Manga Village

As Kobato starts to fall for the dour Fujimoto who works at Yomogi Kindergarten, she puts her mission of helping the broken-hearted and filling her magic bottle in danger. Helping to heal him becomes her sole mission, as she puts herself and Iorogi and his allies in danger. As the deadline looms, will Kobato be able to make her wish come true?  By CLAMP Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Teen Genre: Fantasy Price: $11.99 I haven’t had a lot of luck with CLAMP titles. Even though I hear a lot about how great they are, I haven’t felt any interest in reading any of them. I tried xxxHolic, but the first volume didn’t do enough for me to want to keep reading. But I don’t think it’s right to write them off based on one volume of one series, so with this Movable Manga Feast, I wanted to give a few more titles a try, I just happened to have these two volumes lying around. I was pleasantly surprised by Kobato, and may have found my first CLAMP series I like. It took a chapter or two to catch on to what was going on, but once I had a…

Every week, the Manga Villagers will go through the new releases for the week and pick out the titles they are most looking forward to reading. Whether it’s buying or just window shopping, check out what we’re looking at every week!

San Diego Comic Con; the mecca of geek culture, where fans gather to find out about their favorite TV, movies and comics coming out in the next year. Manga publishers like to come as well, making licensing and other announcements. Viz Media, Yen Press, Kodansha, Vertical, and Jmanga were all there this year, appearing in panels and having space on the exhibitor floor. Of everything announced this year, here are the ones the Manga Villages found most exciting! Amy: On the digital front I’m excited that JManga will be getting Setona Mizushiro’s Dousei Ai later this month. As a fan of After School Nightmare I’ve been hoping for more of Mizushiro’s works to be released in English. But the digital release that perked my interest the most out of SDCC announcements was Viz adding Blue Exorcist to their Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha. I’ve been on the virtual fence of trying out Shonen Jump Alpha this may be to tempting for me not to bite. The only disappointment for me is series like Reborn! and Gintama not getting a digital release, yet. Lori: I was thrilled by JManga’s announcements too! Not just an android app, but one for both phones and…

Every week, the Manga Villagers will go through the new releases for the week and pick out the titles they are most looking forward to reading. Whether it’s buying or just window shopping, check out what we’re looking at every week!

Every week, the Manga Villagers will go through the new releases for the week and pick out the titles they are most looking forward to reading. Whether it’s buying or just window shopping, check out what we’re looking at every week!

While we here at Manga Village do enjoy Takehiko Inoue, it seems his shonen title Slam Dunk has been our favorite. Starting with volume 1, Katherine Farmar had reservations at first, but had this to say about it: Slam Dunk pokes fun at Hanamichi relentlessly, but it is at its core a solid and very well-done example of the genre rather than a subversion of it. Hanamichi’s error is not in reaching for the top but in expecting to get there without working for it Justin Colussy-Estes read volume 4, and though he thought he didn’t like it at first, another reading and some thought brought him to this conclusion: But in Slam Dunk, Inoue turns that on its head: he puts manga in a basketball context. Understand this, Inoue isn’t interested in telling the same stories found in every shonen manga for the last thirty years. No, he’s interested in basketball Matthew Rozier is in agreement with Justin after reading volume 5, when he says it’s basketball that really sells the series, and the art really helps it: Despite being still images, they exude such a sense of vivacity that it almost feels like being at an actual game….

Every week, the Manga Villagers will go through the new releases for the week and pick out the titles they are most looking forward to reading. Whether it’s buying or just window shopping, check out what we’re looking at every week!

For the Shohoku High players, the past echoes in the present as Rukawa learns something about Coach Anzai that leaves him determined to be the best high school player in Japan. With ten days remaining until the start of the national tournament, Coach Anzai send the Shohoku High team to Shizuoka for a week of practive with another local team. But Sakuragi stays behind for a special practice session that will push him to the limit and improve his individual skills for the crucial games ahead. By Takehiko Inoue Publisher: Viz Media/Shonen Jump Age Rating: Teen Genre: Sports Price: $9.99 Slam Dunk isn’t a series I read regularly, but I do like to check in on it from time to time. With the Inoue Manga Movable Feast being this month, this was the perfect time to check out the latest volume. This time the action is off court as Shohoku prepares for the national tournament. Preparations are both physical and mental, and inspiration comes from some unexpected places. Rukawa has really stepped up his game, both mentally and physically, as in practice he shows his determination to be the best. He finally shows Sakuragi the real difference in their skills,…

The girls of the Mureo High kendo team face off again against Ishibaki’s pupils from Kamasaki High. And then the drama abounds as the popular TV show, Burnish Academy shows an interest in filming the girls for the sports segment of the show. But first, they must survive not just the rivalry between the co-hosts, but also of some surprise guests; kendo prodigy Ura Sakaki and some of the strongest girls from around the country known as Kendo Komachi! Story by Masahiro Totsuka; Art by Aguri Igarashi Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Sports Price: $11.99 I read the first few chapters of Bamboo Blade in Yen Plus when it first came out, but wasn’t impressed with what I read at the time. It’s eight volumes later, and I decided to check out the series and see if there was any improvement. I couldn’t believe the difference! The characters and story drew me in quickly, and the kendo action kept my eyes glued to the page. This is the first sports manga to really got its hooks into me. There’s been a lot of character development since the series began. When I read the first chapters, I was…

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor, one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man! Edgar Ashenbert claims to be descended from the human ruler of the fairy kingdom, and he urgently needs Lydia’s help to find and claim his birthright, the legendary sword of the Blue Knight Earl. Things will never be the same for Lydia as she is pulled into a dangerous quest against dark forces! By Ayuko; Original Concept by Mizue Tani Publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat Age Rating: Teen Genre: Fantasy/Romance Price: $9.99 I first heard of The Earl and the Fairy when the anime was announced in 2008, but didn’t give it much mind until Viz announced the license last year. The way the premise for the anime was presented didn’t sound too interesting to me, I decided to give the manga a try. I’m glad I did. It’s a story filled with plenty of action, but what really makes this volume shine is the characters. The…