Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Welcome to Kuriousity

News, reviews and features with a focus on manga, self-published works and a Canadian perspective. Enjoy fulfilling your Kuriousity!

SITE RETIRED - Thank you for the years of support and readership!

Posts Tagged Doki Doki

Review: Color

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Eiki Eiki/Taishi Zaou
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “When art student Takashiro Tsuda chose to show his painting, Color, in a gallery exhibition, he never dreamed that an uncannily similar painting would hang next to his – with the same title, even. Works of art come from the deepest depths of an artist’s soul, so how can anyone else be expressing themselves so much like Takashiro? Filled with a yearning to find his artistic soulmate, Takashiro goes off to art school in Tokyo and meets classmate Sakae Fujiwara. Soon, Takashiro learns that this is the artist he’s been searching for – the one who created a Color so much like his own – but Sakae is a guy! Can such a profound connection between two people transcend gender and become something more?”

Takashiro is a young artist whose work has recently been displayed in an art gallery. However upon his visit he sees a very similar painting hanging next to it and immediately becomes enthralled with the idea of meeting its creator. When discovering that the painter Sakae-san is a young man, and soon a classmate at that, Takashiro’s quickly growing affections may’ve hit a speed bump but it’s only sent them flying.

Read more…


Review: Happy Boys (Vol. 01)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Makoto Tateno
Publisher: Doki Doki
Rating: Teens (13+)
Release Date: September 2009

Synopsis: “Welcome home, madam!” For the patrons of Lady Braganza, an afternoon outing for tea and cake becomes an immersion in high-class lifestyle, where mannered servants attend to their each and every need. You see, Lady Braganza is a butler café, and the cheerful staff of Shiva, Renjo, Ivory, Silk and Eve are charged with the task of making each and every “sir” or “madam” feel like pampered royalty!”

The Lady Braganza is a butler café where patrons are treated as royalty, served the most delectable of teas and cakes while being served by the most wholesomely attentive staff. Happy Boy’s cast of characters all work at this café and it’s their job to make sure every customer finds themselves pleasantly lost in the illusion – but not all readers may find themselves as entranced.

Read more…


Publisher Site Review: Digital Manga

Digital Manga

Digitalmanga.com | DMPbooks.com | Junemanga.com | 801media.com | Dokidokibooks.com

Digital Manga’s multiple imprint web pages were hit or miss in the past but since their recent upgrades and redesigns, they’ve risen to the cream of the crop status for manga publishers on the web. Their new websites are visually attractive and full of colour, and the usability of the sites has seen a huge improvement. Overlapping databases between the different websites ensure all information is the same and is updated simultaneously. All sites also share one blog with imprint-specific posts appearing on their individual front pages.

Features
Blog + Forums
Book info (searchable)
Release Calendar
Manga previews
Multiple imprint-sites
Newsletter

All book information, release dates and blog posts are compounded on their company’s index site, DigitalManga.com which also includes job postings, surveys and corporate information. This hub site also includes links to all the imprint pages as well as other Digital Manga properties such as Pop Travel Japan and Akadot Retail.

*Note: At the time of this writing, 801Media.com had not yet received it’s intended overhaul. It’s design and function will not be included in this review.

Read more…


YaoiCon 2009: Digital Manga

YaoiCon 2009 - Digital Manga

Easily the most anticipated panel of this year’s Yaoi Con, Digital Manga brought out the big guns as promised in recent weeks to deliver to the eager audience. Deb Aoki and The Yaoi Review were both present and live-updating the panels so thanks to them both for the information.

You can read all about it under the cut –

Read more…


Review: Living For Tomorrow

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Manga-ka: Taishi Zaou
Publisher: Doki Doki
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “High school student Tasuku Mizuochi has a secret he knows and a secret he doesn’t. Even though he punches, kicks, and otherwise abuses fellow karate team member, Ryouta, on a daily basis, Tasuku has hidden feelings for his childhood friend. Confused and embarrassed by his secret crush, Tasuku takes his frustrations out on Ryouta to keep him from ever knowing the truth. When Tasuku learns that his late mother may have been an “ageman” (ah-gay-man) – a woman who brings men good fortune – he starts to believe he’s inherited these powers, too. Can having the ability to influence luck give Tasuku and Ryouta a future together? Or will all the people crawling out of the woodwork wanting to use Tasuku’s power cause him to run screaming for the hills?!”

Right off the bat you know this isn’t going to be your average boys’ love story as Tasuku spends the first chapter criticizing and literally assaulting his friend, Ryouta, out of frustration. The interaction and banter between the two is very cute, albeit a little violent, and it becomes all the fluffier as you read further into the story and see how the high-strung Tasuku uses those opportunities to vent his uneasiness at the growing affection he feels for Ryouta, his own variation of the ‘tease-because-you-like’ reaction.

Read more…


PR: The newest DokiDoki promotional giveaways are here

Gardena, CA (April 21, 2009)- The newest DokiDoki promotional giveaways are here, with beautiful fukuseigenga to go with them! The next two titles in the DokiDoki inaugural line are Living For Tomorrow by Taishi Zaou, and Brilliant Blue Vol. 1 by Saemi Yorita! Hurry and order today to receive a great promo item with it-and for DokiDoki members-remember, books are available early in late April/early May in limited supply! Still wondering what fukuseigenga are? Check out pictures and customer feedback on the DokiDoki Blog!

There are two ways to retrieve your special promo item: the first is to go to www.dokidokibooks.com, and click on the Register button for the DokiDoki newsletter. Just fill out a brief survey, and it’ll direct you to Akadot Retail (www.akadot.com) checkout for purchase of the book of your choice with the promo item. For those who purchase a DokiDoki title in bookstores, there is a special promo code in the back of the book. All you have to do is go to www.dokidokibooks.com, and click on the Enter Promo Code button. Enter the promo code specific to your title, and after filling out the survey, you will be able to checkout just the promo item. Easy!

Now the legal details: promotional items are limited in quantity, and are therefore on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. Promotional items are free, but are subject to a shipping and handling fee (continental US only) and are only eligible after registration for the DokiDoki newsletter and a one-time survey participation. We will not divulge any personal information to any third party, nor is it used for anything but internal purposes-but your participation in the survey helps us help you! Promo items will vary from book to book. Promo items are limited to one giveaway per book bought, but you are not limited to the number of DokiDoki titles you purchase to obtain the promo item. By all means, buy as many as you want! Plus, being on the DokiDoki newsletter will keep you notified ahead of time of the newest titles, their date of availability, and the special items that come with each title. To start, you can pre-order these two titles now to be first in line for your promo item!

————————–

LIVING FOR TOMORROW written and illustrated by TAISHI ZAOU – Rated M+ (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $12.95 US, Yaoi Manga, Available In Stores: May 20, 2009

*Click here to order!
High school student Tasuku Mizuochi has a secret he knows and a secret he doesn’t. Even though he punches, kicks, and otherwise abuses fellow karate team member, Ryouta, on a daily basis, Tasuku has hidden feelings for his childhood friend. When Tasuku’s mother died, Ryouta was always there to comfort him, and these emotions grew over time to become something else. Confused and embarrassed by his secret crush, Tasuku takes his frustrations out on Ryouta to keep him from ever knowing the truth. When Tasuku learns that his late mother may have been an “ageman” (ah-gay-man) – a woman who brings men good fortune – he starts to believe he’s inherited these powers, too. Can having the ability to influence luck give Tasuku and Ryouta a future together? Or will all the people crawling out of the woodwork wanting to use Tasuku’s power cause him to run screaming for the hills?!

BRILLIANT BLUE VOL. 1 written and illustrated by SAEMI YORITA – Rated YA+ (Ages 16+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $12.95 US, Yaoi Manga, Available In Stores: May 6, 2009

*Click here to order!
When Shouzo Mita left home, he thought it would be for good. Although he followed his father’s career path as a construction manager, Shouzo never wanted to enter the family business – that is, until dad got laid-up with an injury. Forced to return home and oversee his father’s company, Shouzo finds that a lot of things haven’t changed, but some things have. Nanami, a childhood acquaintance, has gone from being an awkward fatty to a sparkling pretty-boy straight out of a shojo manga. As an electrician contracted to work for Mita, Nanami’s simple, naive charm and healthy appetite manage to flip Shouzo’s switch. With the choice between remaining independent and accepting responsibility for his family even more complicated, what will Shouzo do?

TAISHI ZAOU is the pen name for MIKIYO TSUDA, creator of PRINCESS PRINCESS and THE DAY OF REVOLUTION for all her BL (boys love) manga. SAEMI YORITA is the creator of various shonen-ai and yaoi manga in Japan, and BRILLIANT BLUE is her first US english release.


More Fukuseigenga from DokiDoki

More Doki Doki Gifties

Coming soon on the heels of the the first two DokiDoki releases, Living for Tomorrow and Brilliant Blue (Vol. 01) are set for release this May, and as with before, Digital Manga is offering some promos to go along with them. By simply purchasing the books (this includes in-store purchases) and filling out a survey, you’ll be sent a fukuseigenga, print-out copies of the original pages signed by the artist. The same offer was extended for the previously released Princess Princess + and Train*Train (Vol. 01). The fukuseigenga are pages from the books purchased.

I recieved my fukuseigenga in the mail from Digital Manga and I have to say its a really nice bonus to have, doubley so if you’re big fans of the artists (yay me!). I was actually surprised at how large they were. It’s the same size as the original manga-ka’s work and admittedly I keep taking time to stare at it. You can see where the artists’ lines stopped at the margins, see the marker strokes in the filled in areas and see the blue margins of the manga template paper it was drawn on. Though I know that manga is, of course artwork, it’s fun to stop and stare at it in a form that makes it feel more… real? Good wording fails me, but either way, I really like my fukuseigenga. And they have signatures on them too, extra bonus!

For the curious, here you can see a larger, uncropped photo of one of the fukuseigenga above, where I hope my thumb will act as better indication of their size.

Read the full press release.


Review: Train*Train (Vol. 01)


Manga-ka: Eiki Eiki
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: April 2009

Synopsis: “Welcome to Minami-Kitazawa Station, where the trains run strictly on time, customer service is an important priority, and the staff is entirely made up of super good-looking guys! That’s the environment 18-year-old Asahi Saruta gets dropped in the middle of when he finds himself assigned there. Asahi’s goal is to one day become a train operator like his father, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d have to deal with a group of strange co-workers like this. Even though Asahi may have been chosen more for his cuteness-factor than his job skills, can he rise to the challenge, or will the day-to-day mayhem of working in a train station cause him to reevaluate his career path altogether?!”

Cross together one-part pretty boys with two parts transit system and a dash of host club vibes and you have yourself Minami-Kitazawa: a train station where the young men running it aim to please and fangirls are more than happy to indulge in the attention. Customer satisfaction is the name of the game, even if they use some unique tactics to achieve it. Train*Train’s brand of comedy may not be for everyone, but if the plot strikes a chord of curiousity for you, than it’s well worth a read.

Read more…


Review: Princess Princess +


Manga-ka: Mikiyo Tsuda
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: April 2008

Synopsis: “Fujimori Academy students Kiriya Matsuoka and Tomoe Izumi have been chosen as this year’s princesses, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work to bring them up to speed. Enter former princesses Kouno, Shihoudani and Yutaka for a bit of princess training! Although Matsuoka and Izumi seem willing and able to take over the job of dressing up as girls and cheering at school events, they’re not exactly what you’d call “friends.” Can President Sakamoto and the ex-princesses convince Matsuoka and Izumi to bond for the sake of the school? Or will it take more than a common experience to bring two very different people together?”

A sequel to Mikiyo Tsuda’s series, Princess Princess, Princess Princess + introduces two new characters to the mix: kind and honest, plus financially well off, Tomoe Izumi, and the financially troubled and sensitive introvert, Kiriya Matsuoka. Entering their first year as students at the Fujimori Academy, the pair have accepted the positions of school Princesses for the year, hand-chosen as two who will dress up in girls’ clothes and provide moral support and shining smiles for all at the all-boys’ school.

Read more…


More Prizes for DokiDoki Purchasers

Doki Doki Raffle Contest

On top of the initial offer for those who place orders for the upcoming Doki Doki books, today Digital Manga posted about a raffle where readers can win even more prizes. Lucky ducks!

From now until March 30th, those who order (including those who’ve already ordered before now) volume one of Train Train and Princess Princess Plus will be entered in a raffle to win one of the following:

7 shikishis signed by both Mikiyo Tsuda and Eiki Eiki
10 copies of Princess Princess vol. 1 signed by Mikiyo Tsuda
10 copies of Dear Myself signed by Eiki Eiki (18+ members only are eligible for this prize)

You can see examples of these prizes on their blog. Image previews of the previously announced promo items, ‘fukuseigenga’, have also been posted.

So as if the books themselves weren’t awesome enough! I’m jealous I can’t order from Akadot retail myself (American shipping prices and custom charges = no-no for me). So everyone order and enter and know I wish you all luck as a Mikiyo Tsuda and Eiki Eiki worshipper fan ;)

You can read a full press release about the raffle here.


Take me back to the top!