Manga Xanadu

This last week was New  York Comic Con, the last big con of the season. All of the major publishers were here, as well as some online newcomers. Everyone had something to announce, from new licenses to something a little more home-grown.

Anime Expo occurred over the Fourth of July weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and there were certainly a lot of fireworks as publisher exploded with new license announcements. Over the four-day holiday weekend, Vertical, Viz, Crunchyroll, Kodansha Comics and Yen Press all announced titles, some of which nearly had fans swooning from shock and excitement. The first manga panel on Saturday was for Viz Media’ Shojo Beat. The imprint is celebrating its 10 year anniversary which included tea with mangaka Julietta Suzuki, the creator of Kamisama Kiss. They announced two licenses, sadly one of which was NOT Suzuki’s Karakuri Odette. It would make a great Viz Select title. Instead, Shuriken and Pleats by Matsuri Hino, the creator of Vampire Knight, was announced. It is about school girl Mikage, who has trained as a ninja to work in her family’s security company, which is a front for her clan’s ninja activities. She worked as bodyguard for an English businessman, who cared about her like a daughter. When he is killed, she learns he has bought her freedom from the clan, and follows his wish to go to school in Japan like a normal girl. The series started in September of…

Crunchyroll, the anime and manga streaming service, continues to add manga titles to their all-you-can-eat manga service. This time, they are pulling titles from the Square-Enix library, and are available world-wide. Aizawa-san Multiples is a rom-com harem series. The frail beauty of the school Shino Aizawa confesses her feeling for Souta Mizutani. Soon after another Aizawa appears, and another, and another! Each one is slightly different, but they are all Aizawa. Are they twins? Clones? Dopplegangers? This series sounds like it takes the comedy in romantic comedy very serious. It might be interesting to see how this gag manga handles the harem model with the boy being surrounded by several of the same girl. There are currently 2 volumes of the series out so far. Father and Son is a slice of life shonen comedy. It follows former gangster You-san who has to take care of his wild and unpredictable son Shou and the eventful everyday life of the lively pair. This series sounds like it would not just make a good light comedy, but could also be suitable for younger readers, with slap-stick as part of the otherwise easy-going comedy. It would be a good pick up for Yen…

Crunchyroll has been really been working hard to become the legal streaming site for manga. Their “all you can read” plan puts a lot of titles at readers fingertips for one monthly price, and they are adding new titles all the time. Recently, they added two new titles, The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer and Kippo. Kippo is a new title to western readers. It is by Hiroshi Tanaka and runs in Shonengahosha’s Young King magazine. The story is about some boys whose family life is anything but happy, and the people they meet in their “spot”, who become more family than their own. When disaster strikes, it’s these people who come together to protect what is important to them. The first chapter is available for anyone to read, while the rest of the first and only volume published so far is behind the subscription wall. It’s violent and disturbing at times, but does appear to have potential for some real drama. The Lucifier and Biscuit Hammer is not a new title to western readers. Jmanga started releasing it and got out 5 volumes before they closed up. Crunchyroll has been rescuing a lot of Jmanga’s titles, and hope they continue…

Over the last few weeks Crunchyroll manga has been busy adding new titles to their growing library. Three of the titles are traditional manga, and three are part of their “Manga 2.5” line, which I would recommend avoiding, but your mileage may vary. The Kawaii Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior is published by Shonengahosha in their magazine Young King Ours. It follows Usa, a boy who starts living on his own when his parents move for work. His residence is filled with eccentrics and perverts, but so does his crush, Ritsu. This series is a rom-com that has 5 volumes and is ongoing. It also has an anime that just streamed on Crunchyroll in the spring. The current chapter is now up, and new chapters will be added monthly. No word yet on when/if previous chapters will be available. The inclusion of the description “perverts” is enough to turn me off from this series. The Legend of Onikirimaru sounds much more like my kind of title. It is published by Leeds Publishing in the magazine Sengoku Bushou Retsuden. A demon boy with no horns or name wields the blade Onikirimaru, the Demon Slayer. He is fated to kill…

This week I check out regular features the Weekly Wish List, stories In the News, Crunchyroll Corner, and the Top Ten Department. Then I rant a bit about translating names in manga. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode58/MangaDomeEpisode58.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week I check out new licenses from Viz Media and Crunchyroll, the top 10 from Vizmanga and New York Times Bestseller list, and I look at what was new in manga 10 years ago. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode50/MangaDomeEpisode50.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week I check out some new stories, regular departments Weekly Wish List and top 10 at Vizmanga.com and the New York Times, and for Valentines Day I features some titles with couples that aren’t so lovey-dovey. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode45/MangaDomeEpisode45.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week I check out new licenses from Crunchyroll and Seven Seas, regular features Vizmanga.com, New York Times Bestsellers List, and Nielson’s Bookscan for January. Then I look at some manga about several Winter Olympic sports. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode44/MangaDomeEpisode44.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

  This week I examine several news stories that piled up at the end of the year, the Nielson Bookscan for December, and regular features, the Weekly Wish List, the Vizmanga.com update and the New York Times Bestseller list. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomePodcast40/MangaDomePodcast40.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

    This week I take a look back at 2013 and some of the trends in manga that were seen over the year; What became popular, who started and who stopped publishing and comment on what I’d like see more of in 2014. I also have regular features the Weekly Wish List, Vizmanga.com update and the New York Times Bestseller List. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode39/MangaDomeEpisode39.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week I talk about my weekly wish list, what new at Vizmanga.com, the New York Times Best Seller List and for the main feature I have Alex Hoffman of Manga Widget as my guest, where we talk about the Vizmanga Platform and pricing, and the new Crunchyroll Manga roll out. This is a long episode! Show Notes: Weekly Wish List Another No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guy’s Fault I’m Not Popular vol 1 Inu x Boku SS vol 1 Puella Magi Oriko Magica vol 2 Vizmanga.com New Releases Boys Over Flowers vol 1 Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World vol 1 New York Times Best Seller List Manga Widget Vizmanga.com Crunchyroll Manga As the Gods Will Coppelion Like the Facebook page! Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech http://archive.org/download/Episode30Final/MangaDomeEpisode30.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download