License Line: To The Rescue

What is License Line? Put simply, it's a bi-weekly feature on Nagareboshi Reviews in which yours truly posts about a certain anime/manga series that truly, desperately needs to be licensed and put on my shelves ASAP - from the obscure but well-deserving manga to the stream worthy but not yet DVD licensed anime. (It is also desperately late this week, and for this I apologize. Yes, aren't these usually published every other Tuesday? Bear with me, for this week is a little bit more interactive!)

Unless you habituate underneath a large boulder, you are keenly aware of the absence of a certain manga publishing giant this fall: Tokyopop, which closed its doors and ceased publication of all of its licenses as of May of this year. I'm not looking to make a bitter rant about Tokyopop's business practices and how it feels like Stu Levy failed manga readers, especially since they've now dangled the possible carrot of Axis Powers Hetalia's third volume availability in front of fans' noses; that can be another post all together (and what a post it will be, I'm sure). No, today I'd like to talk about something that has been running through the manga blogosphere since Tokyopop's closure of its publishing center was first introduced: what about the manga?

PR: Coming Soon on Blu-ray & DVD - NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF THE HIGH FLYING NINJA ACTION OF NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

The World’s Most Popular Ninja Returns In A Brand New Anime Feature Film And Faces Down A Dangerous Airborne Menace!

© 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007
Shippuden © NMP 2008

San Francisco, CA, September 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, is proud to announce the DVD and Blu-ray release of the latest NARUTO feature film on October 25^th.  NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS will be the first Blu-ray release from the international anime franchise to hit North American shores, and is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and priced at $24.98 (Blu-ray) and $19.98 (DVD) in both the U.S. and Canada.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS is packed with dynamic action and visually stunning fight scenes, giving devoted fans and newcomers alike a chance to experience NARUTO SHIPPUDEN like never before! In the movie, a group of mysterious flying ninja have arrived from overseas to launch a sudden attack against the Hidden Leaf Village, leaving behind a wake of destruction. The group is revealed to be the “Sky Ninja” from the Land of Sky, a nation thought to have been destroyed by the Hidden Leaf Village long ago. To save their village, Naruto and his friends set out to stop this new threat. During the course of the mission, Naruto crosses paths with Sasuke, his friend who has parted ways from the Leaf Village.

“This is the second feature film in the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN story arc and fans won’t want to miss even a second of the high flying ninja action in this latest anime adventure!” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “October will be a month full of NARUTO fun as VIZ Media plans a special U.S. theatrical premiere of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS during New York Comic Con and also celebrates the birthday of the world’s most popular ninja the same month. Look for this latest release coming soon to retailers nationwide!”

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

More information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.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 monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine 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.

Manga Review: XXXHOLiC GN 17

XXXHOLiC volume 17

Author: CLAMP

Del Rey Books

192 pages

Major spoiler warning: Do not read the following review – even the book summary! – if you are not up-to-date with the series so far. Read at your own peril!

Watanuki no longer leaves the wish-granting shop he inherited from the witch Yûko. What’s more, he must help everyone who walks through its doors—even the monster that ate his eye! How can the still-inexperienced Watanuki handle what can only be called one dangerous customer?

Its partner series, Tsubasa, ended quite a while ago, so for XXXHOLiC, it seems the end is inevitably nigh. So you would expect a lot of action leading up to the finale, right? Err, not exactly. This volume – especially compared to those in the past – seems to enjoy taking it slow and easy. With Watanuki taking up the mantle of Yûko completely and Domeki assuming the role of the reluctant assistant, it doesn’t look like it will be concluding anytime soon unless something incredibly drastic happens in the last two volumes. It’s a solid book but there aren’t many major momental events in this volume and at this point in this series, it’s more of a drawback that a plus.

Read the rest of the review after the jump!

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/28/11)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the new weekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Digital Manga has two new boys' love licenses - Depression of the Anti-Romanticist and Beast & Feast - and has also announced some of their plans for YaoiCon in October 2011.
• Something pretty has crossed my attention: The Yaoi Fanlisting, for fans of the yaoi genre to meet other fans. Just look at that layout!
• The latest BL webcomics to enter the Fujoshi O'Clock nexus are Aoi House, in which two unsuspecting guys shack up with a house of yaoi fangirls, and the yaoi comic Teahouse, which looks to be dangerously sexy (and rather NSFW).
• ANN: The Blu-Ray releases of the 2012 Ai No Kusabi will also include an extra short story about AnK by the original author, Rieko Yoshinara, along with some other tasty extras.
• The latest BL addition to the Emanga site is Seven Days: Friday-Sunday by Rihito Takarai, the conclusion to the Seven Days series.

Reviews:

• Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith of Manga Bookshelf bring a trio of BL reviews for the BL Bookrack: An Even More Beautiful Lie by Kei Kanai, Only Serious About You by Kai Asou, and Private Teacher GN 1 by Yuu Moegi.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews Aniji Yuuji's Me wo Hiraitemo and OreNeko (images are slightly NSFW), which includes some very cute blushed butts.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Manga Review: Shugo Chara! GN 12

Shugo Chara! volume 12

Author: Peach-Pit

Kodansha Comics

208 pages

The Guardians of Seiyo Academy are all super busy in preparation for graduation. As the day of commencement approaches, feelings are confessed, and secrets are revealed, including the source of the Guardian Characters! Will Amu's Guardian Characters sleep forever in their eggs? And will she ever get to see Ikuto?

Spoiler notice: Spoilers for the series so far are in this volume. Read with caution! The rest of the review is after the jump.

First things first: this is technically not the final volume of Shugo Chara! Despite what the back cover might say, this is actually the Encore one-volume sequel to the main story, which ended in the eleventh volume. Naturally, the Encore volume is folded into the parent series to make it easier for fans to find it in bookstores and make things less confusing with different titles. Tomato, to – well, you know. It is more a collection of chapters exploring various characters' futures and feelings after the explosive finale to the Easter Corporation arc, focusing mainly on those within the Guardians group, and provides some needed emotional closure to several character arcs, including that of Amu Hinamori and her love interest, Ikuto. This volume ends up not only tying up a bunch of loose ends for various subplots but also brings the entirety of the Shugo Chara story to a sweet, satisfying close that will linger in fans' hearts for quite a while.

Read the rest of my review of the Shugo Chara! finale after the jump!

AMV Of The Week: Electropop

This week’s AMV is yet another fun fast paced Shugo Chara! fanvid with a definite Amu/Ikuto bias (gosh, can you guys tell what my SG! pairing of choice is by now?). Something about this song fits perfectly with Amu's sassy personality as well as her playful interaction with the more mysterious Ikuto. And of course, any video that highlights the amazing outfits Amu gets to wear throughout the series is always awesome by me.

AMV: Electropop!

Author: whispersreloaded

Music: Jupiter Rising's "Electropop"

Warnings: Quick moving clips and flashing colors/lights.

Guest Review: Codename Sailor V GN 1

Codename: Sailor V volume 1
Author: Naoko Takeuchi
Kodansha Comics
272 pages


Like Sailor Moon, Minako Aino is a normal 13-year-old schoolgirl until a fateful day when a white cat introduces himself to her and tells her she has the power to transform into the hero, Sailor V. Using a magic pen to transform, Sailor V fights the evil agents of the Dark Agency as she strives to protect the earth.



My favorite guest blogger and beloved nakama Jeremy/Gaosalad is back, this time with a review of arguably one of the biggest manga releases for English readers of the year - Sailor V! Remember, if you like my friend Jeremy's style, jump over to his sweet blog for his thoughts on pop culture and music galore!


Read on for Jeremy's review of Codename: Sailor V's premiere volume!

PR: Action Manga PSYREN Is Coming Soon From Viz!

NEW VIZ MEDIA MANGA SERIES PSYREN TAKES READERS TO AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION WHERE YOU’VE GOT TO FIGHT TO GET BACK HOME…

OR DIE TRYING

PSYREN © 2007
by Toshiaki Iwashiro/SHUEISHA Inc.

A Teenager And His Friends Embark On A Dangerous Adventure To Alter The Future And Save The World

San Francisco, CA, September 22, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the debut of the riveting action manga (graphic novel) series – PSYREN – on October 4^th. The new series, by Toshiaki Iwashiro, will be published under the company’s SHONEN JUMP imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. PSYREN is also currently featured in VIZ Media’s monthly SHONEN JUMP magazine.

"Save me!" Those were Sakurako Amamiya's last words to her friend Ageha Yoshina before she mysteriously went missing. Now Ageha's on a quest to find her. He's convinced that the mythical Psyren Secret Society has something to do with the recent rash of disappearances. And now he seems to be caught up as a player in their very deadly game...

“Ageha Yoshina embarks on a dangerous adventure in this action-packed new series where he attempts to alter the future and save the world,” says Joel Enos, Editor. “Readers will be transported to Psyren, a stark wasteland inhabited by insect-like monsters, where Yoshina and his friends must complete missions assigned by the mysterious Nemesis Q if they ever hope to return home. PSYREN is a bestseller in Japan, where it also spawned a pair of popular novels. Don’t miss the new manga release coming in October!”

Manga creator Toshiaki Iwashiro was born in 1977, in Tokyo, and his debut manga series was the popular Mieru Hito (Divine Eye), which ran from 2005 to 2007 in Japan in Weekly Shonen Jump, where PSYREN was also serialized.

For more information on PSYREN, or others titles from VIZ Media, please visit ShonenJump.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 monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine 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.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 36

Bleach volume 36

Author: Tite Kubo

Viz Media/Shonen Jump

200 pages

Turn Back the Pendulum: Find out what happened in the Soul Society one hundred years ago. Kisuke Urahara is the new captain of twelfth company—now if only he could get along with his assistant captain. And Soul Reaper captain Shinji Hirako suspects something sinister is going on with his second in command, Aizen.

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the Bleach series so far. Read at your own discretion if you aren't up-to-date!

PR: VIZ Media Sweeps NY Times Manga Bestseller List 2nd Time in Month!

NARUTO © 1999
by Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.

Latest NARUTO Edition Takes #1 Spot And Is Complemented By Other Top Manga Properties Including BLEACH, BLACK BIRD, BLUE EXORCIST, ULTIMO, DEATH NOTE And More!

San Francisco, CA, September 21, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has swept the latest Top 10 on the New York Times Manga Bestseller list for the week of September 10^th. This is the second time the company has dominated the list in less than a month; VIZ Media previously swept all Top 10 spots for the week of August 20^th.

The top selling VIZ Media manga (graphic novel) titles included:

1. NARUTO Vol. 52
2. BLEACH Vol. 36
3. BLACK BIRD Vol. 10
4. DENGEKI DAISY Vol. 6
5. KIMI NO TODOKE: FROM ME TO YOU Vol. 10
6. LIBRARY WARS: LOVE & WAR Vol. 6
7. BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1
8. BUTTERFLIES, FLOWERS Vol. 8
9. ULTIMO Vol. 6
10.  DEATH NOTE BLACK EDITION Vol. 5

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/21/11)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the new weekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Fantagraphics has licensed Moto Hagio's Heart of Thomas, a classic early BL manga from the early seventies, following the runaway success of the release of Drunken Dream.
• Over at Digital Manga Publishing, the Guild's debut title Tired Of Waiting For Love has become the number one manga title in the Kindle store over the last weekend.
• ANN: the seemingly forever caught in delay hell anime project for Ai No Kusabi has been relisted for release in 2012. The first DVD/Blu-Ray of the series will hit Japanese stores on January 18th of next year; the ANN story has a complete release schedule for the rest of the discs.
• For people keeping an eye on the once defunct Drama Queen publisher, it seems their site has been updated yet again, this time to a rather bare bones version of their front page that suggests they are quietly getting ready behind the scenes for their much-awaited comeback.
• A small press that has crossed into the attention of Fujoshi O'Clock is Radio Comix, which publishes manga and comics of the mostly furry variety (included here because there is quite a bit of crossover between BL and furry fandom).

Reviews:

• Matthew Warner at The Fandom Post reviews Until The Full Moon GN 1 by Sanami Matoh, a supernatural tale of genderbending proportions, and finds himself less than thrilled.
• YogiKai at Comic Book Therapy reviews the first volume of My Girlfriend Is A Geek by Rize Shinba, in which a boy falls in love with a girl - who ends up being a fujoshi!

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

AMV Of The Week: Whatcha Know?

This week’s AMV isn't so much a fan vid as a mash-up/AMV of the most epically odd proportions - a mix of gangsta and moe never before seen on this blog and will likely never be seen again. Whatcha know about dat Lucky Star, anyway?

AMV: WHATCHA KNOW BOUT DAT

Author: daijoubucall
Music: Mash-up of T.I.'s "What You Know" and Aya Hirano and company's "Motteke! Sailor Fuku!"
Warnings: Some straight-up naughty RL footage from the T.I. video as well as some lyrics from said video.

PR: Here comes ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS

ADVENTURE AWAITS POKÉMON FANS AS VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF

POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS ON DVD

© 2011 Pokémon.
© 1997-2010 Nintendo, Creatures,
GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku.
 © PIKACHU PROJECT 2010.
Pokémon properties are trademarks of Nintendo.

San Francisco, CA, September 19, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will excite POKÉMON™ fans everywhere with the DVD release of the full-length feature film from the venerable kids franchise, POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS. The DVD, rated ‘A’ for All Ages, will be released on September 20^th under the company’s VIZ KIDS imprint and will carry an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $19.98 CAN.

As Ash and his friends journey to Crown City to join the crowds watching the Pokémon Baccer World Cup, mysterious forces are in motion that could bring untold misfortune to them all! What secrets does Zorua, a Pokémon they befriend along the way, hide? Why is the powerful Zoroark rampaging through the city, and what does the appearance of the Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei, and Suicune mean? All these questions and more will be answered in POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS! 

“We are thrilled to bring the POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS DVD to Pokémon fans across the country,” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “The Pokémon community is incredibly passionate and they will be excited to add this movie to their home DVD library.”

For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

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 monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine 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.

Retrospective Review: Eden It's An Endless World! GN 1 & 2

Eden: It's An Endless World volumes 1 & 2

Author: Hiroki Endo

Dark Horse Comics

v.1: 216 pages; v.2: 208 pages

Spoiler warning: Retrospective reviews contain spoilers for the books they discuss as well as later events in the series. Read on at your own peril!

Eden is both a brilliant love song to the post-apocalyptic survival genre and the beginning of a deep exploration on man's role in the natural order. In the near future, a large portion of humanity is wiped out by a brutal, new virus that hardens the skin while dissolving internal organs. Those who aren't immune are either severely crippled or allowed to live with cybernetically enhanced bodies. Taking advantage of a world in chaos, a paramilitary force known as the Propater topples the United Nations and seeks world domination. Elijah, a young survivor searching for his mother, travels towards the Andes Mountains with an artificially intelligent combat robot. When he encounters a group of anti-Propater freedom fighters, a maelstrom of unique characters unfolds. Graphic, cyberpunk, and philosophical, Eden is a place where endearing heroes face a constant struggle for survival and violent surprises wait around every corner!

After a large portion of humanity is wiped out by a brutal, new virus, an organization known as the Propater seeks to wrest control of the world from the United Nations. Elijah, a young survivor with immunity to the virus, crosses paths with a group of supposed freedom fighters. His companion, an artificially intelligent combat robot named Cherubim, is appropriated and reprogrammed, and Elijah is pulled into a world of relentless peril and intrigue! Cybernetic enhancements! Extreme violence! This breathtaking ride is just getting started!

I was only (!) fifteen when Dark Horse Comics released the first volume of Eden: It’s An Endless World! I remember very well picking up the first volume on a whim, curiosity piqued by the cover – a mixture of wires and machinery and two people that seemed caught between consciousness and slumber. I read it and found myself mystified – in a good way, mind you – and also somewhat confused. A lot of the story went over my still developing mind, and a lot of the moral issues truly went over my head with the loudest of whooshing noises. But I loved it, even if my understanding of it was rather shallow. A note: I had just watched Ghost In The Shell for the first time a couple of years earlier and the aesthetic of cyberpunk in a post-disaster world in which humans were slowly being replaced by cybernetic parts was (and still is) utterly fascinating to me.

Read on after the jump for the rest of my retrospective review!

PR: A RACE OF GENETICALLY MODIFED HUMANS BATTLES GENOCIDE AND EXTINCTION IN THE CAGE OF ZEUS, NEW FROM VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT

THE CAGE OF ZEUS
© 2004 by Sayuri Ueda
Originally published in Japan
by Kadokawa Haruki Corporation.
All rights reserved. 

Award-Winning Author Sayuri Ueda Delivers A Kinetic Action Story With A Distinctly Japanese View Of Gender Politics

San Francisco, CA, September 14, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the release of the newest novel to be published under its popular Haikasoru imprint. THE CAGE OF ZEUS, by author Sayuri Ueda, will debut on September 20^th and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. The eBook edition will also debut the same day on the Amazon Kindle, the Apple’s iBooks Store and the Sony Reader Store for $8.99.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

THE CAGE OF ZEUS introduces readers to the Rounds, humans with the sex organs of both genders. Artificially created to test the limits of the human body in space, the Rounds are a minority, despised and hunted by the terrorist group, Vessel of Life. Aboard Jupiter-I, a space station orbiting the gas giant that shares its name, the Rounds have created their own society with a radically different view of gender and of life itself. Security chief Shirosaki keeps the peace between the Rounds and the typically gendered “Monaurals,” but when a terrorist strike hits the station, the balance of power and tolerance is at risk...and an entire people is targeted for genocide.

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/14/11)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the new weekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Netcomics has updated their site yet again with the next chapter of BL manga Core Scramble, now at a running total of six chapters.
• The latest BL webcomic on Fujoshi O'Clock's radar is Goodbye Chains, an R-rated comic set in Colorado described best as a "gay anarchist cowboy roadshow".
• Over at Akadot Retail, it seems that their Back To School sale is still going on. There are a ton of great deals on yaoi manga and related merchandise available.

Reviews:

• Kinukitty at The Hooded Utilitarian reviews Tonight's Take-Out Night by Akira Minazuki and loves the art as well as some of the more charming stories.
• Danica Davidson at Graphic Novel Reporter reviews Antique Bakery volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga and hits upon the many hints of story lines to come in its opening book.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews chapter 15 of Itoshi no Nekkoke by Kumota Haruko as well as Namakura Asumiko's Doukyuusei fanbook, which looks amazingly adorable.

License Line: I Need A Doctor

What is License Line? Put simply, it's a bi-weekly feature on Nagareboshi Reviews in which yours truly posts about a certain anime/manga series that truly, desperately needs to be licensed and put on my shelves ASAP - from the obscure but well-deserving manga to the stream worthy but not yet DVD licensed anime.

If the current American television market is anything to go by, everyone loves a good medical drama. And why not? So much action, all the tense scenes of surgeries and human conflict, not to mention those terribly attractive doctors, especially that Hugh Laurie – err, moving on. Surprising enough, Japanese animation doesn’t really reflect this trend in dramatic entertainment; not a lot of anime series in the past ten to twenty years show any influence from the hospital serial, even though there are many J-dramas that do. And – cue blushing of your blog host – a lot of them are of the hentai variety in which naughty nurses and doctors get busy in the hospital using surgery equipment in ways that would turn the officials at the department of health green in the face.

However, out of the anime that does take place in a medical setting, one manages to rise above the ranks due to its unorthodox lead who travels from country to country, only performing surgery on the most extraordinary cases for the most outrageous amounts of money, accompanies by an adorable little girl who acts as his nurse while in the operating theater. Yes, you can probably imagine who I’m talking about – the epic Tezuka character, Black Jack, rogue surgeon and international man of mystery.

PR: VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES MANGA “SPEED UP” FOR BLEACH AND ONE PIECE DIGTAL RELEASES ON VIZMANGA.COM AND VIZ MANGA APP

New Digital Volumes To Be Released Weekly And Complement Latest Additions To 19 Other Popular Manga Series

VIZ Media continues to offer manga (graphic novel) fans a vast library of newly added digital titles for September through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ touch. The latest update includes a just-announced manga “speed up” for BLEACH and ONE PIECE that will bring both series up to date with their North American print counterparts by December.

Beginning today and continuing each Monday thereafter, new digital volumes of manga creator Tite Kubo’s supernatural action saga, BLEACH, as well as the high seas pirate adventures of Eiichiro Oda’s ONE PIECE, will for be available online on VIZManga.com and also for download on the VIZ Manga App.

AMV Of The Week: Tik Tok (Kind Of)

This week’s AMV is a naughtily amusing mash-up of Victorian style and trashy pop parodies. In which Ciel Phantomhive is bad, very bad (although I imagine he's not worried about people telling his mum and dad). A most unlikely yet hilarious AMV from a fandom well known for its cracky vid ideas.

AMV: Tik Tok Parody

Author: bubbleontheedge (re-uploaded by nCrazy Tanyan)
Music: "TiK Tok Parody" by The Midnight Beast
Warnings: Vague spoilers for s1 of Kuroshitsuji. Contains some Kuro doujinshi - need I say more on that front? Lyrics are a bit rude.

Weekly Anime Round-Up: Better Late Than Never

Every weekend, Nagareboshi Reviews will post micro reviews of the anime it's been watching over the past seven days, usually shows that are ongoing or don't warrant a separate post for 'initial thoughts'. Feel free to comment with the shows you've been watching this week as well!

Also, it's been a while since I've done one of these, non? Mainly because until recently I haven't been watching enough anime on a weekly basis to warrant one of these posts. But that changes tonight! I promise to keep up with watching anime and post these on at least a bi-weekly basis. Otaku's honor, of course.

Warning: Contains spoilers for the following series: Blue Exorcist; Demon King Daimo; Durarara!!; Gundam Unicorn; Nyanpire The Animation

Manga Review: Natsume's Book of Friends GN 8

Natsume's Book of Friends volume 8

Author: Yuki Midorikawa

Viz Media/Shojo Beat

192 pages

Spoiler warning: Contains some spoilers for the Natsume Yuujinchou manga series so far. Read on with caution!

Nyanko Sensei is recovering after being wounded in the last yokai incident, so Takashi is on his own when he accidentally releases a yokai right before the school festival. With new friends and his ever-strengthening relationship with the Fujiwaras, Takashi has more reasons than ever to keep the supernatural at bay. But does he stand a chance without Nyanko Sensei's power to back him up?

Revisiting Hoshino Lily

Meet Hoshino Lily: manga-ka best known for her work in the boys’ love genre; born December 17^th and has a blood type of A. Also, one of the most controversial manga-ka in her field. Why? Maybe it’s her art. Or her favored type of stories. One thing is for sure: for someone as prolific as Hoshino, something is off about all the hate. As in, she probably doesn’t deserve it – and that is from someone who didn’t like her on first read.

I was inspired by ふう子's post on Hoshino Lily's works of BL goodness to write this post, mainly because ふう子 makes the argument that yaoi doesn't have to be super angsty or cerebral to be entertaining, and that Hoshino's works are anything but generic. Since it is Fujoshi O'Clock Wednesday, I thought I would revisit Hoshino's works, including some works I hadn't read before, as it seemed like my own personal opinion of the manga-ka might have been unfair on first read.

Spoiler warning: Contains slight spoilers for Nurse ga Oshigoto, Blue Eyes, and Alone In My King's Harem. Read at your own discretion!

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/07/11)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the new weekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Animate U.S.A. has added five new yaoi titles for the Kindle, including new releases by manga-ka Youka Nitta.
• In this month's Diamond Comics' preview catalogue, there's only one title debut for September and that is the angst filled Storm Flower by Runa Konjiki.
• Netcomics has updated their site with the next chapter of BL manga Core Scramble, now at five chapters and still going.

Reviews:

• Comic Attack reviews I Give To You by Ebishi Maki, a tale of tea, debt, and cats.
• Slightly Biased Manga reviews the second omnibus of Yellow by Makoto Tateno, in which a decent series gets ridiculous.
• Otaku USA reviews I Want To Bite by Isaya Takamori & Chigusa Kawai and is pleasantly surprised by what could have been a typical vampire BL.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews volume 15 of the BL anthology Cab (contains slightly NSFW pictures), which includes a rather gorgeous color insert of art by Uyama Gihou.