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Title: Inari Konkon Genre: Slice of Life, Magical Girl, Romance Publisher: Kodokawa Shoten (JP, US) Artist/Writer: Morohe Yoshida Translation: Andrew Gibler & Jenn Forsyth Serialized in: Young Ace Review copy provided by the publisher. I was a big fan of the Inari Kon Kon anime in 2014 and I always hoped that the manga would be licensed as well since ... Read more

The post Inari Konkon Review appeared first on Organization Anti-Social Geniuses.

Cardcaptor Sakura is hardly an unknown series, yet despite being currently licensed in the US (both in anime and manga form) it seems to fade into the background when people talk about magical girl shows or when newcomers talk about discovering shows for the first time. It’s old enough to have influenced many stories after ... Read more

I’ve kind of been in a funk the last few days, and  I’m not sure why.  I’m having a hard time finding a book that holds my interest for more than a few chapters, so I set my Kindle down this morning and spent some time playing with Crunchyroll.  If you haven’t heard of the site before, Crunchyroll bills itself as “the leading global video service for Japanese Anime and Asian media.”  They offer free streaming of anime and manga, as well as paid memberships for access to a larger library of titles with no advertising.  Everything I’m going to talk about today I viewed under their free offerings.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan Chapter 1 by   Yoshiki Tanaka and  Hiromu Arakawa (author of Fullmetal Alchemist)

About the series:

Someday, a boy will become a man, then in time, the man will become a king. Who is the true hero?! An unprecedented story of the struggle to succeed the throne has begun. Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of “Fullmetal Alchemist” illustrates the great historical fantasy novel in a never before seen style!

My thoughts:

Many years ago, I watched the anime of Arslan.  I loved it.  When I discovered that the anime was based on a series of Japanese novels (13 volumes and still on-going, I believe), and that there was a manga series, too, I kept hoping it would get licensed.  It didn’t, but Hiromu Arakawa reimagined Yoshiki Tanaka’s novels for Bessatsu Shonen magazine, and it did.   As FMA is one of my favorite series, I was excited to see Arslan on Crunchyroll. 

The first chapter introduces 11 year-old Prince Arslan.  He’s a kind-hearted boy, in direct contrast to his cold parents.  His father, King Andragoras, is a fierce warrior and his armies have never been defeated in battle.  When the warriors return victorious from recent skirmishes, Arslan saves some boys from an escaped warrior and gets dragged along on his dash to freedom.  The enemy warrior is also 11, but he couldn’t be different from Arslan.  Tough and a seasoned warrior, he refuses to submit to slavery.  As Arslan is dragged around  his city, he is given a different perspective of his enemies’ beliefs than he’s been taught, which leaves him wondering why his kingdom is at war with their neighbors. 

I enjoyed the pacing of the manga, and I liked Arslan.  We don’t get to learn much about him, except that he isn’t skilled in arms and that he is a kind, caring kid.  I love Arakawa’s art, and I would read this just to get a chance to enjoy her illustrations. 

Rating: B+

Skip*Beat! Episode 1

Ahahaha!  I love Skip*Beat!  I am so far behind in the manga, but I figure if I watch the anime up to where I left off, I can start reading again without forgetting too much.  I hope.  This is a very funny series about a normally meek, kind girl who completely loses her shit when she discovers that the boy she has loved since childhood thinks that she’s boring and ugly.  Sho, an idol who is just starting to hit the big time, has only been using Kyoko to pay his bills and clean up after him after they move to Tokyo.  Kyoko thought that Sho asked her to go with him because he cared for her, but NO!  All he ever saw her as was an unpaid maid.

Kyoko’s never-ending grudge is released from the locked boxes in her heart, and after she declares her intention to get revenge on Sho’s crappy treatment of her, he mocks her and tells her the only way a little commoner like her could ever get back at a big star like him is to become famous, too, so Kyoko, all guns blazing, decides that she will make it big in show biz, and she will be a bigger star than Sho.

I love this series because it’s funny, Kyoko goes from being a doormat to a butt-kicker, and Ren, Sho’s biggest rival, is hot.  I’m looking forward to watching all 25 episodes of Skip*Beat!, but I think the manga is still ongoing, so I have to catch up on my reading, too!

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Episode 1

Ah, there is just something comforting about Sailor Moon.  This reboot of the series is fun, fast-paced, and vividly colorful.  I loved revisiting with Usagi and Luna, and I can’t believe the series is 20 years old.  I never get tired of Sailor Moon, regardless of format, and have enjoyed the manga (both Tokyopop’s awful presentation, and Kodansha’s much better packaged release), anime series, and live-action show.  Usagi is so easy to relate to.  She doesn’t want to do anything that’s hard – homework, studying, exercising, chores – and would rather spent her time eating, napping, and playing video games.  Who wouldn’t!  She’s also clumsy and hardly an athletic girl, so, while I fear that the fate of the world is resting on her shoulders, I know that Luna and Tuxedo Mask won’t let her completely screw up.  If you haven’t watched the show before, give it a try.  There is a reason Sailor Moon is still popular after more than two decades, and that’s because the storytelling is fun, and the characters are so likeable.

The post Crunchyroll Morning: Skip Beat!, Sailor Moon Crystal, and Arslan appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

{This is fantastic news!  I can hardly wait to start watching this again!}

VIZ MEDIA ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS FOR SAILOR MOON ANIME FRANCHISE

North America’s Leading Anime Distributor Gains Digital, Streaming And Home Media Rights For Legendary Anime

Free Streaming Episodes Debut Today Exclusively

On Neon Alley And Hulu!

San Francisco, CA, May 19, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the acquisition of the SAILOR MOON anime franchise. VIZ Media’s North American rights cover digital streaming, EST (Electronic Sell Through) and all home media products in the U.S. and Canada. Tokyo-based Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is the producer and global licensor for the SAILOR MOON anime property.

As part of the new agreement, VIZ Media has licensed all 200 episodes of the original SAILOR MOON anime series (rated ‘TV-PG’), including the never before licensed for North America fifth and final climatic season, “Sailor Stars.” The three feature films and additional specials for the long-running show are also part of the acquisition. SAILOR MOON will be presented digitally for the first time, with subtitled EST sets available starting Summer 2014 and dubbed editions late 2014, and DVD and deluxe limited edition Blu-ray/DVD combo packs are planned for Fall 2014. The uncut and uncensored VIZ Media release of SAILOR MOON, featuring its original uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio, will also feature all original Japanese names, story elements and relationships, as well as an all-new, uncut English dub with a new voice cast. 

VIZ Media will premiere SAILOR MOON Episodes 1-4 (subbed) today on its free NeonAlley.com anime streaming destination and also via the subscription-based Hulu Plus in High Definition. Two new SAILOR MOON episodes will premiere every Monday.  Visit www.NeonAlley.com and Hulu.com/sailormoon for more information; the trailer may also be viewed at http://www.hulu.com/watch/635233 and http://youtu.be/RWPyM9afQ-w.

VIZ Media has also acquired the new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, and more details are forthcoming.

“We’re pleased to partner with VIZ Media to bring the beloved SAILOR MOON anime series back to North America,” says Masayuki Endo, General Manager, Toei Animation, Inc. “This fresh uncut and uncensored release of SAILOR MOON featuring the most accurate adaptation available will be just as creator Naoko Takeuchi intended. We look forward to fans current and new discovering and falling in love with this classic series all over again!”

“SAILOR MOON is one of the extremely rare breed of anime series truly deserving of the title of ‘Legendary’,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “Since its initial debut in the mid-1990’s, SAILOR MOON has been unavailable to English-speaking fans for nearly a decade. It has also never seen a complete and proper unedited release in North America…until now!”

“SAILOR MOON was groundbreaking in the way its storyline and main characters resonated with both a male and female audience, and these aspects continue to attract a new generation of fans eager to see this iconic series,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Vice President of Animation. “We’re thrilled to be able to release this empowering action title uncut and in its entirety. We invite fans to catch the official premieres on Neon Alley and to enjoy the series on DVD and Blu-ray later this year!”

VIZ Media will be celebrating SAILOR MOON at the 2014 Anime Expo, taking place July 3rd–6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Now celebrating its 23nd consecutive year, Anime Expo is sponsored by the SPJA and is the nation’s largest anime convention. VIZ Media will host a variety of special activities and panels throughout “Sailor Moon Day,” on Saturday July 5th. More details forthcoming.

The smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!  

Naoko Takeuchi was born on March 14. She is a Pisces and A blood type. In 1986 Takeuchi made her debut with the manga LOVE CALL. Her hits include Sailor Moon, Codename: Sailor V, and The Cherry Project.

For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

With headquarters in Tokyo and sales offices in Paris, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Toei Animation (Jasdaq: 4816) ranks amongst the world’s most prolific animation production studios. Toei Animation’s operations include animation development and production, and worldwide marketing and program licensing. Since its founding in 1956, Toei Animation has produced more than 10,000 episodes of TV series (more than 200 titles) and more than 200 long feature films as of January, 2014.

About Toei Animation Inc.

Toei Animation Inc. (TAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. established in Los Angeles in 2004, looks forward to spreading the world-renowned Japanese animation studio’s extensive library and pursuing co-production projects in North and Latin America and other English-speaking territories worldwide. The main business operations of TAI include film licensing in all media and digital platforms, merchandise licensing and co-productions with local establishments.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

The post [PR] Viz Media Acquires North American Rights for Sailor Moon! appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES NEW SHOJO MANGA SERIES PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE

From Famed Manga Creator Arina Tanemura, A Young Girl With Magical Powers Becomes An Art Thief To Steal Paintings Possessed by Demons

San Francisco, CA, March 5, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, steals the hearts of manga (graphic novel) fans with the launch of the series – PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE. The new magical-girl fantasy by beloved creator Arina Tanemura, is now available from the Shojo Beat imprint with an age raging of ‘T’ for Teens and carries an MSRP of $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

A digital version is also available for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

The remaining volumes of the 5-volume fantasy adventure series are scheduled to debut every other month.

High school student Maron Kusakabe has a secret – she’s Phantom Thief Jeanne. She sneaks into private art collections to steal paintings in which demons reside. Jeanne’s task is to seal the demons before they can devour human hearts. So far she’s been able to evade the police on her midnight outings, but now another thief has come onto the scene – Phantom Thief Sinbad – and he’s trying to take the paintings before she does!

“PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE is our translated editions of the beloved Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne series in Japan,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Editor. “These books feature new covers by Arina Tanemura and color pages. They are must-have for new and current fans alike.”

PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE creator Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. She gained further fame with the 1997 publication of I•O•N, and she has remained a major force in shojo manga ever since with popular series such as Time Stranger Kyoko, Full Moon, and The Gentlemen’s Alliance † (all of which are published in North America by VIZ Media). Both PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE and FULL MOON have been adapted into animated TV series.

For more information on PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE or other popular shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.viz.com/manga/print/shojo-beat.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I was excited when Kodansha announced that they would be releasing Sailor Moon, with new translations, unflipped.  This is one of the series that got me interested in anime and manga in the first place (Ranma 1/2 is the other).  When Tokyopop’s version of Sailor Moon was released, I was more than a little disappointed with the final product.  The books weren’t constructed to last for more than a reading or two, and all of the names had been changed to match those of the hacked up TV version that was being shown on the Cartoon Network.  Ugh.

After reading this introduction to the series, I am looking forward to reading more.  The translation flows effortlessly, and Usagi’s adventures are fun to follow.  She will never be Ms. Motivated, and that’s why I love her character.  She is a normal 14 year old, more interested in playing video games and goofing around than in doing her homework. Napping is a hobby for her, as is stuffing her face.  She is clearly a girl after my own heart.  I can instantly relate to Usagi, and her lack of ambition had me totally engaged in the plot.  How is this slacker going to save the world from evil?

With Luna, the talking cat there to offer guidance, Usagi slowly accepts the mantel of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.  One of my favorite shoujo tropes is the magical girl story, and Sailor Moon is one of the best.  I don’t know what I find so engaging about girls yelling ridiculous phrases like “Moon Prism Power! Makeup!!” and “Jupiter Thunderbolt!” while having magic wardrobe changes, but I do.  While Usagi’s transformations have nothing on Sakura’s (or Kero’s for that matter), her costume swaps are still entertaining.  I want a magical tiara and Moon scepter, too!  Perhaps Santa will bring me one for Christmas.  I have tried to be especially good this year.

It’s hard to write a review about a franchise as well known as this one.  It’s like writing up my thoughts about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Everyone has seen it, and everyone has their own opinion of it.  It’s hard to offer new insight about it.  So I’m just going to tell you why I love these books, as each volume is released.    I am very familiar with the beginning half of the series, but the ending is kind of foggy for me, so I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with Usagi, Mamoru, and the Sa