This being the fourth Wednesday of the month the ComicList is a little bit on the light side. Now does that mean that you are given a pass this week? Heck nah! Actually you should pony up for some of the big ticket items on this week's list and maybe even go back to catch up on some recommendations from weeks past.

(Once again Big Ups to the Comiclist for providing the info for this list)

ADV MANGA
Little Snow Fairy Sugar Manga Vol 3 TPB, $9.99

BROCCOLI
E'S Vol 1 GN, $9.99

DARK HORSE
Tanpenshu Vol 1 TPB, $12.95 *** Hiroki Endo is Better Than Sex, I Live in Jarred's Head and Aping Jarred and David's Pick pick of the week

CMX
Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne Vol 7, $9.99

DIGITAL MANGA
***Flower Of Life Vol 1 GN, $12.95*** Ninjaconsultant Pick of the Week

JUNE
Our Kingdom Vol 5 GN, $12.95
Rin Vol 2 GN, $12.95
Seven GN, $12.95

TOKYOPOP
Kamiyadori Vol 1 GN (Of 4), $9.99

YAOI PRESS
Zesty Vol 1 GN, $12.95

OTHER FANDOM

TOHAN
Akio Watanabe Art Works, $59.99
Fantastic Tooko Miyagi Illustrations, $35.99
Jewel You Higuri Best Of Artworks, $49.99
***Robot Vol 6, $45.99 *** Manga Art for Beatniks
Togihimezohushi No 2 Masamune Shiro Folding Artbk, $31.99

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And as the list is light on books, the MangaCast is light on recommendations. It's not that we don't have them for you. We only have a couple books to recommend.

Jarred kicks things off and basically beats his pick into the brains and kidneys of most of the MM4MM Brigade.

I call 2006 the Year of Endo, for delivering one of the most gut-wrenching, liver-blow-pummeling stories in his dystopian sci-fi epic EDEN. My favorite manga being currently released, so you can bet I’ll be first in line to pick up the free condoms and Tanpenshu.

Free condoms could be enough to make David stand in attention but our favorite Brit is giving an even better reason to pick Endo's book. David is just a tanpenshu-dan (a short story collection man).

Tanpenshu...
For the second week in a row I pick the same title as Jarred, and it's the only DH manga title too. >.>
In all seriousness though, its another offering of Hiroki Endo and that already says to me this is worth a peek. As someone who is currently enjoying the epic Eden series this short story collection looks set to be even better.

Christian apparently had to pick Tanpenshu for nationalistic reasons...

I admit I've not actually read any of titles this week, but I *have* read Eden, so I can say I'm extremely interested in exploring more of Endo's work. Having not much more to add to Jarred and David's words, I can only say that I came very close to committing MangaCast style seppuku over my lapse from the list last week, but fortunately, my will wavered at the last minute and and stayed my blade, and now I've lived to see another week and the release of Tanpenshu. Life is good.

Honestly I don't know what would have Christian dressed in his all-whites but I don't think it was in the human resources brochure. Life is good man, life is mucho good.

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Erin back from Japan comes at us with something that reminds me of the Comiket Tour Fuyu 2006... Yoshinaga Fumi!!

Flower Of Life, since it's by the Antique Bakery author. I recently finished reading Antique Bakery, and by volume 3 it won me over. A while ago I picked Gerard and Jacques without researching it enough to know it was by the same person, but after reading a sample of Gerard and Jacque over at Shaenon's livejournal, I'm moving Flower Of Life up on my list to read next!

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Me for at least the second week this month I have to go with a book that doesn't come from our usual comic supplying suspects. This week I pick something that I hope is on DMP's radar...

Range Murata's ROBOT is a collection of shorts from some of the best comic art and character design has to offer. I wouldn't really pick up ROBOT as reading material. No, this full color collection or as Murata calls it "Super Color Comic" is nothing but drool/nose bleed inducing Manga ART! ROBOT does manga to a different beat! Mature!!

$45.99 might be a little excessive considering this book retails for $20.00 in Japan but if you want more from Murata, aBE Yoshitoshi, YUG, Yamamoto Yamato and Neon Vision this is what you want.

DMP Books better continue this series. I might have Christian commit seppuku if they don't!

Long press release from Viz Media today with details about three of their titles for Q1 2007. All three titles were announced in Q3 06, including the seinen fanservice friendly pet fancy manga InuBaka.

Ahhh.... Move along! Nothing to report here. Seriously though, Viz announced Signature around this time last year and what have they done to show for it... They launched with MONSTER, Phoenix and Golgo added Drifting Classroom and have done nothing with the line since. There are plenty of books I would have rather seen before InuBaka from ShoShu but if it isn't SJ or SB why should they care right?

This is why I am opposed to exclusivity. If Viz will not release a certain ShoShu title why can't another pub do it?! Grrr.

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW MANGA FOR Q1 Among The Unique New Offerings

San Francisco, CA
January 25, 2007

- VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of three new manga series for the first quarter of 2007. These releases include INUBAKA: CRAZY FOR DOGS and two new romantic shôjo series, BACKSTAGE PRINCE and GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE+.

INUBAKA: CRAZY FOR DOGS · Rated “T+” for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 · Available February 2007
All alone except for her loyal canine companion, Lupin (named for the famous anime character), 18-year-old Suguri moves from the country to the big city in search of a career and a new life. On a walk with his owners to check out the new neighborhood, the gregarious Lupin meets a female Labrador Retriever named Noa who he soon gets pregnant. Noa’s owner, Teppei, is dismayed and crushed to learn his dream of a litter of pure bred Labrador puppies has been shattered. To make up for the indiscretion, Suguri offers to work at the pet store Teppei manages. She soon meets an assortment of quirky dogs and their even stranger owners and an adventure in canine antics begins. This loveable story from Yukiya Sakuragi will delight animal lovers! An online preview of INUBAKA: CRAZY FOR DOGS will be available for viewing on www.viz.com in February.

BACKSTAGE PRINCE · Rated “T” for Teens · MSRP: $8.99 · Available March 2007
Set against the vivid backdrop of Kabuki theater, BACKSTAGE PRINCE introduces readers to Akari, an average high school girl who fails to see why the other girls in her school are so interested in Ryusei, a young and talented Kabuki actor and fellow student. Akari happens to run into Ryusei at school and accidentally ends up bruising himwith her book bag. Later, Akari ends up following a cat all the way to a Kabuki theatre and by chance runs into Ryusei once again. To make up for her mistake, she volunteers to become Ryusei's assistant until he is healed. The reclusive and socially inept Ryusei accepts only because Akari gets along with his pet cat, the very one she followed all the way to the theatre. When Ryusei is finally better, Akari realizes she has fallen in love. The couple’s blossoming love takes a turn for the dramatic as their relationship is put to the test by Ryusei's profession and popularity and those who disapprove of their relationship, especially Ryusei's strict father and Naoki, another Kabuki actor who loves Akari.

THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE+ · Rated “T+” for Older Teens · MSRP: $8.99 · Available March 2007
In return for a business loan of 50 million yen, the prestigious Kamiya family gave their daughter Haine away for adoption to the successful Otomiya family who send her to the Imperial Academy, an exclusive school for the children of wealthy families. Haine, now an Otomiya, is appointed to the student council of the exclusive school. Even though Haine is of proper lineage to be on the council, she finds herself struggling to find her place among the many secrets of its elite members, especially those of the president who holds her heart - Shizumasa Togu, aka "the Emperor." Haine has been in love with Shizumasa Togu since she read the fairy tale he wrote as a child. However, the Emperor is so well sequestered by the student council that she hasn't been able to speak to him in the three months she's been at the academy. And as rumor has it, he already has a lover. As impossible as the odds may seem, Haine-chan's innate optimism keeps her going, as she pursues her love. THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE+ is the newest shôjo manga series from Arina Tanemura who also created FULL MOON, also published by VIZ Media. The first printing of THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE+ Volume 1 includes a 2-sided full-color poster.

“We’re excited to expand our manga roster with the addition of these three newest series,” states Liza Coppola, senior vice president for marketing for VIZ Media. “The continued popularity of the shôjo manga genre will ensure an eager audience for BACKSTAGE PRINCE and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE+, which were recently previewed in SHOJO BEAT magazine. Animal lovers will likewise delight in the quirky and heartwarming canine adventures in INUBAKA: CRAZY FOR DOGS. We’re pleased to open 2007 with these debuts, and look forward to these series establishing dedicated followings and delighting readers of all ages.”

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.

There are clear advantages to living in a place like San Francisco. The weather is good. Usually around the low 60's 10 months of the year, in the 40's for one month and in the high 80's for one month. The food out here might be expensive but lord you can find anything out here. Turkish, Thai, Lebanese, Nepalese, Eritrean or Peruvian can be found in a small 7 mile by 7 mile city with good to kill for quality. I mean I can go to at least 15 places in a 20 minute bike ride for Korean Hot Tofu Soup!!

Another good thing about the Bay Area is TV. I can see Japanese dramas translated for free without using a bittorrent. Nodame Cantabile is currently airing and so is Dr. Cotoo's Clinic on local TV. Team Medical Dragon ended a few months back. And now I am begging on my knees for a title to be translated this April/May. And something tells me some of you will be joining me.

2006 Yomi Winner Sexy Voice and Robo (best short series/Koruda Iou) is going to be adapted as a live drama starting April 23. The series will run weekly Tuesdays on Nippon TV. Robo will be played by manga reader and robot otaku Matsuyama Kenichi . No news about who will be playing the role of Hayashi Nico yet. Anyone wants to put up some guesses??



Not sure if I can see this guy as mecha-otaku Robo. I mean check out the amount of work put into his hair!!

By the way, you could see Matsuyama in Linda, Linda, Linda as well as the DeathNote movie and the Nana movie (he played Shin in that one).

More ero-podviews for your adult reading enjoyment. Today's ero-manga lesson is 露出 or Roshutsu. And for those of you who don't know Japanese or are not familiar with the Japanese title of the book we are previewing today Roshuu means exhibition!! Yeah the kind of thing you might see in a Monty Python episode or a random scene in Urusei Yatsura. Open up the coat and show it off type of exhibition.

In this chapter of Roshutsu de Pon!/Flash Bang! the characters take exhibitionism to a bit of an extreme through comedic means. But this is Sinjuku right! Anything goes out there; even in front of the Gap at the Shinjuku Flags Bldg (SKILLZ!). And if you are going to try to attract attention in Shinjuku with all the lights, bling and foreigners around you need to either have a great act, some freaks with cameras or a great smelling yatai stand. The girls in this short story seemed to have figured that they have something that the guys of Sinjuku want. A little roshuu and business is going to be booming for them. Hopefully the roshuu from Flash Bang will lead to sales over at Icarus.

Well that's your manga lesson for the day. Please take your manga terminology homework home. No roshuu in front of the co-workers unless you work for Simon （v＾ー＾）

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Flash Bang - PDF Preview
Icarus Publishing - Seinen Comics - May 2007
© Kiichigono Yoshitatsu / France Shoin

Synopsis: 10 stories which explore public humiliation and exhibitionism, with bonus artwork and story not serialized in Comic AG. Welcome!- two girls use their perky breasts to attract customers to a bakery. Hot Stage- a gentlemen’s club adds a new segment to their live show, but the performer is less than willing…

176 pages
$19.95
Diamond Code (not yet available)
ISBN 1-934075-06-7
shipping May 2007.




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