Author: Eiji Otsuka
Manga-ka: Sho-U Tajima
Publisher: Dark Horse
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: July 2008
Synopsis: “In MPD-Psycho, volume 1, Yousuke Kobayashi – a seemingly innocent police detective – is pushed into a complex tempest of interconnected deviants and evil forces. With its absurd twists, sci-fi touches, and inventive torture scenes, you’ll be mesmerized by the plethora of odd conspiracies and case files found in Eiji Otsuka and Sho-U Tajima’s uncontrollable, urban horror show.”
MPD Psycho, (aka Multiple Personality Detective Psycho) follows in this first volume a key number of characters. Central to them is Yousuke Kobayashi, a detective who possesses several different personalities within himself. They are independent of each other and some more dangerous than others. When a serial killer murders his girlfriend, Kobayashi’s resulting vengeance (though committed by another of his personalities) has him thrown in jail. Years later, he’s out on parole and invited to join a private firm to make use of his uncanny criminal profiling abilities.
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Author: Fuyumi Ono
Manga-ka: Shiho Inada
Publisher: DelRey
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: November 2007
Synopsis: “After a series of disappearances in an old mansion, the intrepid Ghost Hunters of the SPR try to unearth the gruesome secret of this scary maze of rooms and passageways. The discovery that the house has a history of murders leaves the team fearing for their safety. What mystery is this dark manor hiding? And will SPR crack the case in time to save one of their own from a terrible fate?”
After reading volume six, volume seven became one of those must-have-now volumes. Continuing with the escalating danger of the previous story, Mai has survived a traumatizing dream life of the last living moments of a girl gruesomely murdered. The investigative team continues to struggle with the strange layout of the house in order to find where the disappearing guests have gone.
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DramaQueen has made corrections based on some unsurity of the news it gave the other day for the release date of it’s first return title, Tyrant Who Falls in Love. While they stated the month of September, causing some to assume September 2009, it was actually a mistake on their part and they meant November 2008! Much better I’d say, right?
“Tyrant is coming out this NOVEMBER – sheesh I’m losing track of time – so my apologies for getting the month wrong!
We’re shotting for BEFORE THANKS GIVING shipping – and I know that many fans have doubts about our release schedule after last year – I just humbly ask that you all forgive us for not being able to fulfill the schedule that we wanted to do.
Trust me, there is nothing that would have stopped us from doing so if circumstances allowed it – but we’re still here and we never gave up that we’ll be back to printing. This is our labor of love, and we’ve learned from our errors and now we’re moving one.
So, Tyrant is THIS NOVEMBER! Haahaa – printer’s been paid, so it’s gonna happen. Right now, we’re double checking the QC and then sending to printers. Once again, thank you thank you for all your support and encouragement (in all forms ^ ^) and it’s just good to be back doing what we love…. “
Thanks to Nadaj for the heads up on my previous post, and Simon for the initial insight.
Author: Yukako Kabei
Manga-ka: Shiori Teshirogi
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis: “Their fates irrevocably intertwined by a bloody war waged eighty years ago, Harvey has promised to help the Corporal pass on by returning him to his final resting place. But when saying their last good-byes to the Corporal goes awry, Harvey is convinced that it would be best for Kieli to go home. But is it really Kieli that needs saving or is Harvey sacrificing his last hope for salvation?”
Kieli and Harvey’s journey continues along with their ghost-in-a-radio, the Corporal. The three find themselves at a place very familiar to Harvey, a place he once called home with a smile upon his face. The trio aren’t far from their destination, a gravesite of soldiers from a war long since past, that holds potent meaning for both Harvey and the Commander, leaving Kieli to wonder what will become of their travels together once they reach it.
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Hopefully there’ll be a cool accompanying picture (Edit: check! Well, semi-cool anyway) to that overenthuastic title but in the meantime:
Seems that those who’ve held out hope for DramaQueen are finally being rewarded as a post on the forums has made official proclamation that they’re making a comeback. The plan is to have the first volume of The Tyrant Who Falls in Love out in September 2009. They also have plans to continue the RUSH anthology. This after it was previously stated that the RUSH crew were looking for another publisher after DramaQueen’s long silence.
Looks like my foolish hold out of hope was not in vain! All for the love of Hinako Takanaga and Naono Bohra. Now it’s just a matter of September coming around to make sure it’s not another empty promise. When we hold that book in our hand, then we shall truely celebrate!
You can read the whole post under the cut. Thanks to the folks at Boys Next Door for the quick pick up of the news!
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Manga-ka: Kei Kusunoki
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Volumes: 3
Released: September 2006 – September 2007
Synopsis: “From Kei Kusunoki, the creator of Sengoku Nights comes a twisted psychological drama about Makoto, a private eye with an uncanny, almost otherworldly, ability to get his man. When he is put on the case of a suspected witch, the trail suddenly takes a dark turn along the fine line that separates the guilty from the innocent…”
Innocent W is a three-volume horror story that follows a bus of witches into the deserted mountains. Waiting for them amidst the trees and darkness are those who look for retribution from these witches, for crimes against themselves and their family. Among the witches is a private eye named Makoto who has strange powers of his own. Unfortunately for him and the girls, the hunters aren’t looking for apologies; they’re looking for blood.
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Just a note to point out a few small changes around the website. I’m currently going through all my reviews and adding in links to Amazon.com purchase pages to go along with the Amazon.ca ones already present. A couple people had asked me about it so here you go! See, never hurts to ask ;) This is a bit of a project for me, with over 250+ pages to go through, but soon enough they’ll all be changed!
I’ve also finally set myself up a new e-mail address for my Kuriousity questions, submissions and inquiries. So, if you’d like to get a hold of me, then you can now drop me a line at lissa @ kuri-ousity.com (removing the spaces). Those who’re already in contact with me now, feel free to keep using the same e-mail address for me you already have.
And finally, there’s a new bio picture up on the About page for Gizmo, a friend of mine who has graciously been helping me out with some review writing! Bio coming soon. Between her, Marsha and I, you’ll always have something new to read everyday here on Kuriousity!
Author: Yamila Abraham
Artist: M.A. Sambre
Publisher: Yaoi Press
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis:
“Prince Davon yearns for a pure love with the peasant Aeon, but the dark forces that taint Davon’s life will interfere. Both Davon and Aeon become unsure of where they stand. Will they be lovers, or adversaries? The macabre story of twisted love, demons, and torture comes to a heart-wrenching conclusion.”
Volume three of Dark Prince marks the end of this boys’ love story of demons, gods and princes. Prince Davon is still struggling under the control of the abusive and selfish God, Pharah. Aeon, the young boy believed to be a reincarnation of a man named Rickus, stays at Davon’s side but Pharah wants the boy for himself. But when Davon is unable to convince Aeon of his God’s non-existent good side, Pharah orders Davon to kill him.
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Less than a week until Halloween! Everyone have their pumpkins carved, costumes ready and candy purchased? :) As promised last week, here’s part two of my Halloween recommendations! There’s certainly no shortage of good reads this time of year. You can read part one here.
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Manhwa-ga: Lee Eun
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: August 2008
Synopsis: “The antiques take their show on the road when a delivery boy with a dark, murderous streak gets stuck in a freaky mansion with its equally freaky inhabitants. The young man finds solace in the “Son” of the family – a mistreated but cherubic (and relatively normal) little boy who is the exact opposite of the house and everything in it. But when does everyone keep telling him to stay away from this little angel?”
In this fifth volume of The Antique Gift Shop, a teen with a dark past finds himself trapped in weird mansion inhabited by even weirder people. What seems most strange of all is the pretty young boy of the family who’s shunned by the others and locked away. What’s the truth behind this family? After that, a young girl running the gift shop plays a dream-game with some special guests which could allow her to make changes to death itself.
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Manga-ka: Matsuri Akino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “When the dath of a bird ignites a great crisis that threatens to destroy all of Japan, will Count D be part of the solution – or the problem? Later, it will fall on Count D to help a wife who is treated like a servant and a girl who is imprisioned by her family. But when the Count helps, it usually comes at a steep price…”
Dreams and reality walk a thin line here in the third volume of Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo. Count D’s business continues to thrive in the lively Chinatown centre and people from all around look to him for the perfect pet. This time a long girl seeks the truth about her past, a cat yearns for acceptance, a young woman struggles to survive in a world that seems to hate her and a dead bird means much more than a simple hole in Count D’s heart.
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Author/Artist: Yayoi Neko
Publisher: Kitty Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis:
“Can a demon find love on Earth? The painful relationship between the demon Lenniel and the human Judas continues all the odds stacked against them. They will endure tribulations as pressures from Hell and Earth seek to split them apart. How can they overcome such epic obstacles?”
Despite the book’s back cover synopsis, the relationship between Lenniel and Judas doesn’t carry much focus in this third volume of Incubus, nor (much to Lenniel’s dismay) does it really exist. But romance and tribulations can be found in the bodies and souls of another trialed couple, the return of the demon Kent and his injured human lover, Alexi. After an accident left him comatose, Kent stays at Alexi’s side with hope of a recovery but what he doesn’t know is that Alexi is fighting his own internal battle against the man who put him in the coma in the first place.
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Author: Eiji Otsuka
Manga-ka: Housui Yamazaki
Publisher: Dark Horse
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “Collecting can take over a fan’s life: what if it takes over their death as well? Zombie robot otaku and plastic surgery disasters are only the latest faces of horror as Kurosagi continues their struggle to turn corpses into cash! But when Karatsu falls into a bizarre trap set for him by the Shirosagi pair, can the rest of the gang save him… or even themselves?”
When a gravestone moving job turns out to be too much to handle, the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service seeks some assistance from some enthusiastic scientists. Too bad their newly created mech-suit runs best on something a little harder to come by than batteries. Working to survive through a case of anime geekdom and a robot on a rampage, the team then must face an epidemic of pointed ears, undead facial tumours and a twisted source of plastic surgery.
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Manga-ka: Satoko Kiyuduki
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: May 2008
Synopsis: “Regularly mistaken for a boy and/or vampire, the traveler Kuro roams the land, clothed in black from head to toe, a Kuro-sized coffin on her back. Accompanied by her snarky bat friend, Sen, the mysterious duo meets all sorts of individuals en route–some good, some evil, some just plain crazy! But Kuro never stays in one place for long, begging the question: What exactly is she searching for? And what exactly does she intend to do with that coffin?!”
The art style was what first grabbed my attention when I looked at the book. As a friend had suggested, it was just the sort of thing that I would be interested in. When I first opened it, I was put off a little by the way the paneling was put together. Like a number of recently released titles from Yen Press, it follows the ‘four panel’ style. Still, I liked the way it was drawn, and the premise for it was interesting enough, so I dove right into Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro.
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