And Pangeran Kacamata 2! (Sorry, megane fangirl mode still »ON, so allow me to lead with Megane Ouji for the second week in a row.)
Megane Ouji © Mizukami Wataru/Kodansha (Serialized in Nakayoshi Lovely)
Published in Indonesia as Pangeran Kacamata by Elex Media
May contain [SPOILERS]
Sachiko continues to pine for her bespectacled stepbrother and he could just care less. Is there any chance at all for Sachiko to GET! her dream Four-Eyed Kiss
?
[Adapted from Amazon's description of Four-Eyed Prince volume 2: Geek Love (Del Rey edition)]
Now for the Most Wanted Manga of this Elex release:
Black Butler 8 by Toboso Yana
Call my name, My Lord.
Sneaking into the Phantomhive mansion, the circus performers clash with Ciel's troop. Sebastian coolly dispatches the trespassers on his master's command. A clown mourns the loss of everything dear and crimson flames begin to burn away tears...
Nodame Cantabile 22 by Ninomiya Tomoko
Nodame goes into hiding after Chiaki rejects her proposal. At a time when Nodame's friends are searching for her, Stresemann orchestrates Nodame's debut in London — to standing ovation. But after her success, Nodame vanishes once more, hinting at a heart-sore reluctance to ever play the piano. Does this spell the end to Nodame's relationship with Chiaki and classical music?
Other highlights
Starts/Ends babble, along with previews of The Bodyguard 3, Libero Revolution! 9, and Rebirth 24, resume after the manga list.
- 3 VS. 3: Three series finales and three premieres. On teh new side: Butterfly Cloud (Chouchou Kumo, standalone) by Ashihara Hinako; Love Honor (Giri Koi) by Yamada Daiy; and Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon by Fujiko F Fujio. On the ending side: Kunimitsu (Kunimitsu no Matsuri, volume 27); Nurse Diary (Jitsuroku! Kangofu Monogatari, volume 10); and Tale of Poor Sisters (Binbou Shimai Monogatari, volume 4)
- [RE-STO] Elex is also reissuing edu-manga by Takashi Yoichi: Komik Aku Tahu: Mencari Perahu Nuh (Searching for Noah's Ark), Komik Aku Tahu: Misteri Piramid (The Mystery of the Pyramids), and Komik Aku Tahu: Peradaban Maya yang Hilang (The Lost Mayan Civilization); Also Harlequin Comic: The Sheikh's Seduction by Emma Darcy (originally a Level August 2007 release) and The Mystique Flower, a local comic by Ida Ariyanti, first released by Elex in November 2008
MANGAZINES: Nakayoshi 79/2010
Featured series for the month's Nakayoshi is the winner of the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for best children's manga, PEACH-PIT's Shugo Chara!. Tadase confesses his love for Amu, but Ikuto also has something for our heroine. Here's hoping that whatever IT is, it won't be as icy as Ikuto's countenance.
Other regular Nakayoshi series: Arisa by Ando Natsumi · Boy Friend by Yamada Daisy · Ghost Navi Runa (Youkai Navi Runa) by Kikuta Michiyo & Ikeda Miyoko · The Great Detective Kiyoshiro Yumemizu (Meitantei Yumemizu Kiyoshirou Jiken Note) by Enue Kei & Hayamine Kaoru · New Hell Girl (Shin Jigoku Shoujo) by Etoo Miyuki & the Jigoku Shojo Project · Ogawa & Team Saito (Ogawa to Yukai na Saitoutachi) by Sakyo · Sweet Tamatan (Dokidoki! Tama-tan) by Koge-Donbo · Tsuba Kiyo by Hara Asumi · XX Me! (Watashi ni xx Shinasai!) by Toyama Ema
Elex Media manga (2010.04.14)
Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.
- Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) 8 of 8+ by Toboso Yana
- The Bodyguard (Kage Kara Mamoru!) 3 of 6+ by Achi Taro
- [New] Butterfly Cloud (Chouchou Kumo) by Ashihara Hinako
- Crows 6 of 26 by Takahashi Hiroshi
- Ghost Sweeper Mikami (GS Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!!) 38 of 39 by Shiina Takashi
- [Premiere] Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon 1 by Fujiko F. Fujio
- Kunimitsu (Kunimitsu no Matsuri) 27 of 27 by Ando Yuma, Asaki Masashi [Finale]
- Libero Revolution! 9 of 13 by Tanaka Motoyuki
- [Premiere] Love Honor (Giri Koi) 1 of 2 by Yamada Daisy
- Maria Holic 3 of 6+ by Endou Minari
- Nodame Cantabile 22 of 23 by Ninomiya Tomoko
- Nurse Diary (Jitsuroku! Kangofu Monogatari) 10 of 10 by Kai Sayumi [Finale]
- Pangeran Kacamata (Megane Ouji) 2 of 4+ by Mizukami Wataru
- Rebirth 24 of 25+ by Lee KangWoo
- Tale of Poor Sisters (Binbou Shimai Monogatari) 4 of 4 by Kazuto Izumi [Finale]
 | Kage Kara Mamoru! 「 陰からマモル！ 」 |
Related: Based on the series of light novels by Achi Taro.
A 12-episode anime adaptation produced by Group TAC aired in Japan from January through March 2006 on TV Tokyo. Seiyuu Kisaichi Atsushi (Sano Izumi, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e CD drama) and Nakahara Mai (Furukawa Nagisa, Clannad) played the roles of protagonists Kagemori Mamoru and Konnyaku Yuuna.
 | Chouchou Kumo 「 蝶々雲 」 by Ashihara Hinako |
Contains: Butterfly Cloud,
Middle School First Year - Less Than Love,
Middle School Second Year - Man Hater,
and Middle School Third Year - The Cherry Blossoms Scatter
 | Crows 「 クローズ 」 by Takahashi Hiroshi |
Related series: Worst (sequel) · Crows Zero (spin-off) · Crows: Busou Sensen Reimeihen (side story)
 | GS Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!! by Shiina Takashi |
Volume 38 contains chapters:
第１話 GS美神'78!!（その８）
第２話 GS美神'78!!（その９）
第３話 呪い好きのサンダーロード!!（その１）
第４話 呪い好きのサンダーロード!!（その２）
第５話 守ってあげたい!!（その１）
第６話 守ってあげたい!!（その２）
第７話 もし星が神ならば!!（その１）
第８話 もし星が神ならば!!（その２）
第９話 史上最大の臨海学校!!（その１）
第10話 史上最大の臨海学校!!（その２）
AWARDS: Won the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for best shounen manga, tied with Aoyama Gosho's Yaiba
The 45-episode anime adaptation by Toei Animation aired on TV Asahi from April to March 1994. Seiyuu Tsuru Hiromi, cast as Mikami Reiko, and Horikawa Ryo who played the part of Yokoshima Tadao in the TV series reprise their roles in the 1994-vintage Ghost Sweeper Mikami Feature movie.
 | Kunimitsu no Matsuri 「 クニミツの政 」 |
AWARDS: 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for shounen
 | Libero Kakumei!! 「 リベロ革命！！ 」 |
Volume 9 contains chapters:
69 そうなんだ！
70 決勝突入！
71 因縁
72 パターン
73 来る......!?
74 ゴメン！ (Sorry!)
75 "勘" ("Intuition")
76 たられば
77 見える...
*Title translations N/A (except those I was able to decipher)
 | Giri Koi 「 ギリコイ 」 by Yamada Daisy |
 | Maria Holic 「 まりあ†ほりっく 」 by Endou Minari |
Volume 3 contains chapters:
14: The Tale of the Bloody Virgin Mary Festival
15: The Tale of Glasses, Failing Grades and a Seasonal Change of Clothing
16: The Tale of a Home Visit in B Minor
1
17: The Tale of a Home Visit in B Minor
2
18: The Tale of a summer Love Revolution
Spin-Out: The Tale of How Public Safety is a Gloomy James Bond
A 12-episode anime adaptation by SHAFT, starring seiyuu Sanada Asami as Miyamae Kanako and Kobayashi Yuu as Shidou Mariya, aired from January to March 2009 in Japan. A drama CD by Frontier Works was released before the anime (July 2008).
 | Nodame Cantabile 「 のだめカンタービレ 」 |
Volume 22 contains Chapters 125-130.
AWARDS: 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for best shoujo manga
Related: Nodame Cantabile - Opera Hen (one volume sequel, began serialization in the 10 December 2009 issue of Kiss)
Adapted into live-action drama and anime. Eleven episodes of the live-action drama (until manga volume 9) ran from October to December 2006 on Fuji TV. The fictional anime series Nodame watches in episode 4, Prigorota: Uchū no Yūjō Daibōken, was animated by J.C.Staff. (which also animated the first season anime). The TV series won the 51st Television Drama Academy Awards for Best Drama. Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi starred as Noda Megumi AKA Nodame and Chiaki Shinichi. Both actors reprise their roles in Nodame Cantabile Shinshun Special in Europe, a two-episode sequel that aired on 4 and 5 January 2008. The special won for Ueno Juri the Best Actress award in the 1st Tokyo Drama Awards.
Two live-action movies pick up from where the TV series left off: Nodame Cantabile Saishū Gakushō Zen-Pen premiered 19 December 2009 in Japan; Nodame Cantabile Saishū Gakushō Kou-Hen is slated for showing starting 17 April 2010.
The first season of the Nodame Cantabile anime aired in Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from January to June 2007. The 11-episode second season Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter ran from October to December 2008. The third season Nodame Cantabile: Finale aired from January to March 2010. Seiyuu Kawasumi Ayako and Seki Tomokazu played protagonists Nodame and Chiaki in all three seasons.
 | Jitsuroku! Kangofu Monogatari |
 | Megane Ouji 「 メガネ王子 」 by Mizukami Wataru |
 | Rebirth 「 리버스 」 by Lee KangWoo |
 | Binbou Shimai Monogatari 「 貧乏姉妹物語 」 |
Volume 4 contains chapters:
37 勝負です！
38 教えて！きょう先生！
39 梅雨明けの日
40 似ているふたり
41 真夏の夜の... (A Midsummer Night's story)
42 ラストプレゼント (Last Present)
43 お姉様と学園生活
44 夏の終わりに
45 風船 (Balloons)
最終 いつか、また。 (Last story)
*Title translations N/A (except those I was able to decipher)
A 10-episode anime adaptation by Toei Animation (starring Sakamoto Maaya as Yamada Kyou and Kaneda Tomoko as Yamada Asu) aired in Japan from June to September 2006.
NOTE
(1) Sources: Elex Media STO 14 April 2010 (release schedule) and Komikologi (synopses, except where noted)
(2) All listed manga retail for IDR 15,000 except Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon 1 (SRP: IDR 28,000), the Komik Aku Tahu series (IDR 20,000 each), and Level's Harlequin reissue The Sheik's Seduction (IDR 12,000)
(3) 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.
NEW TITLES: Full color Doraemon, Butterfly Cloud, Love Honor
Elex is releasing the first in the Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon series, full-color Doraemon comics that want to show off Doraemon's unique blue color. Additionally, these stories have never been published before
or as Elex proudly claims:
Ceritanya belum pernah diterbitkan dalam bentuk apa pun.
Another series to premiere is Yamada Daisy's Love Honor (Giri Koi) that, like Pangeran Kacamata ♡ and I am Here! matriculated in the School of Nakayoshi Gress!.
After Tominaga Mao saves Matsuda Riku from what appeared to be bullies, the two become good friends. Their closeness is such that inevitably Mao falls for Riku. But Riku who dubbed Mao his Prince
for her rescue attempt already has a girlfriend. Despite a broken heart, Mao finds it difficult to banish her feelings for Riku.
[With additions from Nagareboshi Manga's series description excerpted by Baka-Updates Manga]
I predict that the release of Love Honor (only two volumes) will be speedy given (1) both volumes appear in the April Komikologi bulletin and (2) there's the I am Here! precedent (Koko ni Iru yo! finished its five-volume run in just over a month).
The only standalone in this Elex batch is Butterfly Cloud by Ashihara Hinako-sensei, the creator of Sunadokei (Sand's Chronicle). Originally titled Chouchou Kumo, the four-story Betsucomi anthology contains (aside from Butterfly Cloud
) Middle School First Year - Less Than Love,
Middle School Second Year - Man Hater,
and Middle School Third Year - The Cherry Blossoms Scatter.
Butterfly Cloud
was also included in another omnibus, Bitter - Nakechau Koi Monogatari.
Butterfly Cloud
tells the story (don't hold your breath; Elex's blurb for this is hella long) of friends Kiyo, Kanta, and Goma, living on a small island (Baka-Updates sez it's in the Seto Inland Sea) where most everyone ekes out a living from the sea's largesse. Into their lives comes Rikka. Initially, Kanta and Goma refuse to accept the new girl, but thanks to Kiyo, Rikka eventually becomes part of their circle. As time passes, romantic feelings grow, with Rikka and Kanta apparently locked in mutual like. This doesn't please Kiyo who has long harbored feelings for Kanta and dreams of one day becoming his bride.
Rikka is involved in an accident and is rushed to a city hospital. The friends don't see her for several years. When they reunite, Kiyo decides that she is going to become a butterfly cloud
in the sky, whatever that means.
SERIES FINALES: Kunimitsu, Nurse Diary, and Tale of Poor Sisters
Kunimitsu wraps with volume 27, but I don't have a blurb for you. Elex fumbled and what appears in Komikologi features Katsuki Satoyama
and Katsuki Mizutani
— definitely NOT the lead characters in this comedy tackling political reform. Similarly, I don't know what Kai is up to in the final Nurse Diary (volume 10), but I do have the volume 4 preview of Tale of Poor Sisters:
As promised, Kyou and Asu are invited to the new amusement park built by their aunt. There they catch as glimpse of their erstwhile missing father who sold their house to pay off gambling debts.
Here are the rest of the manga previews:
- The Bodyguard 3: A kawaii new student, Kumogakure Hotaru, transfers into Kagemori Mamoru's class and shocks our shinobi by immediately confessing her love for him. Is this a dream? And if it is, will Yuna's bodyguard want to wake up?
- Libero Revolution! 9: Kaname and his teammates advance to the semi-finals where they have to go up against a team from a vocational/technical school with the same name, Seikai. Meanwhile, the Seikai girls' team also faces the team from Tadahama, winner of the previous year's national competition. Will both Seikai teams make it to the finals?
- Rebirth 24: Carldika forces Riris to battle the vampire Deshwitat. In the middle of the fight, Deshwitat is teleported to another dimension by the Order of St. Michael.
~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who could've led this post also with MariaHolic 3, except she's not into meganekko
UP NEXT: More 14 April 2010 manga
Level Comics: AirGear 10 · Black Lagoon 5 · Doubt 4 of 4 · My Lovely Honey 3 of 3 · Priest 4 · Strange Tales of Tokyo 2 · xxxHoLic 7 · Genius Family Company 2 · Officer Monju 4 · Subaru 4
m&c!: Bleach 20 · Bleach 21 · Mahiru's Meteor 3 of 3 · Shanimuni GO 28 · Yowamushi Pedal, Go! 7 · Long Hu Men 166 · Shanaou Yoshitsune 1-6 (box set)
disclaimer
Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
manga available this week (7 April 2010 street date)
- Elex Media: Best Friend Survival! 2 · Crows 5 · The Familiar of Zero 3 · Godhand Teru 22 · LUM, The Invader Girl 21 · MÄR 15 of 15 · New Little Ghost Q-Taro 4 · Pandora Hearts 8 · Pangeran Kacamata 1 by Mizukami Wataru · The Real Fake Princess 2 · School Rumble 9 · Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 15 · Wazabo 2 · With My Brothers 3 · Yakitate!! Japan 17 · Shonen Magz 70/2010
- Level Comics: Basara 12 · Life 20 of 20 · Master of Sea 13 · Nurse Aoi 10 · Show Me The Money 1 by Lin Xin Ying
- m&c!: Goong [Palace Story] 18 · Momokan 6 · Pure Love Kamikaze Captain 11 · Red Devil of Onigawara Yokocho 1 by Yagami Chitose · Strawberry Marshmallow 5 · I Love You 1-6 of 6 by Takase Yuka and · Imadoki! 1-5 of 5 by Watase Yuu (individual volume reissues)
related monthly schedules
Elex April 2010 manga
Premiering K-ON! by Kakifly, Spiral: The Bonds of Reason by Shirodaira Kyo & Mizuno Eita, Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon by Fujiko F. Fujio, Hitsugi Katsugi no Kuro by Kiyuzuki Satoko, Kunai Legend by Iori Tabasa, Love & Honor by Yamada Daisy (double launch with volume 2), Otoboke Section Chief by Ueda Masashi, Pangeran Kacamata by Mizukami Wataru, V.B. Rose by Hidaka Banri · Standalones: Butterfly Cloud by Ashihara Hinako and Miracle Blue by Mitsuki Miko
Elex March 2010 manga
Premiering Caramel Boy by Morio Masami, Dear Boys Act III by Yagami Hiroki, Katsu! by Adachi Mitsuru, Wazabo by Soyama Kazutoshi · Standalones: Butterfly Cloud by Ashihara Hinako, Clock Clock by Morita Takashi, and Short Program Girl Type by Adachi Mitsuru
other invaluable resources
7net Shopping · Baka-Updates Manga · manaworld.com · Wikipedia · ANN
Technorati tags
manga · manhwa · Elex Media · Nakayoshi · seinen · shoujo · shounen · sonyun · Binbou Shimai Monogatari · Black Butler · Butterfly Cloud · Crows · Doraemon · Ghost Sweeper Mikami · Kage Kara Mamoru! · Kunimitsu · Kuroshitsuji · Libero Revolution · Love Honor · Maria Holic · Nodame Cantabile · Nurse Diary · Pangeran Kacamata · Rebirth
Kuroshitsuji 「 黒執事 」 by Toboso Yana
Square Enix GFantasy, shounen
Volume 8 first published in Japan 2009.11
Ongoing English serialization in Yen Plus (Black Butler volume 1 released 2010.01.26; volume 2 street date: 2010.05.18) Alternative English and simplified Chinese versions by Chuang Yi (latest simplified Chinese: volume 8; English: volume 1). Published in Taiwan in traditional Chinese by Tong Li, and in France by Kana.
Volume VIII contains chapters:
033. (その執事、信望 )
034. (その執事、従容 )
035. (その執事、遂行 )
036. (その執事、随行 )
037. (その執事、新調 )
Related: Black Butler Character Guide (黒執事 キャラクターガイド 「その執事、集合」 Kuroshitsuji Character Guide ) (2008.02) · The TV Animation Black Butler Black Record (TVアニメーション「黒執事」 Black Record) (2009.03) · Rainbow Butler (虹執事 Nijishitsuji) official comics anthology (2009.03).
A 24-episode anime adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures aired in Japan from October 2008 to March 2009. A second series, Kuroshitsuji II, is slated to debut this coming July with a new master and butler pair. Seiyuu Sakurai Takahiro (Genji Hikaru in Genji Monogatari Sennenki) is butler Claude Faustus and master Alois Trancy is played by Mizuki Nana (Aihara Kotoko in Itazura na Kiss).
Two drama CDs were released earlier than the first anime (August 2007 by Frontier Works and November 2008 by Aniplex).
A musical adaptation, That Butler, Friendship (その執事、友好 Sono Shitsuji, Yūkō), enjoyed a theater run from May 28, 2009 to June 7, 2009. A second stage musical, Musical Black Butler, The Most Beautiful Death in The World, A Thousand Soul and The Fallen Grim Reapers (ミュージカル『黒執事』〜ザ・モースト・ビューティフル・デス・イン・ザ・ワールド〜千の魂と堕ちた死神 Kuroshitsuji Sen no Tamashii to Ochita Shinigami) has Matsushita Yuya reprising his role as Sebastian Michaelis. Nishii Yukito, instead of Sakamoto Shougo, plays the role of Ciel Phantomhive in the second musical that opens in May 2010 in Japan.