manganews.net

News

•From Manga to Light Novels: Calender Drive has a short article about how light novel, novel that spins out of manga, is expanding in America.

As Roland Kelts, the author of "Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S.," put it, "What's happening in Japan is that the shift from novelists to manga writers has gone backwards. Now you have established manga writers writing novels and publishing imprints capitalizing on this trend.
[ Read More ]

•The Complete Guide to Manga: Over at The Beat, Heidi is getting excited over a new book coming out in July, titled, The Complete Guide to Manga by Jason Thompson, which consists of 900 titles published in the U.S. with bibliographical info, commentary and ratings.
[ Link: The Beat ]

•Library Reshuffles After Complaints: According to the New Zealand Newspaper, Wanganui Chronicle, the teen section of the library will be relocating as an answer to Julie Gorden, a mother of five, who started petitions for more reasonable ratings (one of them seems to be Chobits).
[ Link: Explicit Comics Bring Call to Censorship; Library Reshuffles As an Answer to Complaint ]

From Japan

•Announcement from Monthly Jump: It seems like the statement from the editorial department stating that "all series will be ending" is not true. A statement from Monthly Shounen Jump that will go on sale this week:

After the discontinuation of Monthly Shounen Jump, Gyagu Manga Biyori, Rosario and Vampire and Tegami Bachi will be temporarily serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump, until the publication of a new magazine which will continue the serializations.

In addition, information on the exact dates of Claymore and the aforementioned titles? serializations will be available on Weekly Shounen Jump.

As for the titles that are still in works, including Mahou Tsukai Kurohime, Bassakaria [Op.7], as well as the tankoubon releases of other titles, more information will be covered in the "July Super Extra Large Final Issue" to be sold on 6th June.

We would like to sincerely apologize to all the readers who have been enjoying our serializations.

2nd May, 2007 (Wednesday)
Monthly Shonen Jump Editorial Department

Translated by Doraneko

[ Previous Report: Monthly Jump on Hiatus ]

•What Japanese Thinks of Manhwa: Thanks to the internet (and probably google translator), our favorite Japanese message board, 2ch has picked up David Welsh's article in Business Week "Forget Manga, Here's Manhwa" and they don't like it! The thread started out with people stating the article has no proof that manga is better and no numbers that indicate manhwa sells more than manga. The thread reminds the world that in the Korean market, 80% of their comics are imported from Japan, and toward the end of the thread, it cites various graphical examples where manhwa plagiarizes from manga. (Aside from that, I would probably those who comment on that thread saying "manhwa is boring" and "manhwa is in the level of Japanese doujinshi" ignorant though.)
[Source: Itai News(2ch thread archive) ][Link: Forget Manga, Here's Manhwa]

•75% of Net Cafe in Japan has Refugees: Earlier this month, I blogged a video about the situation of people living in manga/net cafes in Japan at MJ blog (sorry, video has been removed by youtube). The inexpensive overnight charges in these manga cafe, which includes internet access, a private booth and sometimes shower, and additional charge for a cheap meal has attracted people with low income to live there. Asahi Shimbun has a more thorough report, where 34 cafes over 10 prefectures are surveyed, and 32 of them has refugees living in.
[ Read More ]

•Chika Umino's New Work to be Serialized in Young Animal: Most shocking serialization news comes from Young Animal's site last friday: Honey and Clover's mangaka, Chka Umino's new series will start serializing in Young Animal this summer. To those of us who have read/seen Honey and Clover manga/anime, it is a wonder how the mangaka of this cute, fluffy romantic comedy of josei manga will end up doing a new series for a (very) ecchi seinen magazine. We will have to wait and see!
[ Link: Young Animal ]

•Peach Pit's Rozen Maiden Ends Soon: According to Comic Birz's site, Rozen Maiden will have its last chapter serialized in the July issue, on sale May 30.

•Gentosha Launches New Manga Magazine Format: Gentosha Launched Gensho last month (which was a trial, this month is official), a monthly manga anthology, sold in CD-ROM in bookstores around the country! You can download a sample from their site (well for those PC users anyways; upper corner on the right).
[ Link: Genzo ]

•Shogakukan's New Comic Site: Shogakukan has launched a portal site, which lists all their manga magazines, news, upcoming releases and more.
[ Link: Shogakukan: Comic ]

Reviews

Emma Volume 1 by Koaru Mori -- Reviewed by Floating_Sakura
Dark Edge Volume 1 by Yu Aikawa - Reviewed by Ishaan
Eternal Alice Rondo Volume 2 by Kaishaku - Reviewed by Kiara
The Twelve Kingdoms Volume 1 by Fuyumi Ono -- Reviewed by Jiji
Lunar Legend Tsukihime Volume 3 by Sasakishonen / TYPE-MOON - Reviewed by Kiara
Old Boy Volume 2 by Garon Tsuchiya - Reviewed by Floating_Sakura
Dokebi Bride Volume 2 by marley - Reviewed by anitra
More Reviews...