The new comic release list for May 30th 2007 from ComicList, compiled by MangaCast.

On the USA Today Booklist Top 150 for the week ending May 27th, Volume 14 of Viz's Naruto is the only manga on the list, ranking at #101.

ANN reports that according to a survey conducted by i-mode of 5,400 people conducted by Infoplant, over 40% of the people have downloaded manga in the past:

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Seven Seas president Jason DeAngelis has sent out a letter in response to the reaction caused by the cancellation of Nymphet. The letter includes a brief timeline of the cancellation process, answers to questions raised by the fans, as well as a look at the current state of the U.S. manga market and how difficult it is to acquire a license for publishers:

So, my primary reason for canceling NYMPHET is due to my recent realization that later volumes in the series can not be considered appropriate for the US market by any reasonable standard. For those of you who have been defending the title and have expressed anger about its cancellation, as a fan, I understand your frustration. But, at this point, I can only assume that you have not seen certain segments later in the series, just as I hadn’t, which very clearly cross the line, and which I can no longer stand by or support in good conscience.

In "Profiles in Manga, Part 2," Manga Life's Park Cooper continues to interview global manga artists about their background and their works. Part 1 can be found here.

Also, in a Maison Ikkoku article, PLAYBACK:stl's Jason Green interviews the series' adaptor Gerald Jones.

Via: MangaBlog

Korean news channel MBC reports that a "red" notebook that imitates Death Note is currently very popular among elementary school students in Korea.

The report states that thanks to do the popularity of Death Note, similar death notebooks have become very popular among elementary school children in Korea. The "red" notebook can be purchased from stores around school for 3,000 Korean won (approximately 3.2 USD).

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Mayu Shinjo is a popular shojo mangaka whose work regularly appear on Sho-comi. Some of her popular works include Love Celeb, Kaikan Phrase, and Haou Airen.

On May 23rd, manga artist Mayu Shinjo announced on her blog her plan to leave Shogakukan after her current serialization ends. Below is a summary-excerpt of Mayu Shinjo's blog post:

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The monthly novel magazine Novel JAPAN is getting a new title: Charano! (キャラの！). Also, the release date of the magazine will be changed to the 30th of every month (from the 10th of every month).

The first issue of the magazine under the new title Charano! will be out on June 30th, 2007. The new issue will see the debut of a new series, D&D replay (DUNGEONS & DRAGONS replay).

Source: Hobby Japan

The final stage of World Cosplay Summit Brazil will take place in São Paulo city on June 9th. The event, promoted by JBC Publishing, will produce the final couple that will go to Japan to represent Brazil in the event that is considered the "World Cup" of cosplayers.

This year, WCS 2005 winner Francesca Dani will be special guest of the event. WCS will also see the participation of Ricardo Cruz: Brazilian member of the JAM Project (Japan Animationsong Makers).

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ICv2 reports that Seven Seas Entertainment has decided to cancel the publication of Kaworu Watashiya's seinen comedy, Nymphet (Kodomo no Jikan) in the U.S. According to Seven Seas president Jason Deangelis, they have decided it not appropriate Nymphet in the U.S. A full explaination from Jason Deangelis can be found here. Seven Seas editor Adam Arnold also briefly mentions his view on the issue.

More Coverage on the Cancellation:
- No Hate For Nymphet? [ Tintin Pantoja ]
- Nymphet-mania [ MangaBlog ]
- Nymphet Post Mortem [ Icarus Blog ]

Discussions:
- AoD Forum
- ANN Forum
- Journalista

In other related news, AoD reports that LiveJournal has removed a large number of communities and journals related to yaoi, shota, and rape. ANN has the full story.

In more related news, Yahoo! News reports that proposals to execute pedophiles is making headway in the U.S.