Comments on: Shojo Beat Finds Its Groove

By: jun

jun — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:56:46 +0000

Maybe they’ll add a chapter of Sand Chronicles instead, then those GNs will come out faster!

By: Lori Henderson

Lori Henderson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:05:40 +0000

Yeah, they need that time to run them in the mag before putting them in the GN. But the countdown’s started in SB for Absolute Boyfriend, and there hasn’t been any hints dropped anywhere as what will replace it.

At least, I hope they replace it, and not just drop the books down to 5 titles. That would suck even more.

By: jun

jun — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:28:49 +0000

Judging by the release schedule for Fairy Cube (volume 1 in May and 2 in August) I would guess that it will /not/ be getting serialized in Shoujo Beat.

Titles that are tend to have a longer period between volumes, like Crimson Hero volumes 7 (December) and 8 (due in May).

By: Lori Henderson

Lori Henderson — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:42:50 +0000

I didn’t know they did that! I must have missed that or blocked it because I didn’t believe anyone could be so greedy. Guess I was wrong. I really don’t need to buy more manga, but I’ll need to see how the series ends…

And if they do pull that with another series, SB will be hearing from me!

By: Pira

Pira — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:16:24 +0000

Fairy Cube would be a nice…so long as they don’t do what they did with Backstage Prince ~ publish all but the last chapter or two… and then suggest you go buy the manga…. (not that you knew that until after the 2nd and last volume arrived).

I did buy the manga because I enjoyed the story, not because they were leaving it a cliffhanger ~ but it annoyed me enormously that they would pull that kind of sales tactic on us. Bad form SB, bad form.

By: Lori Henderson

Lori Henderson — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:40:30 +0000

I wasn’t too thrilled that they took out Godchild either. The only thing that really kept me reading after that was Nana. I’m glad I waited it out. I’m actually kind of hoping that they serialize Fairy Cube, another Kaori Yuki series that Viz licensed. It’s only 4 volumes, so I can only hope that it will take Absolute Boyfriend’s place.

By: Pira

Pira — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:50:07 +0000

I also initially rolled my eyes at the High School Debut preview, but like yourself found that it actually was not the same old same old and upon the arrival of volume one I was thrilled. It is genuinely funny. Passing it along to my 17 year old daughter met with the same appraisal. Definately a shojo that has promise.

Crimson Hero is the story that I have to tear into first to find out what comes next. For all the shojo high school sports dramas that have been dropped on us, this one actually talks about the sport and the reader gets sucked into wanting to know what will happen next for our favorite characters.

Sand Chronicles and Honey & Clover are delightful additions and I am hopeful that whatever replaces Absolute Boyfriend, it isn’t so hard on the eyes as Vampire Knight…

**I’m still weeping that they removed God Child and when a gothic theme returned to the pages it was another highschool drama, with dreadfully over fussy art and ….well you said it best….a mess.

By: Lori Henderson

Lori Henderson — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:40:20 +0000

Yeah, it’s the absent of the “Cosmo Jr.” stuff that keeps the magazine just palatable for the “old lady readers”. I would have been all over the cooking, fashion and craft ideas when I was in high school too, when I had the time and money to do those things. I would just like to have a bone tossed to me every once in a while.

By: Katherine Dacey

Katherine Dacey — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:14:03 +0000

One of the things I like best about Shojo Beat is that the "lifestyle" articles seem appropriate for teenagers. Unlike so many other girls' magazines, Shojo Beat isn't encouraging fourteen-year-olds to pester their parents for expensive designer clothing or bags, nor is it bombarding them with Cosmo Jr. dating tips. I would have been all OVER those "make a handbag from an old book" articles when I was in high school!