No one has yet deciphered why One Piece volume 51 is releasing on its lonesome this Friday, but that doesn't detract any from its standing as the second most popular GET! this schedule. (The Most Wanted Manga in this list — by a margin of one — is Eyeshield 21 volume 26, which was a little surprising.)
I babble a bit more about the rest of the In Demand manga after the list. For now, let's focus on the two new series Elex is releasing in tankoubon.
The Haruhi (or The Other Haruhi, take your pick)
I'm sure the entire planet knows by now that story of a poor girl forced to repay a USD 80,000 debt by working as host that a synopsis of Sáu chàng trai và một cô gái / Ouran Host Club: Le lycée de la séduction / Instituto Ouran HOST CLUB (thanks, Baka-Updates Manga) / Ouran Koukou Host Club by Hatori Bisco-sensei is largely dispensable. I inserted that one-line summation, however, for the sake of some alien with internets access who might stroll into Gramed and come face to face with the Indonesian tankou that streets this Wednesday. (What are the chances of that??)
An unlooked-for twist
Flip- and lameness aside, the other debuting series—Raiders by Park JinJun—is definitely more controversial than a trap manga, and tells of the end of a search for the Holy Grail by one Ariel and a Dr. Langhome; the pair stumbles on what they are looking for — the blood of the Messiah — in a chrism bottle. Predictably, there are villains who also want the blood collected from the crucified Jesus as it allegedly confers immortality. Fatally wounded by a zombie, Ariel drinks the blood and now has to fend off monster after monster coveting everlasting life. [From the May Komikologi, with additions from Noizy Scanlation's synopsis excerpted by Baka-Updates Manga]
More blurbs and blah-blah behind the cut...
Elex Media manga and manhwa (2009.05.27)
Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.
- B'T X 16 of 16 by Kurumada Masami [Finale]
- Dangun (Onsoku Buster Dangun Dan) 6 of 8 by Teshirogi Takashi
- Eyeshield 21 v26 of 35+ by Inagaki Riichiro and Murata Yusuke
- Harlem Beat Until Dawn (Harlem Beat wa Yoake made) 2 of 5 by Takashima Kazusa
- Legend of the Cursed Sword (Pageomgi) 24 of 37+ by Park HuiJin and Yeo BeopRyong
- [Premiere] Ouran High School Host Club (Ouran Koukou Host Club) 1 of 14+ by Hatori Bisco
- [Premiere] Raiders 1 of 4+ by Park JinJun
- Rose Hip Zero 4 of 5 by Fujisawa Toru
- Sersan Keroro (Keroro Gunsou) 15 of 18+ by Yoshizaki Mine
 | Onsoku Buster Dangun Dan |
 | Eyeshield 21 「 アイシールド２１ 」 by Inagaki Riichiro and Murata Yusuke |
 | Harlem Beat wa Yoake made |
 | Pageomgi 「 파검기 」 |
 | Ouran Koukou Host Club 「 桜蘭高校ホスト部 」 |
 | Raiders 「 레이더스 」 |
 | Rose Hip Zero 「 ＲＯＳＥ ＨＩＰ ＺＥＲＯ 」 |
 | Keroro Gunsou 「 ケロロ軍曹 」 by Yoshizaki Mine |
Elex Media manga (2009.05.29)
- One Piece 51 of 54+ by Oda Eiichiro
 | One Piece 「 ＯＮＥ ＰＩＥＣＥ 」 by Oda Eiichiro |
mangazines (2009.05.26)
- Nakayoshi Lovely 5 (Kodansha shoujo one-shots anthology)
- Shonen Star 53/2009 (Indonesian Shonen Sunday)
Source: Elex Media STO 27 May 2009
NOTE
Links like this are Amazon.com search and/or product links (commercial), in case you're interested in another language version.
Top 8 Most Wanted Manga
At last check (after lunch), EMO post-ers want these manga the most:
- Eyeshield 21 volume 26
- One Piece 51
- Ouran High School Host Club 1
- Harlem Beat Until Dawn 2
- Rose Hip Zero 4
- Shonen Star 53
- Sersan Keroro 15
- Raiders 1
Spotlight on...
B'T X 16 of 16
by Kurumada Masami
Takamiya Teppei finally reaches Main Tower and meets up with his older brother Kotaro. Ultimate B't Raphael has evolved into the perfect form, unbeatable even by Teppei. Ron, flung out into space, has discovered the satellite the Machine Kaiser occupies. Can Tepp and his friends stop the Machine Kaiser's ambitions as well as B't Raphael? [Translated from the May Komikologi]
more on the anthologies
Nakayoshi Lovely 5
(Squint at the cover below to make out the Kodansha shoujo one-shots in this issue.)
Shonen Star 53/2009 (Indonesian Shonen Sunday)
Featured blurb: InuYasha by Takahashi Rumiko
Moryomaru, the monster who engulfs other youkai to absorb their powers, succeeds in devouring Naraku and goes after the shard of the Jewel of Four Souls lodged in Koga's leg. But once again, Koga's legs fail him, prompting rival InuYasha to come to the rescue.
[Adapted from the May Komikologi write-up, with additional information from Wikipedia]
Other ShoSun manga serialized: Comic Bomber (Hoero Pen), Detektif Conan (Meitantei Conan), D-LIVE!!, Dr. Koto Shinryoujo, KATSU!, Kekkaishi, Kurozakuro, Look Up! (Miagete Goran), MÄR, Wild Life, Yakitate!! Japan
Technorati tags
manga, manhwa, Elex Media, Nakayoshi Lovely, Shonen Star, shoujo, shounen, sonyun, B'T X, Chronicles of the Cursed Sword, Dangun, Eyeshield 21, Harlem Beat wa Yoake made, Keroro Gunsou, Legend of the Cursed Sword, One Piece, Ouran High School Host Club, Pageomgi, Raiders, Rose Hip Zero, Sergeant Keroro, Sersan Keroro, Sgt. Frog
~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who will be back with —
UP NEXT
- m&c! 27 May 2009 manga: Happy Café 8, Family Complex, Princess Princess Plus, Tales of Hinomoto 3, The Gift from Heaven, among others
disclaimer
Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
other manga available this week
- Level Comics manga (5.26): Blade of Immortal 4, AKU 11, Eagle 5, Yugo The Negotiator 17, and To Be Beautiful (Kirei ni Naritai!) 1
related links
- Elex Media May 2009 manga: Premiering Ouran High School Host Club, Juvenile Remix, and Raiders
other invaluable resources
- 7&Y (images and release dates)
- Amazon Japan (images)
- Baka-Updates Manga (release information++)
- manaworld.com (images and release dates)
B'T X 「 ビート・エックス 」 by Kurumada Masami
AKA Beat X (TOKYOPOP, up to volume 15)
Kadokawa Shoten Shonen Ace, shounen
Volume 16 first published in Japan 2000.03
Re-released in bunko (eight volumes) by Home Sha