Saturday, June 25, 2011

Brave10's Shimotsuki Draws Manga of Kikuchi's Mephisto

Reposted from Anime News Network [link]


Manga creator Kairi Shimotsuki (Brave10,Madness, Devil Kings Basara) will launch her adaptation of Hideyuki Kikuchi's Makai Ishi Mephistonovel series in the second issue of Media Factory'sMonthly Comic Gene magazine on July 15. The original novels follow Doctor Mephisto, a practitioner of medicine and supernatural magic who has appeared in Kikuchi's other works such as Demon City Shinjuku,Darkside Blues, Demon Palace Babylon, and Yashakiden.

Shimotsuki already launched another manga series, the Brave10 S (Spiral) sequel series (pictured right in above illustration), in the first issue of Monthly Comic Gene last week. To celebrate Monthly Comic Gene's second issue and the launch of Shimotsuki's two series, Shimotsuki will hold a signing session at ANIMATE's Ikebukuro store in Tokyo on July 16.

Tokyopop published Shimotsuki's Madness manga and acquired her first Brave10 manga series. (Tokyopop did not publish Brave10 before closing its North American division last month.) Digital Manga Inc. has published some of the novels and manga with appearances by Doctor Mephisto, such as Yashakiden. Udon Entertainment published Shimotsuki's Devil Kings Basara manga.

Source: Comic Natalie

M×0's Kano to Start Kagami no Kuni no Harisugawa Manga

Reposted from Anime News Network [link]

This year's 29th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is announcing on Monday that manga creator Yasuhiro Kano is launching a new romantic comedy series called Kagami no Kuni no Harisugawa in the 31st issue on July 11.

The 29th issue of Shonen Jump also announced that creator Ryōsuke Takeuchi and artist Masaru Miyokawa will launch their St&rs manga series in the 30th issue on July 11. The story wil follow a boy and a girl who dream about becoming astronauts. This is the debut manga series for both Takeuchi and Miyokawa.Kano's previous Shonen Jump series were Pretty Face (2002-2003) and M×0 (2006-2008).

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There,Lewis Carroll's sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is titledKagami no Kuni no Arisu in Japanese. Other Japanese wroks that have paid homage to this novel include Yes! Precure 5: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibōken!, and the Musical Minky Momo: Kagami no Kuni no Princess play.

Source: Hisashi Sasaki via Manga News

New English-Translated Manga Magazine Gen Launched

Repost from Anime News Network [link]

A new monthly magazine namd Gen has launched with original manga by Japanese underground artists, and the first issue available as a free download. Gen is a digital magazine with limited-edition print copies.

The Manga Maniac Cafe website interviewed the magazine's editor-in-chief Robert McGuire. McGuire said that Gen will feature "seinen and dōjinshi manga" for the adult market, made bydōjin circles in Japan. "We aren't a traditional publisher that buys rights to already existing titles," McGuire said. "We find Japanese underground artists to create original manga for Americans. We translate the work as it is created and publish for our readers first."

McGuire also said that his company Gen Manga Entertainment was working on an online version of the magazine that would be readable on all devices."

Gen issue 1 contains 140 pages and four stories, in black and white. In addition to the download, a print copy is avaiable from Amazon for US$9.95.

[Via Manga Mania Cafe.com, Mangablog.net]

UraBoku Boys-Love Manga Gets Stage Play in Japan

Reposted from Anime News Network [link]

Hotaru Odagiri's fantasy boys-love manga Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Betrayal Knows My Name, often shortened to Uraboku) is being adapted into a live-action stage production which will run in the Ginza district of Tokyo from December 21 to December 25. The August issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Asuka magazine made the announcement on Friday. The adaptation is being planned and produced by Kitty, who is also involved in the upcoming stage version of Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

Odagiri launched the still-ongoing manga in 2005. The story revolves around an orphan teenager named Yuki Sakurai who strives for independence after spending his child being cared for by his adopted family. However, Yuki has a mysterious ability to feel the emotions of anyone who he touches. One day, a man named Zess appears in Yuki's life claiming to be his brother. Yen Press announced at last year's Comic-Con International that it had acquired the North American rights to the manga.

Many anime, manga, and gaming franchises have been adapted into stage shows, most famously Bleach and Prince of Tennis. More recent examples include Yuu Watase's manga Fushigi Yûgi and the Saint Seiya manga.

Source: Comic Natalie

Friday, June 24, 2011

Crunchyroll Announces JManga Closed US Beta

Reposted from AnimeNews.biz [link]


After months of quiet development, Crunchyroll has announced its JManga portal closed beta for the US market, which will initially be available during the first week of July via lottery with selected users being able to register on the site and directly impact the makeup of the new online manga portal via direct feedback.

The portal was announced through a series of press releases last year announcing a new deal with Japanese digital publisher Bitway with an investment of $750,000 in order to develop a new manga portal using Crunchyroll’s current content management system. The JManga portal is currently available in Japan as a closed beta, with preliminary pricing set at ~$9 per chapter.

Kannagi Manga to Return on July 27 in Japan


Reposted from Anime News Network [link]

Manga creator Eri Takenashi confirmed in a Friday blog entry that she will resume her Kannagi series in the September issue of Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex magazine on July 27. A commercial ran during a rerun of the Kannagi television anime at midnight to also announce the manga's return. Not only will the September issue of Comic Rexfeature the manga with a color opening page, but Takenashi will also illustrate the cover.

Takenashi added that the manga will return for three consecutive chapters at first. After that, the schedule will be irregular depending on her health; she will aim to create a new chapter every two months or every three months. She apologized for the less frequent release schedule.

Her hiatus began in January of 2009 due to poor health; Takenashi had been recovering after her debilitating illness and resulting surgery in December of 2008. She wrote in an August 2009 blog entry that she was slowly going back to the routine of normal life, but she added that she would rest from drawing for at least one more year. Shinichi Yuhki, a manga creator who happens to be Takanashi's brother, launched a Kannagi spinoff manga called Kanpachi in Comic Rexlast year. The return of Takenashi's own manga was first announced last year.

The manga's story centers around Nagi-sama, a goddess who comes to life before an art student when he carves a statue from a Kannagi tree. Takenashi had been serializing the manga in Comic Rex since the magazine debuted in December of 2005. Ichijinsha has compiled and published six volumes, and 2 million copies are in print.

Bandai Entertainment is releasing both the 2008 Kannagi anime and the original manga in North America, and ANN is streaming the anime episodes.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web

Petit Eva Designer Ryusuke Hamamoto Launches New Manga

Reposted from Anime News Network [link]

The July 7 issue of Enterbrain's Weekly Famitsu, released on Thursday, launched Hiyokobocchi, a new series by manga creator and designer Ryusuke Hamamoto. The creator is also launching a new manga series called Sayuririin the August issue of Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex magazine on Monday.

Hiyokobocchi's protagonist is a mysterious girl who was born from an egg. In the first chapter, the girl, who believes she is human, is treated like a monster.

Sayuriri is the serial version of "quip," a one-shot manga that Hamamoto drew in Monthly Comic Rex earlier.


Hamamoto, who also goes by the name "Ryu Moto," designed the characters in the computer-animated Petit Eva ~Evangelion@School~ project (pictured at right) and other spinoffs based on Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion televisionanime series. He also drew Image Comics' Compass comic series and the LR Shōjo Tantei Dan manga. Along with other artists, he contributed to the Comic Artists - Asia and Hon anthologies.


Hamamoto visited FanimeCon and Kintoki-Con in Northern California in May and June.

Source: Comic Natalie

Image © Gainax, Khara