July, 2007

From Publishers Weekly's Kai-Ming Cha comes a report on this year's Comic Con. According to the article, CMX has licensed Yoshito Usui's Crayon Shin-chan:

DC's CMX manga line has licensed the Crayon Shin-chan manga. Created by mangaka Yoshito Usui, Crayon Shin-chan is also an anime adaptation that currently broadcasts on Adult Swim. (Funimation announced the anime license at last year's Comicon.)

Yomiuri Online has published an article looking at the 10th Anniversary of One Piece, according to this translation:

The One Piece manga has reached sales of 140 million copies sold spanning across 46 published volumes, and also boasts the fastest manga to reach 100 million volumes sold. Also, Volume 27 selling a record 2.63 million copies in its first printing.

Some sample scans from the ONE PIECE 10th Treasures can be found here.

The official site of Mag Garden's Comic Blade Avarus (the magazine that will replace Comic Blade Masamune) has been launched. According to the site, any manga in the current magazine that ends with "to be continued!!" will continue to run in Avarus. The first issue of Comic Blade Avarus will be released on 9/15.

A new bi-monthly seijin manga magazine called Buster Comic (NSFW) from TI Net was launched on 7/24.

The second issue of Take Shobo's seinen magazine, Comic Marble, was released on 7/20. It has been confirmed that the magazine will go on a quarterly release schedule, with the third issue coming out in October 2007.

Also, a new seijin manga magazine from Core Magazine called Comic Hotmilk will debut on 8/27.

Source: Ultimatum Tidbits

The Comiket 72 catalog went on sale this week, check Akiba Blog for tons of catalog-related pictures. Heisei Democracy also points out that according to the catalog, Comiket 73 will run from December 29th through the 31st, 2007.

Currently there's a rumor going around Japanese bulletin boards that Kentaro Yabuki (creator of Black Cat)'s To-LOVE-Ru will be adapted into an anime. However, there are currently no solid evidence that suggests an anime adaptation is in the works.

Source: Moon Phase

Gynocrat explains in the RUSH Blog how to make your local comic store carry DramaQueen's yaoi magazine RUSH.

Del Rey manga has announced a giveaway of their SDCC goodies for people who cannot attend the convention:

Just send an e-mail to delreymanga@randomhouse.com with "Active Anime/SDCC giveaway" in the subject line. Include your full name and address in the body of the e-mail (NOTE: Your personal information will not be used for anything other than this contest). Entries must be received by Monday, July 30, 2007.

Read more about Del Rey staff's "SDCC adventures" at the official Del Rey SDCC blog.

Many new titles were announced by several publishers at Comic Con 2007:

Yen Press

  • Sundome (sex comedy) by Kazuto Okata
  • Kieli
  • Kaze no Hana by Mizta Ushio

According to Kurt Hassler, Yen Press will not censor any of their titles.

Seven Seas

  • Hayate Cross Blade (yuri) by Shizuru Hayashiya
  • Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majo (yuri) by Mera Hakamada
  • Girls Love (yuri light novel)
  • Girls Revolution (yuri light novel)

Also, according to this, Seven Seas' new yaoi line will be called "Bee Line."

CMX

  • LEADER'S HIGH by Shindo Arashi

Broccoli Books

  • Nui! by Natsumi Mukai

Last but not least, Check here and here for a big list of mostly non-Japanese titles from Tokyopop.

From the online magazine Salon comes an article on the Death Note manga titled "Death Strip." The article looks at how Death Note has become so popular in the U.S. "A controversial graphic novel from Japan -- banned in China -- has inspired a hit movie and much fan fiction. Will thrill-starved U.S. readers get hooked?"

Via: ANN

topSan Jose, CA, July 2007. DrMaster has just announced the publication of Iron Wok Jan volume 25, the continuation of the popular series by author Shinji Saiyjo, Puri Puri volume 2 by Chiaki Taro, and Junk volume 3 by Kia Asamiya.

Iron Wok Jan v25
While Kou and Kiriko are sweating over their dish, attempting to add personality to the bland ostrich meat, Jan pulls out his secret weapon, the magic box. He hangs the meat inside the box and ... it does nothing! What is this box that turns the ostrich meat into black, then white, and back to red? Find out the secret behind Akiyama's magic!

Read More »

ANN reports that Viz has confirmed at SDCC 2007 that Shonen Jump will begin serializing Kubo Tite's Bleach starting this November. Viz also announecd that it will release Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk in 2008, and a preview of the first chapter will appear in Shonen Jump in December:

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HYOGO, Japan--VOICE-BANK(CEO: Yoshihide Kinokawa), Inc. announced at Red Herring 2007 "Insight Japan" that they will start delivering MANGA for iPhone users in the US with Digital Manga Association Japan (Chairman: Monkey Punch).

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According to Earl.Box, the popular manga Naisho no Tsubomi by Yuu Yabuuchi will be adapted into an anime next spring.

Naisho no Tsubomi is a sex-ed manga aimed at elementary school students. The manga, with a fifth-grade girl as its protagonist, became extremely popular in Japan and has received many praises.

Via: Japanator

The following manga appeared on the USA Today Booklist Top 150 (PDF) for the week ending July 22th:

  • #58 - Naruto, Volume 15 - Viz - (Last week: #60)

Some new announcements from manga publishers at Comic-Con International 2007:

  • Viz Media announced "Viz Big," a new line of manga that will pack 3 volumes worth of existing Viz titles into on single volume priced $17.99, complete with new covers and colored illustrations.
  • New manga licenses from Viz:
    - Vampire Juujikai (Fallen Vampire) by Kimura Yuri
    - Monkey High! by Akira Shouko
    - Death Note: Another Note (Novel) by Ishin Nishio (to be translated by Andrew Cunningham)
  • CMX presented its new title Zombie Fairy by Torii Daisuke, a result from their partnership with Flex Comix.
  • Tokyopop showed off a list of OEL titles that will be available on cell phones during their GoComics panel.
  • Udon Entertainment has announced its schedule at Comic Con.

For more news and reports available from the San Diego Comic-Con 2007 News Round Up.

From THAT Animeblog comes a "chronological history of the anime blogging community", an overview of the anime blogging community's history fro pre-2003 to 2007.

These Are the Voyages of the Starship Enterprise...
TOKYOPOP Proudly Presents... STAR TREK®: THE MANGA - Kakan Ni Shinkou

Second Volume in Hit Manga Anthology Arrives in Stores Stardate 9.5.07

Comic-Con, San Diego CA July 25,2007 - Energize! TOKYOPOP and CBS Consumer Products have joined forces once again to produce an intriguing and unforgettable look at the Final Frontier with Star Trek: The Manga: Kakan Ni Shinkou, the second volume in the hit Star Trek manga series, based on Captain James T. Kirk's historic adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701. Following on the heels of the hugely successful maiden voyage of TOKYOPOP's Star Trek: Shinsei Shinsei, this second volume covers more stories from the original Star Trek TV series.

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Del Rey has launched their official Comic-Con manga blog on Active Anime. Currently there are no news announcements, but there are some photos and various stories from Del Rey's staff.

According to Rumic World, starting with issue 34, Shogakukan's Shonen Sunday will offer two Rumiko Takahashi offset prints for 1,000 yen, with each piece chosen by Takahashi herself. The deal will end after Shonen Sunday issue 38.

Source: Rumic World

MangaBlog points out an article where Newsarama talks with Tokyopop's Director of New Product Development Jeremy Ross, who talks about Tokyopop's "web and digital strategy and DC's latest 'imprint.'"

Special Sweepstakes, Daily Giveaways And Previews Of New Video Games Highlight Some Of What's To Come

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 25, 2007 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings NARUTO NATION™ to the 2007 Comic-Con International as the wildly successful property expands to include new video games, DVDs, manga, and more. To celebrate the launch at the show, VIZ Media and its show partners will hold a variety of special sweepstakes and daily giveaways.

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GRIMES, IA, July 25, 2007 – Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment are pleased to announce the Fall 2007 release of two official T-shirts featuring artwork from the hit anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

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International Manga Awards runner-up Madeleine Rosca has posted Part 3 of her International Manga Award trip to Japan.

According to Publishers Weekly (via MangaCast), at Otakon DramaQueen announced its plans to start a new action imprint, with the Korean manhwa Spam Mail Hunter being the first title to be released under the new imprint this coming September.

Also confirmed are two new licenses from Media Blasters:

  • Mousou Shoujo Otaku-kei
  • Family