I'm bored, and I thought it'd be neat to get more input from the fandom, soooo~

07-GHOST CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL

Basically, this poll is for fun and to see which character's are the most popular, despite only 14 chapters being scanlated! Still the last time a poll like this was done was... back when there were only 6 chapters? ANYWAY.

Rules are, you can only vote for ONE character! And when you do, comment explaining why they're you favorite :D. If they're not listed, just name them in the 'Other' option, and explain why!

ETA: ...lol whoops put bastien twice. IGNORE THAT MISTAKE and vote for the first one if you're voting for him o/

Amazon.com Widgets

Title:  D. Gray-Man Vol 9

Author: Katsura Hoshino

Publisher: Viz

ISBN:  9781421516103

May Contain Spoilers

Lavi, Lenalee, and the rest of the gang have arrived in Japan, only to discover that it’s a hotbed of akuma activity.  The Earl, in Edo, is calling his minions to him, and they are arriving in hordes.  Uh-oh!  It looks like Allen’s friends are in deep doo-doo.  But wait!!  An akuma has been sent to collect Allen, and without his Innocence to protect him, things are looking very grim for our hero!

Ah, what would a shounen manga be without simultaneous hopeless situations occurring for the main cast?  Nothing! That’s what!  There’s lots of danger and desperation, as both Allen and the Exorcists in Japan face the fight of their lives - well, for now, at least.  With all of those akuma, and even some Noah, swarming around Edo, Lavi and Lenalee’s group is in so much trouble!  Allen, where are you?  Oh, yeah, you still haven’t gotten your Innocence back, which is going to make you such easy pickings for the akuma headed your way.  Watch out!

Events are building up, and there’s going to be a showdown between the Noah and the Exorcists.  It hardly seems fair that our battered and exhausted  friends must dive into battle again, but this is manga, where there is no rest for the weary!  We get a break from them, however, as gears are shifted and they are left abruptly behind.  Just as Lavi and Tyki are about to go head to head - figures.

Transition to Allen, and his duel with the nasty fellow who has been sent to escort him back to the Earl.  The two battle away, and the ensuing pages contain way more than your daily allotment of cheese. It’s artery clogging  This is the mascarpone of altercations, thick and slightly cloying, yet ever irresistible. Allen finally finds the key to recovering his Innocence, and it’s just as sappy as you’d expect.  He couldn’t do it for himself, but when trouble beckons for his friends, the way is suddenly clear to him.  Its new form is impressive, but its name didn’t have me quaking in my boots.  And its appearance - so slender and fragile looking.  It’s obvious that I need some convincing that this form of his Innocence is better than the last. Good thing Allen has to race off to save his friends, so we can see it in action again.

Grade:  B

Rated for Older Teen

Review copy provided by  Viz

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

So, I saw this on nephthysmoon's journal and thought I'd give it a try. It's the fannish5...

Here's this Friday's prompt: Name five fandoms that you're not (yet) in, but which seem intriguing.

1) Vampire Knight: I've read the manga and find it REALLY intriguing and the anime was cool; I'm just not sure if I'm ready to commit.

2) X-Men: I loved the cartoon when I was younger and enjoy the comic books. I just don't think I can tolerate fans of the movie-verse because it's so inexplicably horrible what they did to the characters.

3) Heroes: I like the show, but the shippers scare me.

4) Bleach: The storyline is going nowhere fast and I actually like the fanfic I've been reading more than the actual story lately...

5) Lovely Complex: I like the characters, the original concept and the humor, but there's a lack of conflict. I mean, they're just a happy couple. What's interesting about that?

Amazon.com Widgets

Title:  Dororo Vol 2

Author:  Osamu Tezuka

Publisher:  Vertical Inc

ISBN:  9781934287170

May Contain Spoilers

Deformed Hyakkimaru is back, continuing on his journey to reclaim his stolen body parts.  With the impish thief Dororo for company, the two travel the countryside, encountering hideous monsters and equally evil humans.  As sinister forces target Hyakkimaru, he must confront his own inner demons to make himself whole.

Hyakkimaru is so cool!  He’s a touch arrogant, totally self-assured and not willing to bow down to anyone.  He is confident in his fighting abilities, and he’s not about to let some nasty demons get the better of him.  Despite having more than his share of pride, he remains sensitive to others, and he’s always the first to throw himself in harm’s way to save another. 

Dororo’s not so bad, though he’s more like an annoying brat.  He’s the little brother you want to ban from your room - forever.  No matter how many times Hyakkimaru tries to chase the boy from his side, Dororo stubbornly remains, despite the dangers facing them.  Though he’s growing more noble, he can’t leave his tendencies for thievery behind, and he’s constantly in search of things to pilfer.  His skills at skulking around are put to good use by Hyakkimaru, and Dororo is an eyebrow raising master of self-preservation.

All of the action is once again cloaked within a framework of human relations.  The fighting and death-defying scenes are suspenseful, and Dororo must have the nine lives of a cat.  He gets out of the most impossible situations with only a few scrapes and bruises, relying on his noodle, and dumb luck, to get him through.  I enjoy the interaction between Dororo and Hyakkimaru - they squabble like siblings, bickering back and forth and getting on each other’s nerves.  When they work together, there isn’t anything that they can’t accomplish - I wonder how long it will be before they figure that out?

Grade: A-

Rated for NCR

Review copy provided by Vertical Inc

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

While I was at Anime Expo I had a conversation with another manga editor, and we both agreed on one strange fact: the vast majority of "manga-influenced" and "OEL" comic artists in America today are influenced by shojo manga, far more than shonen manga.

There are exceptions, like Empowered and MBQ and perhaps Sharknife, the last of which I haven't read (all of which are enjoyed by an older and more "comic"-y audience than the majority of Tokyopop/Seven Seas/Del Rey OEL material), but the vast majority of successful and recognizable OEL manga artists seem to be shojo-influenced (such as Svetlana Chmakova's awesome work, or the as yet underappreciated Tintin Pantoja, to name two people I am pretty familiar with). There are some artists who, I think, have a good mixture of shojo and shonen influences, like Joanna Estep, but her work has also not reached its ideal maximum audience yet. Where is the shonen OEL? When I was the editor of Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z, we got tons of wretched fan art from 8-year-olds, who presumably did not die in a plague, but years have passed since then and I am still hard pressed to come up with the name of a really solid OEL comic showing a Dragon Ball influence. Considering all the people reading Naruto and Bleach and other Shonen Jump manga today -- or Dragon Ball and Yu-Gi-Oh a few years ago -- why are we not seeing a vast boom in people drawing "boyish" battle comics?

The other editor felt that the reason was, this audience hasn't matured yet. Prior to Sailor Moon and the Tokyopop explosion (which was mostly buoyed by shojo manga and shonen romantic manga like Love Hina), the number of seriously manga-influenced artists in the U.S. was negligible. Since then, a whole generation of excellent artists has developed, mostly influenced by the things which manga did which American comics didn't do -- shojo and romantic material. This other editor felt that the future Naruto-and-Bleach-influenced artists simply weren't old enough yet. In other words, "The time has not yet come."

This is a pretty good explanation, but let me toss some other potential -- and I stress, potential -- explanations out there:

* the audiences for shows like Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh and Naruto are so "mainstream" that they don't contain a large portion of "manga" fans. These phenomena are such big business that they don't really inspire loner-artistic-types the way that a "cult" phenomenon like shojo manga once did (five-ten years ago when it was still a cult phenomenon, that is... and even today, all shojo manga is a cult phenomenon compared to Naruto, for better or worse). Most of the fans of these shows don't get into manga in general, they just grow up, stop playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and start playing Magic: The Gathering, and in general move on to other things.
* women not only read more than men, they also draw more than men. Men are a bunch of lazy-asses.
* people who are into "action" and "battle" comics, like the shonen ones I'm describing, are the most likely to be seduced away by superheroes, American's indigenous action comics. It's clear that "manga-ish" techniques have disseminated throughout American superhero comics in the last 15 years -- speedlines, an openness to more cartoony styles, etc. For me, though, color superhero comics just don't hit the same pleasure center in my brain, no matter how manga-ish they are. (Unless they're by Adam Warren, but his stuff is way more satirical and tongue-in-cheek and witty than shonen manga, so it's still a very different thing.) Despite the common element of fight scenes, storywise, the conventions and format of superhero stories and shonen manga are so dramatically different that it's like substituting chicory for chocolate.
* my own snobby idea -- a lot of inexperienced artists who are into manga become enthralled with a particular idea of "manga style" which is in fact specific to shojo manga. (Admittedly, there is a lot of crossover between shojo and shonen styles nowadays, but...) Layouts, for instance. Some people, including more than a few art directors I've worked with, think that "manga" automatically implies some kind of crazy, florid page layouts with screentone everywhere, and a very vague sense of spatial relations. But if you look at shonen manga, particularly shonen manga for young readers like Zatch Bell and Dragon Ball Z, you often see *very* straightforward panel layouts, square and rectangular panels, and a highly selective use of screentone. (Shonen manga in general tends to be more high-contrast black-and-white, such as One Piece and to a lesser extent Naruto, whereas shojo tends more towards screentone.) It reminds me of Yoshihiro Togashi's answer to an interview in the American Shonen Jump, when he was asked "What do you keep in mind when thinking of new ways to show action on the page?" His answer was, "The most important thing is making it clear what's happening."
* shonen manga sucks (or is only good as raw material for Boy's Love dojin) and therefore no one should ever bother to imitate shonen manga. Obviously I don't agree with this explanation.

Speaking personally, as much as I love shonen romantic comedies and shojo, seinen and josei manga, I really do love shonen battle manga. Most of all, I love shonen battle manga which has: (1) clear, easy-to-understand, dramatic action scenes, (2) character designs which are exaggerated, cartoony, distinct and memorable, (3) art which has the confidence to be high-contrast instead of overrelying on screentone, and (4) the particular kind of Gung-Ho, ass-kicking, cliff-hanging stories particular to battle manga. Shojo manga has (2) and (4) -- good character designs and awesome melodrama is a major factor in all manga -- but shonen battle manga has a near-monopoly on (1) and (3). Particularly (1)... good action scenes are actually really hard to do. For instance, when I look at the sloppy, convoluted action scenes in a pseudo-shojo action manga like Broccoli's "Kamui", or a mediocre shonen manga like "Tetragrammaton Labyrinth" or "Haridama," I just get irritated. Perhaps one reason the action scenes in weekly shonen battle manga (i.e. Shonen Jump, Sunday, Magazine, Champion) are so good is their extremely high page counts, which are better-served by the weekly format than the monthly format.

So, where are the good shonen OEL artists? I actually want a show of hands: if you consider yourself to be a shonen-influenced OEL artist who can point to a body of work, POST HERE AND SHOW ME YOUR STUFF!

I want to see a manga that has the clear action scenes of Dragon Ball; the heartwarming melodrama and great action scenes of One Piece; the cheesy melodrama of Yu-Gi-Oh; the weirdness and great action scenes of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure; the cartooniness and awesome character design of Shaman King; the exaggerated art and great action scenes of Zatch Bell; the mean-spirited melodrama of Iron Wok Jan; the brutal violence and exaggerated art and action scenes of Hellsing (okay, so that one's not actually a shonen manga).

I do love shojo manga, but I feel like I'm waiting for some generational shift to occur before America starts producing really good shonen-influenced artists. Will it happen?

Here it is, give thanks to our new cleaner and xalista and the anonsocks account (of course)who will work on the series while I'm busy on Mirai Nikki, they are better than me anyway. Also thank potato scans for scantalating 14 as well since this means that we all can continue to enjoy this wonderful series

 www.freewebs.com/twilightdreamsscans/07-Ghost.html

If there are one or more people on your friends list who make your world a better place just because they exist, and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the Internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

You folks know who you are (okay, so what if it's practically everybody?)... :P

In other news, I'm gearing up for Comic-Con and trying to schedule out our day, visiting all the panels everyone'll enjoy (as opposed to the whole selfish "this is what I wanna see"-thing), figure out which panels we'll have to line up for early and still find time/places to eat. While I'd love to be able to eat lunch at one of my fav downtown restaurants, I fear it'll take me away from the Convention Center for too long. The other possibility is bringing our own food (I REFUSE to pay for food at Con because it's so damned expensive)...Oh well, guess I have a week to figure it out!

In other, other news, I've been watching Gankutsuou. I just happened upon it at the library a couple of weeks ago and decided to pick it up. It took me a little while to get used to the animation technique (a mix of Photoshop layers and 3-D), but I really like it. Of course, I read The Count of Monte Cristo awhile ago, so I'm familiar with the story. I do like the liberties this version takes with it, especially since, for the most part, it seems to be following the core of the story...Has anyone else seen this and what did you think? (Feel free to spoil me, since I already know how the real story ends.)

Account Structure Update
Back by popular demand, Basic Accounts will be available to all users again by the end of the (northern hemisphere) summer. More information on the decision-making process and proposals relating to the future of Basic Accounts are in lj_2008.

New Themes
Two attractive and all-new Flexible Squares themes, "Circular" and "Circular Brown" are now available.


L to R: Circular and Brown

New V-Gifts
Give someone you care about the gift of enticement. With the new Chocolate Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Tea, Coffee, Curry and Sushi v-gifts, all the significant people in your life will be able to share in the longing for the tasty edibles below. Plus, it reminds loved ones you think they're really sweet, really savory or just plain satisfying.


L to R: Chocolate Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Tea, Coffee, Curry and Sushi

Ж-Men...but not the ones you might expect!
This week LJ Russia launched Ж-Men, a new comedy series about superheroes, inspired by the LJ communities dedicated to superheros, comics and cartoons. The title's "Ж" comes from ЖЖ, the nickname for LiveJournal in Russia.

Ж-Men's script is written by a group of LJ enthusiasts who also happen to be television professionals. Who knew? Following the premiere, five more episodes will be broadcast over the next two weeks. We hope you find the series fresh and enjoyable.

This is, of course, an experiment for LiveJournal. As always, we'd love to hear what you think!

Well...I tried my best in the beginning I kept switching SFX fonts cause well..honestly it's 2am over here so I'm kind of out of it haha. I hope you guys like it anyway. I tried my best to edit out the sfx :X

So anyway, special thank youu to:

aya-tan for translating it, and small_heartless for providing the raw ^^;

sendspace: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ap9mof

mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/?yxxm2l590d2

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NaniwaManga/~3/337524220/

http://mangacast.net/?p=2001

GET REAL!! That is all!

REAL isn’t only SAMA; it’s seinen; it’s manga; it’s life… Beautifully drawn, full of struggle and soul, well paced and never preachy REAL could be a gateway drug to a world of manga you never knew existed (the world outside of SJ/SB). Buy now… Buy more later. And in the words of Jimmy V “don’t give up, don’t ever give up!”

BLU MANGA
Ellie Mamahara Alley Of First Love GN, $12.99

DARK HORSE
Ghost Talkers Daydream TP Vol 01, $10.95

CMX
Dorothea Vol 02, $12.99
I Hate You More Than Anyone Vol 05, $9.99
Tears Of A Lamb Vol 03, $9.99

DEUX
Kiss All The Boys GN Vol 02 (of 3)(adult), $12.95
Mister Mistress GN Vol 01 (of 2)(adult), $12.95
Pretty Poison GN (adult), $10.95

SEVEN SEAS
Avalon Web Of Magic Novel Vol 04 Secret Of The Unicorn, $5.95
Ballad Of A Shinigami Light Novel Vol 02, $7.95
Pita Ten Light Novel Vol 02, $7.95
Strawberry Panic Light Novel Vol 02, $7.95
Tetragrammaton Labyrinth GN Vol 03 $11.99

TOKYOPOP
Bizenghast GN Vol 05 (of 5), $9.99
Chibi Vampire GN Vol 09 (of 13), $9.99
Chibi Vampire Novel Vol 05 (of 9), $9.99
Daemonium GN Vol 01 (of 3), $10.99
Dark Goodbye GN Vol 02 (of 3), $9.99
Elemental Gelade GN Vol 08 (of 13), $9.99
Martin & John GN Vol 01 (of 2), $9.99
Plastic Chew GN, $9.99
Princess Ai Of Ai Land, $14.99
Psychic Power Chronicle Nanaki GN Vol 03 (of 3), $9.99
Rising Stars Of Manga GN Vol 08 (of 8), $9.99
Rolling GN Vol 01 (of 6), $9.99
Rose Hip Rose GN Vol 02 (of 4), $10.99
Samurai Deeper Kyo GN Vol 29 (of 38), $9.99
Seduction More Beautiful Than Love GN Vol 02 (of 5), $9.99
Silver Diamond GN Vol 01, $9.99
Star Trek Manga GN Vol 03 (of 3) Uchu, $10.99
Tokko GN Vol 01, $10.99
Vassalord GN Vol 01 (of 2), $9.99
Your And My Secret GN Vol 02 (of 4), $9.99

VIZ MEDIA
Case Closed GN Vol 24, $9.99
Real GN Vol 01, $12.99
Rurouni Kenshin GN Vol 03 (of 9)(VIZ BIG Edition), $17.99
Shojo Beat Vol 4 #8 (August 2008), $5.99

YEN PRESS
Alice On Deadlines TP Vol 03, $10.99
Spiral Bonds Of Reasoning TP Vol 04, $10.99
Suzunari GN Vol 01, $10.99

---

Amazon.com Widgets</p>

Jarred… How could you not pick REAL?

Nothing for me, but Greg Oden promoting Slam Dunk is AWESOMENESS. Ed, I want to see you get a pic with Oden and a volume of Dunk at SDCC.

This could be a nice little boon for sports manga here.

Brian’s pick might be a manga reader’s best dream or worst nightmare!

Ghost Talker’s Daydream… Let me see if I have the straight. The main character is a virgin, albino, part-time dominatrix who also happens to work for an agency hunting down supernatural phenomenon and her partner is a ghost-fearing martial artist? This could either be amazing or amazingly bad. This is my gamble this week so hopefully Dark Horse won’t let me down.

This is probably a conflict of interest at this point but…What is really important is that everyone must buy Real this week. Do it!

Erin and sports… Have I stepped into a time warp?

I’m just going to follow Brian’s orders and purchase Real this week. I’ve got double deadlines, a new job starting up, and a two week vacation all back-to-back right before San Diego Comic Con, so it might be a while before I can actually read Real….

I’m hoping to score an advance copy of Faust at SDCC. I mean, of course, I am so cool that I’ve already read it, but I want a nice copy in color. “Drill Hole in My Brain” was awesome and changed my life forever. (My highest rating is, “changed my life forever”.)

I’m also looking forward to Yen+ magazine, which I can get really far behind on reading just like Shojo Beat. (I almost typoed that into Shojo Beast.)

Enough with the sports talk. Julie wants to talk about men! Not men playing on the hardwood but men playing with their hardwood…

Kiss All The Boys 02 – The first volume of this BL comedy had me laughing non-stop. All of those romantic entanglements and rampaging hormones made for a fun read, not to mention the hysterically dysfunctional father/son relationship. Oh, and it’s got great art, too!

Eva’s pick is not making that last pun of mine any better…

I’m going with Ellie Mamahara’s Alley of First Love. Her stories are always sweet and funny and sexy, without being explicit. A bit of a tease, really. I haven’t read this one yet, so I’m looking forward to it.

And since Khursten is on vacation Pea will close this one out by trying to impersonate my third disciple. She does a good job!

I agree with Eva, that and great drawing, lines are strong but balanced with soft coloring.

My pick would be: Tears of a Lamb 3. The Indonesian version was really confusing and I hardly cannot relate to what’s going on with the storyline, I hope the English version is better and will be a money well-spent because the author is known to introduce weird backgrounds and innovative plot.

Array Of Notable Personal Appearances And Events In Booth 4113 Celebrate Dual SHONEN JUMP Anniversaries And Showcase Hit Manga Series BLEACH, REAL And SLAM DUNK

San Francisco, CA, July 16, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced an exciting agenda of personal appearances, screenings and convention exclusives for the 2008 Comic-Con International taking place July 23-27 at the Convention Center in San Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth #4113.

The year 2008 marks the 5^th Anniversary of VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Magazine and also the 40^th Anniversary of Japan’s largest manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, the source of some of the world’s most popular manga. These double milestones mean loads of events, appearances, announcements and many show-only exclusives during Comic-Con International 2008!

Highly anticipated by many excited fans will be an ultra-rare, in-person appearance by Tite Kubo, creator of the smash-hit BLEACH manga series, in the VIZ Media booth for two one-hour signing sessions on Saturday, July 26 at 10:00am and 3:30pm. This is the first time he will appear at any North American convention. Each signing session will be limited to 100 persons each. The first 50 fans who purchase a BLEACH item from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Saturday will each receive a special shikishi signing board and ticket as gifts. These gifts will qualify fans to attend one of the signing periods and receive an autograph from Kubo-sensei himself.

VIZ Media will also welcome Kubo-sensei, along with his editor, Mr. Atsushi Nakasaki, for a unique panel discussion about his work on Saturday from 1:00pm to 2:00pm in Room#7AB. Panel attendees will receive a limited edition BLEACH poster while supplies last. Throughout the convention, the VIZ Media Prize Patrol will be awarding prizes to fans dressed in BLEACH attire. Kubo-sensei is the creator of the wildly successful manga series BLEACH and ZOMBIEPOWDER. Both series are published domestically by VIZ Media and BLEACH is also currently serialized in SHONEN JUMP magazine.

Read the rest of this entry »

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

Amazon.com Widgets

Title:  Seduce Me After the Show

Author: est em

Publisher:  Deux

ISBN:  9781934496169

May Contain Spoilers

Seduce Me After the Show is a collection of understated BL stories.  None of these can be considered up-beat, and the collection as a whole is pretty depressing.  The stories are intense, highlighting pent up emotions and desperate longings.

The opening chapters were the best, as they explored the relationship between Theo and Darren.  Theo is a dancer, and he’s still reeling from the death of his mother in a plane accident years before.  She was the mother everyone longs to have - his biggest fan, his ardent supporter, the person he turned to when he was down.  Now the emptiness left by her death has him spinning his wheels, searching for a way to fill the void.  Enter actor Darren Fergus, and maybe he’s found a way to distract himself.  What starts as a taunting kind of joke turns into a complicated freight train of emotions between the two men. 

My second favorite chapter was “Nero,” because it was so bizarre.  Those blank, wide-eyed stares from Nero and Nye were a little creepy, but this was an inventive, unique story.  Yeah, and really, really weird  Saying any more would ruin the chapter, so be sure to check this one out.

I wasn’t a big fan of the art style.  It’s rather plain, and its sketchy appearance is not very attractive. The illustrations lack detail, and the backgrounds are almost non-existent, which made for some drab panels. Like the tone of the stories, the art seems dark and heavy.  I thought that the characters’ facial expressions were distant and unemotional as well.

With its cheerless selection of stories, Seduce Me After the Show offers a mixed bag of  BL tales.  There is undeniably a lot of emotion here, but most of it seemed to get all revved up, with nowhere to go.

Grade:  B-

Rated for Mature

Review copy provided by Deux

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

VIZ Media’s NARUTO (Uncut), BLEACH and DEATH NOTE Now Available on the iTunes Store

Complete Seasons of Action-Packed NARUTO And BLEACH And All 37 Episodes Of DEATH NOTE

Available on iTunes

San Francisco, CA, JULY 15, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced today the availability of action-packed episodes from some of the most anticipated animated series to come to the iTunes^® Store (www.iTunes.com). English dubbed versions of NARUTO (Uncut Version) Season 1 (Volumes 1 & 2), two story arcs of BLEACH (The Substitute and The Entry), and all 37 episodes of DEATH NOTE are available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store in the United States.

NARUTO, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE have emerged as three of the world’s most popular Japanese animated series, each attracting millions of devoted viewers with a blend of stylish animation, multi-faceted characters and riveting story lines.

“VIZ Media is committed to giving fans the best in animated entertainment and we are thrilled to have captivating and unique series like NARUTO, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE now available on iTunes to provide the best options in delivering exciting animated content in a high quality digital way,” says David Rewalt, Senior Director of Retail Development at VIZ Media. “For new fans, iTunes also presents a flexible and portable way to view content when and where they want. We look forward to fans visiting iTunes for the latest in Japanese animation.”

NARUTO (Uncut): Rated T+ for Older Teens

NARUTO has become the hottest animated series across North America and is one of VIZ Media’s most successful manga and animated properties in terms of sales. Created by Masashi Kishimoto, the series depicts the adventures of a young boy named Uzumaki Naruto who trains to become a ninja. The boy is cursed with the spirit of a nine-tailed fox demon and is forced to live a bullied life discriminated against by his fellow villagers. Naruto is resilient and undaunted in his quest to become a master ninja and his determination often inspires those around him. Through amazing adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right vs. wrong. Dedicated website at www.naruto.com.

-more-

BLEACH: Rated T for Teens

BLEACH, an animated, hyperkinetic, ghost-busting action series is the story of a 15 year-old named Ichigo Kurosaki who was born with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow – a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters a Soul Reaper and absorbs her powers. Now he has dedicates his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured souls find peace. Dedicated website at www.bleach.viz.com.

DEATH NOTE: Rated T+ for Older Teens

DEATH NOTE is based on the manga series of the same name and is currently one of the hottest animated titles in Japan. The series depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal. Dedicated website at www.deathnote.viz.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

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http://mangacast.net/?p=1999

Happy Anniversary Aurora Pub! Congrats on one year of shoujo, josei and now seinen!

Aurora is one of those pubs that makes me scratch my head. They have so much potential. With so many strong one-shot josei titles and a number of good short series from their long history dominating that market in Japan, I would have thought they would have tapped into that to help redefine women’s comics in this market. Instead, their main brand Aurora is Walkin’ Butterfly and a bunch of also ran shoujo titles. What about Tonori no 801-chan? What about all of those Sheik titles?

Right now the only reason to read Aurora is for their Deux line… If history has shown anything, over the last five years or so, when a niche paces a publisher, that niche becomes that pub’s image. That really is not how a company like Ohzora should be perceived in this market, but with every new license the Aurora picks up they appear to be more content seeing themselves as one of manga’s small-fry.

Aurora Publishing
Dates: 07/04/2008

Venue: Los Angeles Convention Center, LA, California

Click to Listen to Side Dish. Length: 20:48min

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Just to start I wanna thank Gia for going through the trouble of not only posting all of the titles, but then finding the Japanese readings also. Maidou oki-ni, Gia-kun!

Sadly I wasn’t able to make it to the June/801 panel, I was having breakfast for dinner with some comic makers and comic editors, so you’ll have to check out the other sites for details.

Oh and I want to apologize right now because this is gonna be one huge post. It’s not my fault really; people just really like BL!!

801 Media

</p> 生徒会長に忠告 by：門地 かおり Hey Class President by: Monchi Kaori Shinshokan / Dear+ Comics BL / 3+ Vols

わんことにゃんこ by: 天咲吉実 Puppy and Kitty by: Amasaki Yoshimi Core Magazine / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vol

Ah 801… Your titles make me laugh, cry and die a little. I LOVE YOU!! But wait isn’t that a Shinshokan title?

June

CUT by: 川唯東子 CUT by: Kawaii Touko BiBLOS / BeBoy Comics BL / 1 Vol.	仲神家の一族悪魔来る by: ホームラン・拳 Clan of the Nakagamis 2 by: Homerun Ken Libre / BeBoy Comics BL / 2nd of 3 Vols.	約束の月 by: 日輪早夜 Moonlit Promises by: Himawari Souya Hobunsha / Hanaoto BL / 1 Vol
トラブ ルダブルフェイス by: 神崎貴至 Double Trouble by: Kanzaki Takashi Tokuma / Chara Comics BL / 1 Vol.	アイはどこいった? by: 角田緑 Where Has Love Gone? by: Tsunoda Ryoku Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 1 Vol	そして恋になる by: やまかみ梨由 Then Comes Love by: Yamakami Riyu Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 1 Vol
純情 by: 富士山ひょうた Pure Heart by: Fujiyama Hyouta Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 2+ Vols	天国へ行けばいい by: 円陣闇丸 Way to Heaven by: Enjin Yamimaru Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 1 Vol	誰かを好きな人 by: 奥田七緒 Object of My Affections by: Okuda Nanao Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vol
長い間 by: 舘野 とお子 Longest Time by: Tateno Tooko Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 1 Vol	砂の螺旋 by: 葵ゆな Spiral of Sand by: Aoi Yuna Taiyo / Million Comics BL / 1 Vol	愛に生きたいだけなのさ by: 真山ジュン Live for Love by: Mayama Jun Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vol
Honey/Chocolate by: 奥田七緒 Honey/Chocolate by: Okuda Nanao Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vol	>Manhattan Love Story by: 天禅桃子 Manhattan Love Story by: Tenzen Momko Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vol	機械仕掛けの王様 by: 高屋 未央 Planet of Earthquake by: Takaya Miou Taiyo / Million Comics BL / 2 Vols
ねえ、先生? by: 桜城やや Hey Sensei? by: Sakuragi Yaya Libre / BeBoy Comics BL / 1 Vol	空から降るもの by: せのお あき Heaven’s Smile by: Senoo Aki Oakla / Aqua Comics BL / 1 Vol	恋愛症候群 by: 宮沢ゆら Love Syndrome by: Miyzawa Yura Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vols
媚薬なHONEY by: 藤井咲耶 Love Potion by: Fujii Sakuya Libre / BeBoy Comics BL / 1 Vol	その気にさせないで by: 天禅桃子 Suggestive Eyes by: Tenzen Momoko Core / Drap Comics BL / 1 Vols	LOVE/KNOT by: 石丸博子 Love/Knot by: Ishimaru Hiroko Frontier / Daria Comics BL / 1 Vols

That is some monster list but let’s not forget… Most of these are one-shots.

June also announced the following novels…

Eat or Be Eaten (Kuu ka Kuwareruka) by Fuyuno Jinko
The Lonely Egoist by Hikaru Masaki

Amazon.com Widgets

Title:  Tears of a Lamb Vol 1

Author:  Banri Hidaka

Publisher:  CMX

ISBN:  9781401215194

May Contain Spoilers

Tears of a Lamb was a very hard book for me to get into, though I really liked lead character, spunky Hasumi, and her uncooperative neighbor, Kanzaki.  Both quickly grow on you, but some of the plot elements are kind of hard to swallow.  Hasumi lost something very dear to her, and she thinks that it was lost in Kanzaki’s apartment, two tenants ago.  Her brother’s friend lived there, and Hasumi had a huge crush on him.  She lost something of his, and she’s desperate to get it back.  Ok, so far, so good.

Kanzaki is plagued by misfortune, too.  He is responsible for losing the last game in a basketball tournament in its final seconds when he misses a basket.  Curses!  Now he just wants to forget about the heart-wrenching incident, so he transferred to a new school, where nobody knows about him or his terrible aim.  I can buy into this, too.  Letting your team down in the most important game of the year has got to be to tough - not the end of the world, but still a pretty bitter pill to swallow.

So what didn’t I like?  Hasumi’s health issue, which doesn’t rear its ugly head until halfway through the book.  Instead of giving her believable problems to overcome, or causing the reader to feel a flood of sympathy for her, it comes across as unconvincing and very forced. An easy way to introduce her to Suwa, who is suffering from an ulcer, and both of them just happen to be admitted to the same hospital.  My manga-colored glasses must have been malfunctioning while I was reading this book, because I just couldn’t buy into particular plot device.

Though I was disappointed with the first volume, I will pick up the next.  The mystery of the ring, and Hasumi’s relationship with Suwa, has me intrigued.  Hasumi and Kanzaki make a lively couple, and their interaction was spirited and fun.  I also find Banri Hidaka’s art very appealing.  The illustrations are clean and fresh, and are packed with so much energy, they are hard to resist.  Hopefully my manga-colored glasses will be fully operational by the time I pick up volume 2.

Grade: C+

Rated for Teen

Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

Chapter 37 (sendspace) scanned by acdragonmaster as well as a translation.
Chapter 38 (direct link) scanned by nekokoban 

Remember to thank them! And chapter 38 has some pages upside down, so just rereight them for yourself.

The producer of Kids Next Door made a short stop-motion film called "Coupon" that's really good, and it's on PBS's website for some voting thingy that you could vote on if you so choose.

Consequently, the show I worked on last summer is currently airing on PBS on Wednesdays two episodes each week. Apparently the DVD is also out. I remembered the other night that I actually did a couple of voices for the show (in an unofficial capacity). So although I have never called the Car Talk radio show, I have played someone who called Car Talk on TV. Assuming I made the final cut...

POP JAPAN TRAVEL EXTENDS DEADLINE TO MEET “MONONOKE” ART DIRECTOR,  VISIT NIPPON ANIMATION & COMITIA DOJINSHI EVENT

Pop Japan Travel has extended the deadline to sign up for its Mind Over Manga Tour to July 21, to give new customers a chance to sign up to meet our guest Nizo Yamamoto, the art director for “Princess Mononoke,” “Grave of the Fireflies,” “Castle in the Sky” and many more — and to visit Nippon Animation, producer of the historic World Masterpiece Theater anime series, “Hunter X Hunter,” and many more. It was at Nippon Animation that Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (together with Mr. Yamamoto) worked on the beloved “Future Boy Conan” and “Anne of Green Gables” before founding Studio Ghibli.

This tour will be unforgettable for any anime fan — especially of Studio Ghibli! It also includes full airfare from Los Angeles to Tokyo (land-only package available), full hotel accommodations, bilingual guides, a backstage visit to the Comitia indie manga event, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum, special discounts at all the top otaku shopping spots and a whirlwind tour of Tokyo from the traditional to the ultra-modern!

In Tokyo, we take you to the temples of Asakusa and Meiji Shrine to the neon madness of Shibuya and Shinjuku to the artistic dynamism of Harajuku, and of course the otaku Mecca and Medina, Akihabara and Nakano. And when night falls, look down over Tokyo from the heights of Mori Tower.

Mr. Yamamoto, an anime legend, will talk to you about his long career, which includes films as different as “Perfect Blue” and “Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.” He’ll even introduce his art staff on “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” and he’ll sit down for autographs and to answer your questions!

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Originally published at Manga Maniac Cafe. Please leave any comments there.

N. and I will be in San Fransisco from the 16th to the 23rd, followed by San Diego from the 23rd to the 27th, wherein we are taking the red-eye home and will be dead to the world on the 28th.

So stop having birthday parties and karaoke and picnics, damnit! Nothing the 16th-28th, OK?

Even if I was going to be in town I have two deadlines and a new position at work.