The Little Sister's Hero Is Her Big Brother: NakaImo 4

Shogo has ruined his relationship with Miyabi; after letting Konoe know about his secret, a new problem arises. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Spoiler alert: Spoilers for all episodes of NakaImo so far are in this review. Don't read until you've caught up!

Yes, we found the imouto! Or did we? The great mystery of who is imouto seemed so perfectly wrapped up in this fourth episode, but the end of this one has me thinking otherwise. So don't hang your head in despair, people who thought they knew the outcome of this sis-con-tastic question; there's still time to guess who the real imouto is!

And, of course, there was fanservice. Glorious shiny fanservice. But who didn't see that coming?

AMV Of The Week: What Makes Sawako Beautiful

This week’s AMV is a sweet Kimi ni Todoke fan vid that really encapsulates one of the main messages of the series: the inner and outer beauty of Sawako, even if she can't see it herself.

AMV: What Makes You Beautiful
Author: SakuraYuki112Jr
Music: One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful"
Warnings: N/A

Fujoshi O'Clock (7/26/12)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly 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:

• AnimeNation: Media Blasters has announced a trio of new titles, including the most recent OVA adaptation of the light novel BL series Ai No Kusabi. Note: link contains NSFW cover art.
• Boys-Luv.com: Picture Box Inc. is to publish a collection of bara stories by Gengoroh Tagame, available in print and in English this upcoming spring 2013. Bara is BL targeted at gay men, by gay men, and are often centered around men who are burly and muscularly.
• ANN: JManga has added several new titles to their site, including Dousei Ai by Setona Mizushiro, a yaoi manga about classmates and a shared tragedy.
• AnimeNation: Kadokawa announces the release of a new Junjou Romantica OAD, to be bundled with the manga's sixteenth tankoubon.
• Ogiue Maniax continues the Fujoshi Files series with file 49, Yuria of Hanjuku Fujoshi, and file 50, Yajima Mirei of Genshiken and Genshiken II.
• Over at SuBLime Manga, they've created a super handy guide on how to download their manga files as well as transfer them to other devices. Cool!

Reviews:

• The manga habit reviews Yuujin ga Yuusha by Chocodoughnuts, a story of RPG heroes and fluffy video game meta. Plus, sheep! I'm gonna need DMP or SuBLime or anyone to license this for English release ASAP.
• Connie from Slightly Biased Manga reviews Honey Colored Pancakes by Keiko Kinoshita, a decent story of taking in a stray that is very familiar.
• Boys-Luv.com reviews Tender Master by Yamila Abraham and Ero Pinku and naturally, the story falls completely flat.

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: Digital Manga Publishing Now With DriveThru Comics

Penetrating the US comic market, digitally! - Digital Manga rides with Drivethru Comics

Gardena, CA (July 25, 2012) Digital Manga Inc., one of the manga industry's most unique and creative publishers, is proud to officially announce the release of their digital content through DriveThru Comics. drivethrucomics.com After months of testing digital titles on the DriveThru platform, on what is primarily a US-comic-based digital ebook storefront, Digital Manga’s never-ending expansion on the digital forefront for the US comic market continues.

DriveThru Comics is the first one-stop, on-line download comic shop for new and vintage comic books. They carry titles from over 500 independent publishers, delivered fresh to a customer’s desktop in electronic format. They provide digital download files for purchase in a variety of formats such as watermarked PDFs, CBZs, ePubs, and Mobi files, as well as carrying audio, video and print format for customers also.

Note: NSFW summaries/pictures follow the jump break!

My Sister's Seduction: NakaImo 3

The question of Shogo's sexual preference is causing Miyabi and Rinka to go overboard on showing the appeals of a woman. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Spoiler alert: Spoilers for the third episode of Who Is Imouto?; don't watch without watching the episode first!

Beware the allure of the sexy trap, Shougo! They will lead you on a path of sexual temptation and homosexuality that may blind you to your true imouto love! It's up to Miyabi and Rinka and their sud-covered oppai to lead you to the right and lady-filled way, by being your perfect imoutos!

(sound of a record being scratched, violently) Okay, seriously NakaImo, what the hell are we doing here? Are we seriously doing the 'save Shougo from his boys' love tendencies with our womanly wiles' plot, because I don't think I can take another episode of this nonsense. Having said that, the Imouto Temptations Of Shougo Mikadono might go down as some of the funniest and naughtiest moments in NakaImo history.

AMV Of The Week: If I Were A Prince

This week’s AMV is a beautiful mixture of song and series, a Utena fan vid that really captures the character of Utena Tenjou and her quest to become a real prince. The fact that this doesn't have over a thousand hits already is a shame - so let's change that, yeah?
  
AMV: If I Were A Prince
Author: radiantlychee
Music: Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy"
Warnings: Spoilers for the Utena series. Some strobe/flashing effects.

PR: Digital Manga Publishing Joins Graphicly Platform

Read manga directly on Facebook - Digital Manga joins the Graphicly platform

Gardena, CA (July 23, 2011) - Digital Manga Inc., one of the manga industry's most unique and creative publishers, is proud to officially announce the launch of their digital titles on Graphicly. (www.Graphicly.com/store).

Graphicly, a leading eBook distribution solution ideal for fixed layout content like comics and graphic novels, offers publishers and individual creators a wide range of digital distribution services to the various ebook market places, especially for the US comic industry. One unique feature they offer is digital ebook distribution on Facebook, using their Graphicly Facebook app and widgets.

“It only makes sense for Digital Manga to jump on to the Graphicly platform, to grow our ever-expanding digital distribution and to reach out to manga and American comic readers alike.” – Fred Lui- VP Publishing and Digital Content

Access to Digital Manga’s titles through Graphicly’s platform is available in several ways:

- Digital Manga’s  ebooks are for sale on the publisher’s page directly at Graphicly’s website via web browsers: http://graphicly.com/digital-manga-publishing

- They are also available in the Graphicly Facebook App: https://apps.facebook.com/graphicly/ which can be installed on personal Facebook pages. The app provides a free preview of the ebook and allows the user to directly purchase any Graphicly book and read it right on their own Facebook page.

- Additionally, Digital Manga’s titles are available directly from their Facebook Page via the Graphicly Facebook App, available for previewing, purchase and reading.

Go to facebook and search Digital Manga Inc. or go to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalMangaInc/app_105395256203337

Manga Review: Durarara!! GN 1 & 2

Durarara!!: Volumes 1 & 2
Author: Ryohgo Narita
Yen Press
176 pages (for both volumes)

Welcome to Ikebukuro, where Tokyo's wildest characters gather!! Meet an ordinary boy who daydreams about the extraordinary. A naive stalker girl. The strongest man in Ikebukuro. A shut-in doctor with questionable credentials. A hedonistic informant...and the "headless rider" astride a pitch-black motorcycle!? As their paths cross, this eccentric cast weaves a twisted, cracked love story... (Source: Goodreads)

Spoiler alert: Contains some spoilers for the manga and the anime. Read on with caution!

Gosh, this story is sure familiar. Are you sure I haven't read this before? Oh, yes. I watched Durarara!! back when it was on [as] and I remember clearly waiting each week to find out what the hell is going on. So it's rather fascinating to read the story again in another medium and know more than the cast about what's really happening, about who is who and what's really been going on behind the scenes in Ikebukuro.

It's a familiar read but that's not a negative; it's more like getting back together with a group of friends, some you really like and others you'd rather keep a distance from, but old friends all the same. Oh yes, and most of them end up being certifiably psychotic but that's okay, right?

Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito PV Now Online

The promotional video for the Code Geass OVA, Boukoku no Akito/Akito the Exiled has been uploaded to YouTube. The series itself is scheduled to premiere in theatres across Japan in early August. Another short clip can be found at the source.



Everything looks great - the music is lovely, the uniforms and mecha are totally flashy and stylish, and the pilots as usual are total bishonens (and bishojo). I question one of the mecha having a bosom, but it is Code Geass after all; at least 45% of the series has to be utterly ridiculous.

Source: ANN

PR: Viz To Premiere BERSERK Film At Fantasia Int Film Festival

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE ARMS AND ARMOR ACTION OF BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING TO MONTREAL FOR THE 16^th ANNUAL

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Gripping Anime Action Adventure Opens New Feature Film Trilogy Based On The Bestselling Medieval Dark Fantasy Manga Series

VIZ Media is proud to announce the Canadian premiere of the kinetic new anime action feature film, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING, as part of the 16^th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. 

Taking place in Montreal from July 14^th to August 9^th, the Fantasia International Film Festival is recognized as the largest and most influential event of its kind in North America and is a leader on the genre film scene and one of the country’s most popular film festivals.

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING will be in competition for the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation. It will screen at Concordia University's Hall Theatre at 11:45am on August 4^th, and at 3:05pm on August 5^th. More information on the Fantasia International Film Festival is available at: www.fantasiafestival.com.

Arrestation: Accel World 14

Accel World episode 14: Takumu loses a kendo match to a new student named Nomi, who appears to be using the power to accelerate. But the matching list does not show any new Duel Avatars appearing in the area. (Source: Hulu)

Spoiler/language warning: Not only are there spoilers for this fourteenth episode of Accel World, I'm also throwing up a warning for some excessive cursing on my behalf. Just a heads up!

To the writers who decided to hand Haruyuki and his friends the ubiquitous Idiot Ball this arc: y'all can take it back now. It's getting a bit painful to see Haru stumble around trying to figure out things when he should realistically know better by now. And now with Kuroyukihime going on a school trip and Haru responsible for keeping Nega Nebulous in control of their region in Brain Burst, I can only fear the worst.

Having said that, this is clearly Taku's story arc as he takes on his kendo rival and fellow accelerator as well as himself. Hopefully, it will end in Takumu getting a spine and standing up for his beliefs, finally shedding all of his useless guilt over his previous actions as Cyan Pile - because I really can't stand this hopeless mopey Taku right now.

Manga Review: Ouran High School Host Club GN 18

Ouran High School Host Club volume 18

Author: Bisco Hatori

Viz Media/Shojo Beat

200 pages

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the entire Ouran High School Host Club manga, all eighteen volumes. Read with caution!

Tamaki wants to ask Haruhi out, but he's quickly overwhelmed trying to plan the best first date in the universe. The members of the Host Club volunteer to assist Tamaki in his endeavor, but can they save their foolish king from himself? (Source: Goodreads)

It's the end of Ouran High School Host Club. Volume eighteen is the final volume of the series. It is so weird to even type such a thing; Ouran seemed like the kind of series that could go on forever, chronicling the romantic antics of Haruhi and the host club. 

But in a way, I'm glad it ended in this way and that the ending did not turned out rushed or forced, but was natural and was something Hatori planned in advance. In fact, the eighteenth and final volume of Ouran was, in one word, perfect.

My Sister And The Moonlit Dance: NakaImo 2

After the mysterious phone call the person claiming to be his sister, Shogo school life gets more hectic with the arrival of a new transfer student. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Spoiler alert: Spoilers for the second episode of Kono Naka ni Hikari Imouto ga Iru! aka Who Is Imouto; don't watch without watching the episode first!

With the second episode of this season's incest roulette show, I can now say that it's official: I love Naka Imouto like I love ONTD blogs, Real Housewives, and certain yaoi manga-ka. It is ridiculous, the plot twists are contrived, and there are boobs flashing all over the place. Yet I cannot help but be entranced by the mystery of the secret imouto, so much that I spend half the episode wondering frantically if this could be the girl - or is it her? - so much that I feel like Shougo himself.

And then Mister X arrived, and I was truly in love. Because there is only one way to take a melodramatic fanservice incest roulette anime to the next level: a smooth-talking knife-wielding tenacious bodyguard trap. Traps make everything better! I'm pretty sure it's a scientific fact.

Novel Review: How To Build A Golem And Terrify People

How To Build A Golem And Terrify People
Author: Alette J. Willis
Floris Books
224 books (paperback ed.)

Edda is tired of her nickname, 'Mouse', and wants to be braver. But when her house is burgled on her thirteenth birthday, Edda is more afraid than ever. That is until new boy Michael Scot starts school. There's something peculiar -- and very annoying -- about know-it-all Michael. He claims to be a great alchemist who can help Edda overcome her fears by teaching her to build a golem. But surely they can't bring a giant mud monster to life? Can they? (Source: Floris Books)

Note: I was provided a free e-copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley. No monetary compensation was involved in the development of this review.

I came into this story knowing pretty much nothing about the plot beyond the title (dang it, Goodreads, why didn't you have a summary for this?). In a way, I'm kind of glad. Despite the rather 'okay' opening, by the time after the burglary and Michael the mysterious starts to make his presence known in Edda's life I found myself irreversibly drawn into Alette Willis' story. Fans of coming-of-age novels with a supernatural bent will certainly enjoy this one. Plus, who doesn't love a good golem in their middle school lit?

Violation: Accel World 13

Accel World episode 13: It is the start of a new school year. Haruyuki and Takumu reluctantly agree to install the Brain Burst program into Chiyuri, who hopes that this will bring them closer together, like old times. (Source: Hulu)

About damn time, y'all. About damn time. I've been waiting for a month or so for those boys to finally let Chiyu into the world of Brain Burst and it has finally happened! And it is more awesome and adorable than I could have ever hoped or imagined. As the newest member of Nega Nebulous, I can see Chiyu is going to fit right in. Go Team Nega, go!

And we also have ourselves a new story arc that follows the dramatic and melancholy conclusion of the Chrome Disaster episodes. It's the beginning of a brand new school year and already trouble is brewing: there's a Burst Linker hidden among the freshmen, and it's up to Haru and the gang to find them. And if the series makes a point of Kuroyukihime noticing this new Brain Burst user in their midst, then that's usually a good sign that this stranger is up to no good.

AMV Of The Week: It's So Tricky

This week’s AMV is legendary. It has over sixty anime series jam packed into one single fan vid, set to a most epic song by Run DMC. For those planning to ever make a multi-series AMV ever, this is the high bar you have to meet. Game over, man. Game over.


If you really want to see how this video was made, you should read its video information page on AMV.org - it's excellent.


AMV: It's Tricky To Make a Music Video
Author: BogoSort (reuploaded by LostRomeo)
Music: Run DMC's "It's Tricky"
Warnings: Fastly edited clips, a crap load of video effects including flashing strobe-like lights, brief moments of violence and fanservice. Probably not safe for work!

Initial Thoughts: Kono Naka ni Hitori Imouto ga Iru!

Abiding by his father's will, Shougo was transferred into an academy where many young girls attend. It appears as though his younger sister (separated from him at birth) also attends this academy, and that she is trying to get closer to him without letting him know who she actually is. Problem is, Shougo seems to be popular with the other girls as well! Can Shougo "properly" reunite with his little sister and while making a girlfriend at the same time?! (Source: M-U)

Spoiler warning: Contains spoilers for the first episode of Kono Naka ni Hitori Imouto ga Iru!; don't read if you haven't seen!

Here it is, the infamous incest roulette show of the summer, the one that had my Twitter time line a-buzzing so soon after it first aired, mostly with BUT WHO IS IMOUTO above all else. Kono Naka ni Hitori Imouto ga Iru!/この中にに1人、妹がいるる！ translates helpfully into One Of Them Is My Younger Sister!, which is basically the main crux of the show itself. Which one of these ladies is actually this young man's blood relative - and more importantly, will it end up being the girl he falls in love with and marries? And will he accidentally look at her boobs before then? These are the major life crises facing poor Shougo-san.

The real tragedy is, there's a half-decent show to be found under all the hype and controversy – but its already infamous reputation will probably scare away viewers. Let's be real: so far, Shougo isn't exactly planning to pull a Koi Kaze on his mysterious imouto stalker, although the elements of incest are certainly present (She wants to what? Oh dear). But, incest-y stuff withheld, so far it's shaping up to be a solid harem anime where the main character amasses friendships with multiple schoolgirls (all with differing personalities for variety's sake, in true dating sim style) before finally falling in love with one of them a.k.a. choosing a route and sticking to it to its good ending.

Fujoshi O'Clock (7/13/2012)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly 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:

• ANN: Digital Manga Publishing has announced a bevy of new BL titles, including Rize Shinba's Juicy Cider, Lovephobia, Marta Matsuo's Lies Are A Gentleman's Manners and Puku's Caramel.
• The Kaze To Ki No Uta PROJECT is looking for editors and translators to translate the classic Keiko Takemiya boys' love comic.
• Ogiue Maniax's Fujoshi Files rolls on with number 47: Tamura Tomomi from Otaku no Musume-san. She thinks of her friend's preference for a non-yaoi pairing as evil, yikes!
• The July Manga Moveable Feast is being hosted on the Manga Bookshelf, and they are calling for participants right now! It's centered around the works of CLAMP this month and it's a good chance for BL bloggers to talk about the yaoi-flavored works of this manga-ka group.

Reviews:

• Shannon at Kuriousity reviews Your Story I've Known by Tsuta Suzuki, a collection of short stories, and even though it's hit or miss, she ends up enjoying it a lot.
• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews Good Morning by Ritsu Natsumizu, a salaryman romance complete with office hijinks and drinking. The melon bread competition sounds pretty interesting!
• Brain Vs Book reviews est em's Yagate, Ai ni Naru, a title that is sadly not yet available in English. Warning: it involves incest between two brothers.

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!

Initial Thoughts: Natsuyuki Rendezvous

The romantic drama collected in four volumes tells the story of a love triangle between Hazuki, a young man who works part time at a flower store, Rokka, the widow who owns the store, and the ghost of Shimao, Rokka's deceased husband. (Source: AniDB)

As a josei adaptation and a noitaminA show, Natsuyuki Rendezvous/夏雪ランデブー was pretty much the only show this season I was really looking forward to. I didn't even know the full gist of the series before adding it to my to-watch list, not even the big fact that one of the members of this atypical love triangle is deceased. 

But I think going into the series somewhat ignorant of the bigger plot points only enhanced my enjoyment of it. If there's a serious contender for best, most mature series of this summer – a season that is historically lackluster in quality – then Natsuyuki is certainly aiming for the gold.

Did I mention it's a josei romance with a ghost? Because awesome.

PR: Viz Media Highlights At SD Comic-Con 2012

VISIT VIZ MEDIA AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL, BOOTH #2813

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES EXCITING PERSONAL APPEARANCES, BOOTH ACTIVITIES AND SHOW EXCLUSIVES FOR 2012 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Company Welcomes Studio 4ºC Founder For Discussion On BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC Anime Film Trilogy And Offers A Variety Of Collectable Giveaways, Fun Booth Activities, Panel Discussions And Much More!

San Francisco, CA, July 9, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, returns to Comic-Con International, the nation’s biggest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, with an exciting and expansive roster of special personal appearances, exciting panels, anime feature film premieres, and fun giveaways and convention exclusives. The show takes place July 11-15 at the San Diego Convention Center, CA, and VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813.

Fans won’t want to miss a special opportunity on Friday July 13th to catch a rare personal appearance by Eiko Tanaka, Founder and CEO of Studio 4ºC, which produced the new dark fantasy epic BERSERK: THE Golden Age Arc film trilogy. VIZ Media will release the first movie on Neon Alley this fall. Ms. Tanaka will make an in-person appearance at the VIZ Media booth for a signing session at 3PM. She will also be a special guest at the BERSERK Panel, 5:30PM in Room 32AB, where fans can find out what it really takes to transform the stark manga into an animated feature. Finally, Ms. Tanaka will make introductory remarks at the exclusive Comic-Con screening of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING, 8:30PM in Room 32AB.

The recently announced Neon Alley will be featured at Comic-Con. A brand new 24-hour digital anime channel launching on a major game platform this fall, Neon Alley will feature the world's best anime titles, including blockbusters BLUE EXORCIST, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, TIGER & BUNNY and more. Get the scoop straight from Brian Ige, VIZ Media's VP of Animation, at the Neon Alley Panel on Friday July 13^th, 1PM, Room 32AB. At the VIZ Media booth, fans can sign up for the mailing list and get the first-ever Neon Alley collectible tote bag. Fans will have a chance to be featured on Neon Alley, as VIZ Media will be filming clips at the company’s booth throughout the show. Check the daily schedule for filming times.

AMV Of The Week (Not Really): All Hail The Tsundere Vocaloid Queen

This week's AMV is . . . not really an AMV at all. It's a VOCALOID video. Shut up, I'm just happy I got a new netbook to post this on! And I really like Miku's face in this! I-it's not like I wanted to post this or anything, geez! 
  
(turns red, stomps off in the direction of ANN)
 
AMV: The World Is Mine
Author: ???? (NicoNicoDouga repost)
Music: supercell/Hatsune Miku's "The World Is Mine"
Warnings: N/A

The Story So Far: Accel World

Through no fault of my own, I swear it (beyond a touch of laziness), I've fallen behind on Accel World blogging; this post is an attempt at getting a leg up on it. Which means the next blog about the adventures of Haru and Kuro will cover episode 13, probably sometime tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!

Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for episodes 10 through 12 of Accel World lay beyond this point. If you haven't seen these episodes, you should probably not read on just yet!

Accel World episode 10: The unexpected drama of letting Kuroyukihime and Niko spend the night at his place has left Haruyuki feeling very tired.
 
Accel World episode 11: During their hunt for Chrome Disaster, the Nega Nebulous is ambushed by the Yellow Legion led by Yellow Radio, a.k.a. the Yellow King. Yellow Radio takes advantage of the non-aggression pact shared between the other kings.
 
Accel World episode 12: The battle between Black Lotus and Yellow Radio is halted by the sudden appearance of Chrome Disaster. Silver Crow is wracked with fear as he witnesses the monstrous power of his target. (Source: Hulu)

After so long, I get to review Accel World yet again! In which a villain approaches, a tsundere king gets the spotlight, and Kuro's past is further revealed - as is her terrible jealous streak.

License Line: Drunk On Shojo Dreams

What is License Line? Put simply, it's a semi-regular 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.

When I was reading A Drunken Dream And Other Stories, a collection of shojo shorts by manga-ka Moto Hagio, two thinks really struck me. The first was how powerful and emotionally compelling Hagio's storytelling is, how lush and detailed her artwork is. It was, to put it bluntly, a masterpiece.

The second, which came after reading the book and trying to look up more of Hagio's works, is that Moto Hagio books are extremely out of print and expensive to boot. With the exception of Drunken Dream and the up-coming release of Heart of Thomas, her works seem unreachable by anyone with a modest budget. 

Moto Hagio isn't some dime store hack churning out cookie-cutter melodramatic shojo stories. She is a manga idol, a member of the revered Year 24 group of women manga-ka, and her works have been critically acclaimed since she premiered. Readers love her and want more of her in English. So why doesn't the current manga market reflect this?

PR: Viz Media's Summer of Mameshiba Is Here!

MAMESHIBA © Dentsu INC.

What can I say? I find Mameshiba so incredibly adorable! I know I'm far too old to be watching or reading, but I can't resist these talking knowledge-spewing cute beans. I guess one can be moe for legumes after all!

MAMESHIBA RETURN IN FUN NEW SUMMER GRAPHIC NOVEL AND ACTIVITY BOOK RELEASES FROM VIZ KIDS

San Francisco, CA, July 6, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, will delight younger fans and readers with the announcement of the release of a new activity book and the latest graphic novel volume for MAMESHIBA, the whimsical Japanese character sensations that have taken North America by storm.

The MAMESHIBA: WE COULD BE HEROES graphic novel, with story by James Turner and art by Jorge Monlongo, is now available, and will be followed by the MAMESHIBA: HOW TO BE THE BEST FRIEND EVER activity book, on August 7^th. Both editions will be published under the VIZ Kids imprint.

It's a BEAN! It's a DOG! It's... BOTH?! Are they beans? Are they dogs? Not quite either one – they're Mameshiba! 

My Top 5 Favorite U.S. Characters In Anime

For those who have somehow avoided the fact of this day so far, July 4th is a national holiday for the United States of America. It is the day when the Declaration of Independence was signed, thus making this the country's birthday in a sense.

Basically, it's a holiday used as an excuse to barbeque, get drunk, and set off fireworks (although recent hot weather has put a damper on fireworks in a lot of the country). It's something I'm sure a lot of anime fans are also taking part of today.

It would not seem like a day an anime blog would post about - there's nothing inherently anime related about it - but I'd like to take the time to talk about five characters from anime who are American and are also awesome. It's always amusing to see anime take on American culture, even more so when they add a character to the cast that is from the U.S. So naturally, today is a good day to talk about them!

Feel free to add your personal favorites in the comments. I know I've skipped a few obvious ones, I'm sure!

Happy Birthday, Nagareboshi Reviews!

 

Yes, it's true. It's this blog's birthday! One year ago to the day, I started regularly blogging at this humble Blogger spot, and I've been blogging continually since. My first post was a rather basic intro post, but I'd like to think I've improved in my writing since then.

Since then, I've greatly enjoyed blogging about anime and manga over the past year. I've made a ton of friends, read a lot of enjoyable series, and I feel like I've joined a community of writers and fans that are incredibly accepting and lovely. The fact that I've done a good enough job that you guys keep coming around never fails to brighten my spirits. You are all awesome folks and I'd like to thank you for being my readers!

Please come back to see what I do for my second year. I promise I will not disappoint!

AMV Of The Week: No More Sorrow

This week's AMV is for the OVA of Black Rock Shooter, a delightful VOCALOID anime that didn't get the positive mentions it deserved when it came out and whose proper series on noitaminA seemed to be panned by most anime blogs. Which is a pity, as I found a lot to enjoy out of it. And these enjoyable elements of drama and action and adolescence are what this particular vid does a great job of highlighting.

AMV: [.No More S O R R O W]

Author: MikuruNyuAMV

Music: Linkin Park's "No More Sorrow (Instrumental)

Warnings: Scenes of violence; spoilers for the Black Rock Shooter OVA.

Poll: What Should I Blog About From The New Season?

Episode reviews! All the cool kids are doing it apparently, and I don't blame them. I've been doing it for Accel World, but it seems like I should be doing it for at least one show in the new summer season. The problem is, I can't make up my mind about it!

Ergo, I will let you, the loyal reader who for some reason has decided to stick around this blog for a bit, decide which show that is. I will promise to post about it on a weekly basis all the way to the bitter end, whether it be quality or terrible. So if you have always wanted to torture me with a fanservice-filled ecchi series with no discernible plot whatsoever - well, here is your chance.

(Note: I will not do sequels of series I haven't seen yet, so don't even bother with those.)

Please comment with a title from the list below - and do be kind with your choice, please!

1. Natsuyuki Rendezvous
2. Tari Tari
3. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita
4. La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
5. Chitose Get You!!
6. Oda Nobuna no Yabou
7. Kingdom
8. Utakoi
9. Binbou-gami ga!
10. Joshiraku
11. Moyashimon Returns
12. Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
13. One Of Them Is My Younger Sister!
14. Campione!
15. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
16. So, I Can't Play H!