Sailor Moon manga soared again in US Bookstores on April

Blue Exorcist manga is also on the rise!

The tenth volume of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga ranked at #4 on Nielsen BookScan's list of top 20 graphic novels in American bookstores for April.

The same volume had ranked at #5 on the list in March. The Sailor Moon volume is one of four manga titles on the list. Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto volume 60 ranked at #7, dropping from #3 from last month.

Kazue Katō's Blue Exorcist volume 9 and Tite Kubo's Bleach volume 56 ranked at #11 and #18 respectively. Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series continued to dominate the chart, claiming nine places this month, with The Walking Dead Compendium volumes 1 and 2 again taking the top two spots.

Gene Luen Yang's Avatar the Last Airbender: The Search -- Part 1 ranked #3.

 The BookScan rankings represent sales at Barnes & Noble and other book chains, independent bookshops, and online purchases — but not sales at comic book stores, Walmart, and some other venues.

Source: ANN, ICv2

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New Locke the Superman manga to come out in June

Simply amazing, I wouldn't mind a anime series of this classic , given that there's only one movie.

The June issue of Media Factory's Monthly Comic Flapper magazine announced a new series in Yuki Hijiri's Locke the Superman franchise on Thursday. The tentatively titled Chōjin Locke: Toki no Kodomo-tachi (Locke the Superman: Children of Time) will start in the next issue on June 5.

 The story is set after the destruction of Master Yūji, and the magazine promises that the manga will reveal "another page in the history of the galaxy." The original Locke the Superman manga ran in at least three different magazines from 1967 to 1989.

It chronicled an immortal figure's adventures at different periods throughout time. It inspired a movie and three original video anime projects (Locke the Superman: Lord Leon, Locke the Superman: Mirror Ring, Locke the Superman: New World Battle Team).

Source: ANN

Rose of Versailles new 1-shot to be about Andre

Riyoko Ikeda is returning to her The Rose of Versailles classic historical shōjo manga after 40 years to pen a 16-page chapter in this year's 10th issue of Shueisha's Margaret magazine on Saturday. The one-shot will focus on Andre as a boy before he met Oscar.

The new one-shot is being published in a special "Anniversary Book" extra that is being bundled with Saturday's issue of Margaret to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the magazine. Shueisha launched Margaret in 1963 as a weekly publication, and the magazine changed to being published twice a month in 1988.

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Lupin vs Conan movie will premiere on December

Shogakukan's Shonen Sunday magazine has revealed that a Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie film will open in Japan in December of this year, four years after the Lupin III vs. Detective Conan television special aired on NTV in 2009 and earned a 19.5% rating.

More details will be revealed in future issues of Shonen Sunday.

Source: ANN

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JManga site shuts down on May 30th

JManga, a platform for reading legal manga online, announced this week that it "will be concluding its retail and viewing services on May 30th 2013."

Members with unused JManga Paid Points as of March 13 will be issued Amazon Gift Cards.

Refunds will be processed between March 21 and March 25.

 JManga launched in August of 2011 as part of an initiative by the Digital Comics Association, an industry group of 39 Japanese publishers, and it became a worldwide service last year.

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Initial D manga will end this year

Kodansha's Young Magazine is revealing on Monday that author Shūichi Shigeno is "at last" heading toward the finale of his Initial D manga. However, the exact date of the final chapter has not been revealed yet. The magazine will be giving away Initial D goods to 715 readers of the magazine's 16th issue.

 The 18 year old manga follows Takumi Fujiwara, a high school boy with a natural talent for driving, in his racing pursuits on the public highways. The manga debuted in 1995, and Kodansha published the 46th book volume in January.

Source: ANN

Steve Jobs manga will be created by Mari Yamazaki, author of Thermae Romae

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Hell Girl R manga ended this month

The April issue of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine released the final chapter of the Hell Girl R manga by author Miyuki Etoo this past Saturday

The message at the end of the page says, “Thank you for all your support! Let's meet once again in Hell someday...”

The story revolves around a girl who can be summoned by anyone to condemn another human to Hell — but the summoner must also pay an eternal price.

Funimation licensed the first anime series, while the other two were licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

Source: ANN

Author Rumiko Takahashi will draw new Rumic Theater one-shot

Shogakukan magazine announced on Tuesday that classic author Rumiko Takahashi, known for her work in Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha, will draw a new Rumic Theater one shot in the next issue that comes up on March 5.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of her career, the story of “Watashi no skies” (My Sky) follows a man arriving at the age of mandatory retirement after leaving his company.

Source: ANT Manga

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Vampire Knight manga ends in May

Hakusensha's LaLa magazine announced on Saturday that Matsuri Hino will end her Vampire Knight manga in the July issue on May 24.

The series revolves around Yuki, a high school girl whose unique school features a "day class" of normal kids and a "night class" of vampires. She works with her adopted father and headmaster to prove that vampires can coexist with humans peacefully, but the school and the vampires hide many secrets.

Hino, the author, launched the manga in LaLa in 2004, and the manga entered its final arc last month.

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Thermae Romae manga ends in March

This clever and hysterical manga by Mari Yamazaki ends in the March issue of Monthly Comic Bean magazine by Enterbrain.

The comedy follows Lucius, an architect of public bath houses (thermae) in ancient Rome who time-travels to various modern-day baths in Japan. Through manga and essay passages, Yamazaki explores the two cultures in the world "that have loved baths the most: the Japanese and the Romans!" Yamazaki launched the manga in 2008, and the fifth compiled book volume shipped in September. Yen Press will publish the second omnibus volume in North America in May.

The manga inspired a television anime mini-series, a live-action film starring Hiroshi Abe and Aya Ueto, and an upcoming live-action film sequel. Discotek licensed the anime in North America.

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Embracing Love manga delayed by SuBLime :(

Viz Media partner and boys-love manga publisher SuBLime announced Wednesday that it is pushing back the release date for the English language version of Youka Nitta's Embracing Love volume 1. While SuBLime previously announced it would release the volume digitally and in print in April 2013, the volume is now slated to be released in August.

Editor Jennifer LeBlanc stated that the postponement is due to "production issues that delayed the delivery of materials for the revised edition of the work."

Source: ANN

No news either on Himegoto Asobi (Hide and Seek) volumes :(

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Star Wars manga dress

Cost: $130 plus shipping.

Personally, I think it's amusing but poorly functional? 

(nevermind)

Source: TokyoPop

Fourth Toriko Movie will premiere on Summer

The cover of Toriko volume 1 as released by Shueisha on November 4, 2008 in Japan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Publisher Shueisha has formally announced that a new Toriko anime movie will premiere this summer.

Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro’s shounen adventure manga has a current television series and inspired Jump Super Anime Tour short movies in 2009 & 2010 and the 2011 short Toriko 3D: Kaimaku Gourmet Adventure!! movie.

 Source: AnimeNation

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Author Aoike Yasuko resumes Brother Falco manga

Author Aoike Yasuko of From Eroica with Love fame decided to relaunch her Shūdōshi Falco (Brother Falco) manga in the February issue of Akita Shoten's Princess Gold magazine on January 16. It had been a decade since the manga was last regularly serialized.

 The story follows the sometimes humorous life of a monk named Falco in a German monastery. It is not only set in the same 14th-century timeframe as Alcazar (another Aoike series which centers around King Don Pedro of Castile), but Don Pedro has appeared in the Shūdōshi Falco manga. Aoike launched Shūdōshi Falco in the Summer 1991 issue of Hakusensha's Hanayōbi magazine , but put it on hold a year later.

She picked up the series in Hakusensha's Melody magazine, only to put it on hold again a decade ago. Hakusensha published the manga's book volumes before, but Akita Shoten's Princess Comics imprint will begin publishing the volumes this summer. Princess Gold prepared readers for the return of the series by publishing the manga's first two chapters in a supplemental booklet last month.

No confirmation yet whether she will continue Eroica this year.

Source: ANN, aoikeyasuko.com

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Don Quixote manga is being published in Comic@Bunch

XD This is simply awesome!!! I would actually watch a Don Quixote anime, there's plenty of material!

The March issue of Shinchosha's Comic@Bunch premiered a new manga series based on the classic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes on January 21. The novel is being adapted by writer Yūshi Kawata and artist Yukito into a series titled Don Quixote -Ureigao no Kishi: Sono Ai-.

The original 1605-1615 novel followed Alonso Quijano, a man well-read in chivalry. He decides to revive the practice under the name Don Quixote with his sidekick, a farmer named Sancho Panza.

The book inspired two children's anime adaptations in Japan, Don Quijote and Zukkoke Knight - Don De La Mancha, as well as a graphic novel published by Variety Art Works and released in English by One Peace Books.

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Princess Resurrection manga ends in February

Author Yasunori Mitsunaga will end his Princess Resurrection (Kaibutsu Oujo) horror comedy manga in the April issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine that will be released on February 26.

Kodansha will release 20th and final volume of the series on April 9. Princess Resurrection has been running in the magazine since 2005. The manga entered its final story arc in November.

Source: ANN

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Store: Sakura ink pens vs COPIC pens: is there really a difference?

COPIC pens are legendary because of its quality, and part also of this myth is because of the price. And I'm not going to deny it. The design of the markers are lightweight, and you can make smooth, thin and thick lines with such a sophisticated ease.

Their set of B-2 markers is the most complete and durable at $26. Includes all the size range, from the 0.03 to 1.0, plus two brushes. This waterproof ink is compatible with Prismacolor and other brands of color markers.


Copic Markers MLB2 Multiliner Inking Pen, Set B-2

But, on the other hand, there's Sakura ink pens, the most affordable high quality pens right now. At barely $8 you get also the full range, though the design of the markers is more standard. But it gets the job done. The ink is waterproof and high quality.

Sakura 30062 6-Piece Pigma Micron Clam Ink Pen Set, Black

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Kamisama Dolls manga ends in February

The February issue of Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday GX magazine announced on Saturday that Hajime Yamamura is ending his Kamisama Dolls fantasy battle manga in the next issue on February 19. The manga will have a color opening page and will adorn the magazine's cover in the next issue to celebrate its ending.

Yamamura began the series in December 2006, and Shogakukan has published 11 volumes thus far. The manga inspired a 13-episode anime series that aired from July to September 2011.

It's ok, I somehow imagined that the premise of this series would fall short sometime. I liked the anime, the mecha concepts are great, but it becomes silly after some episodes.

Author Junya Inoue to launch La Vie en Doll manga

February issue of Shueisha's Monthly Jump X (Kai) magazine announced on Thursday that Btooom! manga creator Junya Inoue will launch his new series La Vie en Doll this spring.

Inoue is also known for his series Btooom! Yen Press will publish the first volume of this manga in North America on February 26.

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