Fujoshi O'Clock: Bishiecon Cabaret 2011 Edition

So - Bishiecon Cabaret 2011! December 17-18 at the Crowne Plaza Clayton in Saint Louis, Missouri! The best darn boys' love/yaoi convention in the Midwest!

I'll be there! So here's the million dollar question: who's going too?

W-what? Y'all don't know why you should come?

First of all, we are awesome. Everyone on staff is amazing and we always put 150% of our hearts and bodies into every convention we run - Bishiecon especially cause we just love it that much!

We are a niche local convention. We are the -only- yaoi convention in the Midwest! The only other yaoi con in the United States I can think of is the king of BL cons, YaoiCon, which is in California. What better way to support your local fannish efforts than to come to Bishiecon and be a badge-carrying con-goer for two gloriously naughty days?

We're 18+ this year! All day, every day! Everything is 18+ only! DICK CANDLES ON THE TABLES, Y'ALL. Note: I have yet to see these fabled dick candles, but I'm sure they will be glorious.

We have guests, glorious guests! Like Emirain, creators of the yaoi webcomic Teahouse! Warky T. Chocobo, musician and yaoi comedian (he performed at last year's Bishiecon and he was hilarious)! Our special performer, Gorgeous Phineas: Strip Magician! And maybe more to come!

We have lots of awesome events! Including a Yaoi AMV contest and a Saturday night dance with a kickass light show! And karaoke, natch - can't have Bishiecon without karaoke.

So, seriously, if you aren't busy during then, come on and have fun at Bishiecon! Tell all your yaoi-loving friends too. Heck, tell the ones that don't love yaoi as much; even non-fujoshi can have fun at Bishiecon! Pre-registration price is sitting pretty at 20 bucks - 35 if you want to have Sunday morning brunch with our lovely guests. And I would advise to GET DAT BRUNCH PASS NOW, because the Plaza has amazing food - and the brunch pass won't be available at the door!

Love, peace, and bishonen. And register for Bishiecon 2011 already!

PR: VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF D.GRAY-MAN ILLUSTRATIONS: NOCHE

New Full-Color Art Book Features The Memorable Work Of Series Creator Katsura Hoshino And Includes A Double-Sided Poster, Artist Interviews And More!

KATSURA HOSHINO
D.GRAY-MAN ILLUSTRATIONS NOCHE
© 2010 by Katsura Hoshino/SHUEISHA Inc.

San Francisco, CA, November 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will delight manga (graphic novel) art fans with the release of D.GRAY-MAN ILLUSTRATIONS: NOCHE on December 6^th. The new art book arrives just in time for the holidays and will carry an MSRP of $21.99 U.S. / $25.99 CAN.

Enter the lavish fictional 19^th century world of D.GRAY-MAN in this new collection featuring nearly 100 pages of full-color character art, magazine covers, and other original compositions by series creator Katsura Hoshino. 

Also featured are insightful Q&A’s between Hoshino and two manga creators that inspire her: Takeshi Obata, the artist behind HIKARU NO GO, BAKUMAN｡, and the smash hit DEATH NOTE (all published in North America by VIZ Media); and Osamu Akimoto, whose manga series, Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo, has been serialized in the best-selling boy's manga magazine in the world, Weekly Shonen Jump, for 35 years and remains the magazine’s longest-running manga series. D.GRAY-MAN ILLUSTRATIONS: NOCHE also includes an exclusive, double-sided full-color poster.

Set in a fictional version of 19^th century England, D.GRAY-MAN (published by VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP ADVANCED imprint; rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) is the story of Allen Walker, a 15-year-old boy who roams the earth in search of Innocence. Washed away to unknown parts of the world after The Great Flood, Innocence is the mysterious substance used to create weapons that obliterate demons known as akuma.

Interesting News Piece About Vocaloids Of The Day

ANN: English Vocaloid Oliver's "Scarborough Fair" Streamed

The demos and one of the full versions of VocaTone/PowerFX's English Vocaloid, Oliver, are now online! And despite any earlier trepidations about English language Vocaloids, Oliver doesn't sound too bad! Granted, he's still young and green compared to Vocaloids like Miku and the Kagamine twins, but he has a lot of potential.

I won't be calling English Vocaloids as Engloids though. Sorry, fandom. That is a bit too silly even for me.

You can listen to the full version of Oliver covering "Scarborough Fair" below.

AMV Of The Week: Let's Eva!

This week’s AMV is one of those deliciously wonderful mash-ups of unlikely paired anime series that I seem to post so much on this blog. And this time, it's Neon Genesis Evangelion done up in the style of Cowboy Bebop's jazzy opening sequence. It's one of the best OP mixes I've seen yet and it really does work, mixing an out-there mecha series with an equally out-there action series to the tune of the coolest bebop song in anime history (sorry, Baccano!, but Yoko Kanno did it first).

Also, insert whine about featuring Aqualine Studios twice so far for AMV Of The Week. Yeah, yeah, I hear ya! It's a coincidence, I swear!

AMV: Eva Bebop

Author: Scintilla/Aqualine Studios (reuploaded by Sorie)

Music: The Seatbelts' "Tank!"

Warnings: N/A

Graphic Novel Review: Lola - A Ghost Story

Lola: A Ghost Story

Author: J. Torres

Artist: Elbert Orr

Oni Press

112 pages (hardcover ed.)

Jesse sees dead people, monsters, demons, and lots of other things that go bump in the night that no one else can see. No one except his ailing grandmother - a woman who used her visions to help those living in her small town... the same rural community in all the scary stories Jesse's heard as a child. Man-eating ogres in trees. Farmhouses haunted by wraiths. Even pigs possessed by the devil. Upon his grandmother's passing, Jesse has no choice but to face his demons and whatever else might be awaiting him at grandma's house.

Content warning: Some of the supernatural imagery in the book can be quite gruesome. Not blood and guts gruesome, but quite vividly terrifying.

Oni Press is always releasing quality graphic novels since I can remember (they've been around since I was seven, so yeah), and Lola is certainly one of them. It is a ghost story for people who don't like ghost stories; a supernatural tale for fans of human stories in strange scenarios like Natsume Yuujinchou or Kieli that is never overwhelmed by the presence of ghosts to the point of becoming pure fantasy. Not like there's anything wrong with one hundred percent fantasy, but at the heart of Lola is a tale of humanity and that shines through brilliantly through all the layers of local mythos that gives the novel its unique feel. When's the last time you read a graphic novel exploring Philippine folklore? Exactly.

PR: VIZ MEDIA TO RELEASE ART FOR HOPE DIGITAL ART ANTHOLOGY IN DECEMBER

Love © 2011 Jacques Pena

Innovative Art Book Created In Partnership With Autodesk To Benefit Japanese Disaster Recovery; Exhibit Of Artwork Also Takes Place In Las Vegas At Autodesk University

VIZ Media has announced the upcoming debut of ART FOR HOPE, a limited edition digital art book anthology created in partnership with Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) to benefit Architecture for Humanity. The anthology will be available for a limited time, from December 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012, for $4.99 through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App for iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch. 100% of VIZ Media’s net proceeds will support Architecture for Humanity’s ongoing disaster reconstruction efforts in Japan. To learn more about these rebuilding projects, please visit: www.ArchitectureForHumanity.org.

Each of the 40 artists participating in the ART FOR HOPE anthology used Autodesk^® SketchBook^® digital paint and drawing software applications in some way to create original pieces for the anthology. The artists, both professional and amateur, hail from around the world and from diverse fields, and range in style from the realistic to the fantastic, each illustrating the theme of “Hope.” Notable contributors include Eisner Award and Harvey Award winner Rob Guillory, Harvey Award winner Lark Pien, muralist Sirron Norris, and MAMESHIBA artists Jorge Monlongo and Gemma Corell.

First Flight © 2011 Dave Guertin

Selections from ART FOR HOPE will also be exhibited at the Autodesk annual user conference, Autodesk University, taking place at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, NV from November 29^th to December 1^st. Access to the exhibit is free to the public within the Creative Studio a unique hands-on space to celebrate the creative spirit and showcasing a variety of Autodesk software and products. More information on the exhibit and conference is available at: First Flight © 2011 Dave Guertin 

http://www.sketchbooknews.com/news/creative-studio-art-exhibit.html.

Fujoshi O'Clock (11/25/11)

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:

• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo has a Today In BL Manga post, in which she talks about new b-garden releases and covers of new tankoubon releases among other items.
• Over at the Manga Bookshelf, Melinda and Michelle's latest edition of Off The Shelf is about Natsume Ono, a pretty popular BL manga-ka and the focus of the latest Manga Moveable Feast.
• Ogiue Maniax's wonderful regular feature The Fujoshi File features Kifujin-senpai from Tonari no 801-chan, one of the more infamous rotten girls in manga these days.

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews a lot this week! She reviews Attack On A Tiger's Whim by Mario Yamada, Prime Minister's Secret Diplomacy by Youka Nitta, and the first volume of In The Walnut by Toko Kawai.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews chapters 16 & 17 of Kumota Haruko's Itoshi no Nekokke,  and some of the preview scans are terrifically NSFW ♥
• Over at Organization Anti-Social Geniuses, Kuuki reviews the anime adaptation of Junjou Romantica and finds it watchable but little else.
• Kimi-chan of Kimi-Chan's Experience reviews the BL light novel Gentle Cage by You Shizaki and finds that it truly earns its 18+ maturity rating.

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: Soul Eater GN 6

Soul Eater volume 6

Author: Atsushi Ohkubo

Yen Press

208 pages

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the Soul Eater manga so far. Read with caution!

Death the Kid and Black*Star race after Free and Eruka, ready to do whatever it takes to stop the Black Blood before it is used to revive the slumbering First Kishin. Meanwhile, Maka has allowed herself to slip into madness in an effort to reach Chrona’s troubled soul. In addition to being horribly embarrassing, her actions carry a great risk. If Maka can’t find Chrona fast, she too will be consumed by madness!

And so ends the First Kishin revival story arc, as short as it was. Surprising for a shonen manga these days to pretty much wrap up a major story arc in less than five volumes, but there ya go; then again, Ohkubo has always been good at subverting the tropes of the genre, especially the annoying genre of really superfluously long battles. And it is not a bad conclusion but it does feel rushed, even by Ohkubo's standards. Still, it is a pretty solid character-driven volume that has its moments of genuine drama, and the ending foretells an even greater story arc over the horizon.

AMV Of The Week: Pencilhead

This week’s AMV is amazeballs. It is truly a treat for the eyes, especially if you are an artist or just a fan of AMVs that stride to break the mold. Everything is redone in this amazing pencil animation that fits like nothing else. Plus, there is so much anime in this one vid, you guys. There's Paprika, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Summer Wars, Ponyo, and FLCL - to name a few. It's like a black-and-white trippy tribute to some of the most far-out anime in history.

AMV: Pencilhead

Author: qwaqa (reuploaded by ibestamvsofalltime)

Music: Fatboy Slim's “Right Here, Right Now"

Warnings: Totally surreal like woah.

Interesting News Piece About OEL Manga Of The Day

Via Comics Worth Reading: Jen Lee Quick Still Plans To Continue Off*Beat

It will be finished and the last book will be more easily accessible then previous installments.This is slated to happen in 2012 regardless if my publishing plan follows through.I will of course keep people updated regularly on deviantart as soon as i am certain of anything. 

Since Tokoypop is gone, she says she’s “working with a new publisher”. In the meantime, she promises to post related “doodles” at her deviantart page.

I remember reading the first volume of Quick's Off*Beat series back in 2005 and finding it true to its title, as well as being a surprisingly sweet read about two awkward young boys and their secrets. I would love to be able to actually finish reading the series; this much mean that OEL manga as we knew it back in the days of Tokyopop isn't completely dead. Perhaps Quick is working with Yen Press, who has quite a few original English-language releases currently under their belt - and selling rather well against their manga/manwha counterparts.


What other OEL manga from the Tokyopop line do you wish would get a revival? I personally would love to see Bizenghast finish its run - in print, mind you! - and maybe have a re-release of its previous volumes since they are now all OOP.


Also, although it is a Del Rey Manga title, I want more Yokaiden! The second volume was released in 2009 and I haven't heard a peep out of the series yet - which is quite a shame, since I think the more it develops, the more it could become the OEL equivalent of Natsume Yuujinchou or Mushishi.

Book Review: 1Q84

1Q84

Author: Haruki Murakami

Translators: Jay Rubin, Philip Gabriel

JP Ed.: Shinchosha; US Ed.: Knopf

925 pages (hardcover ed.)

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the whole of 1Q84. Read on with caution.

The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

PR: VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK ON DVD AND BLU-RAY, AND FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

It’s A Case Of Forgotten Identity As Ichigo Loses Touch With The Soul Society And Faces Down A Deadly New Enemy Alone In The Newest BLEACH Anime Action Feature

© Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO,
dentsu, Pierrot © BMP 2008

San Francisco, CA, November 17, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the release of the latest BLEACH feature film – BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK. The movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray, is rated ’T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $19.98 for DVD (U.S. / CAN) and $24.98 for Blu-ray (U.S / CAN). BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK offers with both English and Japanese dialogue options as well as bonus features including production art and the original theatrical trailers.

The film is also available for Download-to-Own (DTO) for only $9.99 and for Download-to-Rent (DTR) for only $4.99 from digital partners including on iTunes (www.iTunes.com), Amazon Instant Video, and Zune^® on Xbox Live^®. DTO and DTR availability for Playstation^®Network is forthcoming,

In this newest supernatural adventure, a strange disturbance in the World of the Living sends Ichigo and Kon to the Soul Society, where the Seireitei has been devastated by an explosion of reishi and Rukia is missing. Stranger still, none of the Soul Reapers remember Ichigo, and they think he’s the one responsible for the destruction. Now on the run, Ichigo is forced into a lonely battle in order to find Rukia and stop the real culprits!

License Line: The Once And Future King

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.

I love children's manga. I really, really do. Some of my favorite series are technically targeted at an age demographic way beneath my own - Magical Pokémon Journey, Bakegyamon, and so on. It really does seem to be an underrepresented genre in the English language manga market these days; if it's not Pokémon or video game-related, it probably isn't selling that well, which means non-Nintendo kids' manga licenses don't have very good chances at being brought over since their chance of selling are much much lower.

But one company that was willing to sell quite a few kids' manga titles in its heyday was ADV Manga, and one of those titles was The First King Adventure/賢者の長き不在 by Moyamu Fujino, originally published in Mag Garden in Japan and published in English by ADV until - well, you know. Actually, even before the company closed, it seemed that First King Adventure was one of those titles whose releases came out sporadically at best until it stopped completely.

ADV only came out with two out of eight volumes before running out of steam, and to be completely honest the quality of it releases were less than optimal; there’s random untranslated Japanese in the second volume, for goodness’ sake! But you know what? It was so good. And it deserves a second chance to finish its run in English.

Fujoshi O'Clock (11/16/11)

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:

• (via Boys' Luv.com) Digital Manga Publishing has gone mobile with their recent entry into the Apple App Store and Android Market, making it that much easier to read DMP manga on your Droid or iPad.
• At the Manga Curmudgeon's blog, David continues his Favorites Alphabet of manga with 'I', including the Fumi Yoshinaga BL romance Ichigenme.
• Boys' Luv.com reports on the latest newsletter by DMP, which included among other things new BL manga licenses and the announcement of a Kickstarter program to bring back an out-of-print title.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo posts covers for several new manga releases, including one by blog favorite est em, and talks about some upcoming 2011 tankoubon titles.
• Teahouse Comics has been updated with page 22 of chapter 3, in which Linneus is getting it on with a certain client. Possibly NSFW, although nothing terribly explicit.

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews volume 4 of Kizuna by Kazuma Kodaka, and is not the biggest fan of Masa/Kai due to the age gap and Kai's previous traumas.
• She also reviews Black Knight volume 1 by Kai Tsurugi, which she loved.
• David at the Manga Curmudgeon reviews Only Serious About You volume 1 by Asou Kai, and finds it quite the lovely experience.

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!

PR: VIZ MANGA ANNOUNCES BLEACH MANGA DIGITAL ‘JUMP AHEAD’ TO LATEST STORY ARC

3 New Volumes Of Hit Series Are Part Of SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP To Bring U.S. Readers Up To Speed With Japanese Counterpart

VIZ Media expands its November digital manga update even more with the latest announcement of a BLEACH ‘Jump Ahead’ that will deliver 3 new volumes of the hit supernatural action saga throughout the month to users on VIZManga.com and for digital download on the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ touch. This is part of a SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a speed-up of selected titles to bring U.S. readers up-to-date with Japanese releases and prepare for the launch of VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA on January 30, 2012. The new outlet will be North America’s only near-simultaneous digital manga magazine.

BLEACH volumes available include (print editions forthcoming):

BLEACH, Vol. 49 – available now!

BLEACH, Vol. 50 – available November 21^st

BLEACH, Vol. 51 – available November 28^th

BLEACH Volume 49 jumps ahead to the latest story arc in Japan for the BLEACH series. After the big battle, Ichigo finds himself without his Soul Reaper powers. Free from the rigors of defeating Hollows, he tries to settle back into a normal and peaceful life as a high school student. But inside Ichigo still burns with the desire to protect his friends, and when new enemies appear, Ichigo is powerless. However, he is soon approached by a mysterious man who offers to help Ichigo regain his lost powers...

AMV Of The Week: Sweet Beats

This week’s AMV is a pretty darn awesome showcase of the ninjas of Naruto and their amazing fighting techniques, from Neji's Byakugan to Rock Lee's signature Taijutsu moves and so on. Set up as a video-based report of data collected from drone missions to Anko, it's a stellar use of video editing techniques and a clear love for the action that sets Naruto apart from its genre brothers. Although some might once again wonder why the hell a 'verse that relies on animals to send messages also have VCR players, but whatever.


AMV: Naruto's Technique Beat
Author: Decoy Ops
Music: N/A; seems to be author-created techno beats?
Warnings: Lots of fast-paced clips cut together; some strobe effects/flashing colors

Manga Review: Cross Game GN 5

Cross Game volume 5

Author: Mitsuru Adachi

Viz Media/Shonen Sunday

376 pages (2-in-1 omnibus edition)

Spoiler warning: Review contains massive spoilers for the series so far. Read with caution!

In the summer of his second year in high school, Ko and the Seishu baseball team must take on mighty Ryuou Gakuin and their genius slugger Keitaro Mishima. With everything on the line, will destiny find Seishu moving on to the next round? Later, new neighbors are setting up shop next to Kitamura Sports, and their daughter bears a striking resemblance to Wakaba...

There are few manga releases I truly look forward to these days more than Adachi's Cross Game. It is straight-up beautiful, the most beautiful sports shonen manga I've yet to read so far. I could go on and on about how awesome it is, but instead I'll just concentrate on this one volume, in which Stuff Happens. So much Stuff Happens, you guys. This latest volume of Cross Game is so important because of that Stuff. And because Senda gets his own subplot! A-ah, okay, that was a joke. Senda who? Poor guy. Still, what an amazing, amazing book. Just when you think this series had run out of places to go, it goes there and it does so perfectly.

Fujoshi O'Clock (11/10/11)

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:

• Otaku USA gives a rundown of this week's manga releases in North America, including a whole bunch of Digital Manga titles.
• Over at About.com Manga, there is an interview with Hikaru Sasahara, president of Digital Manga Publishing, who talks about moving YaoiCon to L.A.
• Via ANN: Hello Kitty and Tonari no 801-chan yaoi comedy join forces, plan on creating a clear file.

Reviews:

• Erin Finnegan of ANN reviews the Loveless Vocal Collection DVD set and overall enjoys the show - not so much the pacing of it.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews Ootsuki Miu's Familiar extra book, which includes a whole lot of tasty NSFW pictures.
• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews Junk by Shushushu Sakurai and Gorgeous Carat's fourth volume by You Higuri. Speaking of Junk, be sure to support DramaQueen's endeavors in the BL manga market!

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: But First, Would You Like To See An Unrelated Picture Of A 15-Year-Old Girl In A Bikini?

Wowzers, that's a long title. Anyway.

This week’s AMV-but-not-really is all about Persona 4. And unimportant gas station attendants. And dead bodies. And mascot characters. And balls. You have to watch all four parts, it is just that good. And then roll around on the ground because that’s all there is, fffffff-

AMV: Persona 4 Comic Dub

Author: Dub by StrawberryCreme26; original fan comic by hiimdaisy

Music: N/A

Warnings: N/A, although it’s pretty . . . whacked out. And has some serious double entendre verging on straight up naughty.

PR: VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS TWO LATEST NARUTO VOLUMES AHEAD OF PRINT COUNTERPARTS

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS TWO LATEST NARUTO VOLUMES AHEAD OF PRINT COUNTERPARTS ON VIZMANGA.COM AND THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH

November Digital Manga Update Also Sees Debut of
Natsume Ono’s RISTORANTE PARADISO And GENTE,
As Well As Updates to 17 Popular Series

VIZ Media continues to lead the digital manga (graphic novel) revolution with a variety of new titles just announced for November that are available to read online on VIZManga.com and also for digital download on the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ touch.

Among the notable new releases will be the two latest editions of NARUTO – Volumes 54 and 55 – which will be made available on VIZ Media’s digital platforms several months in advance of their print counterparts. This is part of the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a speed-up of selection titles to bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases to prepare fans for the debut of the digital WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA in January 2012.

NARUTO Vol. 54 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available Today!  

Viaduct to Peace: Naruto and his team engage in an intense battle with the Akatsuki organization as both sides seek the power to determine the future of their land. Internecine fighting weakens the Akatsuki, but will their dark forces sideline Naruto?! Print edition debuts on January 3^rd, 2012.

NARUTO Vol. 55 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available November 21^st  

The Great War Begins: Evil masterminds Kabuto and Madara instigate a skirmish with Naruto and friends on Turtle Island. The Allied Shinobi Forces prepare to attack, but are they ready for Kabuto's horde of reanimated dead ninja?! Print edition debuts on March 6^th, 2012.

November also sees the debut of two titles from the critically acclaimed Natsume Ono. RISTORANTE PARADISO weaves a story around the lives of the staff of a restaurant in Rome, and in the follow-up manga, GENTE, continues to follow the character’s romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams.

Smallish Update

If anyone has been having difficulties watching the video of the first AMV Of The Week post, don't fret! Your delicious tribute to animated traps is still around; the original poster just switched accounts. Ergo, the original post has been edited to reflect this changing of the guard.

And honestly, go over and watch it. It's an AMV about traps! Come on! There is nothing to not love about that. And the next time one of my AotW picks goes down or changes accounts for some reason, feel free to inform me and I will cheerfully edit said post with relevant info.

All right, move on, nothing to see here . . . This has been an update!

PR: VIZ MEDIA TO RELEASE ANIMATED FEATURE FILM PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE ETERNAL DIVA

© LEVEL-5/Team Layton 2009.
All Rights Reserved

Based On The Popular Nintendo Video Game,

Tea-Loving Archeologist And Polymath Sets Out To Solve

His Toughest Puzzle Yet!

San Francisco, CA, November 1, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will release a new anime feature-length film, PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE ETRENAL DIVA, on DVD November 8^th. The movie is based on the highly popular PROFESSOR LAYTON series of video games for the Nintendo DS and will be suitable for All Ages. The DVD features both subtitled and dubbed English dialogue options, and will carry an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $19.98 CAN.

Professor Layton, a true English gentleman, renowned archaeologist, and the world’s greatest amateur super sleuth, embarks on his most daring adventure yet when he receives a letter from his old student, the famous opera diva Janice Quatlane. She is set to perform at the legendary Crown Petone Opera House and invites him to attend as her special guest. Meanwhile, a spate of disappearances hits London. Two young school girls are the latest victims and the Professor suspects it’s related to the mysterious occurrences at the theatre. The Professor and his loyal assistant Luke travel to the Opera House to solve their toughest puzzle yet, the mystery of Eternal Life!

“PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE ETERNAL DIVA combines plenty of action and mystery with intriguing puzzles and a healthy dose of fun English wit to make for an inviting whodunit sure to captivate a wide audience,” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “The many puzzles that made the original Nintendo DS video game a hit are also present throughout the new feature film, and viewers are allowed time to formulate their own solutions to the riddles and brainteasers before Professor Layton provides the final answer. We invite new and established fans alike to join the fun as the Professor searches to solve the mysteries of Eternal Life hidden at the Crown Petone Opera House!”

The PROFESSOR LAYTON video game series is one of the most successful Nintendo DS exclusive titles. In addition to the popular movie, which was released in Japan in 2009, the property features five games developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo DS as well as two more game titles for the Nintendo 3DS. The games each feature various puzzles and mysteries that must be solved in order to advance to the next level.

For more information on PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE ETRENAL DIVA, 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 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.

Fujoshi O'Clock (11/02/11)

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:

• Deb Aoki at About.com Manga is giving a closer look at 26 recent yaoi titles from Digital Manga Publishing, including some absolutely gorgeous cover art.
• According to ANN, the Junjo Mistake anime is to air as the sixth episode of Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi's second season; Junjo Mistake is a spin-off from the Junjo Romantica series.
• Also at About.com Manga, an interview with the editors of Viz's new BL imprint SuBlime, which took place at this year's YaoiCon 2011.

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews You Higashino's A Fallen Saint's Kiss, and is not entertained by the book's handling of S&M and rape themes, to say the least.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews the works of Minazuki Akira, whose third tankoubon has just been released recently (some scans NSFW).

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!

License Line: In Soviet Russia --- You Know

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.

Have you ever spent an evening searching in despair for a manga about communist Russia and its various leaders and found nothing? Are you also a fan of the absurd, the surreal, and the downright guro? Do you like your gore and guts to be completely ridiculous and make absolutely no sense at all? You've come to the right place, my friend. 

And by 'right' I mean so very, very wrong. I'm sure more than a few obscure manga veterans are already giving me looks of horror, knowing full well what my latest license begging spree is about, and they are probably right on the money for being horrified.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Shintaro Kago, one of the most well known guro artists around. The manga in question is, of course, Dance! Kremlin Palace (Танцевать! Кремль Дворёц/踊る!クレムリン宮殿) and if the idea of guro itself turns your stomach . . . you might want to walk away as quickly as possible, for it only goes downhill from here.