Manga Factory Direct Anime News Network was able to talk to company representative Mika Ogata and get some more details about Manga Factory and their prior relationship with Aurora. Despite having been former employees and having volumes of the defunct publishers books for sale, there is no connection between Manga Factory and Aurora. They are completely new company. The books are just a way to get some funds in. They won’t be making any announcements for licenses for the summer, but considering they’ve just started, that’s understandable. And I think it makes total sense for former employees to band together like this and create their own company. They no doubt have the contacts and the knowledge of the US manga market, that executives back in Japan that were calling the shots didn’t. This is like a manga fan’s dream come true, and I hope they succeed, just to prove that dreams like this can still come true. Manga at the Harveys The Harveys are awards nominated by and chosen for people in the comics industry. Since this is for the US comics industry, manga doesn’t make a big splash except in the “American Edition of Foreign Material” category. Two manga…
Anime Expo Con’t Anime Expo continued on Saturday and Sunday, but there was only one panel the rest of the weekend of interest to manga readers. Viz Media held their panel on Saturday. Most of their news was just reiterations of previously confirmed titles through sightings on Amazon, but they did have some new titles, all from already known and published mangaka here in the US. Deb Aoki has the run down about the panel and new licenses. She also takes a closer look at DMP’s new titles. Also announced at Viz’s panel was the streaming of a new anime series, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. It’s published in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. Any bets on this being a new license to be announced at SDCC? Maybe it will be serialized in Shonen Jump magazine, and there will be something worth reading other than just One Piece! Am I just dreaming now? Probably. AX’s Manga Evolution Over at Robot6, Brigid Alverson takes a look at the evolution of manga publishers and their announcements at AX over the last 5-6 years. It’s an interesting bell curve, as you can see publisher attendance and announcements seem to wax and wane…
Movable MANHWA Feast This week started the June edition of the Movable Manga Feast, with one slight change. The manga is actually a manhwa, or Korean comic. The title chosen was The Color of… Trilogy. These three books are about a young girl growing up in turn of the century Korea. This edition’s host is Melinda Beasi of Manga Bookshelf. This Feast has turned out to be different, and not just because the books are from Korea. There were a lot more unfavorable reviews this time compared to other feasts. Most participants had more things they didn’t like about the trilogy than did, and were more than happy to express them. Some of the conversations spilled over onto Twitter. While I had my own problems with the trilogy, I just didn’t see the sexism that many other bloggers did. At least, not in the way that they did. Many had strong feelings about the books, but I didn’t. I didn’t see anything to really get worked up about. And even though the book is about the daughter, I found myself relating more to the mother. But that’s probably because I’m a mother of 2 daughters myself. If you haven’t checked…
Do you “Size” Up? Inspired by a conversation on Twitter about what it means to be a fan, Ed Sizemore of the Manga Worth Reading blog tries to clarify his position. I bring this up because there has been a lot of talk about digital piracy and it’s effects on manga publishers. Ed’s view is basically that you can only call yourself a fan if you invest yourself, time and money, in the thing that you love. While I can see where he’s coming from, I can’t say I completely agree with his position. I don’t think there should be parameters put on what makes someone a fan of something. Being a fan of something, whether it’s TV, movies, or manga, shouldn’t be contingent on how much time you spend talking up a show or buying everything sight that branded with it. I’m a fan of Castle, but I don’t feel a burning need to buy the book or DVDs. I’m fine with watching the show every week. Does that make me less of a fan than someone who makes Lego Castle and Beckett figures? I don’t think so. By the same token, people or borrow manga from a friend…
Well, it’s been quite a week at Manga Village. You might see some new faces as you look around, but I’ll get to that in a little bit. Let’s start with our reviews for this week. Charles Tan starts things off with another season-appropriate sports title, Eyeshield 21 Volume 22 from Viz. Dan Polley has quite a tale with Fairy Tail Volume 4 from Del Rey. Katherine Famar gets aquainted with You and Harujion from Deux. I take a new Viz title for a walk with Nora: The Last Chonicle of Devildom Volume 1. John Thomas gets his learn on with Style School Volume 3 from Dark Horse. We make our weekly picks this week as usual, with just one minor change. We have a new villager! Yes, Alex Hoffman from the blog Manga Widget has joined the crew and starts out with giving a pick with the rest of us. Hopefully we’ll have reviews going up from him real soon! Good Comics for Kids has been pretty busy this week too. Not only do I have my weekly all ages list up, but I also have a review of the first new Naruto Chapter book, Naruto, The Boy Ninja…
It’s another round of reviews from the Villagers, with this week leading off in a gentile way with A Gentleman’s Kiss from Deux by Katherine Famar. A true Gentleman needs a butler, so Charles Tan serves us a new Hayate Combat Butler Volume 8 from Viz. And since butlers always need some little kid to look after, Dan Polley brings the cute Mao-Chan Volume 1 from Del Rey. But where will they all live? How about the Magic Lover’s Tower Volume 1-2 from DR Masters reviewed by me? And who will guard the tower? Inukami! Volume 1 of course from Seven Seas Entertainment reviewed by John Thomas. Over in our columns, we’ve got our picks for the week, as well as our top manga for the month of October. It was another close run again this week. Check out what we liked. And then over at Good Comics for Kids, I’ve have the latest All Ages list, and check out the review of Avalon: Web of Magic by Ester Keller.
Ha! I’m getting a weekly done on the actually week! Yeah, I had to take the day off from work to do it, but hey… Actually, I took the day off for Halloween, and this is just a benefit. But, staying in the spirit of things, we’ve got some spooky reviews for you this week! I start out this week with another review of Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector Volume 4 from Viz. SCharles Tan brings another delivery from Dark Horse with Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 7. John Thomas brings some Samurai action with Afro Samurai Volume 1 from Seven Seas Entertainment. Afros can be scary… Then we go for some animal themed BL with Voice or Noise Volume 1 from BLU by Katherine Farmar, and LIssa Patillo makes a guest appearance with a review of Ruff Love from Deux Press. Some people (mostly guys) think BL is scary… So, we’ve got something scare everyone! We do our weekly picks for this spooky halloween, and our reviewers are either going batty or dreaming of Akihabara. But don’t be melancholy! We wouldn’t steer you wrong! Over at Good Comics for Kids at School Library Journal I have the kids picks for…
I guess I’ll be doing this every other week from now on. That seems to be the pattern I’m falling into. Not intentionally mind you. Last weekend I was sick, and spent most of it on the couch. It just seems to be something comes up every other weekend. I guess that’s better than every weekend. Anyway…on to the reviews! I start things out with a look at Togari Volume 6 from Viz. Charles Tan checks out an older series with Warcraft: Dragon Hunt Volume 1 from Tokyopop. Katherine Farmar goes into a Freefall Romance from DMP/June Manga. John Thomas takes a virtual trip to Japan with The Akiba: A Manga Guide to Akihabara from Kondansha America. Does Dan Polley object to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Case Book Volume 1 from Del Rey? You’ll have to click the link to find out. Week 2 starts with Charles Tan has more football antics with Volume 21 of Eyeshield 21 from Viz. Katherine Farmar is back with a Deux title this time with Future Lovers Volume 1. Dan Polley spreads his wings with a look at a new Del Rey title, Papillon Volume 1. John Thomas ends the week with an old…
I missed another week, I know, but I did have an almost good reason. Starting in October, the Good Comics for Kids blog has moved to School Library Journal, and I had to wait for my login to start posting my weekly comic list post, which I didn’t get until late in the weekend, and then I forgot. Anyway… September finished with Metro Survive Volume 2 from DR Masters by me, and Cat Eyed Boy Volume 2 from Viz by Charles Tan. October started with Wild Rock BL from DMP/June by Katherine Farmar, and John Thomas gave his own take on Cat Eyed Boy Volume 1 from Viz. Dan Polley started this week out with Air Gear Volume 9 from Del Rey Manga. Charles Tan got big again with the VizBIG edition of Rurouni Kenshin Volume 3 from Viz. John Thomas continued with the gore-fest that is Gantz Volume 2 from Dark Horse Comics. Katherine Farmar hopes you have enough time for her reivew of the BL title Not Enough Time from DMP/June. We made our new releases picks for last week and this week. We also picked our Manga of the Month for September. Don’t forget that you can…
Another week gone, and another week of reviews from the Manga Village crew! The week starts off with a book that should have gone up last Friday, had a remembered it was International Talk Like Pirate Day, as Charles Tan takes us back to the beginning of One Piece Volume 1 from Viz. Just in time for it’s new release, John Thomas has the diagnosis on Black Jack Volume 1 from Vertical. Katherine Farmar checks out a different kind of hybrid with the BL title Hybrid Child from DMP/June. Dan Polley isn’t quite ready to give up his soul to Hell Girl Volume 3 from Del Rey. We’ve got our weekly picks and for the first time ever I think, we are all in agreement for one title. The September Manga of the Month may be a forgone conclusion… At Good Comics for Kids, I’ve got the new releases for the week. There’s also a lot of interesting roundups about the end of DC’s Minx line. Head on over there to check them out.
Still behind, I know. Sucky week last week. Not as bad as some, but not my best either. But, that’s why we’ve got all these wonderful diversions, right? To distract us from our workaday lives? So, let’s get to it! I start the week by giving my take on a not so great title, B.O.D.Y. Volume 2 from Viz. Katherine Farmar brings a BL smile wih Laugh Under the Sun from DMP/June Manga. Dan Polley cooks up Kitchen Princess Volume 7 from Del Rey Manga. John Thomas brings a little Halloween early with The Art of Hideshi Hino from Last Gasp. (Distrubingly appropriate, don’t you think?) As usual, we have our weekly picks, with everyone all over the place with their favorites. Over at Good Comics for Kids, I’ve got my weekly column, All Ages Comics list, and Esther Keller has a review of a Tokyopop manga, Vidia and the Fairy Crown, part of the Disney’s Fairies line.
Yeah, I know, I did it again. I missed a week. And I’m not going to try to make any excuses. I’m just going to go straight into the reviews. The first week of September started off with the newest member of our Manga Village Commune, Katherine Farmar. She’s bringing the BL with her review of Lover’s Flat from DMP/June. Charles Tan is ready for the return of Monday Night Football with Eyeshield 21 Volume 6 from Viz. I check out High School Debut Volume 3 from Viz. John Thomas gets Real Volume 1 from Viz. Dan Polley gets his ninja on with Naruto Volume 30 from Viz. Then check out our picks for the week. They might be a Slam Dunk, or they might not… This week picks up with Katherine Farmar works some magic with the DMP/June title Spell. Charles Tan doesn’t run from Cat-Eyed Boy Volume 1 from Viz, nor does Dan Polley from I, Otaku Volume 2 from Seven Seas Entertainment. But we lose John Thomas to MPD-Psycho Volume 6 from Dark Horse. Over in our columns, we’ve got two you have to check out! First is our usual picks of the week. See if you…