Takaba be able to survive being caught in the crosshairs of a deadly underworld feud?

Viz debuts Arata: The Legend

March 5, 2010 by MJ 1 Comment

One of this month’s most interesting releases is the first volume of Yuu Watase’s recent shonen series, Arata: The Legend. Arata has been serialized online at Viz’s Shonen Sunday website since July of last year. This is its first print release.

I have mixed feelings about Watase’s classic Fushigi Yugi, though much love for its current spinoff, Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden. A quick glance at Arata proves that Watase’s art style lends itself well to shonen, which comes as no surprise at all. One of Genbu Kaiden‘s strengths is its energetic but clear action sequences–a rare virtue in shonen manga.

There are few reviewer reactions to refer to at this point, though Connie at Slightly Biased Manga seems to have enjoyed the first volume. Fortunately, readers can preview the series for free themselves, now up to eight chapters at Shonen Sunday. Here’s the full press release from Viz: …

Viz Debuts Cactus’s Secret in March

February 18, 2010 by MJ Leave a Comment

I admit I have a thing for cacti lately, thanks to SangEun Lee’s 13th Boy. Though there is no actual cactus in this manga, the title still caught my eye! See Viz’s press release below:

San Francisco, CA, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will debut the fun shojo manga CACTUS’S SECRET on March 2nd. The new series, by Nana Haruta, will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn’t get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her “Cactus” for being prickly when he’s around. …

Bandai Launches Manga Website

February 16, 2010 by MJ Leave a Comment

Last fall at New York Anime Festival, I was one of a handful of bloggers who cornered Bandai Entertainment’s Marketing Director, Robert Napton, in the press room for an impromptu press conference. It was an inspiring conversation–something I didn’t expect coming from a company that exclusively licenses manga as an accessory to their anime releases–thanks entirely to Napton’s fervent interest in his manga line.

I haven’t had a lot to say about their manga releases so far. Volume one of Lucky Star, one of the titles that most interested me, was a disappointment (though a change in translators makes the prospect of newer volumes more palatable) and I (shamefully) haven’t yet dug into the other titles I have on hand. Still, this press release I received today gave me renewed hope in Bandai’s dedication to its small manga catalogue. …

Manhwa 100: Centenary of Korean Comics

May 18, 2009 by MJ 2 Comments

I received an e-mail this morning to let me know about an event I very much wish I could attend– an exhibition entitled “Manhwa 100: Centenary of Korean Comics” presented by London’s Korean Cultural Centre from May 21st through June 24th. If you’re reading this blog from across the pond, take note! From their press release:

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