Manga Xanadu

Every week, Viz Media and the New York Times posts the top ten bestselling books. For Viz Media, it is the bestsellers on their site, Vizmanga.com. The New York Times gets their numbers of print sales from retailers. Offered here is a listing of these books with their status this week compared with the previous week, and some way-off analysis of the activity.   Vizmanga.com for the week of October 14, 2014 Deadman Wonderland Vol 5     ∗ Naruto Vol 67     ↓ 1 Magi Vol 8     ∗ Case Closed Vol 52     ∗ All You Need is Kill Vol 1    ↑ 4 Bakuman Vol 1     ↵ All You Need is Kill Vol 2     ↑ 3 Bakuman Vol 2     ↵ World Trigger Vol 1     ↓ 7 Toriko Vol 24     ↓ 5 For the first time in quite a while, shojo has been completely pushed off the list, leaving this week all to shonen. Deadman Wonderland Vol 5‘s debut has pushed last week’s top title, Naruto Vol 67 down a slot. World Trigger took the biggest fall though, with Vol 1 tumbling down 7 spots to #9. Obata manga continues to do well. All…

It’s another slow manga release this week. While Kodansha and Viz Media do have titles coming out, only Veritical and Seven Seas Entertainment has anything I’m actually interested in. Seven Seas continues to be a hit or miss publisher with me. Their licenses lately have tended to rely too much on the male gaze fan service, but it’s hard to fault them that since those are the titles that make it onto the New York Times Bestseller List. Hopefully, the more skeevy titles will continue to fund manga like Arpeggio of Blue Steel. Volume 2 comes out this week, and I’m still looking forward to it even through volume 1 is still sitting in my Amazon shopping cart. Witchcraft Works is the first manga to come out under the Vertical Comics imprint, which was just announced at New York Comic Con earlier this month. It’s a romantic comedy, but I still am interested in checking out volume 1. Vertical has steered me wrong yet, so I’ll trust if they say it’s good and funny. An anime of the manga has already been streamed by Crunchyroll earlier this year, so it’s got a built-in audience, and it seems to be selling…

With September having five Tuesdays, most of the big releases will hit next week. That leaves this week open for some of the smaller titles to get the attention. Kodansha’s My Little Monster is a series I’m continuing to enjoy. The unusual relationship between Shizuku and Haru is a lot of fun to watch, and the uncertainty of where it will be at the end of each volume makes it stand out from many of the other shojo titles out there. Volume 4 comes out this week. Vertical’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin has proven there is not only a market for Gundam manga, but that premium hardcovers will be coveted too. The series passes the half way point with Volume 7‘s release. This week welcomes back an old publisher to print. Netcomics has been missing from the print releases for a while. They were one of the first publishers to rent chapters online and to put other publisher’s titles online digitally. Finally they release a new print volume of a new series, Give to the Heart. The premise has a bit of a Bride of the Water God feel, with a Water God trying to win a human woman’s…

Manga makes its triumphant return this week, and it’s all thanks to Yen Press. While Seven Seas Entertainment does have some titles coming out, it’s Yen that getting a cut of my paycheck. After far, far too long, we finally get the next Durarara!! series. Yellow Scarves Arc is the third manga series and is based on the third light novel. So why hasn’t Yen licensed the light novel series again? It’s gonna be hard to read this first volume, because I will then have to wait for the rest! Spice and Wolf is another series I’ve come to love, so getting a new volume is always exciting. This week’s it’s volume 9, and even though the light novels are further ahead in volumes, I’m happy to wait for the manga. I love the art, and the interactions between Holo and Lawrence. I will read the light novels someday, but for now the manga has my full attention. I’m also curious about Void’s Enigmatic Mansion volume 1. I get a comeuppance vibe from it, with a tag live about granting one’s greatest wish and it not what you expected. I do enjoy those kinds of stories and it’s getting to be that season again…

Wow. I thought I was stretching it last week. This week there is hardly any manga being released. Kodansha and Viz Media are about the only companies with anything coming out, and barely any at that. So let’s spotlight some related-but-not-manga titles. Kodansha releases the first to 2 books about Attack on Titan. Attack on Titan Guidebook: Inside and Outside is a look behind the scenes of the manga and anime. At nearly 400 pages, it features interviews with creator Hajime Isayama, his editor and staff of the anime adaptation, concept art from both the manga and anime, and an exhaustive guide to the characters and world of Attack on Titan. There is even a papercraft kit to make your own Colossal Titan head! This is a must for any Attack on Titan fan. Vertical, Inc. isn’t just a manga publisher. They also print novels, so it’s of no surprise that their leap onto the Attack on Titan bandwagon was to get the light novel series, Attack on Titan Before the Fall. This first novel is a prequel not only to the Attack on Titan series, but also to the manga of the same name as well. This first novel…

It’s a slow release week this week, so it’s all about the titles I want to catch up on, but other shinies keep distracting me! Kodansha has picked up the pace lately by adding many titles I want to read. I’ve read the first volume of Sherlock Bones and did enjoy it, but 2-4 have been languishing on the shelf waiting for me to pick them up. With the release of volume 7, the final volume, I may as well just wait and read the whole rest of the series in one go! Seven Deadly Sins vol 4 comes out this week, adding to another growing stack of unread shonen. I have a lot of those I keep meaning to wheedle down, but then things like new Attack on Titan volumes come out and I’m off after the shiny things again. Viz Media is my usual point and click into a virtual basket, but this week there is only one title that I am of course woefully behind on. 07-Ghost vol 12 comes out this week, bringing the series only 5 volumes from finishing, and me 7 volumes behind. At least it has an end in sight and I unlike so many shonen titles….

This week has some interesting titles coming out, as well as ending. Kodansha has just one title; Noragami: Stray God Vol. 1. This title was announced to some excitement last year, as it also has an anime that was streamed on Funimation, giving it name recognition that may help move the volume. We’ll have to see if it makes to the NYT bestseller list next week. Vertical Inc., releases the 4th volume in their foodie series, What Did You Eat Yesterday? Seriously, if you’re not reading this series, why not?! It has something for everyone, foodie or not, and Vertical always puts out great editions. Viz Media says good-bye to two of its titles. Midnight Secretary, the josei-as-shojo ends this week with Vol. 7. I did enjoy the first two volumes with caveats, but am still interested in reading more. It’s on the to-read list. Dawn of the Arcana, a true shojo also ends it’s run with Vol. 13. I have the first two volumes that have been languishing in my to-be-reviewed pile for a while now. Maybe this is a good time to pick them up and finally check them out. Finally, Time Killers by Kazue Kato comes out….

There’s a lot of manga out there to read, and not a lot of time or shelf space for it all. But just because I can’t have it all doesn’t mean I can’t dream! Every month I’ll go through the new releases and pick one or two titles that best fit in three categories: What I’m Going to Read is for those titles I collect, or already know I want. What I Want to Read are for those that I’ve read at least one other volume of and am curious for more, and What I’m Interested In is for those that I’m become curious about, either through word of mouth or description. What I’m Going to Read: 07-Ghost is a license Viz rescued from GoComi! Even though I already have the first two volumes, I had to have the new Viz editions because 1) I want to read the new translation and see if the story makes any more sense, and 2) so I have a nice, consistent look on my bookshelf. I loved 07-Ghost even with its confusing story, mostly for the bishi, and for its similar look to Saiyuki, another favorite of mine. Volume 2 is out this…

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the new paper Tokyopop is using for their manga.  Most of it has been bad.  I had a few recent printings of some of their manga and decided to check it out for myself.  I pulled out Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo volume 4, NG Life volume 1 and Animal Academy volume 1.  I then pulled out Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo volume 3, which was printed on the old paper for comparison.  After getting sucked into both Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo volumes, I actually got down to the comparison.

Had enough of turkey leftovers and Black Friday news?  Need to shop for that manga fan in your live?  Let the Manga Villagers help you make that shopping list!  The first week features the reviews debut of our newest reviews Justin Colussy-Estes and Alex Hoffman.  But Dan Polley starts the week with Pastel Volume 12 from Del Rey Manga.  Charles Tan shows off Puri Puri Volume 6 from DR Masters.  John Thomas cuts into Black Jack Volume 2 from Vertical.  Justin Colussy-Estes isn’t bugged by Mushishi Volume 3 from Del Rey Manga.  Alex Hoffman starts the holiday weekend with Ral Ω Grad Volume 1 from Viz Media. December starts with my review of Nightmares For Sale Volume 1 from Aurora.  Dan Polley reviews a rare science fiction title Gankutsuou: The Count of Monty Cristo Volume 1 from Del Rey Manga.  Alex Hoffman brings us a Yen Press title, Kieli Volume 1.  Katherine Farmar makes a Manga Village first with the lowest score for the BL title World’s End from DMP/June.  Justin Colussy-Estes has a different kind of horror with Hansel & Gretel from Viz Media. We make our weekly picks for 11/26/08 and 12/04/08.  Over at Good Comics for Kids…

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…

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…