Manga News and Information
March, 2007Manga top 10 according to Tohan. Two new manga series will start in the June issue of Kadokawa Shoten's manga magazine Shonen Ace:
Aurora Publishing, a U.S. manga publisher founded in March 2006 by Japanese publisher Ohzora Shuppan, has signed a booktrade agreement with Diamond Book Distributors, who will be the distributor of its English-language graphic novels: San Jose, CA – March, 2007 Graphic novel publisher, DrMaster Publications Inc. has announced the release and availability of their newest manga license – Key Princess Story: Eternal Alice Rondo volume #2!
From Newsarama's Michael Lorah comes an interview with Vertical's Editorial Director Yani Mentzas, who talks about Vertical's manga-publishing history, and its plans for the future. Via: MangaBlog In a time of chaos and war in a godforsaken era, twin sons are born to an emperor. But legend states that the son of the emperor shall be born a demon. But twins? Who is the demon, and who shall reign as emperor? Chunchu is the story of a young man saved from death by his mother, banished by his people, hunted by his brother, and tortured by demons from within. Living and fighting with a warrior tribe that can never trust him, Chunchu lives a life of blood and violence. Still, something mysterious lurks within his cold exterior, something that could be awakened by the touch of a woman. According to a notice on their website, Seirindo Net Communications is currently in the process of digitalizing comic strip Garo for distributino through the internet, mobile phones and more:
Source: ¡Journalista!
"A notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it." – As Death Note's fame rose, it was bound to happen when someone would try to imitate the mysterious notebook found in the story. In early 2005, some schools in Shenyang, China banned the use of a stationery notebook in response to students using it as "Death Notes." While some felt the ban was an over-reaction, the view that Death Note is "a poison that creates wicked hearts" remained in the minds of many Chinese parents and teachers and protect them from the "evil notebook." So did the school in Shenyang over-react? While some may disagree, a recent incident in China may have served to further damage Death Note's reputation among Chinese parents and teachers. MangaCast translates the weekly Doujinshi ranking (03/24) in Japan according to Toranoana, and the weekly BL Doujinshi ranking (03/24) in Japan according to Toranoana's BL specialty store Princess Side. Houbunsha has launched a new light novel label titled Houbunsha KR Bunko (芳文社KR文庫). Works published under this label will be novel adaptations of 4-panel manga serialized in Houbunsha's 4-panel manga magazines. The first 4-panel manga to be adapted to a light novel and published under the Houbunsha KR will be Ume Aoki's Hidamari Sketch. Yaoi Press is offering a $100 reward to those who can find a yaoi manga published in Europe in a language other than English.
Via: Yaoi Suki Yaoi Suki points out a new yaoi manga, Voice or Noise by Yamimaru Enjin, on Amazon.com, which appears to be a new license from Tokyopop's yaoi imprint BLU. There is currently no official confirmation regarding the license. MangaCast reports that two new shojo titles, Wild Ones by Fujihara Kiyo and Special A by Maki Minami, have appeared on Simon & Schuster's catalog under Viz Media, and is set for release in Q4 2007. Currently there has been no official announcement from Viz regarding the licenses. According to the latest Broccoli Books Blog, Square-Enix will attend this year's San Diego Comic-Con to promote their manga division. It is not clear at the moment whether Square-Enix will simply be promoting their Japan Division, or if there are plans to set up a new North American Manga Division, A new series titled Ocha ni Gosu by Hiroyuki Nishimori, creator of Cheeky Angel and Kyou Kara Ore Wa!!, will begin serialization in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 17, on sale 3/24. Source: Ultimatum Chat In late 2006, Leiji Matsumoto accused J-Pop singer Noriyuki Makihara of plagiarizing lyrics from the Galaxy Express 999 manga, and announced that he would like to hear an apology from Makihara. Now Makihara Noriyuk has filed a 22 million yen lawsuit against Leiji Matsumoto for "repeated demands for an apology and false accusation." In 2005 Fuji TV introduced a new anime programming block called "noitaminA" (Animation backwards). In early 2006, an anime titled Ayakashi ~Japanese Classic Horror~ (怪 ～ayakashi～ ) was aired on noitaminA. Ayakashi, based on three classic Japanese horror stories, attracted many fans due to its unique style, however, the anime was fairly short and soon came to an end. Icarus Blog reports that Diamond has announced the result of the 2006 Gem Awards, where retailers cast their vote based on "quality, creativity and sales performance" in the market. Viz Media was picked for "Video Manufacturer of the Year" and "Manga Trade Paperback of the Year for Naruto volume 9." Also, Dark Horse receives the "Special Recognition of Achievement in Publishing" award. Source: Icarus Blog Currently a preview of Del Rey's American manga Make 5 Wishes can be found on Tokyopop's website. animeOnline reports that Osamu Akimoto's Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo, or KochiKame, recently had its 1,500th chapter published on Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. First released in 1976, KochiKame is currently the longest running manga in the world. MangaCast translates an article from Takeshi Ishizawa, a Japanese who have spent a long time living in Indonesia. The article, "Depth of Japanese Mangas - Preface," provides an introduction to the Japanese manga culture, and goes on to explore the comics and manga scene in Indonesia. A new manga based on the anime Gurren-Lagann will begin serialization in MediaWorks' Dengeki Gao! June issue. The manga, titled Maiking Breakthrough Gurren-Lagann, will be drawn by Kotaro Mori, creator of Stray Little Devil. Via: Majoria's News Tokyopop is current hosting a preview of Make 5 Wishes, the upcoming American manga from Del Rey that is created in collaboration with pop superstar Avril Lavigne. Source: animeOnline From MangaCast comes the Diamond Previews for April 2007, which provides information on new U.S. releases for June/July 2007.
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Manga Zombie
Finale: Panelosophy
An ongoing conversation about the philosophy behind manga both in the U.S. and abroad. Manga Ranking
Monthly charts of comparative manga rankings based on aggregate online sales listings from Matt Blind. |
After the success of two movies and an anime series, Tsugumi Ohba (story) and Takeshi Obata's (art) manga 
According to the latest "
ComiPress teams up with writer Udagawa Takeo and translator John Gallagher to publish an online version of the English-language translation of Manga Zombie.
