— Backdated post —
(Because I got time-slipped like Mitsuya-kun... do I really have to justify my analities?)
Otomen © Kanno Aya/Hakusensha
Will Asuka survive with "manly" facade intact...?
Otomen 3's speedy release deserves some J&J—joy and jubilation. So, K—Kyaaa~! (Skeptics are cordially invited to compare Elex's sked with Chuang Yi's six-month gap between Otomen volumes 2 and three (March to September 2008), or even the original Japanese tankou (May to September 2007) — to appreciate that that there January to March span is virtually a blur. Complete with speed lines.)
Otomen 3
Irrelevant fangirl commentary done, let's look at what Asuka-chan's up to in this third tankou. Oooh, lookie! He's playing house with Ryo! Actually, Ryo has asked Asuka to help her out with her day care job — can we say . . .
? Against a Do I hear my biological clock ticking? kawaii barrage, will Asuka survive with "manly" facade intact? Or will his sneaky otomen urges get the better of him?
Oh, Asuka-chan, gomen! I just couldn't resist poking (good-natured) fun at you! (Your character is just asking for it, though; blame Kanno Aya-sensei for how she designed you.)
And as if playing Mommy, I mean, Daddy, to a bunch of kids weren't enough, our favorite squishy-softie also moonlights as a detective in this volume. In his first case, will PI Asuka uncover Tachibana's secret identity as manga-ka Sachihana Jewel? [Summary of sorts adapted from Chuang Yi's volume 3 description]
Eleven more synopses after the manga list, but first —
Mangazines
Shonen Magz, the Indonesian version of Shounen Magazine, finally premieres Tribal 12—Osada Yu-Ko's fantasy manga about 12 who battle monsters born from a scientific experiment gone awry (to say the least). Issue #57 streets on the 10th. Osada Yu-Ko-sensei also created the alludes much to The Wizard of Oz but is hardly a Macekre TOTO! The Wonderful Adventure.
Elex Media manga and manhwa (2009.03.11)
Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.
- Busou Renkin 6 of 10 by Watsuki Nobuhiro
- Change Guy 25 of 31 by Son EunHo and Choi MyungSu
- Dear Boys Act II 29 of 30+ by Yagami Hiroki
- [Box set @ IDR 135,000] Detektif Conan (Meitantei Conan) 31 to 40 (of 63+) by Aoyama Gosho
- Doraemon Comic Quiz 2 by Fujiko F. Fujio
- Eyeshield 21 v23 of 34+ by Inagaki Riichiro and Murata Yusuke
- First Boyfriend (Hatsukare) 10 of 10 by Tomori Miyoshi [Finale]
- Fruits Basket 20 of 23 by Takaya Natsuki
- [Premiere] Golden Days 1 of 8 by Takao Shigeru
- Hayate The Combat Butler (Hayate no Gotoku) 12 of 18+ by Hata Kenjiro
- [New] Jessie's Love by I'M-C
- The One Pound Gospel (1 Pound no Fukuin) 4 of 4 by Takahashi Rumiko [Finale]
- Otomen 3 of 7+ by Kanno Aya
- Rose Hip Zero 2 of 5 by Fujisawa Tohru
- Tail of the Moon (Tsuki no Shippo) 13 of 15 by Ueda Rinko
- Touch 13 of 26 by Adachi Mitsuru
- Western Shotgun 30 of 35+ by Park MinSeo
- Yakitate!! Japan 8 of 26 by Hashiguchi Takashi
 | Change Guy 「 체인지가이 」 |
 | Dear Boys Act II 「 ＤＥＡＲ ＢＯＹＳ ＡＣＴ２ 」 |
Meitantei Conan 「 名探偵コナン 」 by Aoyama Gosho
AKA Case Closed (VIZ Media, volume 28 street date: 2009.03.17)
Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen
These volumes first published in Japan from 2001.03 to 2003.02
Serialized in Indonesian in Shonen Star (ongoing)
 | Eyeshield 21 「 アイシールド２１ 」 |
 | Hatsukare 「 ハツカレ 」 by Tomori Miyoshi |
 | Fruits Basket 「 フルーツバスケット 」 |
 | Golden Days 「 ゴールデン・デイズ 」 |
 | Hayate no Gotoku 「 ハヤテのごとく！ 」 |
 | 1 Pound no Fukuin 「 １ポンドの福音 」 |
 | Otomen 「 オトメン（乙男） 」 by Kanno Aya |
 | Rose Hip Zero 「 ＲＯＳＥ ＨＩＰ ＺＥＲＯ 」 |
 | Tsuki no Shippo 「 月のしっぽ 」 by Ueda Rinko |
Touch 「 タッチ 」 by Adachi Mitsuru
Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen
Volume 13 first published in Japan 1984.10
 | Western Shotgun 「 웨스턴 샷건 」 by Park MinSeo |
 | Yakitate!! Japan 「 焼きたて！！ジャぱん 」 |
NOTE
(1) Sources: Elex Media STO 11 March 2009 (release schedule) and Komikologi February and March 2009 (synopses, unless indicated otherwise.)
(2) All tankou above are IDR 13,800 each with the exception of The One Pound Gospel 4 which retails for IDR 15,000.
(3) Links like this are Amazon.com search and/or product links (commercial), in case you're interested in another language version.
synopses continued...
Busou Renkin 6
「 武装錬金 」 by Watsuki Nobuhiro
It's the entire high school against Kazuki x Tokiko in the sixth volume of Busou Renkin! And here the pair thought they'd only be battling Doctor Butterfly's brand-new homunculi... [Adapted from Amazon's volume 6 product description (VIZ Media edition)]
I guess an Armored Alchemist's work is never done.
Dear Boys Act II 29
「 ＤＥＡＲ ＢＯＹＳ ＡＣＴ２ 」 by Yagami Hiroki
At the end of the second quarter Tendouji coach Aikawa suddenly calls for a substitution, benching ace Hikaru and ordering 3 Point Shooter Kamakura on to the court. Kamakura immediately scores consecutive three-pointers, leaving Meiwaidai to play catch up. Changing to a man-to-man strategy seems to be doing the job, allowing Meiwaidai to sink some baskets. Coach Aikawa, however, won't take Meiwaidai closing the gap sitting down and again calls for a substitution...
Eyeshield 21 volume 23
「 アイシールド２１ 」 by Inagaki Riichiro and Murata Yusuke
Monta's miraculous play revives the Deimon Devil Bats. But with seconds remaining in the team's playoff against the so-called Gods of Kanto,
the Shinryuji Nagas, can Hiruma's "use the audience" strategy ultimately lead the team to victory?
You can tell from the last two blurbs that I shouldn't quit my day job to become a sports reporter...
Fruits Basket 20
「 フルーツバスケット 」 by Takaya Natsuki
As one by one the Sohma family members escape the Juunishi curse, Tohru makes up her mind to confess her feelings to Kyo. But Kyo's "history" with Tohru's mother pushes him to reject Tohru, before she even gets around to saying her piece.
Oh, teh angst! That's not even touching on how Akito is taking the fact that her grip on the family is weakening...
Golden Days 1
「 ゴールデン・デイズ 」 by Takao Shigeru
An overprotective mom thrusts Souma Mitsuya to "moaning" through his violin on some days, and to his beloved grandfather whom Mitsuya considers a sage old man who has successfully navigated the rough seas of life on others. But Mitsuya's grandfather, confined in a hospital, actually nurses bitter regret over something that happened in the past.
Little does Mitsuya know that his time slip romance in the Taisho era is about to Engage!
NOTE TO SELF: Taishou jidai, the period of great righteousness,
is reckoned from 30 July 1912 to Christmas Day 1926.
The Great Kantō earthquake that devastated Tokyo occurred during this era (1st September 1923). I hope Mitsuya knows that much about history because he can't wiki it like I just did. Furthermore, from what I read over at Baka-Updates Manga, a temblor is what sends him back to 1921.)
Takao Shigeru-sensei also created Teru Teru x Shounen (released in Indonesia as Blushin X Boy) and Dear Mine (and if I remember correctly, is a pal of Alice Academy manga-ka Higuchi Tachibana-sensei). Baka-Updates additionally classifies Golden Days as BL, unlike the two mentioned (unqualified) shoujo.
Since I'm assuming this is a standalone makita (local graphic novel), leaving the blurb in its original Bahasa Indonesia.
Karena ingin membiayai pengobatan ibunya, Jessie bekerja sebagai asisten pribadi seorang pengusaha bernama Ivan Collins, yang terkenal sangat dingin terhadap wanita. Namun, ternyata Jessie mampu meruntuhkan sifat dingin tersebut, sehingga suatu hari Ivan mengajak Jessie ke suatu pesta dan memperkenalkan Jessie sebagai tunangannya. Apakah Ivan sungguh-sungguh?
Even if this weren't a local comic, I still wouldn't touch the blurb. There's nothing in it that intrigues (sorry)—nothing like, say, Dr. Vee's Prambanana or my guilty pleasure, Veronica's Meet The Boy. The synopsis reads like a series romance's, late '70s/early '80s vintage at that. I think I've read enough of those to pass on this one.
The One Pound Gospel 4 of 4 [Finale]
1 Pound no Fukuin 「 １ポンドの福音 」 by Takahashi Rumiko
Hatanaka Kosaku fights to settle the debt of Marie AKA Sister Angela. If he wins, does he get Sister Angela as well?
So the story of the big-eater pugilist (who does suffer from weight problems) and the ingenuous nun comes to a close. When I first saw the street date for this volume (released in Japan in March 2007; volume 3 came out in July 1996), I had to grapple for my specs to check whether I was seeing right. But I eventually found out that yes, this here ending took, as they say, years in the making.
Good thing the Indonesian version spanned less than a month to get from volume 3 to 4. Unlike the still unresolved gap between Ghost Hunt 9 and 10...
Sleep-inducingly obvious aside: I don't have a synopsis for the other finale—First Boyfriend 10 by Tomori Miyoshi. Just know that the story of Chihiro and her hatsukare ends on the 11th.
Rose Hip Zero 2
「 ＲＯＳＥ ＨＩＰ ＺＥＲＯ 」 by Fujisawa Tohru
International fugitive code 2068720, ALICE. Any investigation into terrorist activity uncovers this name. That the group leader goes by the handle ZERO, and the members sport ROSE tattoos are all anyone knows about the mysterious Japanese mercs who operate on a global scale.
So they're all wearing what Meg Cabot calls a tramp stamp
? Sowwy, I don't read this explosive tale ... [of] firefights, love bites and schoolgirls packing lots of heat!
--Amazon's series description.
Tail of the Moon 13
Tsuki no Shippo 「 月のしっぽ 」 by Ueda Rinko
A year after her village is attacked, Usagi tries to move on and accepts Yuki's marriage proposal. What will Goemon, who rumors have it is at large in the capital, have to say about her decision? [Adapted from Amazon's volume 13 product description (VIZ Media edition)]
I'm more interested in What. Does. Hanzo. Have to say.
Western Shotgun 30
「 웨스턴 샷건 」 by Park MinSeo
AKA Blazin' Barrels
Kiske and Kelly finally arrive at the Federation Department of Security but *glek* now have to go up against a formidable enemy. Cheryl lends a hand, but to make a break for it, Commander Jennifer hatches a plan to use C4. Meanwhile, Gold Romany and ally (someone they met in the forest) sneak into Hellford Mountain.
Now this sounds like an explosive tale ... [of] schoolgirls packing lots of heat!
(Sowwy, I don't read this series, Part II, but from the Western Shotgun
title, not to mention this blurb over at Baka-Updates, it's not supposed to be.)
Yakitate!! Japan 8
「 焼きたて！！ジャぱん 」 by Hashiguchi Takashi
When the ingredients the Monaco Cup contenders get rest on turns of a roulette wheel — and with Yukino still lurking around — it's up to Kazuma and his Ja-pan 21 to save the day! [Adapted from Amazon's volume 8 product description (VIZ Media edition)]
I remember this episode from the anime. Ah, nostalgia...
mangazines (2009.03.10)
Aside from the Tribal 12 series premiere in Shonen Magz 57/2009, we also get some yet unidentified SHOMAGZER BONUUUZZZZZ (CAPS and superfluous letters NOT mine), as well as the latest chapters of
- BECK by Harold Sakuishi
- Fairy Tail by Mashima Hiro
- Ghost Doctor (Youkai no Oisha-san) by Satou Yuuki
- Kindaichi Case Files by Sato Fumiya
- Kungfu Boy Legends (Tekken Chinmi Legends) by Maekawa Takeshi
- Sanzoku Ou by Sawada Hirofumi
- Tokkyu!! by Komori Yoichi, Kubo Mitsurou
- Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle by CLAMP
- Vinland Saga by Yukimura Makoto
UP NEXT
m&c! 11 March 2009 manga: Princess Princess 3, Special A 11, Gata-Pishi 2, Junkyard Magnetic 4, Death Note 1-6 reissue, among others
~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who just wanted to practice writing blurbs
disclaimer
Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
manga available this week (3-4 March 2009 street dates)
- Level Comics (3.03): Vagabond 25, Tetsuzin 3
- Elex Media (3.04): One Piece 50, Busou Renkin 5, Shugo Chara! 1, MÄR 9, Sherlock Holmes 10 of 10: Silver Blaze & The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge, Eat-Man 9
- m&c! (3.04): Alive 11, My Heavenly Hockey Club 9, Born to Cook (Mister Ajikko II) 4 of 4, Zig + Zag 2 of 2, Ghost Tales 4
...and the next (10 March 2009 street date)
Level Comics (3.10): Fight!! Ippo 61, Love & Collage 5, Over Rev 5, Perfect Girl Evolution 19
other invaluable resources
7&Y · Amazon Japan · Baka-Updates Manga · Ubook · manaworld.com
Technorati tags
manga, manhwa, Elex Media, Shonen Magz, shoujo, shounen, sonyun, 1 Pound no Fukuin, Busou Renkin, Change Guy, Dear Boys Act II, Doraemon, Eyeshield 21, Fruits Basket, Golden Days, Hatsukare, Hayate no Gotoku, Meitantei Conan, Otomen, Rose Hip Zero, Tail of the Moon, Touch, Tribal 12, Tsuki no Shippo, Western Shotgun, Yakitate!! Japan
Busou Renkin 「 武装錬金 」 by Watsuki Nobuhiro
Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, shounen
Volume 6 first published in Japan 2005.02
Busou Renkin published in English by VIZ Media (10 volumes)