School Rumble 5, Tokkyu!! 6, Library War - Love & War 1, Shonen Magz 66 (Elex 9 December 2009 manga)

Also, Trigun Maximum 12 and Golden Days 8 of 8.

Toshokan Sensou: Love & War © Yumi Kiiro & Arikawa Hiro/Hakusensha
Published in Indonesia as Library War - Love & War by Elex Media Komputindo

Most Wanted manga this batch—by a hair on Harima Kenji's chinny chin chin—is School Rumble volume 5, which introduces us to Lala Gonzales, an exchange student who kicks a*se in Lucha libre wrestling. She comes to Japan in search of her errant mother, but what epic fail fate awaits when she encounters Tenma & Co.?

Wiki ID's Lala as Mexican, but Komikologi issues her a Brazilian passport.

Meanwhile, in volume 6 of Tokkyu!!, five rookies begin Tokkyu's basic training. But the rigorous testing for acceptance into the Japanese Special Sea Rescue Team includes a mission that endangers their lives. (Good thing the Komikologi blurb left the Can they survive? no-brainer query unuttered — which is more than can be sed for me. *self-deprecating smirk*)

New manga

Library War - Love & War finally premieres this 9 December. In this LaLa- (and LaLa DX) serialized shoujo romance, we fast forward to a future in which the Library Task Force, the last bastion for the defense of books, clashes with the Media Improvement Committee over what constitutes freedom of expression in print. Iku Kasahara joins the Task Force in the hopes of locating the Prince who helped her save a beloved book during one of the media censorship campaigns, but can her resolve out-tough the fiendish martinet training the new recruits? [With additions from Manga Art's description in Baka-Updates Manga]

Production I.G adapted Arikawa Hiro-sensei's seminal Toshokan Sensou novels into anime in 2008. Twelve episodes aired from April to June 2008 on Fuji TV. (A thirteenth ep went directly to DVD.)

In contrast to the (slightly) delayed Library War, Elex just-in-time releases the debut volume of Shen Qi Wang, henceforth known as Weapon Master in Indonesia. The five-volume Tong Li shounen manhua is set in a land where a handful of martial arts clans—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—craft weapons so powerful none can handle them without attendant loss of life. The myth explodes when Shao Tian, sole heir of the Earth clan, breaks the weapons ban and wields the family heirloom, a sword that cleaves souls, to protect it.

Albeit a member of the Keroro Color side stories (that includes Pink, Green, Red, and Black), I guess you can also count in Sersan Keroro Yellow (Keroro Gunsou Yellow) among the new manga. In this latest (last?) volume, we learn of the advanced technological arsenal Planet Keron has devised for the conquest of Pokopen.

More summaries—for the Imaginary Beasts (volume 14) and Kungfu Komang (volume 39) finales, the "resurrected" Cute Children (volume 14), the latest in the WWII dogfighting Kaizer Z (the volume 9 cover is (deceptively?) hanami themed), and the sonyun manhwa A Story of Heroes (volume 29)— after the manga list.

Mangazines: The (Ghost) Doctor Is In

Tribal 12 © Osada Yu-Ko/
Kodansha

Kuro has his hands full treating yokai yearning for total humanity in Ghost Doctor (Youkai no Oisha-san) by Satou Yuuki, one of the ongoing serials in Shonen Magz. In the newest Issue 66 (front cover: Tribal 12 by Osada Yu-Ko), Kuro's workload swells as he contends with scary spirits that possess—literally—human anatomies.

Other absolutely cool (Elex's hype, not mine) Kodansha shounen titles in serialization: BECK by Harold Sakuishi; Fairy Tail by Mashima Hiro; Kindaichi Case Files by Sato Fumiya; Sanzoku Ou by Sawada Hirofumi; School Rumble by Kobayashi Jin; Tokkyu!! by Komori Yoichi, Kubo Mitsurou; Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE by CLAMP; and Vinland Saga by Yukimura Makoto (the single and singular seinen series).

(Don't ask me why Maekawa Takeshi's Kungfu Boy Legends (Tekken Chinmi Legends) got left out of the ShoMagz 66 cover lineup. I don't know.)

Elex Media manga and manhwa (2009.12.09)

Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.

1. Cute Children (Zettai Karen Children) 14 of 19+ by Shiina Takashi

Zettai Karen Children 「 絶対可憐チルドレン 」 by Shiina Takashi Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen Volume 14 first published in Japan 2008.09 Adapted into anime by Synergy SP (aired from April 2008 to March 2009)

2. Godhand Teru 18 of 49+ by Yamamoto Kazuki

GodHand Teru 「 ゴッドハンド輝 」 by Yamamoto Kazuki Kodansha Shuukan Shounen Magazine, shounen Volume 18 first published in Japan 2004.06

A live-action adaptation starring Hiraoka Yuta (Endo Shoji in the NANA live-action movie and Yano Haruka in Boku wa Imouto ni Koi o Suru) as Teru aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from 11 April to 16 May 2009.

3. Golden Days 8 of 8 by Takao Shigeru [Finale]

Golden Days 「 ゴールデン・デイズ 」 by Takao Shigeru Hakusensha Hana to Yume, shoujo Volume 8 first published in Japan 2008.03

4. Imaginary Beasts (Genjuu no Seiza) 14 of 14 by Akino Matsuri [Finale]

Genjuu no Seiza 「 幻獣の星座 」 by Akino Matsuri Also romanized as Genjyu no Seiza Akita Shoten Horror Comics Special, shoujo Volume 14 first published in Japan 2007.08 English Genju no Seiza published by TOKYOPOP (eight volumes, dropped)

5. Kaiser Z 9 of 16 by Uno Hiroshi

Kaizer Z 「 天空の覇者Ｚ 」 by Uno Hiroshi Kodansha Shounen Magazine Comics, shounen Volume 9 first published in Japan 2000.02

6. Kungfu Komang 39 of 39 by Park InSeo, Choi San [Finale]
7. [Premiere] Library War - Love & War (Toshokan Sensou: Love & War) 1 of 4+ by Yumi Kiiro & Arikawa Hiro

Toshokan Sensou: Love & War 「 図書館戦争　ＬＯＶＥ＆ＷＡＲ 」 by Yumi Kiiro & Arikawa Hiro Hakusensha LaLa and LaLa DX, shoujo Volume 1 first published in Japan 2008.04 Library Wars licensed by VIZ Media Related: Toshokan Sensou (Novel, adapted from) · Toshokan Sensou: Spitfire! (alternate shounen story)

Production I.G's anime adaptation of Arikawa Hiro's Toshokan Sensou novel series aired from April to June 2008 on Fuji TV.

8. School Rumble 5 of 22 by Kobayashi Jin

School Rumble 「 Ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　Ｒｕｍｂｌｅ 」 by Kobayashi Jin Kodansha Shuukan Shounen Magazine, shounen Volume 5 first published in Japan 2004.06 School Rumble published in English by Del Rey (volume 13 released 2009.09.29) Sequel: School Rumble Z (one volume, complete)

9. [New] Sersan Keroro Yellow (Keroro Gunsou Yellow: Keron Kyoui no Meca) by Yoshizaki Mine

Keroro Gunsou Yellow: Keron Kyoui no Meca 「 ケロロ軍曹Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ　ケロン驚異のメカ 」 by Yoshizaki Mine Kadokawa Shoten Asuka Comics Ace This volume first published in Japan 2006.11

Other "color" volumes:
Keroro Gunsou Pink: Pretty Heroines Hen
Keroro Gunsou Green: Keroro Shoutai 5 Ninshuu Shuuketsuhen
Keroro Gunsou Red: Hyper Maniacs Hen
Keroro Gunsou Black: Keroro Shoutai 24 Jihen

10. A Story of Heroes (Heroes) 29 of 37 by Choi Mir - Daiwon C.I.
11. Tokkyu!! 6 of 20 by Komori Yoichi & Kubo Mitsuro

Tokkyu!! 「 トッキュー！！ 」 by Komori Yoichi & Kubo Mitsuro Kodansha Shuukan Shounen Magazine, shounen Volume 6 first published in Japan 2005.04 Serialized in Shonen Magz

12. Trigun Maximum 12 of 14 by Nightow Yasuhiro

Trigun Maximum 「 トライガン・マキシマム 」 by Nightow Yasuhiro Shonen Gahosha Young King Ours, seinen Volume 12 first published in Japan 2006.07 Trigun Maximum published in English in North America by Dark Horse Comics in cooperation with DMP (14 volumes) and Chuang Yi (two bunko volumes, concluded)

13. [Premiere] Weapon Master (Shen Qi Wang) 1 of 5 by Zhang Yong Ren

Shen Qi Wang 「 神器王 」 by Zhang Yong Ren Tong Li, shounen Volume 1 first published in Taiwan 2004.08

NOTE
(1) Sources: Elex Media STO 9 December 2009 (release schedule) and Komikologi (synopses, except where noted)
(2) Links like this are Amazon.com (or other online merchants) search and/or product links (commercial), in case you're interested in another language version.

Synopses continued...

Series Finales

Imaginary Beasts 14 of 14
Genjuu no Seiza 「 幻獣の星座 」 by Akino Matsuri

Atisha's war escalates with the appearance of Mahadhi. To reclaim his soul mate, Dalashar holds all the world's holy sites hostage. The act enrages the entire populace, uniting everyone with the aim of destroying the demon sealed at the world's end and reprising what transpired during the war of the gods.

Kungfu Komang 39 of 39
by Park InSeo, Choi San

The battle among the martial arts Big Four rapidly approaches climax. Who will emerge the victor?

Continuing Series

Cute Children 14
Zettai Karen Children 「 絶対可憐チルドレン 」 by Shiina Takashi

Feeling their abilities acknowledged after meeting Minamoto, espers Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho evolve into Children full of cheer and cooperativeness. But what will happen to the harmony among the absolutely lovely trio when they find the Wish-Granting Book?

Kaizer Z 9
「 天空の覇者Ｚ 」 by Uno Hiroshi

Tenma's past is revealed! As he locks horns with Hitler in a fierce struggle for supremacy, who will destiny favor?

A Story of Heroes 29
Heroes by Choi Mir

With the help of the elder healer, Yushin and cohorts escape from the black hole of Kwima's War God, but the road leading to Song country promises anything but peace.

Pre-closing babble

I guess I shouldn't leave out Trigun Maximum 12, or Golden Days 8, seeing as both tied with Tokkyu!! 6 for second Most Popular GET!. While Elex didn't blurb the former, I lucked into the Amazon description for the Dark Horse Books/DMP version: this tankou lets us peek into the pasts of Knives, Vash, and Legato Bluesummers — when it's not giving us front row seats to multiple-front battle action that has Knives taking on the rescue ships from Earth and Livio continuing to fight Elendira.

Elex has remained silent over the fate of the time-slipping Mitsuya (no Golden Days 8 synopsis). Because no else has licensed this back to the Taisho era shoujo/BL manga, and I've still to borrow the series, I'm keeping quiet, too.

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who's dying to note that Library War is very Fahrenheit 451 meets 1984-esque, so please indulge her

UP NEXT: More 9 December 2009 manga

Level Comics: Still Dreaming by Yoshimura Akemi · To Be Beautiful 2 · SORA! 4 · Lucky Luke VS Pat Poker · Lucky Luke - Di Bawah Langit Barat (Bridge Over The Mississippi)

m&c!: Shinobi Life 6 · Junkyard Magnetic 6 of 6 · Time Between Dog and Wolf 2 · Mysterious Joker 3 · Sakura Wars 5 · Holiday by YASUKO · Teenage Days by Usami Tae

disclaimer

Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.

manga available this week (2 December 2009 street dates)

• Elex Media: The Real Fake Princess 1 and Fantastic Tales 1 by Ihuan · Steel Rose 1 by Lai Ann · Eyeshield 21 volume 32 · Yakitate!! Japan 14 · Wild Life 2 · Crows 1 by Takahashi Hiroshi · Nakayoshi Gress! 75/2009
• Level Comics: LIFE 19 · Genius Family Company 1 by Ninomiya Tomoko · Love Affair 4 · Fugitive Lawyer Makoto Narita (Toubou Bengoshi Narita Makoto) 1 by Takada Yu & Go Hideki · Last Inning 3
• m&c!: NG Life 4 · Pluto 5 · My Secret Life (Ookami Nanka Kowakunai!) 2 · Love Sign 5 of 5 · Kiruto 2 of 2 · Psychic Detective Yakumo (Shinrei Tantei Yakumo - Akai Hitomi wa Shitteiru) 1 by Miyako Ritsu & Kaminaga Manabu · Little Beans in Love (Ayakashi Tennen Beans) by Minami Sachi · The Gordian Knot 1 by Sakato Riku & Nose Naoki

related monthly schedules

Elex December 2009 manga
Premiering Crows by Takahashi Hiroshi · Red Haired Snow White (Akagami no Shirayukihime) by Akizuki Sorata · The Fifth Columnist by Andrea Tezumo · Weapon Master (Shen Qi Wang) by Zhang Yong Ren · Innocent World by Yamada Daisy · The Comic Club by Emon & Radit (local comic); Continuing Otomen (volume 8) · C.M.B. (volume 11) · Q.E.D. (volume 32)

NOV-09 | OCT-09

other invaluable resources

7&Y · Amazon Japan · Baka-Updates Manga · Wikipedia · Comicer

Technorati tags
manga · manhua · manhwa · Elex Media · Shonen Magz · seinen · shoujo · shounen · sonyun · Genjuu no Seiza · Ghost Doctor · Godhand Teru · Golden Days · Kaiser Z · Keroro Gunsou Yellow · Kungfu Komang · Library War - Love & War · School Rumble · Tokkyu!! · Toshokan Sensou - Love & War · Trigun Maximum · Weapon Master · Zettai Karen Children

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