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.