Manhwa-ga: Park SoHee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: July 2006
Synopsis: “With the wedding ceremony complete, Chae-Kyung and Prince Shin are finally newlyweds. . . but now they have to spend their first night together?! And as she tries to get accustomed to life as a princess, homesick Chae-Kyung finds no comfort in her haughty husband, who seems determined to antagonize her at every turn. Will the crown prince’s attitude ever change? Is the dream of marital bliss doomed to be a nightmarish marital blunder?!”
If Korea hadn’t been crushed by the countries around it, if their nobility was as wealthy and influential as that of China or England, what would modern day Korea be like? Changing history and sliding it into the real world, SoHee Park tells the tale of young prince Shin, who has been forced into an arranged marriage. He doesn’t seem to mind, but his bride to be, Chae-Kyung, has a thing or two to say about it!
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Manga-ka: Hiroki Kusumoto
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis: “A starving artist, Lou sits on a street corner and draws everyday. In the age of patrons & artists, he longs for the day a noble will acknowledge his ability and support him. When a man called Sein commissions him to draw his portrait, Lou soon discovers that his patron is not only incredibly wealthy and generous, but he is also dead! Instead of being fearful, Lou realizes that he longs for the pull of Sein’s lips on his neck and doesn’t want Sein to drink anyone elses blood!”
A portrait painter on the street, Lou is commissioned by the mysterious, Sein and given a place to stay in the man’s home until he can properly capture his “true face”. At first Lous sees it as a job alone but an even more intriguing revelation is made when the real reason behind his patron’s longing for a self-portrait comes to light.
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Manga-ka: Atsushi Ohkubo
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis: “… When Mana meets Shotaro on her travels, she expects nothing but trouble from the childish, ignorant boy—until he takes off into the sky like a bird. Mana may be impressed, but dokeshi are viewed as freaks by most of the population. And with the governor missing, all dokeshi are under suspicion. Ever-optimistic Shotaro refuses to be discouraged and journeys on with Mana in the name of Justice!”
B. Ichi is the kind of book that you really need to read the whole way through before you can start forming any real opinions on it. Though the same should obviously be said about any book, it’s a test of patience and hopeful reward when you begin reading and the thought of surviving to the end seems difficult. When the story begins, all I really saw was the wonky, uneven art style, erratic pacing and comedicly unbelievable characters. But when I finished, well, it still had all those things, though all of it combined, it really wasn’t too bad.
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Manga-ka: Ai Morinaga
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: November 2008
Synopsis: “With no intention of ever switching back, Momoi begins dating her pre-swap best friend, Shiina. Meanwhile, Akira’s pre-swap best friend, Senbongi, continues to purse him, making Akira even more devoted to regaining his own body. But when Senbongi overhears a conversation between Momoi and Akira and uncovers their secret, what will happen to them now that someone knows the truth?”
Volume three of Your & My Secret returns with much of the same but doesn’t for a moment take it easy with the jokes, jeers and charm. Akira and Momoi’s body switching secret is discovered by Senbongi but he remains undeterred in his affection for Akira. Meanwhile, Momoi in Akira’s body continues to date her pre-switch best friend, Shiina though realizes that her girlfriend is getting a little worried about their defensive nature of “Momoi”’s chastity.
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Another lame title joke brought to you by Kuriousity aside, a quick note tonight to spread the news of a recent Yaoi Generation press release. The release date for the first volume of their licensed series, breath, is December 16th, with pre-orders available at their online store on November 28th. Both the store and the site’s forums are set to open that day at the stroke of midnight! Well… one minute after anyway.
“Yaoi Generation STORE TO OPEN SOON!
Fremont, CA – (November 25, 2008) YAOI GENERATION is pleased to announce that breath, vol.1 by Chifumi Ochi will be released on Dec. 16. The company will be accepting preorders for softcover copies starting Black Friday, Nov. 28 at www.yaoigen.com. The online store, along with their forum, opens at 12.01 a.m. Nov. 28, Pacific Standard Time.
To promote its first title and in the spirit of Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S., Yaoi Generation will offer a special discount on preorders placed on opening day.
Presently, preorders will only be available on Yaoi Gen’s Web site. However, the books will soon be made available on Amazon.com.”
YG on Friday and DQ on Saturday. Going to be a weekend of boys’ love expectations it seems. Could we possibly have a weekend of both birth and resurrection on our BL buying hands?
Manga-ka: Reiichi Hiiro
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “Yu: shy, part-time florist. Ryo: street-walking playboy. Kaname: cool-headed defense attorney. These three couldn’t be more different — except that they share the same body! After a childhood trauma, Yu created his multiple personalities so someone would love him. But when Yu falls in love with Sugo, Ryo and Kaname’s jealousy makes it nigh impossible for them to meet!”
When I picked up Romantic Illusions, I had just finished a volume 2-6 mini-marathon of MPD Psycho. Could I possibly handle reading another multiple personality book right now? Yes, yes I could, and not only did I read it, but I loved every minute of it.
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Author: Woo Soo Jung
Manhwa-ga: Kara
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis: “Even after learning No-Ah’s true intentions, Eun-Gyo agrees to help him search for the Seven Blade Sword – as long as he promises to keep her safe. When the trio stumbles out of the lush forest into a barren desert, No-Ah suspects another blade of the sword is the cause. But before they have a chance to investigate, they are caught in the middle of a power struggle at the village temple.”
The trio’s travel on the search for the Seven Blade Sword, runs them into a follower traveller with a strange story to tell. The group of them are captured and imprisoned, trapped in a place where legend of a magic flute could be another clue to the sword pieces they’re looking for.
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Manga-ka: Shoko Iwami
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: July 2008
Synopsis: “Kaede Takamura’s teenage life swerves to the brink of insanity when she comes face to face with her twin… or does she. Suzu is practically the mirror-image of Kaede–except for having cat ears and a tail and being far more well-endowed than Kaede thinks she ought to be. But the Takamuras have no qualms about bringing this strange, happy-go-lucky catgirl into their home. With Suzu completely ignorant of the ways of modern society, it’s going to be a very long year for poor Kaede.”
Kaede is the only child of a small family, attending school and living a normal life. That is until “little sister” Suzu appears in her bed one morning, staring down at her with adoring eyes and large catlike ears. Their faces and hair are identical so Kaede’s much-too-accepting family assumes the identity of Suzu is Kaede’s younger sister, and then they briskly move on with their lives. They decide to send the strange girl with their daughter to school under the guise of a cat ear hat, and Kaede protests every step of the way.
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Manga-ka: Kazuhiko Mishima
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “Shindo has just transferred into an extremely individualistic school. The ideal honor student, Shindo appears to sparkle with his perfect poise and presence. Yosuke, on the other hand, is the school delinquent preferring to spend his time hanging out on the school roof. But, Yosuke has a dark secret. The stereotypical tsundere, he may appear hostile on the outside, but his gruff hides a very sensitive interior. An interior that Shindo is determined to uncover…”
The story begins with a new student’s first day at his new school. In sharp contrast to the rundown looking building, Shindou is tidy and serious. The school is overrun by delinquents, or atleast that’s what said, but it goes without saying that when Shindou meets the hair-dyed, foul-mouthed, Yousuke, there’s more than a little contrast going on.
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For a moment anyway. The JumpLand website is now streaming the three animated shorts done for Shonen Jump’s 40th Anniversary tour. There’re shorts for One Piece, Tegami Bachi and Dragonball! All three videos require you to download a special player screen for them and will be available to watch until January 31st, 2009.
I watched the Dragonball special today after counting down on my calendar for it. It was better than I expected with some really shiny animation that still feels true to the anime and original manga designs, and a writing style and plot set-up that’s certainly evident of Akira Toriyama’s direct hand in it. It’s also bound to be a fan-pleaser with lots of screen share-time between the largerly present cast of characters (Kuririn! *momentary nostalgic fangirlage*). My only real issue: how is Buu and Mr. Satan’s dog the only one who visibly aged in two years? Ah well, toddler Marron, Goten and Trunks are too cute for me to really complain!
Author: Tina Anderson
Artist: Caroline Monaco
Publisher: Iris Print
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: August 2008
Synopsis: “18-year-old seminary student Koby Bruk has watched for two years as the Nazis encroach on Poland. The Hitler Youth now openly attend his classes, and Koby finds himself strangely fascinated by one in particular: the scarred and domineering Oskar Keplar. When Koby is bulled by his classmate Irvine, he chooses to speak up against him. Oskar retaliates, cornering Koby and making a sinister promise.”
The lead of Only Words is Koby, a seminary student who lives his life honestly and quietly within the confines of society in Nazi-inhabited Poland. Affecting his life in a way that will forever stay with him is Oskar, a Nazi soldier, and between them is arranged a seductively dangerous encounter.
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Manhua-ka: Song Yang
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: September 2008
Synopsis: “Coming of age during the Cultural Revolution in China, sixteen-year-old Ma Xiaojun yearns to rebel against the system. But while he manages to get into plenty of trouble with his friends, he also nurtures a more solitary side and a mysterious obsession with keys. When maturity yields a newfound interest in the opposite sex, Xiaojun finds himself intrigued by the untouchable Mi Lan. Will he ever find the key to unlock the enigmas she presents?”
Wild Animals is the story of Ma Xiaojun, a Chinese teen living during the Cultural Revolution. He runs with a questionable crowd, skips school and generally does what he wishes in a society he enjoys rebelling against. It’s 240 pages of life in China-past through the eyes of its youth.
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Doesn’t it always seem like lots of stuff goes on and e-mail boxes get flooded on the few days you’re out of town? Darn irony! So upon my arrival home from an entertaining anime & manga presentation I helped run for Teen Read Week in Halifax, I came across several different things so it’s short round-up time!
Biggest manga news in recent days is undoubtably the announced shutdown of Brocolli Books USA International. While not a big fan of the publisher myself, it can’t be denied that they had some popular titles and a good reputation of quality. I first heard of Brocoll’s shutdown thanks to Gia who was quick to learn of the news. Since then ICv2 has recieved confirmation of the shutdown and more information was shared with the public through Brocolli Books’ production blog.
Yaoi Press’s Twitter reminds those waiting for some of DMP’s December releases that they’ve been pushed back until sometime in 2009, including Vampire Hunter D (Vol. 03) and Kabuki (Vol. 02). The full list can read from ANN’s post this past October.
On a potentially more positive note, another post over on the DramaQueen forums had this to say:
“Tyrant QC is done so next phase is printing!!! OK – we will be updating the website with pre-order for weekend after Thanks Giving – that would be Nov. 29th that Saturday.
We are timing the pre-order as close to the time we get the books in-house from our beloved printers. So there might be a 2 week lag from pre-orders to shipping date. Just wanted to let everyone know in advance!”
As usual, we shall see…
Also, at BLU would like to remind readers to stop asking about Love Pistols (Vol. 06). It hasn’t yet been released in Japan so harassing them about it won’t make it available in English any faster. Even I’ve recieved e-mails asking about it so I can only imagine what their e-mail boxes must look like. Please be courteous and do your research before you make an inquiry :)
And finally on a great note if it turns out to be true, Danielle over at Comics Should Be Good! is spreading the word that it looks like Viz may have picked up the license to Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ooku. Edit: And ANN continues this news with a bunch of other titles as well!
Author: Rachel Brown
Artist: Bayou
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: October 2008
Synopsis: “Alien refugees have come to Earth. They call themselves 9-Lives. Humans call them cat-boys, and force to live as collared pets. Conri, a rebellious young 9-Life, ran away to escape this fate. But when a human named Adrian saves him from capture, Conri is torn between his desire for freedom and another desire he can’t quite admit, even to himself…”
I’d honestly never heard of 9Lives before I came across a review for it online. It sounded interesting and looked equally so visually when I picked it up off the store shelf. I’m a big fan of global manga, and have read some fantastic titles, plus both the author and artist of 9Lives have some lengthy credentials. So now it was just a matter of taking the title home and seeing how it played itself out.
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Manga-ka: Negi Banno
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: August 2008
Synopsis: “There are many manga out there about school life, but those are mostly about the students. Here is the first about the young female teachers. S.S. ASTRO follows the adventures – romantic and otherwise – of a group of young teachers working to make ends meet. Fun doesn’t have to end after high school!”
There are two new homeroom teachers this year at Asashio High School, and even though they’re supposed to be teachers, they’re almost as lazy and irresponsible as the students! Japanese teacher, Nagumo Yoko, can’t seam to stop stuffing her face and the gym teacher, Maki Izumi, is either sleeping or playing video games. Both alumni of this school, they do take their jobs seriously but it’s what they do on their down time which makes them questionable candidates for teachers.
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