Manga-ka: Satomi Yamaguchi
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: September 2007
Synopsis: “During the summer of his second year in high school, Maki Sonoda found love for the first time in the arms of his cram school teacher, Haruji Shirai. Blinded by the illusions of his first love, Maki can think only of getting to know Haruji more. But, things become complicated when Maki realizes that Haruji is really in love with high school teacher Mr. Mizuguchi. Three men find themselves intertwined in this tantalizing love triangle full of emotion.”
Manic Love is a prequel, of sorts, to Satomi Yamagata’s Fake Fur (also released by DMP). The stories follow Maki, introduced to readers in Fake Fur as the young boy living in a stranger’s apartment. Here in Manic Love, we follow Maki into his blossoming world of sex and love as he deals with both for the first time.
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Manhwa-ga: Uhm JungHyun
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “The arrival of Bum-Moo’s step-sister gives Yun-Ook the chance to learn more about her young roommate – the tragedy that dream him closer to his sister, the reason he dropped out of school, and the jealousy that forced him out on his own. As she finds out more about Bum-Moo’s story, a face from her own past takes Yun-Ook by surprise. Forced to confront her losses in love and life, Yun-Ook must decide once and for all how to move forward in response to Bum-Moo’s affections.”
In this second volume of Forest of Gray City, Bum-Moo’s past is revealed in a sombre retelling of old wounds that left and him step-sister to grow ever closer. His roommate, Yun-Ook, is happy to learn a little more about the young man but remains unsure of how to react to his professed feelings.
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Not many announcements made at the New York Anime Festival this past weekend but there’re still some new manga licenses to share! No word from publishers on any announcements made at this weekend’s Yaoi Con (yet).
Licenses, thanks to Gia and Deb Aoki, are under the cut.
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Manga-ka: Matsuri Hino
Publisher: Viz
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: July 2008
Synopsis: “In the Mediterranean at end of the 17th century, former songstress Armeia disguises herself as a boy and boards the ship of the pirate Skulls, the man who kidnapped Luce, her first love. Captain Skulls is arrogant, violent, and a skirt chaser! And unfortunately for Armeria, he discovers she’s a woman…”
As a child, Armeia sang for Aristocrats with her beautiful voice. But one night she watched as pirates kidnapped her first love, Luce, and took him out to see. For years she was determined to find that ship and the Captain responsible for Luce’s abduction. She finally finds the ship and, disguised as a boy, makes her way on-board. She’s determined to save the kind-hearted Luce she remembers, only to find out he may no longer exist, if he ever had at all.
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While the licenses themselves aren’t new (still haven’t heard much from this weekend’s Yaoi Con, though BLU has no panel scheduled), BLU’s website has updated with pages for two of their previously announced series, A Capable Man (pictured above) and You Will Fall In Love, both series by Hinako Takanaga.
Now, while I’m thrilled these two titles are still on track, with Hinako Takanaga being one of my favourite manga-kas, I can’t help but wonder about the November and December 2008 release dates. While they were already listed with these dates by Diamond Distributers a little while back, I’m still no less skeptical. With no definitive answers yet given on the fate of some of their currently running series, and some instability from the restructuring still remaining, can we fans have faith in these release dates? I’m hopeful we can, but I guess right now only time will tell when November comes around.
I may not be able to attend Yaoi Con, but the wonders of the internet allows us to keep informed all the same! So yay for that :)
Today I recieved an e-mail from Yaoi Generation about their first licensed title:
“breath, by Chifumi Ochi, is a five-volume love story between a socially awkward businessman and a confident, attractive college student. Brought together by too much alcohol and a series of misunderstandings, these two opposites face difficult trials while learning just how much they need each other.”
The series is five volumes long with the first book set for release in December. Not too long a wait! I’m excited to see what their publishing will be like, plus marketing from here on out.
Yaoi Generation has also updated their website, including this information and some cover images (pictured above) from the announced book. They also remind fans to drop by their booth at Yaoi Con for the news and some goodies!
You can read the full press release with some words from the company’s president, Thuy Duong, under the cut.
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Manga-ka: Yaya Sakuragi
Publisher: BLU
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: August 2008
Synopsis: “Clumsy Takamaru and graceful Hasune have started dating, but are the challenges facing them nothing that can’t be settled over a hot cup of tea? First, Takamaru is focusing on baseball while Hasune is busy practicing the tea ceremony, giving them little time together – and their quickies in the Tea Ceremony Club room just aren’t cutting it! Then, a former upperclassman of Tokumaru’s arrives, and suddenly, the older man is all he seems to see or talk about…”
After some relatively successful lessons in tea and grace, Takamaru and Hasune have started dating. Things between them are going smoothly except for the fact that between baseball and the tea ceremony, they hardly seem to have anytime for one another. If time wasn’t obstacle enough, the future suddenly seems a daunting thing for these teenagers getting ready to graduate from high school, and an old friend from Takamaru’s past returns to put a little doubt in Takamaru’s lacking life-goals.
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Manga-ka: Takako Shigematsu
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2005
Synopsis: “In the play of life, all Hikaru wanted was to be part of the scenery, but fate had other ideas. When the 15-year-old introvert transfers to an all-girls academy, her new roommate turns out to be the super-popular TV idol Izumi Kido! As if living with a celebrity wasn’t bad enough, Hikaru discovers that there’s more to Izumi —she’s a he! Now Hikaru’s the unwilling star player in a tale of deception, abduction, humiliation and blackmail… you know—the usual romantic stuff.”
After a short modelling job, Hikaru Takabayashi found her childhood plagued by bullies and insults. Because of this, she’s done her best to avoid the spotlight throughout her life and just be an average girl and to avoid having to move to France, she agrees to her Mother’s plan to enrol her in a prestigious all-girls school. Unfortunately for her background-lurking ways, Hikaru finds herself rooming with a famous TV idol. Not only that, but it seems that the lovely Izumi Kido has more than just some weird habits to hide from the fan girls and paparazzi.
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Just sweeping through Amazon today and saw the cover for the April 2009 release of Del Rey’s Wolverine: Prodigal Son.
I’m liking the sleek look of this cover and I look forward to seeing some finished interior pages from this one, because I’m really enjoying what I’ve seen so far of Wilson Tortosa’s art kept in black and white. I haven’t gotten to read any of the author, Anthony Johnston’s, work before so it’ll be an interesting experience, especially with such an iconic character getting a manga backstory make-over. Makes me nostalgic for the original X-men manga…
Manga-ka: Eiki Eiki
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2007
Synopsis: “It’s been four years since Hirofumi and Daigo started living together. But because of his psychological scars, Daigo gradually starts imposing frightening restraints on Hirofumi! Caught in a café of love and madness, what will Hirofumi’s ultimate answer be?!”
World’s End is the sequel to Eiki Eiki’s previous work, Dear Myself. After an accident causes Hirofumi to loose his memory, he falls in love with a boy he meets in the hospital, Daigo. But when his old memories return, and his years spent with Daigo disappear, Hirofumi is horrified to be told he’s missing two years of his life and that they were spent being a man’s lover! When a letter he wrote to himself reveals the truth, Hirofumi finds himself falling for Daigo all over again. Now, years later, the two are living together and some dangerous truths about Daigo start manifesting.
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The schedule for Yaoi Con 2008 was posted yesterday night. Coming up this weekend, September 26-28th, it’s the biggest (I would assume by this point?) boys’ love event on this continent. Alas, the cost of flights, hotels and passports keep me from it. And yet I couldn’t help looking at the schedule and planning my ‘if I was there’. Live the experience for me, Yaoi Con attendees!
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Manga-ka: Kubo Tite
Publisher: Viz
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: ”Ichigo and the Soul Reapers wage a furious battle against the Arrancars who are attacking Karakura Town. But this enemy is unlike anything they have ever fought before, and these aren’t even the strongest of the Arrancars! If Ichigo and his friends can barely face them, how can they hope to fight off the elite Arrancar warriors, the dreaded Espada?”
The fighting must go on in this twenty-fourth volume of Bleach. A sudden assault from the enemy leaves those protecting the town caught unawares and everyone is pulled in different directions to defend themselves and those around them. It’s kill or be killed as Renji, Matsumoto and Hitsugaya face off against some nasty opponents.
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Author: Calissa Leigh
Artist: Yishan Li
Publisher: Yaoi Press
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: March 2006
Synopsis: “Gin is falsely accused of murder and sacrificed to a demon. However, when the demon realizes his innocence, he takes pity and flies Gin to Aluria, a land of mystical creatures. But Gin is betrayed by a vampire named Kakale. And if things weren’t bad enough, Kakale casts a spell so that Gin looks like Kakale and Kakale looks like Gin. This is very bad for Gin considering Kakale is a wanted criminal…”
The Aluria Chronicles begins with the introduction of Gin, a pretty young slave boy who accidentally plays a key part in a man’s murder when trying to defend himself. Accused of the crime, he’s sacrificed to a demon as part of a larger scheme. But the demon takes pity on Gin, sensing his innocence, and instead whisks the sacrifice away to a land of mythical creatures.
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Manga-ka: Tomo Maeda
Publisher: Go!Comi
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: August 2008
Synopsis: ”They say all good things must come to an end… but will this hold true for Shikimi, as well? The half-demon priest was making such good progress, but a fun-filled day in the falling snow turns deadly as his demon half takes over. Will Grey finally win their bet?”
With strange dreams and memories that never fade, Shikimi is starting to act more oddly than usual and he doesn’t seem keen on telling his friends why. After an early snowfall offers fun and frolic for Laz and Taki, it soon spells trouble for everyone when the darkness in Shikimi finally claws its way to the surface.
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Go!Comi’s pun was too horrid not to use for the title of this entry. Well, that and somedays it’s just near-impossible coming up with something as simple as a post name, don’t you find?
After first posting a link to it through their forum yesterday, the Go!Comi staffed has explained in more detail, via their DeviantArt journal and web blog, the deal with their new fiction line. What exists now is Golden Vampires: a fiction story told from the perspective of two girls as they blog about their experiences. The story is meant to have an interactive element to it as readers are encouraged to post comments on the blog, which will then in turn be responded to in-character by the blog-writer (s).
Seems like a neat concept to me, not something I personally have much interest in, but I can see the charm there, especially with the interactive part. Reminds me of these column that used to (still is?) running in the Cosmopolitan magazine, though I can’t see these girls having so much to say about their more initimate moments. On that note though, it’s not as though I can avoid pointing out upon a quick visual scan, “ball-gag” and “leather-strap” were where my eyes first fell…
So, while still lamenting the lack of light novels, fans looking for another vampire story and enjoy that blogging experience should probably head over there and give ‘er a go.
