PR: Digital Manga Anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Debuts Today!

VIZ MEDIA’S WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA DIGITAL MANGA MAGAZINE LAUNCHES TODAY

North America’s First Weekly Digital Manga Anthology Debuts With A Special YU-GI-OH! Trading Card Promotion For All Subscribers

San Francisco, CA, January 30, 2012 – The wait is finally over! VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, launches the debut issue of its new digital manga (graphic novel) magazine – WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA – today! The first issue is available now through VIZManga.com; it will also be part of the upcoming update to the VIZ Manga apps for iPad^®, iPhone^®, and iPod touch^®.

Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. The first issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA also includes part 1 of an exclusive of an interview with NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto, where he discusses the inner workings behind his creative process and how he creates a story that captivates audiences from all over the world.

To further celebrate the launch, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA has joined forces with Konami to delight Duelists and manga fans with a special offer! Fans that sign up for an annual membership to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will receive highly collectable YU-GI-OH! game cards four times a year, delivered right to their doorstep before anyone else has them.

AMV Of The Week: Evacuate The Dancefloor

This week’s AMV is a fast paced multi-anime video that combines slick dancefloor beats with even slicker animation and editing skills for two and a half minutes of a good time. I especially loved the usage of footage from Naruto featuring my favorite kunoichi, Sakura Haruno, and her wicked right hook. Who doesn't admire an AMV that refuses to slow down even once?

AMV: Evacuate The Dancefloor

Author: xXCilkaMilkaXx/Silver Rose Production

Music: Cascada's "Evacuate The Dancefloor" (along with Ayumi Hamasaki's "disco-munication" and Little Boots' "Remedy")

Warnings: A crapload of fast moving edited clips, flashing lights, and fanservice galore. Seizure warning. Some bloody imagery also involved.

PR: THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY: Beloved Story Reimangined Studio Ghibli Style!

Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Secret World of Arrietty)
© 2010 GNDHDDTW

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE WONDROUS MINIATURE ADVENTURES OF STUDIO GHIBLI’S

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY TO READERS IN A NEW SERIES OF BOOKS

Releases Based On The New The Film By Hayao Miyazaki’s Famed Animation Studio Include Film Comics, Art And Picture Books

San Francisco, CA, January 26, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings the miniaturized adventure of famed Studio Ghibli’s newest animated creation – THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY – to readers everywhere with a collection of ARRIETTY film comics, art and picture books set to debut on February 7^th, 2012. THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is scheduled for North American theatrical release on February 17^th, 2012.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is based on the celebrated novel, The Borrowers, by Mary Norton and was produced by Studio Ghibli, the famed animation company founded by Hayao Miyazaki, which also created Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo. The new film, with planning/screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, will feature the voice talents of Bridget Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and Will Arnett for its English language release.

Arrietty isn’t your ordinary fourteen-year-old girl – she is small enough to make her home under the floorboards of a typical house, “borrowing” what she and her family need from the giants in whose shadows they live. A young boy named Shawn befriends Arrietty, but when adults discover the Borrowers, Arrietty and Shawn must work together to save her family.

Fujoshi O'Clock (1/25/12)

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:

• Brigid Alverson at MTV Geek has her top ten manga to look forward to in 2012, including a classic BL title by Moto Hagio.
• Sean Gaffney at A Case Suitable For Treatment has this week's manga releases for 1/25, a lot of which are Digital Manga yaoi titles.

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews The Reason Why He Loves Him So Much by Saori Mieno, a Digital Manga Guild title, as well as volume two of Mister Mistress by Rize Shinba.
• Danica at Graphic Novel Reporter reviews volume four of My Girlfriend's A Geek by Rize Shinba and finds it funny but the same thing as before.
• Julie at Full Moon Dreaming reviews volume four of Winter Demon by Yamila Abraham and gives it a much kinder rating than I would. (Note: the blog is 18+ and has a mature content filter)
• Melinda and Michelle continue their BL Bookrack at Manga Bookshelf and review Love & Trap by Kotetsuko Yamamoto, Men of Tattoos by Yuiji Aniya, and My Sempai by Hebiko Habuyama. 

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: A Sixth Sense

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.

I will always have a huge soft spot in my heart for the shoujo genre, despite the fact that 80% is pretty much the same story with different faces attached to it. So when a shoujo manga decides to step out of the usual tropes and is amazing, how can I not take notice? This is how I felt when I read Sakura Tsukaba's Land of the Blindfolded (Mekakushi no Kuni/目隠しの国), a supernatural shoujo manga of heartbreaking proportions concerning the lives of young people with the heavy responsibilities of supernatural gifts weighing on their shoulders during one of the most precarious and dangerous years of their lives: high school.

In the story of Land of the Blindfolded, when Outsuka Kanade touches someone - whether it is their hand or face, accidentally or on purpose, she can sometimes see into that person's future. Naturally, this gift isn't so wonderful when you see disaster looming on the horizon and, being someone like Kanade, tries to stop it despite all odds being against you. Transfer student Naitou Arou has a similar gift, except that when his touch activates, it gives him a glimpse into that person's past. Joining them is Naitou Arou, who has far more control over his own powers to the point that he can turn it off and on at will. 

Together, they try to navigate living with these abilities and the responsibilities they carry while also dealing with their own feelings for each other. Hey, I told you it was a shoujo manga.

Interesting News Piece Of The Day

I could not make this up if I tried, you guys. At least he has good taste in shonen manga?


Crunchyroll: Man Arrested For Simultaneous Theft Of All 64 "One Piece" Volumes.

Police in Shizuoka apprehended a 26-year-old in Fujieda as the suspected thief of all 64 volumes of One Piece.

Source Yomiuri Online points out that stacking 64 volumes reaches a height of over three feet (1 meter) and weighs nearly 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

You can definitely fit that in a Boston Bag, though, which is what two employees noticed the suspicious-looking fellow carrying the evening of December 23rd. However, the store was busy, so it wasn't until the next morning they noticed the shelf that used to contain One Piece was empty. When they checked the security camera tapes they could see him cram the manga by ten volume handfuls into the bag and then walk calmly out of the store. 

AMV Of The Week: Azu-Madness

This week’s AMV is a rather unusual pick for me, since I don't really post these kinds of AMVs that are just collections of joke clips and dubbed-over skits . . . but this is one genuinely hilarious Azumanga Daioh fan vid. Is it any wonder it won at so many anime conventions in 2009/2010? The ending of the vid kills me every time.

AMV: Azu-Madness!

Author: Doominus

Music: Full list of music at the YT page

Warnings: Naughty language/humor/music. It is a comedy AMV, after all.

Initial Thoughts: Recorder to Randoseru; Poyopoyo

Spoiler warning: The following reviews contain spoilers for the first two episodes of Recorder to Randoseru and Poyopoyo. Read with caution!

Miyagawa Atsushi is an 11-year-old boy who is 180 centimeters tall. Since he has a grown-up looking build but acts his age, he has always been running into troubles. On the other hand, his 17-year-old elder sister Atsumi is only 137 centimeters tall. Even though she has a childish looking build, Atsumi takes good care of Atsushi.

 

Initially, I wasn't sure what to make of Recorder to Randoseru aka Recorder and Randsell. The premise itself is deceivingly simple, and it is by the same studio who brought us Morita-san Wa Mukuchi (the characters of which make really neat cameos in the first Recorder episode). But something about this series is quite delightful despite the fact that it's centered on a little boy who looks like a grown-man and a teenage girl who looks like a much younger girl. 

For one thing, the episodes (like Morita-san) are short so it doesn't demand a great deal of your attention all at one time or threaten to drive any particular joke into the ground like, say, Kill Me Baby and its reliance on flat gags and visual humor.

Read on after the jump for the rest of my reviews!

Manga Review: One Piece GN 59

One Piece volume 59

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Viz Media/Shonen Jump

208 pages

Spoiler warning: Review contains major freaking spoilers for the events of volume 59 of One Piece. Read on with caution – or else!

After risking everything he had to save his brother, Luffy experiences heartbreak as Ace dies in his arms. Whitebeard will make one last stand against the Navy forces but when the epic pirate war finally comes to an end, the entire world will be shaken!

I certainly can't be faulted by thinking that the title of chapter 577, "Outrageous Events One After The Other", is an accidentally apt statement describing the series as whole - not as an insult, per se, but as a reasonable point about the line of events that have led up to this recent arc of the Paramount War, in which pirate and Navy forces clash with unprecedented force as one condemned man's life hangs in the balance. Except that, as those who remember the cliffhanger for the previous volume know, that condemned man's life is no longer in the balance; it has been extinguished, and the shockwaves from his death are what propels the rest of this volume to startling new heights of violence and raw emotion.

Just look at the book's own synopsis for a clue at how important this book is. "The entire world will be shaken"? For once that is the understatement of the century. As this most recent volume of One Piece shows, the entire series will never be the same.

PR: NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Simulcast Now Available for Hulu Plus Subscribers!

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ANIME TO HULU PLUS SUBSCRIBERS THE SAME DAY AFTER BROADCAST DEBUT IN JAPAN

Latest Action-Packed Ninja Adventures Straight From Japan To Stream For Fans Beginning With Episode 245

VIZ Media has announced the simulcast of the latest episodes of the anime series NARUTO SHIPPUDEN on the Hulu Plus subscription service (www.hulu.com/plus). Beginning January 19^th, Hulu Plus subscribers will be able to simulcast the latest episode of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN in high-definition just an hour after broadcast debut in Japan. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Episode 245 (rated TV-14, subtitled) and new episodes will be broadcast weekly.

Users of the free, ad-supported Hulu service will also be able to catch the new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN segments one week after their initial run on Hulu Plus; the episodes will also be available on the company’s own VIZAnime.com site.  

In the latest NARUTO SHIPPUDEN adventure, Naruto begins his training to control the power of a Tailed Beast with Killer Bee as his new master. In order to do so, one must fight with the Tailed Beast’s head on and absorb its chakra, converting it into one’s own power. Using the key entrusted to him by Jiraiya, Naruto unlocks the seal to release Nine Tails, and the battle between the two begins.

Fujoshi O'Clock: The Post-Blackout Edition

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:

• Yaoi Club shares OtakuUSA's recent reviews of some eManga.com BL titles, including My Sempai and Attacker On A Tiger's Whim.
• The BL webcomic Teahouse's online shop is open again! The third chapter's print version will be available in March. You can now buy items like stationary, charms, and special editions of the first and second chapters.
• Something that has crossed this fujoshi's radar is Jo Chen's BL circle GUILT | PLEASURE, filled with lots of tasty art and stories from Jo Chen.
• Ogiue Maniax's Fujoshi Files continues with Fujoko of Fujoshi No Hinkaku whose room is covered in BL items - hiding the even more hardcore items underneath the surface.
• Kuriosity: Animate U.S.A. has added several new titles to the Kindle for January 2012, including new works by Youka Nitta and You Higashino.
• AnimeNation News Blog: Studio Prime Time+ will be creating an OVA adaptation of Isaku Natsume's manga Tight-rope; it's to be two episodes long.

Reviews:

• Matthew of No Flying No Tights reviews Cafe Latte Rhapsody by Toko Kawai and finds the cast very easy to relate to (although his ideas of what constitutes yaoi isn't exactly spot-on).
• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews Boys With Tomorrow To Conquer by Satoru Ishihara, a Digital Manga Guild title, and can't wait for volume two.
• Sakura Eries at The Fandom Post reviews My Girlfriend's A Geek volume five by Rize Shinba - which, to remind those wondering why it's included, is about a girl who is a fujoshi and her non-BL boyfriend.

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!

Internet blackout day: See you all on Thursday

Originally posted by box_in_the_box at Internet blackout day: See you all on Thursday

Google: End Piracy, Not Liberty

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.



Tell Congress: Don't censor the Web

Fighting online piracy is important. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There's no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs.

Too much is at stake — please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA.

AMV Of The Week: This Is Halloween

This week’s AMV is kind of a classic in Soul Eater fandom that has still managed to retain a veneer of watchability and entertainment after several years. Yes, it's probably the one you're thinking of. Sorry for being so predictable, but some of us started a new semester in college today. So take that de geso.

AMV: This Is Halloween

Author: Hagaren Studios

Music: Marilyn Manson's "This Is Halloween"

Warnings: The horror/fantasy/violent imagery that signifies Soul Eater; lots of fast-moving clips and occasional flashes of light. Some anime spoilers.

Manga Review: Soul Eater GN 7

Soul Eater volume 7

Author: Atsushi Ohkubo

Yen Press

208 pages

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

Shinigami-sama summons the strongest weapons from around the world to contain the rogue Kishin and the spread of his madness. As these powerful weapons strategize for what will be the most difficult battle of their lives, the students of DWMA try to get back to their normal lives as best they can. For Maka, adjusting to the dangerous times is nothing compared to Crona's struggle to adjust to life as a DWMA student!

After the conclusion of the First Kishin story arc, how will Soul Eater follow up on such a monumental shift in plot? The answer is apparently new characters, Chrona in school, and . . . a basketball game? But one thing is readily apparent: everything has changed for Maka and her friends, as the threat of the First Kishin hangs heavy over the DWMA, putting everyone in the world of meisters and weapons on high alert to the point that Shinigami-sama has to bring several of these weapons together to combat this new enemy. And as our intrepid gang of DWMA students set off on another adventure whilst dealing with their own various dilemmas, Soul Eater continues to find new ways to combine awesome action and character-driven drama with utterly horrific situations involving magic and science in a stylish way that continues to keep me as one of its avid readers.

Final Thoughts: Durarara!!

In Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest – the existence of a headless “Black Rider” who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets.

Ryuugamine Mikado has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted. But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers for the entirety of Durarara!! are beyond this line. Read with caution!

So, I know, I'm two years behind everyone else in finishing this amazingly popular series. Hell, I'm even more behind everyone else since I was watching the dub on [as] and let the episodes pile up so that I ended up finishing the series a month or so after it finished its initial run on television. I did an Initial Thoughtspost on it in July, and talked about further episodes in two of my anime round-up posts (geez, remember those?), but it isn't until now that I've been able to bring together all my thoughts and feelings on the Durarara!! anime series at large.

Here's my kneejerk reaction to Durarara!! in four words: When is season two? No, really. When? I need it! And it isn't because the anime was unsatisfactory - although there are a ton of plot points that never get actual resolutions - but because I didn't want it to end when it did. I really want more Durarara!! which is why I'm hoping the light novels get licensed this year or the next, which might actually happen if the manga sells well over here in the North American market. I might even start up interest for a Kickstarter-esque project to get it licensed and published in English, that's how much I love this series. Ssh, don't be scared by how much anime fandom loves it; it deserves all of the hype.

PR: Naruto Character Data Book Now Available!

NARUTO [HIDEN・SHA-NO SHO] © 2008
by Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.

VIZ MEDIA KICKS OFF 2012 NINJA STYLE WITH NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK

New Guide Offers Fans Essential NARUTO Character Info As Well As Never-Before-Revealed Data And Secrets

San Francisco, CA, January 12, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, opens the new year with the latest addition to its extensive library of NARUTO titles. NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK is available now, offers essential information on key characters from the smash-hit action series, and includes 8 full-color pages. NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER BOOK is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

A ninja knows all! And now you can too! Here's all the intel you need on who's who in NARUTO!.THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK gives you all you need stay the expert on all things NARUTO. Whether you're catching up, brushing up, or just getting started with the goings-on in ninja world, this handy, huge guide covers the whole story all the way to Volume 43 of the best-selling manga (graphic novel) series!

Interesting News Piece Of The Day

And by interesting, I mean holy fuck, what is going on panic-inducing kind of news.


ANN: Funimation Sues A.D. Vision, Sentai, Others for US$8 Million.

On November 4, 2011, FUNimation Entertainment filed a lawsuit in the district court of Harris County, Texas against John Ledford, as well as companies A.D. Vision, AEsir Holdings, Sxion 23 (A.K.A. Section23 Films), Valkyrie Media Partners, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Filmworks, Sentai Holdings, and Unio Mystica Holdings (A.K.A. Switchblade Pictures) for breach of contract and other claims. Ledford is the CEO and co-founder of A.D. Vision. In the lawsuit, Funimation claims that the defendants owe Funimation "an amount to be proven at trial but currently estimated" to be approximately US$8 million plus interest, costs, and attorneys' fees.

This cannot end well. But then I turn into a regular Chicken Little anytime it looks like something bad is about to happen, so maybe there's hope that things like this don't start stacking up and up until the entire industry collapses. Oh, dear.

Manga Review: XXXHOLiC GN 18; Full Metal Alchemist GN 26; Bleach GN 37

Review warning: Post contains spoilers for XXXHOLiC, Full Metal Alchemist, and Bleach's latest volumes. Read on with caution!

XXXHOLiC volume 18

Author: CLAMP

Del Rey/Kodansha Books

192 pages

Watanuki’s vow to the witch Yûko, who has disappeared, leaves him in charge of the shop where wishes must be granted to those who meet the price. Enter a deranged customer who is determined to capture the heart of the man she is stalking. Now Watanuki may have no choice but to deliver his friend Shizuka Dômeki into the arms of this unstable woman!

Another day, another set of supernatural dilemmas for Watanuki to handle. In this volume, it's more apparent than ever the transformation Watanuki has taken in filling Yûko's role as shop-keeper and fulfiller of wishes, in both appearance and actions - but not so far gone that you forget that it's Watanuki underneath all of the pipe smoke and elaborately designed robes. Which seems to be the focal point of most of this volume: that Watanuki is the owner of Yûko’s shop but he is still who he was before she left, albeit in a more long-lasting form. Every job he takes on in this penultimate volume highlights what kind of person he is, what kind of person he is: someone who will sacrifice himself for a stranger or a close friend, someone who knows when another person is in danger even at the cost of his own safety.

There wasn’t a lot of action in this volume compared to others once you get past the first of Watanuki’s jobs, even with the so-called ‘unstable woman’ in the book summary, but I would not call it uneventful. We even get a visit from Syaoran and the gang – although said visit won’t make much sense if you haven’t finished the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles manga yet. Plus, we see a lot of Watanuki, especially in relation to Domeki and Kohane (and my shipper senses are tingling over all of these Domeki/Kohane tones, you can quote me on that one turning quasi-canon at least). I have to wonder where exactly this series is going to go for its last volume, considering the final page of this volume felt like a finale by itself. Will we see Yûko again? Or Himawari, who last heard from was at university? It is certainly time for this series to bow out before it gets too long for its own good.

P.S. Did Watanuki have to tailor any of the witch’s clothes to fit into them or do they have similar body shapes for those kinds of garments? These are the kind of thoughts I have about XXXHOLiC above all, apparently.

Read on after the jump for the other two reviews!

PR: Special WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Launch Event Jan 28th in Los Angeles!

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL LAUNCH EVENT FOR NEW WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA DIGITAL MANGA MAGAZINE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

Free Event In Los Angeles Gives Fans A Sneak Peek Of Upcoming Debut Of North America’s First Digital Weekly Manga Anthology

San Francisco, CA, January 11, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites Southern California manga/anime fans and pop culture enthusiasts to a very special launch event for the new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (WEEKLY SJ ALPHA) on Saturday, January 28^th at the West Hollywood Library in Los Angeles, CA.

The event is FREE to attend and takes place between 2:00pm-5:00pm in the library’s Community Room. The West Hollywood Library is located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069. Additional library details are available at:

http://www.colapublib.org/libs/whollywood/index.php

Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will treat manga (comics) fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. The first issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA goes on sale January 30, 2012, and will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone^®, iPod^® touch and iPad^®. Debut series will include BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO.

During the event, attendees will be able to preview the first issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA content on several iPads that will be available, meet VIZ Media staff, and take advantage of fun photo opportunities with the world’s most popular ninja, Naruto, and BLEACH’s Kon.  Gift bags will be given away (while supplies last) and attendees can enter to win other fun prizes in a special raffle contest. Japanese snacks such as Pocky provided by Ezaki Glico USA and other refreshments will also be served while supplies last.

Fujoshi O'Clock (1/11/12)

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:

• The Yaoi Club announces several new yaoi titles, including Full Bloom and Faraway Places, for the Nook and Kindle.
• Sad news: Media Blasters has laid off 60% of its full-time staff. One of the things MB is well known for is its yaoi line.
• Old post but a good one! Over at Yaoi 911, artist Winona Nelson shows how she creates the pages for the BL sci-fi webcomic Artifice (which is amazing and everyone should read it).
• Speaking of webcomics, here's a new one for the fujoshi radar: the m/m romantic drama Flowers for Sasha, in which a firefighter falls in love with the doctor who comforted him before his operation. I've only finished the first chapter but it is absolutely darling. I'm sure I'll be talking more about this webcomic in future posts!

Reviews:

• Hazukashii Kedo reviews chapter 2 of Ootsuki Miu's Vanilla Resort and already wants more of this couple.
• Rebecca Silverman at ANN reviews Border volume 2 by Kazuma Kodaka and finds it engaging for action/BL fans alike.

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: Suspension

This week’s AMV is one of the most creative Death Note fanvids I've ever seen. What if Light Yagami was a disgruntled AMV creator bent on getting revenge on YouTube for removing his videos? The answer is this awesome vid, featuring some quite clever editing and special effects.

AMV: Suspension

Author: SaiSensei

Music: Blue Stahli's "Overklock"

Warnings: Use of fast edited clips and occasional flashing graphics. Spoilers for the Death Note series.

PR: VIZ MEDIA SIMULCASTS THE NEW SCI-FI ANIME SERIES LAGRANGE – THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE ON VIZANIME.COM

Kinetic Action Comedy Series Created By Production I.G. Features An Arsenal Of Robots Designed By Nissan;

First Episode Available To Stream Now!

San Francisco, CA, January 9, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, excites anime fans with the announcement of the U.S. online simulcast premiere of the brand new series, LAGRANGE – THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE, on VIZAnime.com, the company’s own website for free anime, as well as on the free, ad-supported Hulu service and in high-definition on the Hulu Plus subscription service (www.Hulu.com). The first episode (subtitled) is available now with new installments scheduled to debut each Sunday!

 

In addition, Kazé SAS will be the official partner in the United Kingdom for the simulcast of LAGRANGE - THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE. Episode 1 is now available on www.anime-on-demand.com, with new episodes debuting every Sunday.

LAGRANGE – THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE just launched on Japanese television on January 8^th, and is produced by Studio XEBEC (Broken Blade, Martian Successor Nadesico, Fafner), created by the famed animation studio, Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell S.A.C Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings), and directed by Tatsuo Sato (Martian Successor Nadesico, Ninja Scroll: The Series, Stellvia). The robots are designed in collaboration with Nissan Motor Co., LTD’s creative team, chosen from more than 60 designs from an internal Nissan design competition.

Initial Thoughts: Kill Me Baby

No, please do. Anything to save me from this mediocre pile of nonsense.


Spoiler warning: Following post contains spoilers for the premiere episode of Kill Me Baby/キルミーベイベー. Read with caution.


Kill Me Baby is the touching story of Yasuna, a normal (?) high school girl, and Sonya, her best friend who happens to be an assassin. Unfortunately, little Sonya's trained assassin instincts often work against her and others in her daily high school life, as Yasuna's often-broken wrist can attest to. She just wanted a hug, but she ended up with a broken neck. Isn't it sad? No, it's hilarious. Not even Yasuna's intense ninja training can prepare her for the exciting adventures in this explosive 4-panel manga adaptation. (Source: MAL)


The thing about a comedy-based anime is that if it doesn't make me laugh at least once in the first episode, that is usually a good sign that the rest of the series is just as dire. And that is exactly how Kill Me Baby seemed to me: one devoid of comedic value or watchability.

PONPONPON (Or Not)

You ever watch a video that is just so out there that you have to share it with everyone you know?

How about some indie U.S. rapper sampling, of all things, Kyary's PONPONPON for one of his tracks? Not even kidding. Actually, it's not that bad a song considering.

Still, it will never be as bizarre as the PONPONPON video itself, which is below for the like five people left who haven't seen it yet.

News: NIS America Licenses Natsume Yuujinchou Anime

Hey, look, the first anime I ever wrote about for License Line has been licensed for retail release! I'll definitely be preordering this title the second it becomes available (all four seasons of it!).

Santa Ana, CA (December 30, 2011) – NIS America is excited to announce the acquisition of Natsume’s Book of Friends (working title; JPN: Natsume Yujin-cho), an extraordinary heartwarming drama about the relationship forged between a high school student and his spirit companions. The title is produced by the powerhouse Brain’s-Base and Takahiro Omori. NIS America will release the retail version of Natsume’s Book of Friends Season 4, which will begin airing on Crunchyroll in January 2012, as well as retail releases of seasons 1 through 3. The retail release for Natsume’sBook of Friends will come in NIS America’s highly praised premium packaging.

You can read the whole of NISA's press release here. You can also watch streaming subbed episodes of Natsume Yuujinchou on Crunchyroll.

Fujoshi O'Clock: The First of 2012 Edition

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 does her BL 'year in review' for 2011, looking back at her favorite BL manga, manga-kas, and couples of the past year.
• At Boys' Luv.com, Lissa also does her manga favorites of 2011 list, which includes a few boys' love picks as well.
• Oguie Maniax continues its Fujoshi Files with Takayo of the manga Fujoshi no Hinkaku, an office worker who even carries a daily planner for fujoshi events.
• And with their latest update, the third chapter of Teahouse is complete and will be on hiatus until the 18th of January. My heart, she yearns for more Teahouse!
• SuBLime, Viz's yaoi imprint, has their e-newsletter available for sign-up; all they require is your e-mail address and date of birth.

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews A Truthful Picture by Sumako Kari, one of the releases by the Digital Manga Guild currently available on eManga's website.
• Rebecca Silverman at Anime News Network reviews Mr. Convenience by Nase Yamato and is entertained well enough by the art and likeable main couple.

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 (Sort Of): Agent T

This week’s AMV is me cheating and wanting to share this incredibly well-done Gunslinger Girl fanmade movie, set around an original character who is also a member of the Social Welfare Agency. I can only hope they make more Gunslinger Girl videos; we can all wish for a whole series of these, can't we?

AMV: Agent T: Gunslinger Girl
Author: UnderRedAlert
Music: N/A
Warnings: Very much NSFW. Contains cursing, violence, drugs, blood; all the elements of Gunslinger Girl in live action form.

Favorite Yaoi Reads Of 2011

Listen y'all, I love me some boys' love media. Does that surprise you? It shouldn't! Any blog with a weekly feature for fujoshi lovin' is bound to do one of those 'best of' lists for 2011 - and so I shall. And with the exception of number five (dang it, why won't someone license this already?), they are all very much accessible in English through legit channels either online or via hard copies in graphic novel form.

Below is five of my most favorite BL-flavored reads that I had the pleasure of experiencing this year, both in terms of manga and webcomics. Enjoy!

5. NURSE GA OSHIGOTO by Lily Hoshino.

Earlier this year, I rediscovered the magic of Lily Hoshino's works - and one of them was Nurse Ga Oshigoto, a collection of super smutty one-shots that mostly revolved around the cute boys that work in hospitals and the older guys who like teasing them until they blush and then some. It's certainly a welcome break from the angst on this list, as it is adorable and sexy and a great read.

Scanlations of this are available . . . well, I'm sure y'all know how to find things like that. Just be sure to support the license if a North American distributor ever picks it up.

Read the rest of my list after the jump!