Manga Xanadu

I’ve started browsing for manga on the Kindle more lately. I don’t have as much space as I wish I did, the titles tend to be cheaper, and I can read them on my PC, tablet or over the cloud. It’s become the best platform for reading manga I could find. What makes it even better is when I find titles that are free!

It’s another light week, but the publishers are spread around better than last week, including one we don’t see often. That also doesn’t mean your wallet is any safer as there are some debut titles and omnibuses that may have to grace your shelves.

February is the month that’s all about the romance, so their digital bundles this time are almost all from the Shojo Beat imprint. Demon Love Spell, Jiu Jiu, and Kaze Hikaru all have great deals. If your love is for games, then pick up one of the Hikaru no Go bundles. If you prefer your heart spurting blood, check out the new Viz Select title Judas, a former Tokyopop title that is more horror than honey.

Viz Media starts off 2016 with some new digital title and quite the selection of bundles. They’ve rescued two more former Tokyopop titles, Saving Life and Kannazuki no Miko, both of which are also considered mature titles and won’t be available in their app. They are certainly interesting pick ups by Viz. I would never have expected Kannazuki no Miko to be one. May it was part of a digital package deal. I love the bundles they have this month. I recommend Godchild. It’s a good deal for the whole series. I’d love to get the Nura:  Rise of the Yokai Clan entire series, and wish they would do some bundles for the latter half of titles. I have Vol 1-10 of Kimi ni Todoke already. What I could really use is a Vol 11-20 package.

SMAC, the Silent Manga Auction Committee, announced on their website earlier this month that they would be offering an English translation and serialization of Angel Heart, the spin-off to the popular 1980s manga City Hunter, by Tsukasa Hojo.

There’s a lot of good stuff coming from Viz in the last two weeks of the year. If you haven’t been following the free chapters of Boys Over Flowers Season 2, then picking up the first volume is really the way to go, especially if the free chapters are limited. There are some really good bundles available this week. I highly recommend Cross Manage, and at $10 it’s a steal for the whole series! Also tempting are the Dragon Ball (the only good series) and Dr. Slump bundles. Next week, Otomen‘s first 5 volumes are up and also get a recommendation from me.

It’s a week before Christmas, and publisher are making sure there’s a wide selection of books to choose from.

It’s a small but varied selection in print this week. Dark Horse releases the long-awaited first omnibus of Planetes, the sci-fi series by Makoto Yukimura, who also created Vinland Saga. The series has been out of print for almost 10 years now. Tokyopop originally printed it in a small print run, so copies have been scarce. It’s great that Dark Horse has picked it up, and it’s a good fit for their line. I still have the original Tokyopop run, but it might be interesting to check out this one to see what Dark Horse has done differently.

Viz ends their digital year with two new Viz Select titles and some bundle sales that will only last as week. Crown of Thorns is a new license from the creator of Boys Over Flowers. It’s only two volumes and perfect for the line. Returning is previous Tokyopop license The Man of Many Faces, a CLAMP two-volume series as well. The flash bundle sale for this week is tailor-made for shojo fans, and I would jump in on so many of them if I didn’t already own just enough to make the sale pointless. But Chibi Vampire, Library Wars, Dengeki Daisy, Red River, and Voice Over? All great titles! And the bundle for Nana next week is fantastic too. Jump on them if you can!

Libraries are a major source of manga for many fans, especially teens who may not have the means of getting their favorite titles, so having a major publisher like Kodansha release their two biggest hits among other, on the most popular eBook library platform is a big win! At least it is for readers in areas where Overdrive has a wide selection. That is, unfortunately not my area, which I find surprising, since I live in the Southern California area. Hopefully some day soon that will change. If you have access to these titles through your library, give them a try!

Viz Media has another big digital update just in time for the holidays. Two more titles are being added to the Select line, Zyword and Eureka Seven: Gravity Boys and Lifting Girls. There are new bundles, including all 20 volumes of Bakuman with Otter No. 9 oneshot special gift, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3 Stardust Warriors. It’s a great way to catch up! There is also a preview of their Cyber Monday sale. The pricing is so-so, but there are some great titles to get in on.

The 44th issue of Shuiesha’s Weekly Shonen Jump announced that the manga creator duo Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata will launch a new title, Platinum End, in the December issue of Jump SQ due out November 4th. The October 5th issue of Viz Media’s digital Weekly Shonen Jump then announced that it would be simulpubing the story,  not in the magazine itself, but as individual chapters.