What would it take to get you to buy a Kindle? Amazon’s ebook reader seems to be selling okay (not that we’ve seen any numbers), but there are a lot of people who haven’t taken to it, or any other e-book reader device. And why should they? Books work just fine, and buying them is cheaper than the electronic gadget. Amazon boasts to have thousands of ebooks, but very, very few that would interest readers of this blog, namely manga. What if Amazon tried to sweeten the deal? Would you go for it?
Manga based on video games has practically become a genre, with both import and OEL titles, and Tokyopop has been at the head of the pack with releasing and creating new titles. All of the manga included in this post are titles that were video games initially, and were then adapted into manga. Let’s start out with the .hack series. These had been publishing fairly regularly, matching pace with the anime releases. These titles were crafted to enhance both the video games and anime. The stories enrich each other, a novel concept at the time it was introduce, but really makes sense when you think about it. It’s also a great marketing strategy. There are currently 5 separate .hack titles available. Legend of the Twilight, XXXX, G.U.+, AI Buster, and Another Birth.
Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven Writer: Tadashi ikuta Artist: Naomi Kimura Publisher: DMP Age Rating: All Ages Genre: Business Price: $12.95 Rating: In a time when giant department stores and supermarkets dominated the Japanese retail industry, two businessmen, Toshifumi Suzuki and Hideo Shimizu, discovered a new type of small retail store flourishing in America – the Seven Eleven. Called a “convenience store,” it was a concept new to the Japanese. Intrigued by this new idea and convinced that it would succeed in Japan as well, the two men put together a project team of fifteen members, all virtual novices to the retail trade, to bring this venture to their land. Staking his entire livelihood, young store owner Kenji Yamamoto volunteered to convert his family-owned liquor store into the first Seven Eleven in Japan. The hardship of negotiations, the oil shock, the struggle to cope with inadequate space were all met with resolve and innovation, culminating in what is now call the retail revolution! Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven is not your typical manga. There are no powered up heroes, or pretty boys, or magical girls. Instead, it’s about real people facing real life challenges. While the average teen might find…
As a reviewer, I get a lot of titles that are either in the middle of the series, or sometimes I get just the last volume. This came up over on twitter, and the with a comment that a series couldn’t be judged by reading some random volumes. This got me thinking. It’s an issue that reviewers would frequently have to deal with. You can choose not to read any titles that you don’t start from the beginning, or take on all comers. I’m one that chose to take on all comers. I’d rather be able to get a taste of a title, than never know at all what it’s like.
It was back in 2004 I think, when I first saw the solicitations from a new manga company in Previews. Seven Seas had 3-4 full size pages advertising it’s titles. I remember thinking how cool it was that an American company was making a go at creating original titles. At the time, only Tokyopop had any OEL. From those original titles, there weren’t a lot that caught my attention. Just one did actually. Captain Nemo. I had been a big fan of Captain Harlock in the eighties. I loved his cape, the high collar, and the way his hair fell over one side of his face. The cover of Captain Nemo mimiced this, so of course I had to get it. When the first volume finally came out in 2005, I of course ordered it, and have to say I actually enjoyed it. It very much captured the feel of Harlock’s brooding, and the lone captain trying to save the world that doesn’t realize it’s in danger. I couldn’t wait for the next volume. Unfortunately, I had to do just that. Seven Seas expanded, got into licensing manga and this meant the writer of Capntain Nemo, Jason DeAngelis, who is…
Ninja Baseball Kyuma Volume 1 By Shunshin Maeda Publisher: Udon Entertainment Age Rating: All Ages Genre: Sports Price: $7.99 Rating: Kyuma and his dog Inui live in the mountains, where Kyuma trains every day to become a great ninja. But when Kyuma mistakes a baseball coach for his training master, the local baseball team ends up with its first ninja player! Can a ninja step up to the plate and learn how to play ball? Find out in Ninja Baseball Kyuma! Boys love ninjas and baseball, so it seems only natural to put them together, right? Fortunately, in this title, the combination works. Thanks to some great characters, good stories and a lack of “ninja magic”, Ninja Baseball Kyuma is a title anyone can read and enjoy.
I just read the first issue of Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, and I have to say, I really liked it. I wasn’t sure what I was in store for when I first ordered it, but I can safely say, it was $3 well spent. Throg (Frog Thor) is really the character that really made this issue. He is the first “teammate” that Lockjaw goes to after he finds one of the Infinity Gems. Apparently Lockjaw has decided that animals are better for finding the gems than the humans. Throg’s whole backstory is just what you’d expect from a Marvel Universe origin. Bad things happen to a good man who is then rewarded with superpowers; after being turned into a frog. Throg himself is just great. He speaks for Lockjaw, jabbering on with the other animals as he convinces each of them to join the cause and journey to find the gems. Just like Thor, he speaks with lots of “thee”s and “thou”s, and “wouldst”s and “dost”s.
I talk a lot about buying manga on this blog. Living on a budget means that I have to make every manga dollar count, and get the best deals I can to keep up on the series’ I enjoy. This is why I subscribe to Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat, watch for sales at Bookcloseouts.com, Deepdiscount.com, very occasionally search eBay, wait for 4-for-3 deals on Amazon.com, and trade. So it’s no surprise, that the bulk of my collection is from Viz, because they have provided the best deals with tiered pricing that let me get more than the other publishers. This fall, that’s all changing.
A lot has been going on at Viz Media recently. First, back in April, Viz started running Rumiko Takahashi’s new manga, Rin-Ne, concurrent with it’s Japanese release online for American fans to read. A first for legal simultaneous manga releases. Next, Viz quietly announced that they would be releasing up-to-date One Piece chapters in Shonen Jump. Then they confirmed that they were discontinuing it’s manga magazine for girls, Shojo Beat. This was a major disappointment to many people (myself included). But, right on the heels of that, as if to try to make amends, Viz then announces the start of a new manga magazine. Online. Ikki is a Japanese manga magazine that specializes in seinen, or young men’s manga.
I know it’s a little late for Mother’s Day, but as long as it’s still May, I figure I can sneak this in. Last year, I wrote a post about the roles moms can play in manga. I picked out manga I had read and broke them down into categories; Mom affecting the characters, Mom as support, Mom’s absence affecting the character, Mom’s absence affecting the story. I’ve read and/or more titles have come out that can be added to the list.
Fairy Idol Kanon Volume 1 By Mera Hakamada Publisher: Udon Entertainment Age Rating: All Ages Genre: Magical Girl/Fantasy Price: $7.99 Rating: Can a regular girl become a superstar celebrity? Kanon is an ordinary fourth grader who loves to sing more than anything else. When a magical fairy princess named Alto meets Kanon and decides to help start her singing career, their journey to fame takes off! Friendship and magic combine in this cute musical story! Fairy Idol Kanon is another title aimed directly at girls. Singing, fashion, stardom and fairies all make this the perfect title for young girls. Almost too perfect. It’s a safe story with all the messages that parents and teachers will love, while the girls will love the magic and bits of drama.
There’s been a lot of talk in the media lately about Twitter, especially with Ashton Kutcher reaching 1 million followers and Oprah joining and getting 220,000 in one day. And, while it might be nice to follow celebrities like them, it might get real boring real fast. I know when a technology has reached a saturation point when my Mother asks me about something. She’s not very techie (she’s just started using a cellphone), and prefers running her old Mac with OS7 than a PC. She asked me, “What is Twitter?” The more complicated answer is to say, it’s a microblogging platform that can be used for marketing and networking. With the addition of celebrities, it’s become a sort of voyeuristic way to watch what the rich and famous are doing, if, in fact, it’s the rich and famous doing the actual tweeting, and not some assistant. But if this is all you do with your twitter, you will probably become one of the “Twitter Quitters”, who give up after a month.