Manga Xanadu

I love historical manga, so I’m always interested when a new series comes out. There have been a couple of titles set in the Taisho era, but I’m always happy to see more. The fact that it’s only two volumes increases my interest, as that is something I can easily fit into my bookshelf, both digital and physical. I’m looking forward to reading this series.

Sakura was never a character that interested me in the original Naruto manga, as she appeared to be more interested in Sasuke as husband material than really making it as a ninja in her own right. This may have changed later in the series, but this novel definitely does, as it give her not only the spotlight, but a mystery to solve!

Dragon Ball has become a classic title here in the west just as it is the Japan. Viz Media has published several different editions of the series, including a VizBIG and 3-in-1 omnibuses. Now, they’re taking it a step up with color editions of this long and seemingly unending saga. Sadly, the color editions are starting with Dragon Ball Z, the part of the series I would argue is not as strong as the first. But that’s just me.

Not a lot of new titles coming to Viz digitally, but I am looking forward to Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter, and learn more about the Monster Hunter universe. What I’m not thrilled about is the return (again) of Hunter x Hunter. The series has been on hiatus more than it’s been in print. Fool me once… The digital bundles are all foodie manga, so if you don’t mind your manga making you hungry, or you’re looking for meal ideas, be sure to check them out.

Back in December Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump announced that the creators of Beet the Vandel Buster, Riku Sanjo and Koji Inada, would be returning to the manga after a ten-year absence. The manga, previously serialized in the now-defunct Monthly Shonen Jump would return in the spring in Shueisha’s monthly Jump SQ Crown.

Viz Media made their debut at Anime Boston this year, snubbing the closer west coast con Wondercon for an east coast outing. They brought some new licenses including two new hardcover deluxe releases. Tomie is a horror manga by the master Junji Ito that hasn’t seen print in over a decade. It truly deserves the deluxe treatment. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders already had a print run here in the US, where it barely made an impression. Just a decade later, the stardust has been re-ignited with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 and 2 not only selling gangbusters, but as deluxe hardbacks as well. It seems only right that Part 3 get the same treatment. Not having matching releases on the bookshelf can be maddening, and you don’t want to make Jojo fans mad. They might pose furiously at you.

Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine has announced in its 16th issue that Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi is slated to return to serialization in the issue due out on April 18.

While Monster Hunter is a well-known franchise in video game circles, it’s certainly not unknown to manga readers. We were given a taste of the franchise when Kodansha published the 4 volume series Monster Hunter Orage by Hiro Mashima, the creator of Fairy Tail. Now Viz is taking it from taste to full meal with the licenses of this 10 volume series. I enjoyed Orage and the world, so I’m looking forward to the debut of this series.

Saint Seiya, also known as Knights of the Zodiac here in the west, is a series with a long lineage. The main series started in 1985 and was among the titles that helped make Weekly Shonen Jump the power house it was in the 1980s and 1990s. Since the end of original series, there have been some spin offs  that are now reaching a conclusion.

Judging by the reaction from social media after it was announced, Goodnight Punpun is something readers have been waiting licensed in the West for a while. It appears to be a polarizing title that readers will either love or hate. But Viz Media really deserves credit for picking up the series that has a Mature rating, and deals with serious issues as a coming of age story that doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.

Seven Seas Entertainment has truly embrace social media, as it seems to have become its primary place to announce new licenses, as opposed to the tradition of making announcements at conventions. They did it again, this time on Leap Day, with the announcement of Re:Monster.

As an old-time anime fan, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a series often spoken about, but chances of an English release seemed slim. Space operas about military and political intrigue doesn’t seem like something that would appeal to anime and manga fans. But with light novels on the rise, and a very vocal US fan base, Viz Media has heard and the series will finally be out this week. Even more exciting, is the release of an audio book version, so even if you can’t look at the page, you can still be reading this amazing series.