Also, GTO 2 and the nine other manga and BD titles, including two debuts
XBlade © Ida Tatsuhiko & Shiki Satoshi/Kodansha
[Serialized in Shonen Sirius]
Published in Indonesia by Elex Media/Level Comics
After a few days spent learning about a changed world, Mana decides to go to Tokyo's 13th District. Haru, too, makes up his mind to face his childhood trauma and accompanies Mana. But before they can even find the 13th District ingress, the pair is intercepted by the Aoi Kikan organization. The situation deteriorates when two Nanatsusaya members emerge. Can Haru deal with this double-barreled attack?
Yes, XBlade 2 is the Level top DO WANT!, despite an IDR 20,000 price tag that apparently owes its priceyness to the color pages AND the special preparation of the cover.
The XBlade logo—squint at the superimposed “X” on above cover—is processed separately so that it looks that good looking.
(Thanks for the share, Demonbasher-san.)
Bloody Monday 3 of 11 by Ryumon Ryou & Megumi Kouji
Fujimaru's suspicions about Ms. Orihara resurfaces, after he and Otoya manage to lure the so-called teacher into admitting she was in Russia on Christmas eve. Meanwhile, Ryunosuke retrieves the files Shikimura entrusted to old friend Munakata, only to be attacked later by Jack Damon.
Can Fujimaru make it in time to save Ryunosuke? And what exactly are in the two files Okita and Shikimura left behind?
☆ Previewing the next Most Wanteds (Red River 6 and GTO 2) along with the other ongoing series (waaay below). Find the featured seinen manga—a Kubonouchi Eisaku double bill of Chocolat and Cherry penultimates—down there, too.
Level premieres
Miyoshi Yuuki's Devil Devil and Watanabe Jun's RRR launch this Wednesday. But since most everyone already knows the Unrealistic fighting
Devil Devil—the clash 'n gags between devil Sword and angel Ios, who fell to earth and now possess the bodies of twin brothers—I'm spotlighting underdog RRR up here. (I like Rock 'n' Roll Ricky's afro ^^).
RRR © Watanabe Jun/
Kodansha
[Young Magazine]
At the advanced age of 27, Iwamaki Rikitaro still cherishes hopes of becoming a rock star. His band mates, however, make fun of his Jimi Hendrix! Jim Morrison! dream. Adding insult to ego injury, Rikitaro's girlfriend cheats on and then ditches him.
Just as Rikitaro is at his lowest enthusiasm nashi point, he meets world boxing champ (now retired) Oishi Raita. Raita recognizes Rikitaro's potential — just not in music, but in boxing!
[Additions from mangahelpers.com's RRR description, excerpted by Baka-Updates Manga]
Aside from the Boxing, Older Main Character, Rock Band
RRR, Watanabe Jun-sensei is responsible for the 62-volume seinen science fiction/action manga, Emblem Take 2. Current serial in Weekly Young Magazine is the murder mystery drama Montage (three volumes, ongoing).
Level ROMICs (bande dessinée)
Also on tap: Lucky Luke - Alibi (Lucky Luke, Tome 27: L'Alibi) by Morris and Claude Guylouïs, in which Luke babysits Gisela, who ups and gets herself kidnapped, and Michel Vaillant - Pengkhianatan Steve Warson (Michel Vaillant, Tome 6: La trahison de Steve Warson) by Jean Graton, which per its title, deals with the alleged betrayal of Vaillante team by Michel's best friend, Steve Warson.
Level Comics manga (2011.04.13)
- 3x3 Eyes 38 of 40 by Takada Yuzo
- Bloody Monday 3 of 11 by Ryumon Ryou & Megumi Kouji
- Cherry 3 of 4 by Kubonouchi Eisaku
- Chocolat 6 of 7 by Kubonouchi Eisaku
- [Series Premiere] Devil Devil 1 of 15 by Miyoshi Yuuki
- Giant Killing 2 of 19+ by Tsunamoto Masaya & Tsujitomo
- GTO 2 of 25 by Fujisawa Toru
- Jio 14 of 19 by Kishimoto Seishi
- Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) 6 of 28 by Shinohara Chie
- [Series Premiere] RRR 1 of 10 by Watanabe Jun
- X Blade 2 of 12+ by Ida Tatsuhiko & Shiki Satoshi
 | Bloody Monday 「ブラッディ・マンデイ」 |
Other languages
English Bloody Monday: Season 1 (Chuang Yi: volume 8 per 2010.08 and Kodansha Comics: Bloody Monday volume 1 street date: 2011.08.23), simplified Chinese (Chuang Yi: 11 volumes, concluded), traditional Chinese 血色星期一 (Tong Li Taiwan; 11 volumes) and French (PIKA Édition: four volumes per 2011.03; Tome 5 ships 2011.05.04)
Related series
Bloody Monday Season 2 - Zetsubou no Kou (sequel, AKA Bloody Monday Season 2 ~Pandora no Hako~,
seven volumes as at 2011.03.17)
Adaptations
An 11-episode live-action renzoku aired from October through December 2008 on TBS, followed by a second season, Bloody Monday Season2 ~Pandora no Hako~ (January to March 2010, nine episodes). Actor/singer Miura Haruma returned as protagonist Fujimaru Takagi/Falcon in the sequel.
 | Cherry 「Ｃｈｅｒｒｙ」 by Kubonouchi Eisaku |
 | Chocolat 「ショコラ」 by Kubonouchi Eisaku |
Other languages
Traditional Chinese 流氓蛋糕店 (Tong Li: seven volumes per 2004.07)
Adaptations
Live-action adaptation starring Otsuka Chihiro, Natsuyagi Isao, Takahashi Kazuya and Ishii Teruyuki aired in Japan from May to July 2003
 | Devil Devil 「デビデビ」 by Miyoshi Yuuki |
Volume 1 chapters*
1. Falling angels
2. A strange friend
3. The Batcat
4. A mysterious baby
5. The second henchman
6. The Breath of Batcat
7. The Exorcist
*NOT Level Comics' titles; mechanically translated from PIKA Édition's Devil Devil, Tome 1 summary and the Japanese table of contents
Other languages
French (PIKA Édition: 15 volumes per 2005.10), German (Planet Manga)
 | Giant Killing 「ＧＩＡＮＴ ＫＩＬＬＩＮＧ」 |
Awards
34th Kodansha Manga Award for General Manga
Adaptations
Studio DEEN's 26-episode anime adaptation, starring seiyuu Seki Tomokazu (Tatsumi Takeshi), Okiayu Ryotaro (Murakoshi Shigeyuki), Mizushima Takahiro (Tsubaki Daisuke) and Ono Daisuke (Yoshida Luigi) aired between April and September 2010 on NHK.
 | GTO 「ＧＴＯ」 by Fujisawa Toru |
Awards
Best Shounen Manga, 1998 Kodansha Manga Awards
Other languages
Bilingual Japanese/English (Kodansha International, three volumes per 1999.12), English GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (TOKYOPOP: 25 volumes), French (PIKA Édition: 25 volumes), Italian (Dynamic Italia), German (EMA), Polish (Waneko), Swedish (Schibsted Förlagen Sverige AB; serialized in Manga Mania), traditional Chinese (Tong Li)
Related series
Prequels: Shounan Junaigumi! AKA GTO: The Early Years (31 of 31 volumes) and Bad Company (1 of 1 volume) and GTO: Shonan 14 Days (sequel, six volumes as at 2011.02, ongoing)
Adaptations
A live-action GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka TV series, starring Sorimachi Takashi (Onizuka Eikichi) and Matsushima Nanako (Fuyutsuki Azusa) telecast from July to September 1998 on Fuji TV and Kansai TV (followed by GTO Drama Special; 1999.08.28 and GTO: The Movie; 1991) and Studio Pierrot's 43-episode Great Teacher Onizuka anime adaptation, starring seiyuu Takagi Wataru as Onizuka, that aired between June 1999 and September 2000.
 | Jio 「６６６～サタン～」 by Kishimoto Seishi |
Volume 14 chapters:
53. Bonds
54. Ancient People
55. Legendary O-Parts
56. New Member
*NOT Level Comics' titles
Other languages
English O-Parts Hunter (VIZ Media: 19 volumes), French (Kurokawa tome 19 released 2008.12) and Italian (JPOP)
 | Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori |
Awards
Best Shoujo Manga, 46th Shogakukan Manga Awards (2000)
Other languages
English Red River (VIZ Media: 28 volumes), Italian Anatolia Story (Editions Star Comics: 28 volumes), German (EMA/Egmont Manga and Anime), Vietnamese Dòng Sông Huyền Bí (Tre Publishing House) and traditional Chinese 赤河戀影 (Tong Li)
Adaptations
Eight drama CDs were released between 1997 and 2003.
Related
An artbook (Japan release: 1999.02.24), fanbook (2002.07.26) and a two-volume novel adaptation
Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori Gaiden Ma ga Jidai no Reimei written and illustrated by Shinohara Chie-sensei (2007.05 and 2007.09)
 | RRR 「ＲＲＲ」 by Watanabe Jun |
 | XBlade 「ＸＢＬＡＤＥ」 |
[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]
Level Comics European comics/BDs (2011.04.13)
- Lucky Luke - Alibi (Lucky Luke, Tome 27: L'Alibi) by Morris, Claude Guylouïs
- Michel Vaillant - Pengkhianatan Steve Warson (Michel Vaillant, Tome 6: La trahison de Steve Warson) by Jean Graton
¹ Sources: Elex STO 13 April 2011 (release schedule) and Komikologi and/or Gramedia Shop (synopses, unless indicated otherwise).
² All manga retail for IDR 18,500 except XBlade 2 (IDR 20,000) and 3x3 Eyes 38 and Cherry 3 (IDR 19,500). ROMICs Lucky Luke - Alibi and Michel Vaillant - Pengkhianatan Steve Warson retail for IDR 30,000 and IDR 38,000 respectively.
³ Links like this are commercial Amazon search and/or product links (other language versions).
Featured
Cherry 3 of 4 by Kubonouchi Eisaku
Kaoru tries to survive boredom by part-timing, the ennui-busting tactic not helping his stalled relatioship with Fuko. He really doesn't need Gundam otaku Kisaragi Jin redoubling efforts to get Fuko, nor an accidental meeting with his ex, Meguppe, if he is to salvage his and Fuko's relationship.
The penultimate Cherry compiles chapters 20 through 30. After this, there are only 11 more chapters (31-41) to go.
Chocolat 6 of 7 by Kubonouchi Eisaku
Hi, Matsukichi here!! Without knowing it, the Maya bakery has been around for a year. My kids have also gotten used to working with cakes and pastries. I wish everything stays like this forever.
But what's this? Chiyoko's real father shows up and tries to convince her to live with him again? But she hates him! Or does she...?
The penultimate Chocolat contains 10 episodes (sequentially, chapters 54-63). Ten more eppies to go.
The rest of the ongoing series
- 3x3 Eyes 38 by Takada Yuzo: Yakumo tries to prevent Sanjiyan from taking Kali to Kaiyanwan, but is stopped by Benares. As the world watches, the human transformation rite begins.
- Giant Killing 2 by Tsunamoto Masaya & Tsujitomo: The league opens with a pre-season match, with ETU pitted against Tokyo Victory. Does Tatsumi's ETU team, still trying to find its legs, stand a chance against Team Victory, studded with Japanese national team stars?
- GTO 2 by Fujisawa Toru: Eikichi misses taking the Big Teaching Exam that would pave his way to becoming a Great Teacher, but fortunately, teaching in private schools requires no stinkin' test. He lands an interview at Tokyo Kissho, but from the beginning, he already causes problems for the vice principal. Will Eikichi be booted out before he can even get a foot in?
- Jio 14 by Kishimoto Seishi: With Icaros defeated, Rock Bird crumbles. Amidaba successfully rescues Ball and the others, but a Satan-controlled Jio continues to battle Cross. Can Jio and Ruby, who stayed behind, eventually say good-bye and good riddance to Rock Bird?
- Red River 6 by Shinohara Chie: Kail and Zannanza push off for Washukanni to free Yuri from the clutches of Prince of Darkness, but Yuri insists on remaining at the palace to help retake the city from within.
Still not satisfied with Level's largesse? Here are
Other 13 April 2011 manga and manga
- Elex Media: · Skip Beat! 19 · Defense Devil 3 · Ciuman Dewa 4 · Ghost's Doctor 3 · Culdcept 3 · Vinland Saga 2 · I Hate You More Than Anyone 6 · Inazuma Eleven 2 · Mystery Bride 2 · Masked Rider Spirits 14 · Doraemon 5 · Demon King 33
- m&c!: Sugar Family 6 of 6 · Gunslinger Girl 12 · Ugly Duckling Become Swan 10 · Crab Kiss 1 and Say Say Say 1 by Hwang MiRee · Sandwich Girl 7 · Idol Love Story 1 by Han YuRang · My Sweet Home 6 of 6
Iamque opus exegi,
~niki DBA 30uɐlnɯɐnɥ (花木蘭03)
Mistress of Adoxography who reminds you to continue praying for and supporting Japan
disclaimer
Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
other invaluable resources
Baka-Updates Manga · Wikipedia · 7net Shopping · ANN
Technorati tags
Level Comics · manga · ROMIC (BD) · seinen · shoujo · shounen · 3X3 Eyes · Bloody Monday · Cherry · Chocolat · Devil Devil · Giant Killing · GTO · Jio · Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori AKA Anatolia Story) · RRR · XBlade · Lucky Luke · Michel Vaillant
3×3 EYES 「３×３ＥＹＥＳ」 by Takada Yuzo
Kodansha Weekly Young Magazine, seinen
Volume 38 first published in Japan 2002.03
Other languages
English 3x3 Eyes (Dark Horse Comics; till volume 8), Korean (Young Movie Comics), French (PIKA Édition; 40 volumes), Spanish (Planeta DeAgostini Comics; dropped), Italian (Editions Star Comics) and German 3x3 Augen (Carlsen Comics)
Awards
Best Shounen Manga, 1993 Kodansha Manga Awards
Adaptations
Two anime OAVs starring seiyuu Tsujitani Kouji (Fujii Yakumo) and Hayashibara Megumi (Ayanokouji Pai)