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With Anime Expo in the rearview mirror many new manga titles have been announced and Viz has a bunch, including new Mobile Suit Gundam and Dragon Ball titles and omnibus editions for some of their classic titles. Here’s the complete list:   New VIZ Signature Acquisition:   MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT · Available Fall 2016 […]

Inio Asano's Goodnight Punpun is a surreal yet painfully relatable story of a boy who struggles to find love and some decent porn. It's the best known work of the manga artist who's been called "one of the voices of his generation" in Japan. And here's an exclusive preview of the book.

Despite the jitters everyone is having about the Big Two's periodical publishing programs, as we reported the other day, graphic novels did pretty well in 2015, with sales up 22% in bookstores. Calvin Reid follows up on this sanguine report with an interview with Diamond Book Distributions Kuo Yu Liang, who says 2016 will probably be their best year ever.:

by Austin Lanari “1800 MAX SEATING.”   That’s from a sign held by a Hammerstein Ballroom usher outside on 34th as Masashi Kishimoto walked along the steadily growing line to see the North American premier of the Boruto: Naruto the Movie, the closing chapter of the Naruto series.  Of course, the sign didn’t make a lot […]

We’ve already told you about all the Naruto/Masashi Mishimoto excitement at this year’s NYCC, but VIz has some other stuff planned, as well, including a NARUTO Ninja mission at Booth #1346 — pick up your stealth headband at the booth and go on a special mission around the show floor. Also exclusives: Exclusive NARUTO items!  […]

  You, me, and everyone into manga around 2006 should remember Death Note, the fantastic psychological thriller about a bored teenage genius outwitting the police and a reclusive detective as he reshapes the world one murder at a time.  Following the series’ conclusion, creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata went on to create the light-hearted Bakuman, […]

Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto is making his first public appearance ANYWHERE at this year’s New York Comic Con, and while many of his events are already sold out, you can still pick up a raffle ticket at the Viz Booth #1346 between 10:00am and 1:00pm on Thursday October 8th for a chance to win […]

Digital manga—more available than ever before. Both Weekly Shonen Jump and Kodansha have just joined Comixology and the Kindle store. The digital Weekly Shonen Jump makes such favorites as One Piece, Bleach, Blue Exorcist available on the same day as the Japanese release throughout North America, the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. […]

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I am trying to get back into the swing of reading multi volume manga series again.  It has definitely gotten more difficult for me to maintain any level of enthusiasm when there is a wait of months, sometimes many, many months, between volumes.  When my favorite series go on hiatus, or get canceled by the US publisher, it breaks my heart.  I love comics, I get all caught up in the stories and the characters, and when all of that grinds to a premature halt, it stings.  I’m not a happy camper, and I’m reluctant to become invested in other series.  That’s one of the reasons I enjoy the Harlequin manga adaptations so much; it’s usually only volume and you’re done.  I was also burnt out on all of the series I had been following.  Now, though, I feel the urge to dip a toe back into the manga waters. I’d like to finish up some series that have concluded, and maybe test drive a few new ones.  Tokyo Ghoul looked interesting, so I decided to give it a spin.

This is the second volume that I’ve read.  The story is finally starting to pick up some momentum for me.  The world building is getting more complex, and Kaneki has more to worry about than how he’s going to keep himself fed.  The Ghoul Investigators are descending on the 20th Ward, searching for ghouls trying to blend into human society.  When Kaneki witnesses the brutal murder of a customer of the café he works at by the ghoul police, he is distraught over his sense of helplessness.  After Touka takes matters into her own hands, and fails to achieve the vengeance she sought, Kaneki asks her to show him how to use his kagune, or weapon.  While he still refuses to kill humans, at least he’ll be able to defend himself or his friends if they are attacked.

The investigators are a shady bunch, and Mado is one creepy dude.  It will be interesting to see how Kaneki and Touka keep from meeting an unpleasant end from them, because they are as ruthless as the ghouls.  The series is starting to click for me as Kaneki struggles to fit into both human and ghoul society.  He is so passive that I didn’t find him a compelling character at first, but now that he is determined to not be a doormat, I am hoping that he blossoms into a stronger individual.  I don’t have prior knowledge of this series, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

I am not overly wild about the art, maybe because so many of the characters are so unpleasant to look at. It does have a dark vibe that is perfect for the story, but it isn’t a favorite of mine.

Grade:  B-

Review copy provided by publisher

About the book:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Unable to discard his humanity but equally unable to suppress his Ghoul hunger, Ken finds salvation in the kindness of friendly Ghouls who teach him how to pass as human and eat flesh humanely. But recent upheavals in Ghoul society attract the police like wolves to prey, and they don’t discriminate between conscientious and monstrous Ghouls.

Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the 205,000,000 copies in print Naruto comic, will be making an extremely rare appearance at this year's New York Comic Con with two special signings—one at Books Kinokuniya and one at the Tribeca outpost of Barnes and Noble. It's not only Kishimoto-sensei's first appearance in the US, it's also his first con appearance ever. And probably one of the few times he's left his house during the 18-year run of the international smash hit. We're kidding a little about the leaving the house bit, but as we've mentioned here many times in the past, manga creators can lead a pretty monastic lifestyle, even with the help of assistants. Since Naruto ended last year, he's been busy with various manga about Boruto, Naruto's son, and also writing the Naruto movie, but hopefully he's been enjoying some time off.

by Zachary Clemente

Photo taken by Manga Classics representative.

Mid-afternoon on the Friday of San Diego Comic-Con 2015, veterans of the manga publishing world got together to discuss what excites them and to lay down some truth on the myths surround publishing manga in North America. From left to right: Deb Aoki (Publisher’s Weekly), Leyla Aker (VIZ Media), Kurt Hassler (Yen Press), Ben Applegate (Random House/Kondansha Comics), and Erik Ko (Udon Entertainment).

The panel consisted of a lot of back and forth discussion on the nature of trying to publish various kinds of manga in North America and the main talking points came through during Aoki’s round of true or false manga publishing myth questions:

Sports manga doesn’t sell in North America – False. According to Aker, Hassler, and Applegate, this is patently false. While there an important hand of curation that needs to go into what sports manga will succeed in the US, the excitement around properties such as Yowamushi Pedal settles the argument.

Josei (women’s comics) doesn’t sell well in North America – Inaccurate. Though Hassler and Aker disagreed at first on the fundamental wording of this question, everyone agreed on the inherent challenge in bringing Josei to North America. Considering that the most successful Josei titles in their lines (such as works by Kaoru Mori) often have a historical or fantasy setting, the panel suggested that the slice-of-life stories that Josei manga offers in Japan is a niche already very well filled in prose publication in North America.

Older manga series are hard to sell in North America – True. Every publisher agreed that this is incredibly hard. From collecting publishing rights (often scattered between numerous entities) to restoring original pages (much of older manga was printed off of film which could have significant wear and tear), older manga is a much steeper investment that has a lower chance of finding a market big enough to justify the expense.

Long series of 10+ volumes are no-go – False. A vast majority of series brought over by VIZ, Kondansha, and Yen are easily more than 10 volumes long in Japan. This often leads to the production of larger collections (or in the case of Kondansha, their Colossal Attack on Titan books) for North America release.

Anime series drives manga sales – True. Literally no one had anything but yes to say to this.

Scanlations hurt manga sales – True. This was a consistent conversation throughout the panel about the hugely negative affect that scanlation has on the manga industry in totality – not just in the US. In fact, according to Aker, it’s common for scanlations of chapters from the popular Shonen Jump to be online before VIZ received them from Japan – meaning that they are actually either uploaded directly from Japan or stolen. No matter how fast publishers attempt to keep up with the pace of manga translation, the simple fact of the matter is that to conduct this business legally – it’s just slower. Aker noted that VIZ has a 5-day window to turn around hundreds of manga pages from receiving them on Monday to having them ready for digital release on Friday for the subscribers of VIZ’s digital Shonen Jump and if even one person is sick or out that week without notice, genuine problems can occur.

Publishers make decisions based on scanlations – False. Everyone was in agreement that the idea that publishers track what is popular on scanlation websites as a gauge for what should be licensed and published next is completely erroneous.

The best summation stated during the panel was in response to Aoki’s humorous question of “Japan, why you so slow?” Aker, if I remember correctly, responded quickly to the affect that it’s not why is Japan so slow, but why is the US so big?

Thanks for checking in on our ongoing coverage of San Diego Comic-Con. Join us for ongoing coverage through the weekend!

Title: Love Stage!! Genre: Yaoi, Romance Publisher: Viz/Sublime (US), Kadokawa Shoten (JP) Artist/Writer: Taishi Zaoi, Eiki Eiki Serialized in: Asuka Ciel Original Release Date: May 12, 2015 Due to his discreet personality and otaku-like features, people usually don’t give Izumi Sena a second glance on the busy streets of Tokyo. But things would have been ... Read more

Former Dreamworks SVP Brad Woods has joined Viz Media as Chief Marketing Officer. Woods also has Mattel and Warner Bros. on his resume. At Viz he’ll oversee strategies for expansion into multiple channels. Inaddition to it’s well known print manga products. Viz also has streaming, online, film, TV and many other home entertainment branches, so hiring a veteran exec to look at all this stuff is a good move.

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced that Brad Woods has been named as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
 
“Brad Woods is a seasoned entertainment executive with a proven success record of enhancing brand equity, increasing revenue, and achieving results with innovative strategies and visionary leadership,” says Ken Sasaki, CEO of VIZ Media. “His multi-disciplinary experience will play a vital role in expanding VIZ Media’s market share across the publishing, digital content, licensing, home media, and consumer product landscapes.”  
 
Woods will be responsible for developing a range of marketing and product strategies to expand the VIZ Media brand and omni-channel marketing for titles across all company imprints.
 
“I am very excited to build upon VIZ Media’s mission to offer exciting and unique multimedia content to a diverse global audience,” Woods says. “Our dynamic catalog of titles across the print, digital, broadcast, and mobile arenas will allow us to reinvent how consumers discover, enjoy, and interact with our properties on a truly global level.”
 
Woods joins VIZ Media from DreamWorks Animation, where he served as Senior Vice President leading the domestic consumer products and retail business development divisions. During his tenure at DreamWorks, he restructured and substantially expanded the studio’s consumer products business, led the U.S. licensing and retail teams, and also provided strategic leadership for breakthrough marketing programs on properties including Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How To Train Your Dragon. 
 
Over his 20-year career, Woods has held senior positions in the entertainment and multi-media industries with companies including Mattel and Warner Bros. Entertainment. His experience spans a wide variety of marketing and licensing operations such as product marketing, brand development, corporate marketing and communications, lead generation, channel relations, and digital and social media marketing. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a BS from the University of Arizona.

Title: Meteor Prince Genre: Romance, Drama Author: Meca Tanaka Publisher: Viz (US) / Hakusensha (JP) Serialized In: LaLa Release Date: January 6, 2015 Review copy provided by the publisher. I kind of have a thing about short manga series: I don’t really like to invest in them unless I’ve heard they’re particularly good. Despite being ... Read more

A seaside town is haunted by a terrible, terrible stench—and soon much more in Junji Ito’s classic horror manga GYO. Originally published in Japan in 2001 (and in English in 2003), Viz is bringing it back in a deluxe 400-page edition in April, with a new cover design and full-color endpapers.

Ito is one of the masters of unsettling horror in comics—see UZUMAKI or TOMIE— and in GYO the bad smell is just the beginning of an invasion of legged sea creatures and unimaginable horrors.

“GYO is a truly unsettling work of horror, and this new Deluxe Edition presents the definitive version of the story in a handsome format,” says Masumi Washington, Senior Editorial Director in a statement. “Ito’s art will transform your mind, and like the sea life and human characters in GYO, you will never be the same again.”

GYO was also adapted into animated film (see a spoiler segment below) and Viz is bringing out his Ito’s new collection FRAGMENTS OF HORROR this summer.

It’s almost the end of the week, so let’s gather up a few more of today’s entertainment headlines:

– While on the press circuit promoting their new film, Focus, Will Smith and Margot Robbie discussed with USA Today the casting situation with the now-vacant Rick Flagg role in David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad:

Robbie: This happens all the time. People act like, ‘Oh my god, the movie must be ending!’ It’s just the deal with movies.” Not to mention “a lot of the characters haven’t been portrayed before so it’s a pretty big undertaking. And it’s a big undertaking for the people who are going to play the characters who have been played, like the Joker (to be played by Jared Leto). It’s big shoes to fill.

Smith:  Ayer “turned the screenplay in before Christmas. What happens is Hollywood shuts down. But he was still working and he wanted to (start shooting) April 13th. So it takes a couple weeks to gear back up at the top of the year and people have taken (other) movies. He’s moving really quickly.

A few days ago, Umberto Gonzalez over at Latino-Review stated on Twitter that the Rick Flagg casting may be announced this week. We still have a day to go, so it’s possible that we may see some resolution there. I’m going to throw my money on Joel Edgerton, but it’s probably just because I just saw Zero Dark Thirty again on FX last night.

– Ryan Reynolds took to twitter today and celebrated being one year out from the release of 2016’s Deadpool, teasing fans with the mask that will be used in the upcoming film:

Sepia tone disguises the fact the mask is ballerina pink. It’s early. 365 sleeps early. #deadpool #prototypes pic.twitter.com/PekFa2KS7S

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) February 12, 2015

The fact that they’re even using a mask is cause for some celebration.

– It’s been some time since Sam Hamm had last been on the scene. The Tim Burton Batman, Monkeybone, and one-time Watchmen screenwriter’s most recent on-screen credit was for an episode of Masters of Horror about ten years ago. That all changes today, as Viz Entertainment has announced that Hamm will be adapting Sayuri Ueda‘s short story The Street of Fruiting Bodies, which originated in the Phantasm Japan anthology, into a feature-length film. That anthology, it’s worth noting, comes from the same imprint (Viz Media’s Haikasoru) as All You Need Is Kill, which was eventually adapted into last year’s Edge of Tomorrow.

Viz describes the story in detail:

The Street of Fruiting Bodies depicts the sudden spread of a mysterious and lethal species of hallucinogenic mushroom. The infestation is deadly, but it also offers visions of deceased loved ones to the infected, hinting at the reality of an afterlife, or at least a new kind of existence that is beyond human comprehension.

Hamm elaborates on the project:

Ueda creates a world in which the most profound human emotions – love, grief, longing, and hope – can lead to one’s salvation or one’s undoing, and the true horror is that it may be impossible to tell the difference. ‘The Street of Fruiting Bodies’ is not only disturbing, it is moving.

– Lastly, do you have $375 bucks to spare? Then you can be the owner of this pretty stunning looking Ultron Figure from Hot Toys/Sideshow Collectibles, expected to ship in early 2016.

by Zachary Clemente

Way back in the early 90s, Nintendo Power published a serialized run of The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past limited comic series. Viz announced today that they’ve acquired the rights to the comic and are reprinting it in a full-color volume, available on May 5th. With story and art by manga master Shotaro Ishinomori of Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009 fame, this is a real treat for a fan of either the video game franchise or manga creator.

Widely considered one of the best games in the Legend of Zelda franchise, A Link To The Past saw life on the SNES, Gameboy Advance, and Virtual Console. Ishinomori’s comic following the overall arch of the game while expanding on certain characters and adding new plot twists.

This isn’t anywhere near a new adventure for Viz, however. They also publish a Legend of Zelda manga based off of other games in the franchise by Akira Himekawa (the collaboration of two women, A. Honda and S. Nagano; the first 10 volumes of which are available in a boxed set.

About the book:

In 1974, Hello Kitty stepped on the scene, and she’s had the world wrapped around her little red bow ever since. Here, some of her biggest fans—from comic artists to muralists to toy creators—pay tribute in story and art.

Foreword by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, creators of Babymouse

My thoughts:

I am a huge Hello Kitty fan.   I own notebooks, pens, pencils, a tea set, a rice bowl, a cookie tray, and many other items emblazoned with the iconic character.  I was crushed when I broke my Hello Kitty sugar bowl, but I eventually got over the shock (a few years later).  I was confused this summer when reports shocked the world that she was not a cat, but a British girl instead, because, really, how many girls have cat ears?  And those whiskers? The Sanrio PR machine quickly responded that while Hello Kitty isn’t a human girl, she isn’t entirely a cat, either.  Huh?  I quickly shoved all of that nonsense back in a corner of my brain, and I am content to clearly state that, to me, Hello Kitty is a CAT!  What do you think?

Anyway, getting back to Hello Kitty: Hello 40, A Celebration in 40 Stories (Plus One for Good Luck) – this is a fun book.  A compilation of short comics by international artists, it’s a fitting tribute for Kitty White’s 40th birthday.  Featuring a fascinating variety of artistic styles, each artist celebrates her special day, contributing short stories and thoughts on how Hello Kitty affected their art and pop culture in general. 

The production values are very high, with a study hardcover binding, heavy paper stock that will stand up to repeated reading, and bright, vivid colors.  If you are a Hello Kitty fan, or if you have one on your holiday gift giving list, you really can’t go wrong with this book.  It’s also available digitally, for those who prefer an electronic format.

Thanks to VIZ Media, I have a copy to give away.  US addresses only, please. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Review and Giveaway: Hello Kitty HELLO 40 appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Junji Ito! Junji Ito! Junji Ito!

Japanese horror master Ito has been avoiding the genre of his greatest triumphs—Uzimaki, Tomie, Gyo— for eight years, but he has a new book out, and Viz will bring it to the US next year: Fragments of Horror, a new collection of short horror tales to be published under the Signature imprint.

FRAGMENTS OF HORROR is the brand-new collection of delightfully macabre tales from the celebrated master of Japanese horror. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.

“A long anticipated new offering of bizarre and disturbing short stories from the unique mind of Junji Ito awaits readers next summer,” says Leyla Aker, Senior Vice President, Publishing. “Ito adeptly creates scenarios that are at once surreal, unsettling, and often terrifying, and FRAGMENTS OF HORROR is sure to become a must-read for true horror aficionados and manga fans familiar with his prior works like GYO and UZUMAKI. We look forward to new as well as existing manga fans and readers discovering this potent forthcoming release!”

Not everyone converted to manga during the invasion during the last decade, and I can understand how high school romances and vampire dramas can be an acquired taste, but the greatest Japanese horror comics are pretty universal in their appeal, and Ito is among the genre’s greats: unsettling tales rendered with the solid draftsmanship of classic EC comics and the twisted imagination of…Junji Ito.

Both Uzumaki—the story of a town beset by an obsession with spirals that leads to death—and GYO—the story of a town overcome by fish bearing a “death stench”—are available from Viz. If you like truly unsettling stories, you need to get into Ito. (I should note that I treasure the two voumes of Museum of Horror that Dark Horse put out a decade ago as well.)

Want to find more about how graphic novel publishers are approaching the massive changes in comics readership and marketing now underway?

Then fire up your computer tomorrow at 1 pm EST for a webcast with

Howard Shapiro, author, The Hockey Saint/Animal Media Group

Michael Martens, vp of business development , Dark Horse

Matt Parkinson, vp of marketing, Dark Horse

Leyla Aker, VP publsihing Viz Media

Ashlee Vaughn, Marketing, Viz Media

I’ll  be moderating this chat but you can submit questions yourself.  And with such a smart group, this is bound to be a fascinating hour at a crucial time in the comics industry.

The event is FREE to attend. FREE!!! Just go here and sign up.  And tell ‘em The Beat sent you.

I know we’ve been slacking a bit with 31 Days due to the horrors of New York Comic-Con, but it’s full sped ahead to the pumpkins now. And here is the best thing you will hear today, tomorrow or possibly in a lifetime: Japanese Horror master Junji Ito Is doing a Pokemon collaboration.

Yeah that’s right. The creator of Uzumaki, Museum of Terror, the Long Hair in the Attic and much more, is doing POKEMON.

The news was announced in Japan as a “Collaboration,” you know, like Tokidoki doing Marvel, except terrifying and unspeakable. It’s called “Kowapoke,” which means “Scarypoke” and a single phone wallpaper image has been released thus far. That’s Banette, cute little Banette, admittedly not the nicest Pokemon, now all Kowapoke’d up. T-shirts are being given away in Japan now because life is unknowable and terrifying.

Ito is one of the greatest, most unsettling cartoonists alive. We’ve spotlighted him several times before. This is only the creepy icing on the scary cake!

If you’d like to read some Ito, or just get into his weird world, we strongly recommend Uzumaki, published in one volume late last year, the story of a town obsessed with spirals and the terror they bring. Connie C has a good round-up of his work here.

Source, via Tiny Cartridge

“MONONOKE HIME” (1980 nen Shoki Settei Ban)
By Hayao Miyazaki
© 1993 Nibariki
All rights reserved.
© 1993 Studio Ghibli

The BIG big manga news at New York Comic COn is the appearance of Takeshi Obata, creator of Bakuman, Death Note and All You Need is Kill, the manga adaptation of the recent film that had the wrong title. It’s exciting that so many huge manga-ka are coming to America. To celebrate, Viz has a ton of exlcusives and special at the show so get your manga fix at their booth, with Princess Mononoke, Helly Kitty and Death Note.

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has detailed a special array of anime, manga and graphic novel products along with several convention exclusives and notable collectables that will stock the VIZ Shop, to be located in VIZ Media booth (#1944) during the 2014 New York Comic Con. 

VIZ Media will host an expansive display at the Javits Convention Center between October 9^th- 12^th for the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture event that features the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Full details on New York Comic Con are available at:http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

Browse the VIZ Shop throughout New York Comic Con for premium manga and anime titles, notable advance and pre-sale items, as well as a variety of collectables, convention specials and other exclusive and limited edition items.

Celebrate Takeshi Obata’s (Artist, DEATH NOTE, BAKUMAN。and ALL YOU NEED IS KILL)  New York Comic Con Appearance:

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Manga Pre-Sale – Grab Takeshi Obata’s stunning manga rendition of the popular Japanese sci-fi novel ahead of its public street date. Price: $15.00

BAKUMAN。 Vol. 1 – Do Moritaka and Akito have what it takes to make it in the manga-publishing world? Find out in this dramatic manga comedy! $10.00

DEATH NOTE: BLACK EDITION Vol.1 – A deluxe oversized edition of the bestselling supernatural crime thriller! Price: $15.00

HIKARU NO GO Vol. 1 – Follow Hikaru Shindo as he learns the ancient game of “Go” with the spirit of master player Sai in this classic manga! Price: $10.00

RAL Ω GRAD Vol. 1 – Read to see if Ral and Grad win the fight against the Shadows in this award winning manga! Price:$8.00

DEATH NOTE T-Shirt – Get this exclusive DEATH NOTE shirt based on the anime  before it’s available anywhere else! Price: $20.00

Special VIZ Media Manga & Publishing Items:

PRINCESS MONONOKE: THE FIRST STORY (Pre-Street) – Get the inspiration for the award-winning animated film in this oversized, lavishly illustrated storybook featuring original watercolor art by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki! Price:$35.00

KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS Vol. 1 (Pre-Street) – Check out this supernatural romance from the Shojo Beat imprint before its available anywhere else! Price: $10.00

RESIDENT EVIL Vol.1 (Pre-Street) – Join the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance in this action-packed manga prequel to the hit Resident Evil 6 game! Price: $13.00

Perfect Square Books & Manga:

VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO – Celebrate 30 years of awesome giant robots with this special edition collectable book! Price: $50.00

HELLO KITTY, HELLO 40 – Celebrate Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary with this hand-numbered, limited special edition collectable story and art book! Price: $50.00

BRAVEST WARRIORS: THE SEARCH FOR CATBUG – A one-of-a-kind art book presented in the style of a classic seek & find. Get the exclusive hand-numbered, limited special edition! Price: $30.00

BRAVEST WARRIORS: THIS WAY OR THAT – THE GREAT CORE CAPER – Be a part of the action and help decide just how the galaxy-traveling heroes and Catbug will save a planet in peril with this new release! Price: $8.00

Special Gift with Purchase! BRAVEST WARRIORS PRESENTS: CATBUG’S TREASURE BOOK – This look into Catbug’s musings comes with a poster featuring Catbug and the teen heroes! Price: $13.00

POKEMON ADVENTURES RED AND BLUE MANGA BOX SET – Capture the excitement of the POKEMON ADVENTURES manga series with volumes 1-7 along with a collectible poster. Price: $50.00

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA MANGA BOX SET – Action and adventure based on the bestselling Nintendo video game franchise. Set contains all 10 volumes of the manga series and a collectible poster! Price: $80.00

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Exclusives & Specials:

Masashi Kishimoto Reproduction NARUTO Artwork from Japan (Exclusive!) – hand numbered, full-color and limited quantity. Price: $15.00

Eiichiro Oda Reproduction ONE PIECE Artwork From Japan (Limited Edition!) – hand numbered, full-color and limited quantity. Price: $15.00

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP’S JUMP PACK 3 – Newest Jump Pack Edition comes with a limited edition “Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Evening Twilight” Yu-Gi-Oh! Collector Card and 3 months free to the world’s bestselling weekly digital manga anthology. Special Convention Discounted Price: $8.00

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Annual Subscription – Purchase an annual subscription and receive the limited edition Yu-Gi-Oh! Card “Ebon Illusion Magician” Collectable Trading Card and a special gift with purchase Game Mat featuring your favorite WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP characters (While supplies last!) along with 52 weekly issues of the online anthology! Special Convention Discounted Price: $20.00

VIZ Media Anime:

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET Complete Series DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack (Limited Edition!) – A must-watch sci-fi anime series. Find out if Ledo can survive his surprise landing on a seemingly foreign planet! Special Convention Price: $50.00

RANMA ½ Limited Edition Blu-ray Sets 1, 2, & 3 – Rumiko Takahashi’s RANMA ½ anime series is re-mastered and presented on Blu-ray for the first time! Special convention-only price: Special Convention Price: $44.00 each

 BLOOD LAD Complete Series DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack (Limited Edition!)– Score the complete series in this Blu-ray and DVD combo pack release. Follow the journey of Staz, an otaku vampire who will resurrect the girl of his dreams by any bloody means necessary. Special Convention Price: $50.00

 

Additional VIZ Media Exclusive Products & Collectables:

 SAILOR MOON T-Shirt (Exclusive!) - This New York Comic Con exclusive is sure to go fast. Don’t miss out on fighting for Love & Justice, just like Usagi and her fellow Sailor Guardians! Price: $15.00

 BLEACH Sword Umbrellas (Pre-Street) Stay dry with two designs to choose from, the sword hilt of Ichigo or Soul Reaper Rukia! Price: $30.00 each

 DORAEMON T-Shirts (Exclusive!) – Available for the first time, choose between two exclusive designs! Price: $20.00 each

 DORAEMON Limited Edition Coin Purse– Keep your money safe with this adorable coin purse! Price: $12.00

 DORAEMON Limited Edition Figure – Get this figure of everyone’s favorite cat-type robot from the future that comes with plenty of fun gadgets! Price: $35.00

 DORAEMON Belt – Need a handy accessory to keep your pants up? Doraemon has just the gadget for that! Get this belt buckle style belt in its debut. Price: $20.00

 TIGER & BUNNY Cosplay Alpaca Plush – Choose between five different alpaca plush in TIGER & BUNNY cosplay or collect them all! Price: $25.00 each

 TIGER & BUNNY Keychain and Cell Strap Set – Four different character options available! Special Convention-Only Price: $15.00

 K Blind Box Mini Figures – Get a random mini-figure featuring the characters from the captivating anime series, K. Special Convention-Only Price: $8.00

 K Clear File Set – Use these handy files at school, at work, or as posters! Set features 5 different clear file designs. Special Convention-Only Price: $20.00

 K Poster Set – Set of 2 K posters featuring Fushimi and Yata. Special Convention-Only Price: $10.00

 

Neon Alley’s Viz’z free streaming media platform, is adding a bunch of choice Sailor Moon,  Sailor Moon Crystal, Bleach, Naruto Shippuden, and Ranma 1/2 episodes, which you can see in the release below. You can stream these via the Neon Alley site and on mobile and gaming platforms via Hulu and Hulu Plus.

The site has been around since 2012, initially available via gaming platforms only.

VIZ Media opens October and the Fall 2014 anime season on its FREE Neon Alley media-streaming platform with the announcement of a new monthly update that will add more than 80 exciting episodes for a host of best-loved series to the programming roster throughout the month. Among these are several special simulcast premieres that will stream brand new first-run episodes domestically on the same days as their Japanese counterparts’ broadcast airdates.

Anime fans will not want to miss the subtitled simulcast premiere of two brand new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL episodes (subtitled) on October 4^th and 18^th, as well as a brand new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episode (subtitled) simulcast happening every Thursday. Also don’t miss the premiere of 8 classic uncut and remastered SAILOR MOON episodes (subtitled). Two exciting episodes launch each Monday (“Moonday”) throughout October.

Viewers can also look forward to enjoying newly added English dubbed episodes of NARUTO (original series) Season 1, BLEACH Season 16, and MORE Season 5 episodes of RANMA ½, in English dub,

All of the special simulcast premieres will be available in the U.S. via Neon Alley, Hulu and Hulu Plus. Please visit NeonAlley.com for details.

The latest Neon Alley monthly update features English dubbed as well subtitled episodes and anime feature film premieres from top-rated anime series, including:

BLEACH

• English dubbed Episodes 230 – 242 of the 16^th Season of BLEACH will be added on October 1^st to the current cache of 217 episodes of the popular supernatural action series.
• Fans also may catch the entire BLEACH anime series subtitled on Neon Alley (366 episodes total)!

NARUTO

• Neon Alley welcomes the addition on October 1^st of new English dubbed Episodes 39 – 52 of the original NARUTO Season 1 anime series.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN

• Don’t miss special simulcasts of the latest subtitled episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN every Thursday in October, which continue to expand the massive library of 380 subtitled episodes. New simulcast episodes will be available to stream for a limited time only!
• Neon Alley also will launch NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Season 1, Episodes 1 – 12, English dubbed, on October 10^th.

RANMA ½

• Catch 2 newly added English RANMA ½ English dubbed episodes each Friday throughout October, beginning on October 3^rd with Episodes 101 – 102 and available for a limited time only!
• A total of 10 new English-dubbed episodes will debut throughout October.
• Enjoy the entire re-mastered series (161 episodes) subtitled on Neon Alley now!

SAILOR MOON

• Don’t miss the premiere this month of 8 new classic SAILOR MOON episodes. Two exciting episodes launch every Monday throughout the entire month, beginning with Episodes 43 & 44 on October 6^th.

SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL

• Be sure to catch very special simulcast premiere of the newest SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL adventures with Episode 7’s debut on October 4^th followed by Episode 8 on October 18^th.

I’m looking forward to reading this series. It’s the perfect time of year for to start a new supernatural romance!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIZ MEDIA MIXES SWEET PASSION AND DARK INTRIGUE IN THE NEW MANGA SERIES

HONEY BLOOD

A Beautiful Girl Falls For The Old-World Charm Of A Mysterious Vampire Romance Writer—With His Own Taste For Blood!

New Shojo Series Launches In Print And Digitally!

San Francisco, CA, September 25, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, opens Fall with a fiery mixture of bloodthirsty romance and supernatural intrigue in Miko Mitsuki’s shojo manga series – HONEY BLOOD. Set for release under the Shojo Beat imprint, Volume 1 of the 3-part series launches on October 7th and is rated ‘T’ for Teens. Print volumes each carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the opening volume, everyone is on edge when a girl at Hinata Sorazono’s school is attacked by what seems to be a bloodsucking vampire. Hinata refuses to believe that vampires even exist, but then she meets her new neighbor, Junya Tokinaga, the author of an incredibly popular vampire romance novel. Dressed in a kimono with an old-world air about him, Junya has a taste of Hinata’s blood and tells her it’s sweet… Hinata can’t help but be drawn to Junya, but could it be that he’s actually a vampire—and worse yet, the culprit behind the attacks?!

“Junya Tokinaga is a mysterious and handsome man, so readers will swoon along with Hinata and become captivated by his complicated past and the bloodthirsty secret he hides,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “The stage is set for charged passion and love in this sultry series from Miko Mitsuki.”

HONEY BLOOD creator Miko Mitsuki hails from Kagoshima Prefecture in southernmost Japan and debuted with the manga title, Utakata, in 2003. She is currently working on projects for Sho-Comi magazine.

For more information on HONEY BLOOD, or other shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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 to Release Honey Blood! appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Holy Cow!  Sometimes I just have to get that off my chest.  The 25th volume of Skip*Beat! ROCKED!  The drama was cranked up when Sho made a surprise appearance during the filming of Kyoko and Ren’s TV show and WOW!  He really knows how to stir up trouble.  And best yet, how to get under Kyoko’s skin.  Jealous when he thought that she was hung up on Reino, a rival singer, Sho wanted to make sure Kyoko knew what she was missing.  Delivering a huge bouquet brimming with all the things he thought she’d love, he throws down the gauntlet.   He’ll not be overshadowed by the Beagle or by smarmy Ren, either!

When Sho steals Kyoko’s first kiss, hilarity ensues.  She is distraught, Ren is quivering with rage, and poor Yashiro – he can only look on in horror as his client’s sense of well-being is shattered into a billion tiny pieces.  I didn’t know who I felt worse for – Ren, Kyoko, or Yashiro, who would have to deal with the fallout from Ren’s state of agitation.  Kyoko is traumatized, until Ren scoffs at her reaction to Sho.  If she wasn’t a willing participant in the kiss, is it really a kiss?  Besides, she’s an actress, and there will be times when she’ll have to kiss a co-star.  That’s not a kiss, either, it’s just part of the script, and part of the job.  Just when he’s made her feel better about the whole episode, Ren works in a little threat; she needs to be careful to never let Sho take advantage of her again, because she only gets one chance.  There will be no second chances.  Oh, dear!

Later, when Kyoko is alone in Ren’s dressing room, he does something to push Sho completely out of her mind.  Literally.  Suddenly, she can only think of Ren, and don’t think that doesn’t make him all smug and extremely self-satisfied.  Valentine’s Day was so much fun, I was sorry to see it end.  This has been my favorite volume of Skip*Beat! so far, and I wonder if it can be topped.  Even the art was kicked up a notch, but that impression might be due to the amount of illustrations featuring Ren.

Grade:  A-

Review copy purchased from Amazon

From Amazon:

Kyoko’s Valentine’s battle with Reino has finally gained her Sho’s attention—but now it’s the last thing she wants! Sho is determined to make her obsessed with him, and shows up on set with an over-the-top gift to taunt her. But when Kyoko explains her true relationship with Reino, Sho makes an inexcusable move. Has he undone her years of healing in one fell swoop?!

The post Graphic Novel Review: Skip*Beat! Volume 25 by Yoshiki Nakamura appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.