On The Shelf – October 5, 2011

Lissa Pattillo October 4, 2011

Eyeshield 21

This past weekend’s AWA was one of the last conventions of the year but Vertical still spiced it up for us manga fans with a new license. I’ll be sad when we hit that dry spell of conventions in the winter. The anticipation of conventions when it comes to announcements, whether you’re there or not, is always fun. Some companies are becoming pretty proactive with their reveals, though, such as Digital Manga’s new licenses being listed in its newsletter. It’s neat that anyone around the world can be ‘first’ to news; it makes you feel sort of special, especially when you can’t make it to one of the big news-busy events. I always wonder what people prefer though—how you do you like to hear your news? Live at the event? In press releases? Twitter? And of course there are the handy news sites and magazines like Otaku USA. With so many options, at least everyone has a way to keep up.

As I ponder the different ways we all get our manga news first, I wish all fellow Canadians an early Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your turkeys and pumpkin pies this weekend (and all the glorious lazy days of leftovers the week after).

Last week Kodansha released volume thirty-one of Negima! but for those new to the series, going back to collect over two dozen volumes is more than a little daunting. Enter the omnibus, a continually growing trend in the English manga market and a very financially handy one too. This week Kodansha Comics is releasing the second volume of their Negima! omnibus with a brand new translation, bringing this re-release up to the single volume equivalent of six books. It’s the story of a young prodigy magician teaching English at an all-girls school with all the wacky hi-jinks that a Ken Akamatsu story promises.

KODANSHA COMICS
• Negima! Omnibus (Vol.02), ($19.99/US, $22.99/CAN)

Seven Seas has a new series starting this week that also takes good advantage of the omnibus format—My Boyfriend is A Vampire. I know what you’re thinking, another vampire book? This one’s got an interesting twist, though, and I’m eager to see it in action. It’s about a pretty boy gang leader who’s got a problem with people mistaking him for a girl, a mistake he makes sure they regret. One night he has a run-in with some supernatural folk and suddenly he’s cursed to… turn into a girl? The plot is eerily similar to Kodansha Comics’ recent release of Until The Full Moon but, after enjoying that one, I’m eager to see someone else handle the subject. My Boyfriend is a Vampire is also Seven Seas’ first manhwa (Korean) title and I’m a big fan of supporting more of it being released in English. You can even read a short preview of the series on Seven Seas’ website.

SEVEN SEAS
• My Boyfriend is A Vampire (Vol. 01),
($15.99/US, $18.50/CAN)

Lest we forget it’s the start of a new month, it’s Viz Media on the scene to remind us with their largest shipping week. This Wednesday they’ve got sixteen books coming out, meaning a whole lot of manga fans are seeing new volumes of their favourites. There’s also a new series starting with Psyren (Vol. 01). It’s a missing-person mystery story where a young man seeks the answers to a rash of disappearances, specifically that of a friend. His only real lead is a strange society called the Psyren Secret Society, which of course is almost guaranteed to lead him into all sorts of problems.

The book I’ m most looking forward to from Viz this week is Bakuman (Vol. 07). For a series I really wasn’t sold on at first, it’s become one of my most anticipated. While not an entirely accurate representation of the manga industry, it still sheds an amazing amount of light on the trials, tribulations and processes of publishing manga in Japan. In the last volume, Moritaka was admitted to the hospital, putting the future of his and Akito’s series on the line. In this volume, their worst case scenario comes true—the series is cancelled (happens on page one so not a real spoiler, I swear!)—but it’s only the beginning of their career so the race to create their next hit begins, including battling lapses in motivation and a pushy editor whose suggestions are in question.

Sitting and reading manga about a bunch of people sitting and making manga can be really entertaining, but sometimes you need a little more stimulation. Time for some shonen sports manga! And my one-stop spot for high-energy sports manga is Eyeshield 21. In a bout of nostalgia over a dozen volumes in the making, it’s Shin versus Sena yet again. Of course in true Devil Bats fashion the fate of the current game is down to the wire with their opponents holding a five-point lead with only two minutes left on the clock. I’m not a fan of football but you wouldn’t think so when I’ve got a volume of Eyeshield in my hand.

Finishing up with some shoujo, I’ll be looking at Sakura Hime: Legend Of Princess Sakura (Vol.04). Even when the story falters, Arina Tanemura’s stories are stuffed full of eye candy to carry things along. Sakura Hime is a really sharp series visually and you can see a real improvement compared to her previous series. If you like the design of the main character, Sakura, you’re in extra luck in this fourth volume too. After being taken away to a hidden palace, the Moon Princess meets a doppelganger—meaning someone who looks exactly like her! Too bad they want her dead, though… it’s always something, isn’t it?

VIZ MEDIA

• Bakuman (Vol.07), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Bleach 3-In-1 (Vol.03), ($14.99/US, $16.99/CAN)
• Blue Exorcist (Vol.04), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Eyeshield 21 (Vol.37), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Fullmetal Alchemist 3-In-1 (Vol.03),
($14.99/US, $16.99/CAN)
• Kamisama Kiss (Vol.05), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Natsume’s Book Of Friends (Vol.09), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Nura Rise Of The Yokai Clan (Vol.05), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Pokémon Adventures: Diamond And Pearl Platinum (Vol.03), ($7.99/US, $9.99/CAN)
• Psyren (Vol.01), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Rosario Vampire: Season II (Vol.06),
($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Sakura Hime: Legend Of Princess Sakura
(Vol.04), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Seiho Boys’ High School (Vol.08),
($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Slam Dunk (Vol.18), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Skip-Beat (Vol.25), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Vampire Knight (Vol.13),
($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)

That does it for this week’s On The Shelf—what on the list are you most eager to buy? Any must-have recommendations? Share your thoughts in our handy comment area for all our readers to see!

* All dates are based on distributor listings and may not necessarily reflect exact release dates. Some books may be ship prior to or after the date listed above varying by location and availability.