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Posts Tagged Viz Media

Review: Otomen (Vol. 13)

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, September 16, 2012

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Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: September 2012

Synopsis: “Ryo ends up coaching a high school judo team, but women aren’t allowed at that school! She finds a way around this obstacle, but the real challenge comes when she finds herself facing off against… Asuka?!”

Otomen is a series I’ve enjoyed since the beginning, but recent volumes have been a little lacklustre. The story’s been moving away from characters I like most and even Asuka was feeling a bit overshadowed by other secondary characters pushing their own agendas onto him. When I read the synopsis for volume thirteen however, I felt excited. Ryo and Asuka facing off against each other in judo? Cool! What I got was both what I expected and not at the same time. This volume has the longest focus on Ryo I recall since the series began. It provides a better look at her as a character and springs forward her relationship with Asuka more than I ever honestly thought would be possible.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Otomen, Shoujo, Shoujo Beat, Viz Media

Review: Bleach (Vols. 46-47)

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, September 14, 2012

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Manga-ka: Tite Kubo
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: September 2012

Synopsis: “With Captain General Yamamoto giving him an opening, Ichigo goes in for the finishing strike against Aizen! But Ichigo will need the help of some new reinforcements if he hopes to defeat both Aizen and Ichimaru Gin! Aizen’s new powers are too much for even the combined efforts of Ichigo, Isshin, Urahara, and Yoruichi. But as Aizen and Gin head for the real Karakura Town, Ichigo decides to undergo intense training under his father’s tutelage.”

It’s another exciting two volumes! And I mean that sarcasm free too. I was getting a little bored of Bleach for a while but since the big-bad fights of the Hollow’s world have ended, it’s becoming a series I’ve really started looking forward to again. The fight against Aizen has gone on too long, and frankly I’m getting tired of just seeing his name all the time, but this newest double-dose of Bleach offers up some especially memorable scenes that go as far as almost justifying the length of this confrontation.

Warning: Review contains some minor spoilers

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Bleach, Manga, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

PR: Long-Awaited Masterpiece of Intrigue & Innocence Lost Returns

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, September 14, 2012

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HIT MANGA SERIES LOVELESS RETURNS AFTER FOUR YEARS WITH VIZ MEDIA’S RELEASE OF NEW VOLUMES OF THE POETIC SAGA OF SPELL BATTLES AND SECRET NAMES

Intense Psychological Masterpiece Resumes In Volume 9 Release;
VIZ Media Also To Publish Earlier LOVELESS Volumes In New
2-In-1 Manga Omnibus Editions

San Francisco, CA, September 13, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, thrills readers as it reboots the English-language publication of LOVELESS, the hit fantasy manga (graphic novel) series from creator Yun Kouga. Volume 9 is available now and is rated ‘T’ for Teens, with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN / £6.99 UK.

VIZ Media has also announced plans to publish the earlier volumes of LOVELESS as new 2-in-1 omnibus editions beginning in October. These releases will feature updated translations, new lettering, retouched sound effects, and a fresh cover design. Volume 1 debuts on October 9th and includes 6 full-color pages, as well as 50 pages of bonus comics and insightful artist commentary from Yun Kouga previously not published in North America. MSRP for the 2-in-1 editions will be $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN / £9.99 UK.

In LOVELESS, Ritsuka Aoyagi is alone in the world – never fitting in at school and alienated from his own past by a fragmented memory. When his beloved older brother Seimei is brutally murdered, Ritsuka is heartbroken but determined to find answers. His only lead is Soubi, a mysterious, handsome college student who offers him an intimate link to his brother’s other life: a dark and vibrant world of spell battles and secret names.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Loveless, Viz Media

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – September 12, 2012

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, September 12, 2012

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Otaku USA: On The Shelf - September 12, 2012

Loveless returns! The top-note title for this week’s new releases is the ninth volume of Yun Kouga’s Loveless series, which Tokyopop cancelled after releasing the eighth back in 2009. I think it’s really neat that Viz Media made the decision to release the next volume of the series before starting back at the beginning. I’ll be rereading volumes one to eight this week so I can remember everything that’s happened. It’s been so long!

Other must-have-will-buy titles for me this week include Arata (Vol.11) and His Favourite (Vol.01). You can read the full list of titles out this week over at my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

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Categories: Features, News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Kodansha Comics, Loveless, Manga, Otaku USA, Project-H, Seven Seas, SuBLime, Viz Media

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – September 5, 2012

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, September 7, 2012

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It’s been a weird couple weeks, and part of that has lead to there being several weeks between my trips to my local comic store (Strange Adventures) to buy new manga. So bizarre! This week will be the tipping point though. A new Tezuka title, Message to Adolf, from Vertical Inc., new Viz Media volumes of Bleach, Bakuman and… a new volume of Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden after three years?!

Sold. You can check out the full list of titles that shipped this week over at my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

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Categories: Features, News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Bakuman, Bleach, Dark Horse, Fushigi Yugi, Kodansha Comics, Manga, Omnibus, Osamu Tezuka, Otaku USA, Seven Seas, Vertical Inc, Viz Media, Yuu Watase

Review: Toriko (Vol. 11)

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, August 24, 2012

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Manga-ka: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: August 2012

Synopsis: “Toriko’s fight with Gourmet Corp has left him without an arm. While Komatsu continues the quest for Century Soup, Toriko journeys to Life, the country of healing, where getting some R&R turns into a bigger battle than anyone imagined. He’ll have to eat his way to full health!”

The ice-cave chapters of Toriko come to an end in this eleventh volume but not before another cascade of crazy monsters gnashing, drooling and smashing through their way through our heroes (and our new weren’t-hereoes-before-but-now-are-pretty-close too). The massive spire containing the Millennium Soup is collapsing and everyone is pretty messed up, but at least before all is momentarily said and done we get to see one particularly nasty baddy get his just desserts. Then it’s onward to helpings and healing!

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Shonen Jump, Toriko, Viz Media

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – August 22, 2012

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

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It’s the week of threes! I have three top picks out of the manga this week and all are the third volumes of their respective series – Countdown 7 Days (Vol.03), Replica (Vol.03) and Gate 7 (Vol.03). All three are also some of the best manga eye-candy out there to my tastes right now so I expect lots of oogling will happen tonight. So, so pretty.

For the full list of titles available in stores and retail sites this week, check out my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

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Categories: Features, News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Bunny Drop, CLAMP, Dark Horse, DMP, Gate 7, June, Manga, Otaku USA, Viz Media, Yen Press

Review: Bakuman (Vol. 13)

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, August 16, 2012

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Author: Tsugumi Ohba
Manga-ka: Takeshi Obata
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: August 2012

Synopsis: “After being told their current series Perfect Crime Party will not be turned into an anime, Moritaka and Akito start planning on ways to create a second series. Their best chance might be to do well in a new contest where they will compete with their rivals over who can create the best romance story!”

The irony of this volume’s showdown of the romances results won’t be lost on the many who love Bakuman for its passionate telling of manga making but begrudge it’s weak coupling subplots. While the romantics have never been the series’ strong point (granted I do at least favour the Kaya and Akito couple quite a bit), other relationships between characters still continue to be one of the most compelling aspects, whether it’s between partners, rivals, editors or audience.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Bakuman, Manga, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

Otaku USA: On The Shelf – August 15, 2012

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, August 15, 2012

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New books! My commentary here on Kuriousity is limited to “buy them!” but it might have something to do with the giant stack of books I bought from the last couple weeks that begs to be read right now. The full list is available as per yay-manga-comes-out-weekly usual over at my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

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Categories: Features, News, On The Shelf, Release Lists
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, GEN Manga, Kodansha Comics, Netcomics, Otaku USA, Viz Media

Review: Kaze Hikaru (Vol. 20)

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, August 14, 2012

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Manga-ka: Taeko Watanabe
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2012

Synopsis: “Hijikata decides to make use of Kamiya’s feminine features and sends “him” out dressed as a woman on a spy mission. Her assignment: to ascertain the whereabouts of the notorious enemy leader Sakamoto Ryoma. Soji, left in the dark about the secret mission, sets off to find Kamiya. The two get more than they bargained for when they come face-to-face with the enemy himself!”

Be still my beating heart and gleeful cheers; after a long year of waiting we finally have a new volume of Kaze Hikaru. The decisions in the previous volume set in motion potentially dire events for Kamiya as a photographer arrives to deliver the finished product of her day out with Soji. What it results in is a volume full of humour and heart, most notably both from Soji, who is being forced to confront his own feelings a lot sooner than he’s likely ready for. We’re quite ready for it though!

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Kaze Hikaru, Manga, Shoujo Beat, Viz Media