Nodame Cantabile premieres on Animax Asia 6 February 2009

Airs every weekday thereafter at 630PM WIB (GMT+7)

© Tomoko Ninomiya ・ KODANSHA/Nodame Cantabile Committee

Nodame Cantabile, the first season, premieres 6 February 2009, Friday, on Animax Asia at 630PM WIB or 730PM Singapore. I'm hoping they'd already have the Indonesian subs along with the English dub, but I'm not optimistic. Anyway...

Adapted from the popular josei manga by Ninomiya Tomoko, the Nodame Cantabile 「 のだめカンタービレ 」 anime originally aired from January to June 2007 on Japan's Fuji TV in the noitaminA timeslot (previously "home" to Honey and Clover, Paradise Kiss, and Jyu Oh Sei). It spanned 24 episodes and starred seiyuu Seki Tomokazu as Chiaki Shinichi and Kawasumi Ayako as Noda Megumi (Nodame). A second season comprising 11 episodes, Nodame Cantabile Paris-Hen 「 のだめカンタービレ 巴里編 」 or Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter, aired from October to December 2008. A third season is slated for fall 2009.

Animax Nodame Cantabile synopsis:

Shinichi Chiaki is a top student at Momogaoka, a top music academy in Japan. Born into a musical family, Chiaki is a very talented pianist and violinist and has ambitions to be a conductor like his mentor. An arrogant and perfectionist who is highly critical of himself and others, Chiaki has the phobia of flight which traps him in Japan.

He meets Megumi Noda or 'Nodame', an extremely talented pianist who prefers playing by ear to reading the music score. Unlike Chiaki, Nodame's ambition is to be a kindergarten teacher. She is disorganized, bathes only once in several days, loves to eat and annoys Chiaki initially... [More @ Animax Asia]

Animax Asia air dates

The series will air weekdays at 630PM, with encores at 1030PM and 1030AM the following day. (Times in WIB - Jakarta, Indonesia local time, or GMT+7.)

Episode	Date	Day	Airtime
Episode 1 premiere	Feb 6	Friday	630PM
Episode 1 Rpt 1	Feb 6	Friday	1030PM
Episode 1 Rpt 2	Feb 7	Saturday	4PM
Episode 1 Rpt 3	Feb 7	Saturday	1130PM
Episode 1 Rpt 4	Feb 8	Sunday	9AM
Episode 2	Feb 9	Monday	630PM
Episode 2 Rpt 1	Feb 9	Monday	1030PM
Episode 3	Feb 10	Tuesday	630PM
Episode 3 Rpt 1	Feb 10	Tuesday	1030PM
Episode 4	Feb 11	Wednesday	630PM
Episode 4 Rpt 1	Feb 11	Wednesday	1030PM
Episode 5	Feb 12	Thursday	630PM
Episode 5 Rpt 1	Feb 12	Thursday	1030PM
Episode 6	Feb 13	Friday	630PM
Episode 6 Rpt 1	Feb 13	Friday	1030PM

The last episode airs on 11 March 2009, Wednesday.

Technorati tags
anime, Nodame Cantabile, Animax

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) via Animax Asia

disclaimer Images and summaries used here are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.

other invaluable resources

Wikipedia and ANN

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Level Comics Bestselling Manga of 2008: A law of duality between AirGear and Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

AirGear © Oh! Great/Kodansha
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge © Hayakawa Tomoko/Kodansha

If Elex Media has three consistently top-seeded players, its more "mature" sibling Level Comics has two: Oh! Great's AirGear and Hayakawa Tomoko's Perfect Girl Evolution or Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge. AirGear ranked first during the first and third trimesters of 2008 but had to give up that coveted position to Yamanade in the second trimester.

(The rest of the Level bestsellers are here; what follows is my attempt to make sense of stuff.)

another shot at an analysis, Part II by huamulan03

Shounen manga apparently does well in the Indonesian market...

Al Ries and Jack Trout's marketing law #8 (every market boils down to a two-horse race in the long run) still holds immutable in this Top 20. That's not just in terms of either AirGear or Perfect Girl Evolution (AKA The Wallflower) rising, but also in original publisher's share of the Top 20 (Kodansha and Shogakukan; see Table 2).

I do have to note, though, that Level's Top 3 manga—in any trimester surveyed—are not seinen, the genre that makes up most of the imprint's titles, if not the basis for its existence. AirGear, Love & Collage or Ai Kora (placed third in Trimester 1), Fight!! Ippo (Hajime no Ippo; T2 #3), and Magister Negi Magi (Mahou Sensei Negima!; T3 #3) are shounen manga, while the Betsufure-serialized Yamanade is shoujo. (See Table 3 for shounen/shoujo/seinen mapping.) Shounen manga apparently does well in the Indonesian market: Naruto, Meitantei Conan, and One Piece likewise reign supreme for Elex Media.

Beyond the continued surprising shounen domination and the observed law of duality in the upper echelons, however, one more direction is evident: the frequency with which a series releases new volumes doesn't seem to effect its ranking (yes, I mean "effect" and not "affect"). If that were the case, AirGear wouldn't be #1, Hajime no Ippo would be. During the period researched (and if I'm correct in the new manga volume numbers), AirGear released only three new tankou to Ippo's 15. That five-fold edge from Ippo's regular, twice-monthly release schedule doesn't appear to have helped Morikawa Joji ("George")-sensei's boxing manga that much.

The frequency with which a series releases new volumes doesn't effect its ranking

Extending the same argument, Yamaguchi Katsumi-sensei's My Favorite Bike wouldn't even make it into the list. MFB volume 3 came out in December 2007, and I'm pretty darn sure volume 4 hasn't even released yet. Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

So overall, there doesn't seem to be any such thing as an "unfair advantage" gained from releasing more frequently, or having more sales opportunities. Granted I think that incidence did boost the standings of Akamatsu Ken-sensei's Negima! (four new releases; ended up ranked third), Abe George- and Kakizaki Masasumi-sensei's Rainbow (five new releases; finished #4), Suenobu Keiko-sensei's LIFE (one new release in the second trimester, three new volumes in the third; rebounded in the third quarter to climb to #18), and Nogizaka Taro- & Nagai Akira-sensei's Team Medical Dragon (volume 1 towards the end of the second quarter, two follow-ups in the third; debuted at 20 in the third trimester). The exceptions, however, remain fewer.

Table 1: Rankings, changes in succeeding periods, comparison with original TI position, and new volumes released

Manga	TI	TII	C/ TI	TIII	C/ TI	New releases	Total
AirGear	1	2	↓	1	UNC	V3-5	3
Perfect Girl Evolution	2	1	↑	2	UNC	V15-17	3
Love & Collage	3	11	↓	17	↓	V1-3	3
Fight!! Ippo	4	3	↑	5	↓	V40-54	15
Trafficker	5	19	↓	—		V1-3/3	3
Dandelion	6	18	↓	15	↓	V1-2/2	2
Blade of the Immortal	7	9	↓	12	↓	V1-3	3
xxxHOLiC	8	8	UNC	6	↑	V2-3	2
The Black Swindler	9	17	↓	13	↓	V1-3	3
Vagabond	10	7	↑	7	↑	V21-22	2
Hotaru's Light	11	—		—		V2-5	4
Rainbow	12	10	↑	4	↑	V4-8	5
20th Century Boys	13	4	↑	—		V20-22/22	3
Yugo The Negotiator	14	13	↑	16	↓	V11-15	5
Shin Angyo Onshi	15	12	↑	—		V13-16	4
Magister Negi Magi	16	6	↑	3	↑	V11-14	4
My Favorite Bike	17	—		8	↑	—	0 in 2008
Babysitter Gin	18	—		—		V7-9/9	3
Train Man	19	—		—		V1-3/3	3
LIFE	20	—		18	↑	V4-9	6
For You in Full Blossom	—	5	NEW	10	N/A; C/TII ↓	V13-17	5
Homunculus	—	14	NEW	9	N/A; C/TII ↑	V7	1
Hellsing	—	15	NEW	11	N/A; C/TII ↑	V1	1
Red Eyes	—	16	NEW	14	N/A; C/TII ↑	V8	1
If You Were Here	—	20	NEW	—	N/A	V4-6	3
Haruka 17	—	—		19	N/A	V3	1
Team Medical Dragon	—	—		20	N/A	V1-3	3

Bestseller Manga: Original publishers

Of the first Top 20 bestsellers, 11 were Kodansha assets, while the rest were Shogakukan's. In the second trimester, both Kodansha and Shogakukan claimed nine titles, with Hakusensha (For You in Full Blossom or Hana-Kimi debuted at #5 in the second trimester) and Shonen Gahosha (Hellsing placed 15th) nabbing the other two spots. By the third trimester, Kodansha titles climbed back to 11, Shogakukan's dropped to seven, and Hakusensha and Shonen Gahosha's share from Hana-Kimi and Hellsing remained unchanged.

Table 2: Share by original publisher, changes in succeeding periods, and comparison with initial share

Original publisher	TI share (%)	TII share (%)	TIII share (%)
Kodansha	55	45 ↓	55 UNC
Shogakukan	45	45 UNC	35 ↓
Hakusensha	0	5 ↑	5 ↑
Shonen Gahosha	0	5 ↑	5 ↑

It's supposed to be a seinen line...

But only two seinen titles made it into the Top 5, and only in the second and third trimesters. Josei titles (in the first period, #11 Hotaru's Light (Hotaru no Hikari) and #18 Babysitter Gin; in the second, #20 If You Were Here or Anata ga Ireba) disappear by the third trimester, although Hotaru's Light still released volume 5 during this period (IYWH didn't and Babysitter Gin had already finished its Indonesian run by end-July.)

Table 3: Bestsellers according to genre (demographics) across three trimesters

Rank	Trimester I	Trimester II	Trimester III
1	Shounen	Shoujo	Shounen
2	Shoujo	Shounen	Shoujo
3	Shounen	Shounen	Shounen
4	Shounen	Seinen	Seinen
5	Shounen	Shoujo	Shounen
6	Seinen	Shounen	Seinen
7	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
8	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
9	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
10	Seinen	Seinen	Shoujo
11	Josei	Shounen	Seinen
12	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
13	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
14	Seinen	Seinen	Shounen
15	Seinen	Seinen	Seinen
16	Shounen	Shounen	Seinen
17	Seinen	Seinen	Shounen
18	Josei	Seinen	Shoujo
19	Seinen	Shounen	Seinen
20	Shoujo	Josei	Seinen

huamulan03's predictions for 2009?

N.B.
My babblings could be just that—babbling, especially as the 2008 figures on which I based sed talking out of my *rse are still incomplete.

So believe (if you're inclined) at your peril.

I would've sed a similar favoring the 20% that gives you your 80% sales focus, but the alarming slowdown we're seeing in 2009 releases has me confused.

Is Level rethinking its position and going for The Long Tail? Does it want to sell a large number of unique items, each in relatively small quantities? I think that's a little extreme, and anyway, one or two manga a week's not going to cut it. From what I saw of Level's 2009 plan, there seems to be a large enough pool of choice, but are the imprint's inventory and distribution costs nugatory enough to allow pursuit of this niche strategy?

Technorati tags
(click to unhide)

manga, bestseller, Level Comics, josei, seinen, shoujo, shounen, 20th Century Boys, AirGear, Ai Kora, Babysitter Gin, The Black Swindler, Blade of the Immortal, Dandelion, Densha Otoko, For You in Full Blossom, Hajime no Ippo, Hana-Kimi, Haruka 17, Hellsing, Homunculus, Hotaru no Hikari, If You Were Here, LIFE, Love & Collage, Mahou Sensei Negima!, My Favorite Bike, Perfect Girl Evolution, Rainbow, Red Eyes, Shin Angyo Onshi, Team Medical Dragon, Trafficker, Vagabond, xxxHOLiC, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, Yugo The Negotiator

From my own experience of the Indonesian retail market, the first way out is volume; the second way out is volume; the third way out is volume, with most everything sold on consignment. While I would welcome a more munificent manga smorgasbord that a Long Tail would afford, I also don't want the Level imprint to fold, should the market remain lopsided in favor of popular manga.

I think the release diminution hints at some consolidation going on, and whatever changes ensue, I assume that Level's going to end up publishing its promised 24 titles a month (a 50% increase over its 2008 average). What would constitute this golden 24? Likely the continuing series from among the Top 20 manga of 2008. I really doubt it would be Bye-bye, Pareto and hello, some other strategy scenario; after all, bookstores 'n such still have limited shelf and floor space.

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) via Elex Media

related links

• Elex Media Top 20 Bestselling Manga (2008 Q1-3)
• Elex Media Top 20 Bestselling Manga (2008 Q1)
• Level Comics Top 20 Bestselling Manga (2008 Q1)

other invaluable resources

7&Y (images)

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Manga: The Pending Corner: The One Pound Gospel 1 by Takahashi Rumiko

Standard blah-blah: What it sed in the post title. I will advise when it becomes available.

pending manga releases (as 2009.01.28)

1. The One Pound Gospel (1 Pound no Fukuin) 1 of 4 by Takahashi Rumiko - ex 21 January 2009 schedule

Source: Ada komik pending di STO? Cari tahu di sini...

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) via EMO's Pending Manga thread

Technorati tags
manga, seinen, Elex Media, One Pound Gospel, 1 Pound no Fukuin, Takahashi Rumiko

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Born to Cook (Mister Ajikko II) 3, Crossroad 2, Aria 10, My Heavenly Hockey Club 8 (m&c! 4 February 2009 manga)

Crossroad © Mizuki Shioko/Akita Shoten
Indonesian edition PT Gramedia

Regardless that it streets 10 days before the 14th, I'm treating Crossroad 2 as my Valentine manga. (Did I ever tell how much I heart this Mizuki Shioko series (and Natsu)? Well I do, so much so that I can't yet write a review of it for the doki-doki incoherence (and Natsu squeeing) that gets in the way.)

Thank you, m&c! (My gratitude, too, for uploading the covers.)

EMO post-ers, meanwhile, are in a Get! tizzy over the coming third and penultimate Born to Cook (Mister Ajikko sequel) and the return of Amano Kozue-sensei's Aria (understandable).

m&c! manga (2009.02.04)

Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans. Links like this are Amazon.com (commercial) links, in case you don't live in Indonesia.

1. Aria 10 of 12 by Amano Kozue

Aria 「 ＡＲＩＡ 」 by Amano Kozue Mag Garden Comic Blade, shounen Volume 10 first published in Japan 2007.03 Prequel: Aqua Published in English by TOKYOPOP (picked up from ADV Manga; four volumes, volume 5 street date: 2009.03.10

2. Born to Cook (Mister Ajikko II) 3 of 4 by Terasawa Daisuke

Mister Ajikko II 「 ミスター味っ子２ 」 by Terasawa Daisuke Kodansha Evening KC imprint, shounen Volume 3 first published in Japan 2005.05

3. Crossroad (Crossroad) 2 of 7 by Mizuki Shioko

Crossroad 「 ｃｒｏｓｓｒｏａｄ 」 by Mizuki Shioko Akita Shoten Princess, shoujo Volume 2 first published in Japan 2003.07 Published in English by Go! Comi (7 volumes, complete)

4. Holy Crystal Albatross (Seikesshou Albatross) 2 of 5 by Wakaki Tamiki

Seikesshou Albatross 「 聖結晶アルバトロス 」 by Wakaki Tamiki Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen Volume 2 first published in Japan 2006.07

5. My Heavenly Hockey Club (Gokuraku Seishun Hockey Club) 8 of 11+ by Morinaga Ai

Gokuraku Seishun Hockey Club 「 極楽・青春ホッケー部 」 by Morinaga Ai Kodansha Betsufure, shoujo Volume 8 first published in Japan 2007.08 Published in English by Del Rey (seven volumes, volume 8 street date: 2009.06.23)

6. [New] Mysterious Thief Milky Drop (Kaitou Thief Milky Drop) by Iwaoka Meme

Kaitou Thief Milky Drop 「 怪盗ミルキィ☆ドロップ 」 by Iwaoka Meme Shogakukan Ciao, shoujo This volume first published in Japan 2007.03

7. Shanimuni GO 24 of 30+ by Ragawa Marimo

Shanimuni GO 「 しゃにむにＧＯ 」 by Ragawa Marimo Hakusensha Hana to Yume, shoujo Volume 24 first published in Japan 2006.10

8. [New] The Shortest Poetry for You (Sekaiichi Mijikai Uta wo Kimi ni) by Nakamura Sayumi

Sekaiichi Mijikai Uta wo Kimi ni 「 世界一みじかいうたを君に 」 by Nakamura Sayumi Shogakukan ChuChu, shoujo This volume first published in Japan 2006.12

NOTE | Born to Cook 3 MSRP is IDR 15,000.
Source: Elex Media STO 04 Feb 2009 and mnc comics (covers)

Technorati tags
manga, m&c!, shoujo, shounen, Crossroad, Holy Crystal Albatross, Kaitou Thief Milky Drop, Mister Ajikko II, My Heavenly Hockey Club, Mysterious Thief Milky Drop, Sekaiichi Mijikai Uta wo Kimi ni, Seikesshou Albatross, Shanimuni GO, The Shortest Poetry for You

UP NEXT

m&c! February 2009 manga (monthly list)
Look also for Special A 10 • Sprout 7 of 7 • Princess Princess 2, among others

Elex Media February 2009 manga (monthly list)
ADVISED: Beauty is the Beast 1 • C.M.B. 6 • Emma 10 of 10 • Real 7 • Rose Hip Zero 1 • Sherlock Holmes 9: The Adventure of the Copper Beeches • Zig-Zag 5, among others

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who will camp out outside Gramedia early February 4th

disclaimer

Cover images here are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.

related links

• Level Comics (2009.02.03): Arms 12
• Elex Media (2009.02.04): Burning Moon 1, Flash of Wind 24, Fullmetal Alchemist 17, Sherlock Holmes 8, Sugar Sugar Rune 8 of 8, Mr. Fullswing 17, Hayate The Combat Butler 11, Shonen Star 49

manga available this week

Elex Media (2009.01.28): Hayate The Combat Butler 10, Roadside Angel 1, TOTO! 1, Meteodo 3, Tsubasa 7, Sersan Keroro 13
Level Comics (2009.01.27): Hotaru's Light 7 and Over Rev 4
m&c! (2009.01.28): Rasetsu's Flower 3, Sunset on Third Street 2, Center of the Sky (Sora no Mannaka) 1 and Nagaoka Yoshiko's historical shoujo manga

other invaluable resources

7&Y (release dates) | Baka-Updates Manga (release information++)

Looking for other language versions? (Search Amazon.com)

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Burning Moon 1, Kaze Hikaru 24, Fullmetal Alchemist 17, Sherlock Holmes 8: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sugar Sugar Rune 8 of 8, Mr. Fullswing 17 (Elex Media 4 February 2009 manga)

Tweaked because the —ing's in the synopses were bugging bugged me

Sugar Sugar Rune © Anno Moyoco/Kodansha

Sugar Sugar Rune ends this February 4th, but the more newsy thing to talk about is Selena Lin Qing Hui's return with a new shoujo manhua: Burning Moon (焚月) AKA Incandescent Moon, a story of palace intrigues (another one?) — complete with conniving concubines, sickly heirs and their contracted spouses-to-be.

Selena Lin's expected pretty-pretties aside, I only hope that Burning Moon doesn't fall into the same trap as Tsen Shiau-Jing's Cavalier Princess (see my review of this lopped-off series) nor Nell's The Flower Fairies WINGS—that till now I've yet to finish. (More on Burning Moon after the release list.

Mangazines
The latest Indonesian Nakayoshi 65 and Shonen Star 49 street on the 3rd. The next Kitchen Princess installment will train the spotlight on Fujita-san. (The chef's backstory before life at the Seika Gakuen canteen perhaps?) Meanwhile, things (what a lurvely catch-all word *smirk*) ratchet up over at Kurozakuro by Natsume Yoshinori-sensei (the deets of this behind the cut).

Elex Media manga, manhua, and makita (2009.02.04)

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

1. [Premiere] Burning Moon (Incandescent Moon) 1 of 5 by Selena Lin Qing Hui

Burning Moon 「 焚月 」 by Selena Lin Qing Hui Sharp Point Press Mon Mon, shoujo Volume 1 first published in Taiwan 2005.07

2. [Box set @ IDR 135,000] Detektif Conan (Meitantei Conan) 11 to 20 (of 63+) by Aoyama Gosho

Meitantei Conan 「 名探偵コナン 」 by Aoyama Gosho
AKA Case Closed (VIZ Media, volume 27 street date: 2009.01.20)
Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen
These volumes first published in Japan from 1996.07 to 1998.07

3. [Box set @ IDR 135,000] Doraemon 11 to 20 (of 45) by Fujiko F. Fujio
4. First Boyfriend (Hatsukare) 9 of 10 by Tomori Miyoshi

Hatsukare 「 ハツカレ 」 by Tomori Miyoshi Shueisha Margaret, shoujo Volume 9 first published in Japan 2006.09

5. Flash of Wind (Kaze Hikaru) 24 of 25+ by Watanabe Taeko

Kaze Hikaru 「 風光る 」 by Watanabe Taeko Shogakukan Flowers, josei Volume 24 first published in Japan 2008.05 Published in English by VIZ Media (volume 12 street date: 2009.02.03)

6. Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) 17 of 21+ by Arakawa Hiromu

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi 「 鋼の錬金術師 」 by Arakawa Hiromu Square Enix Shonen Gangan, shounen Volume 17 first published in Japan 2007.08 Published in English by VIZ Media (volume 18 street date: 2009.05.19) and Chuang Yi (17 volumes, ongoing)

7. Ghost Sweeper Mikami (GS Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!!) 30 of 39 by Shiina Takashi

GS Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!! 「 ＧＳ美神　極楽大作戦！！ 」 by Shiina Takashi Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen Volume 30 first published in Japan 1998.03

8. Hayate The Combat Butler (Hayate no Gotoku) 11 of 18+ by Hata Kenjiro

Hayate no Gotoku 「 ハヤテのごとく！ 」 by Hata Kenjiro Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen Volume 11 first published in Japan 2007.04 Published in English by VIZ Media (volume 10 street date: 2009.02.10)

9. Masked Rider Spirits (Kamen Rider Spirits) 6 of 15+ by Ishinomori Shotaro, Muraeda Kenichi

Kamen Rider Spirits 「 仮面ライダーＳＰＩＲＩＴＳ 」 by Ishinomori Shotaro, Muraeda Kenichi Kodansha Magazine Z, seinen Volume 6 first published in Japan 2004.05

10. Mr. Fullswing 17 of 24 by Suzuki Shinya

Mr. FULLSWING 「 Ｍｒ．ＦＵＬＬＳＷＩＮＧ 」 by Suzuki Shinya Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, shounen Volume 17 first published in Japan 2005.02

11. [New] Nexus Magus by Marina - makita
12. The Pitcher (Nanto Magoroku) 63 of 69+ by Sadayasu Kei

Nanto Magoroku 「 なんと孫六 」 by Sadayasu Kei Kodansha Gekkan Shounen Magazine, shounen Volume 63 first published in Japan 2006.06

13. Ranma ½ 35 of 38 by Takahashi Rumiko

Ranma ½ 「 らんま１／２ 」 by Takahashi Rumiko Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen Volume 35 first published in Japan 2003.08 Published in English by VIZ Media (36 volumes, complete/condensed)

14. Serial Sherlock Holmes 8 of 10: The Hound of The Baskervilles (Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Ishikawa Morihiko, supervised by Ishinomori Shotaro)
15. Sugar - Sugar Rune 8 of 8 by Anno Moyoco [Finale]

Sugar Sugar Rune 「 シュガシュガルーン 」 by Anno Moyoco Kodansha Comic Fans and Nakayoshi, shoujo Volume 8 first published in Japan 2007.09 Published in English by Del Rey (eight volumes)

NOTE
(1) Sources: Elex Media STO 04 Feb 2009 (release schedule) and Komikologi January and February 2009 (for synopses unless indicated otherwise).
(2) Links like this are Amazon.com search and/or product links (commercial), in case you're interested in another language version.

New manga (as it were)
Indonesian graphic novels—makita—resurrect with Nexus Magus, from komikus Marina. While I do have a blurb for Burning Moon, I can't find any for the makita standalone (it's only listed in Komikologi February).

Burning Moon
© Selena Lin Qing Hui/
Sharp Point Press

Burning Moon 1
「 焚月 」 by Selena Lin Qing Hui

Duan Chenfeng's mother, trying to wriggle out of an heir swap with the Empress, accidentally poisons son Chenfeng. To compensate, she spreads a rumor about Chenfeng's "poor" health. As the "invalid" Chenfeng loses the freedom to come and go at will, a solution to rid Chenfeng of his bad luck glimmers on the horizon: he is bethrothed to orphan Yue Shudan — who's deathly afraid of ghosts.

At first I didn't get what Shudan's aversion to spooks and specters had to do with anything, much less the connection to her engagement to Chenfeng; I couldn't understand where the Elex summary was headed (in its original Indonesian below).

Demi menghindari pertukaran anak dengan permaisuri, ibu Duan Chenfeng tak sengaja meracuni Chenfeng bahkan menyebarkan kabar Chenfeng sebagai tuan muda berpenyakitan. Akibatnya, Chenfeng tak bisa leluasa keluar rumah sampai akhirnya mereka menemukan sebuah solusi, yaitu Chenfeng dijodohkan dengan seorang gadis untuk menolak bala. Lalu terpilihlah Yue Shudan, gadis piatu yang takut hantu.

However, after peeking at some online scans, I realized that Shudan (called Shu Chan in the scanlations) thinks of Feng as one. Additionally, I think the male love interest could also be...

SPOILER!!

Yi Xiang Han? Rabu triangle da!

Hayate The Combat Butler 11
Hayate no Gotoku 「 ハヤテのごとく！ 」 by Hata Kenjiro

Hot springs episode! Nagi invites Hayate and Maria to Shimoda to try out a popular onsen with rumored stellartastic powers from a downed meteor (among them, the power to increase bust size and/or school grades). But before they reach the hot springs, Nagi gets stranded in an unfamiliar train station, leading a worried Hayate to jump from a moving train to retrieve her.

[Some additional information from an Amazon summary of the same volume woven in.]

Oh, joy. An installment that turns on the hope of seeing someone (everyone?) nekkid.

Ranma ½ v35
「 らんま１／２ 」 by Takahashi Rumiko

Ranma meets Cinderella! No, actually, Ranma is pursued by Cinderella who is really Konatsu Kunoichi, a talented female ninja bullied by her mother and stepsiblings. Will Ranma be able to do a Fairy Godmother and rescue Konatsu?

Ano... I don't think you need a summary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of The Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes volume 8 from the Kumon Manga Library), do you?

mangazines (2009.02.03)

Nakayoshi 65/2009
I noted earlier that this Nakayoshi edition will feature a treat for fans of Kitchen Princess' Fujita-san: a side story that I assume relates what he was up to before popping up as the idiosyncratic, indolent chef of Seika Gakuen.

Other Naka titles in serialization:
AAA (Triple A) by Fukushima Haruka · Dewi Karin Chu (Kamichama Karin Chu) by Koge-Donbo · The Great Detective Kiyoshiro Yumemizu (Meitantei Yumemizu Kiyoshiro Jiken Note) by Enue Kei and Hayamine Kaoru · Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo) by Etoo Miyuki & Jigoku Shoujo Project · I am Here! (Koko ni Iru yo!) by Toyama Ema · Ogawa & Team Saito (Ogawa to Yukai na Saitoutachi) by Sakyo · Pangeran Kacamata (Megane Ouji) by Mizukami Wataru · Shugo Chara! by PEACH-PIT · Sweet Lollipop Return! (Modotte! Mamotte! Lollipop) by Kikuta Michiyo

Shonen Star 49/2009
The Indonesian version of Shonen Sunday was supposed to catch the January bus, but took the next month's instead. Featured story: Kurozakuro 「 クロザクロ 」 by Natsume Yoshinori-sensei:

Danger looms as the enemy takes out two White Claw bodyguards to get closer to Mikito, still in training. In the ensuing chaos, The Nemesis offers to release the mysterious Zakuro sealed inside Mikito.

Other Shonen Star serials:
Comic Bomber (Hoero Pen) by Shimamoto Kazuhiko · Detektif Conan (Meitantei Conan) by Aoyama Gosho · D-LIVE!! by Minagawa Ryouji · Dr. Koto (Dr. Koto Shinryoujo) by Yamada Takatoshi · InuYasha by Takahashi Rumiko · KATSU! by Adachi Mitsuru · Kekkaishi by Tanabe Yellow · Look Up! (Miagete Goran) by Kusaba Michiteru · MÄR by Anzai Nobuyuki · Wild Life by Fujisaki Masato · Yakitate!! Japan by Hashiguchi Takashi

By popularity

EMO forum post-ers' Top 3 GET! are:

1. Fullmetal Alchemist 17
2. Sherlock Holmes 8
3. TIED: Hayate The Combat Butler 11 • Mr. Fullswing 17 • Shonen Star 49/2009

UP NEXT

m&c! 4 February 2009 manga: Born to Cook (Mister Ajikko II) 3, Crossroad 2, Aria 10, My Heavenly Hockey Club 8

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who, despite all the babble, probably won't be getting anything from this release *sweatdrop*

P.S. If you want to see which manga Elex originally scheduled for January and which ones for February, just click [+/-] this.

FEBRUARY
Three other manga are February purebreds: the penultimate First Boyfriend (Hatsukare) 9, the speedy lately Hayate no Gotoku (volume 11), and the final Sugar - Sugar Rune.

JANUARY
Three more should have released earlier: Fullmetal Alchemist volume 17, Ranma ½ tankou 35, and the No, it's not finished yet volume 63 of Sadayasu Kei-sensei's The Pitcher (Nanto Magoroku).

THE IN-BETWEENS
There are four betwixt (the "missing" earlier volumes to already advised later installments): Ghost Sweeper Mikami 30, the much-awaited Mr. Fullswing 17 (volume 18 appears in both the January and February skeds), and the eighth Sherlock Holmes manga that hopefully won't be delayed like its precursors.

UNSKEDDED
The rest—Masked Rider Spirits 6, the w00t! [Advanced] Kaze Hikaru 24, and the Conan and Doraemon manga box sets (for which I have a "conspiracy theory")—are unscheduled anywhere.

disclaimer

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

manga available this week (27 and 28 January 2009 street dates)

• Level Comics (1.27): Hotaru's Light 7 and Over Rev 4
• Elex Media (1.28): Hayate The Combat Butler 10, Roadside Angel (Michibata no Tenshi) 1, TOTO! 1, Meteodo 3, Tsubasa 7, Keroro 13
• m&c! (1.28): Rasetsu's Flower 3, Sunset on Third Street 2, Center of the Sky (Sora no Mannaka) 1 and Nagaoka Yoshiko's historical shoujo manga

other invaluable resources

7&Y · Amazon Japan · Baka-Updates Manga · digibook.cn · books.com.tw

Technorati tags
manga, manhua, makita, Elex Media, Nakayoshi, Shonen Star, josei, seinen, shoujo, shounen, Burning Moon, Doraemon, Flash of Wind, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Hatsukare, Hayate no Gotoku, Incandescent Moon, Kamen Rider Spirits, Kaze Hikaru, Kitchen Princess, Kurozakuro, Masked Rider Spirits, Meitantei Conan, Mr. Fullswing, Nanto Magoroku, Nexus Magus, Ranma ½, Sherlock Holmes, Sugar Sugar Rune, Ishinomori Shotaro

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