Manga Xanadu

This episode I have regular departments the Weekly Wish List, Crunchyroll Corner and the Top Ten Department. Then I check out some manga for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday featuring Fairies. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode49/MangaDomeEpisode49.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When college freshman and future psychotherapist Kazuma Futaba responds to a curious call for a room to let, he ends up living in a mansion owned by Emiru, a frail beauty his own age. Although neighborhood kids call the place haunted, if anything the young mistress nurses a darker affliction. Kazuma learns that his young landlord and love isn’t who he thought she was. Aided by Danish thinker Kierkegaard’s titular proto-existentialist treatise, the future counselor finds a way forward. Story by Hikaru Asada; Art by Takahiro Seguchi Publisher: Vertical, Inc. Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Romance/Psychological drama Price: $11.95 [Rating4.5] Sickness Unto Death starts out by misleading the reader into thinking the story has a supernatural spin, but turns it back around with a compelling and completely natural twist. While the psychological drama dominates the story, at it’s core, it’s really a tragic love story. The story starts with Futaba, a practicing psychotherapist and instructor, visiting a grave with no name or inscription. He is found by a student, Minami, and proceeds to tell the story of Emiru, a young woman he met when he first started college, who is slowly wasting away due to some great despair that plagues…

This week I check out the Weekly Wish List, New manga app news, new titles on Crunchyroll and the Top 10 Department. Then I throw Viz some beads for their new license announcements. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode48/MangaDomeEpisode48.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Protecting Haruka from Ex Solid has gotten Mamoru involved in an even more sinister plot, organized by the terrorist group known as the Plunderers. The swordsman’s reckless tactics generate results, but they have also attracted the attention of the terrorists’ leader, Edge Turus. Mamoru’s allies in the Wall and the very people who hired him begin to fear that Mamoru’s methods are too extreme and could endanger those around him, including Haruka herself. Meanwhile, the police are connecting the dots between Haruka’s abduction and the recent string of attacks. As they and Edge close in, it may only be a matter of time before Mamoru has nowhere to run! Written by Hiroshi Takashige; Illustrated by Double-S Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action Price: $18.99 Rating: The African country of Galboa is revealed to be the force behind the terrorist acts, and through some intel from Ex-Solid and discover Haruka’s ability. The leader, Edge Turus decides he wants her as well. Mamoru does his stuff, stopping Ex-Solid and their cloning operation as well as Turus, cutting off his arm in the process, which makes him none too happy. He puts a contract out on Mamoru. In the meantime,…

What wonderful news to come home to! Viz Media has licensed Master Keaton the one manga from Naoki Urasawa that I’ve wanted ever since I first heard about it. It combines two of my most favorite things in the world into one title; mysteries and archaeology! I mean, how awesome is it to have a detective who can solve cases and is an archaeologist, always struggling to uncover the truth. I didn’t think we’d ever get this title licensed in English. It had a few hurdles to get over for licenses today; it’s from the 1990s and is over 10 volumes. Then there was a disagreement over credits for the story, which actually sounded pretty petty of Urasawa to demand his name appear bigger than the original writer. But it looks like that problem has been solved, and Urasawa’s name is now known in the US. His work will sell no matter how old it is. Another thing that will make this a big seller is that it hasn’t been scanlated by anyone beyond the first few chapters. Trust me, I’ve looked. The only way to enjoy this series previously was the anime licensed by Geneon back in 2003-04. I…

This week I have out regular Departments Weekly Wish List and the Top 10, check out news stories after new titles from Yen Press, Viz Media and Kodansha Comics, and look at four new titles from 2013 that I was surprised I liked. Show notes: Weekly Wish List Fairy Tail vol 35 Insufficient Direction In The News New Bloody Brat from Yen Press New Manga Added to Weekly Shonen Jump Kondansha License Outed by Rightstuf Pre-Order Top Ten Department Vizmanga.com New York Times Bestseller List Four Surprises of 2013 Magi Knights of Sidonia Puella Magi Oriko Magica Happy Marriage?!  Like the Facebook page! Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode47/MangaDomeEpisode47.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

So far ever Student Council member who has gone up against Mafuyu has fallen to the team’s superior friendship skills. But Kanon Nonoguchi has a plan to turn their strengths against them! She’s spreading rumors that Midorigaoka girls are in danger and counting on Super Bun to run to the rescue…and right into her trap! By Izumi Tsubaki Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Teen Genre: Comedy/Romance Price: $9.99 Rating: Oresama Teacher has fallen into a bit of a rut as this volumes continues the Public Morals Club’s battle with the Student Council, just as the previous 3 volumes have. This time they are up against man-hating Kanon Nonoguchi, who leads the special all girls class at the school. But the possible monotony this could get into is kept at bay by less Mafuyu and Takaoka, and more Natsuo and Bancho Okegawa, making this fun read after all. The story starts out typically with Kanon trying to figure out who Natsuo and Super Bun, the “secret” members of the Public Morals Club, really are. Her plans are foiled by Mafuyu’s clumsy and clueless nature, and Akki’s willingness to cross dress. But it quickly turns from this into Kanon’s story as her…

This week  I have regular departments Weekly Wish List, Vizmanga.com and New York Times top 10s, and then I take a look at the new licenses announced this last week by Vertical, Inc., Yen Press and Kodansha Comics. http://archive.org/download/MangaDomeEpisode46/MangaDomeEpisode46.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Seeing her father killed before her eyes, Noh-A flies into a rage, with most of it directed at Jack. As the two square off, the story of the previous Mirror Image unfolds, explaining who Noh-A’s parents are, how they met, and why Noh-A had to be the next Mirror Image. It ends with the plans laid by Solomon and Camille in that past finally coming to fruition.  By JinHo Ko Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Horror Price: $13.00 Rating: Jack Frost has been a series I don’t go out my way to read, but if it’s available I’ll give a perusal. I read it when I had a Yen Plus subscription, but it was a story that never seemed to have a specific direction. It was all a lot of fighting with Jack taking on opponents from the different factions within Amityville. Finally, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, as events from the past are shown and connected with current events, and the story seems to have a direction. Jack and Noh-A face off against each other as Noh-A confronts Jack about the death of her father. This begins a long…

Shojo Beat, Viz Media’s romance and drama imprint has a fun surprise for fans of Arina Tanemura. They have available quick flash games based on the manga Mistress Fortune and The Legend of Princess Sakura. The Mistress Fortune game is a Whack-a-mole style game where you have to hit the EBE’s popping out of holes, but you don’t want to hit the bunnies! There is also a special attack when you fill up a status bar which can be used to hit all the EBEs on the screen. You get a rank at the end. I made Standard Angel on my first try. The Princess Sakura game is a basic platformer. You control Princess Sakura with the left and right arrows, up to jump and space bar to strike the enemy monsters that inhabit the level. There is a spell, Thunder Strike that will freeze the monsters for a few minutes and a piece to pick up. I generally suck at platformers so after a few tries I could only get to level two. But it’s simple enough for any one to play and if you have more skill or patience, you can see how high the levels go. I…

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

Yukina is running into some trouble with rivals. Mami is a childhood friend of Shigure’s who has feeling for him, but hasn’t been able to tell him. She instead tries to trick or chase away any girls who might get close to him. Then there’s Akira, her cousin, who is now trying to be in serious competition with Shigure to win Yukina’s feelings. In the middle of these battles, Yukina and Shigure are trying to figure out their own feelings for each other. How much of it is real, and how much is still a game? By Ema Toyama Publisher: Kodansha Comics Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Romance Price: $10.99 Rating: I read the first chapter of Missions of Love in Kodansha’s sampler Real and really enjoyed it. I initially had doubts about it from just the series description, but the first chapter was enough to convince me otherwise. Despite being 4 volumes behind, I had little trouble getting into these two volumes and continuing Yukina and Shigure’s competition to see who would fall for who first. What initially attracted me to Missions of Love was the friction between the two protagonists, Yukina and Shigure. Neither really liked the other…