Update: I've revised my initial verdict on Love Class by Ayumi Rin. Look for my longer (and fairer) review shortly Done, reviewed here.
Bleach © Kubo Tite/Shueisha [Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump]
Published in Indonesia by Gramedia/m&c!
Fifty Bleach 40 volumes were delivered to my neighborhood Elex Comic Center on STO day. What's the big deal with 50 books? Well, the other m&c! titles only totaled 20 each, max. I'm sure Ulquiorra-sama is happy :D
Previously on Bleach...
May contain [SPOILERS!]
Back in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo fights Ulquiorra; although neither of them use all their powers, Ulquiorra continues overpowering Ichigo.
In Bleach 40: The Lust,
Ulquiorra releases his zanpakutō which increases his powers to the point that Ichigo is virtually helpless before him. As Ichigo refuses to give up, Ulquiorra makes a second zanpakutō release and blows a hole in Ichigo's chest.
Both synopses come from Wiki's Bleach summaries as m&c!'s only goes as far as The battle between Ichigo and Ulquiorra continues! To bring Orihime out of Las Noches, Ichigo must fight desperately against Ulquiorra.
Bleach Volume 40: The Lust compiles chapters 341 through 349: The Envy,
The Greed,
The Gluttony,
The Pride,
The Sloth,
The Wrath,
The Lust,
The Lust 2
and The Lust 3.
Female Wolf's BOY 17 of 17 by Han YuRang
Cha EunSoo is kidnapped again, and this time, her captors don't pull their punches. An already battered Gang JaeHee shields EunSoo from their blows; his former girlfriend cries her heart out when he falls unmoving on top of her...
So that's the lowdown, heading into Female Wolf's BOY, The End.
With the conclusion of FWB—and Sandwich Girl—that's a wrap for the 2 × Han YuRang series from the original 4 × 132 x 200mm soonjung manhwa m&c! launched under a year ago. Of the quartet, only Hwang MiRee's Idol Shopping and Ugly Duckling Become Swan remain current, although the latter only until next week. (UDBS 13 streets on the 8th.)
I preview the other series finales—Magical x Miracle (volume 6) and Out Code (volume 3)—after the release list.
Hai, Miiko! 23 of 23+ by Ono Eriko
Hey, today's Father's Day! 父の日、おめでとう。
Miiko was supposed to buy Daddy a gift, but she forgot. And now, all she has left is 32 yen [around IDR 3,400]. Can Miiko make her dad happy with spare change?
Elex's 6.01 STO excludes Hai, Miiko! 23 from the release list, an omission m&c! rectifies. I don't know when the Miiko Chichi no hi story first came out, but the tank streeted March 2010 in Japan. Japan celebrates Father's Day on the third Sunday in June, which means 19th June this year (the 20th last year).
New m&c! titles: Seiyuu-Ka! by Minami Maki ♡
Seiyuu-Ka!
© Minami Maki/
Hakusensha
[Hana to Yume]
Published as
Seiyuu-Ka! Lovely Voice
by m&c!
Of the manga debuts, the one spawning the most Kyaaa~s is the Voice Acting love comedy Seiyuu-Ka! Lovely Voice from the creator of Special A, Minami Maki.
Kino Hime enrolls into the voice acting department of Hiiragi Academy, the prestigious seiyuu high school famous for launching voice actors to stardom. Hime's dream is to become the lead CV (character voice) of the hit anime “Lovely Blazers.”
There's only one problem — a couple, actually: Hime's unlovely voice and her lack of grace, both of which land her in detention with three other delinquents.
If only to find out why this Hana to Yume series is listed under Gender Bender, am taking Seiyuu-Ka! Lovely Voice for a spin. (I lurve the Reverse Trap trope, though I could care less about Tsundere, Tsundere Male Lead
with which this manga is also tagged.
I mentioned S•A at the top, but m&c! has also published Minami Maki-sensei's Kimi wa Girlfriend and Anemone Flower Shop.
As for the other new titles, we get megane moe redux in Glasses Boys' Fans Club by Kawamaru Shin (Glasses Boys' Lovers' sib); Love Triangle, anyone? Heroine Complex by Naoda Tsuboko; Whoa! this Teacher is Scary! Love Class by Ayumi Rin (I pan this below Prematurely, as it turns out.); “I will punish you in the name of Love!” Love Samurai by Aoi Michiru and Kleenex alert! My Tiger Boy by Sakisaka Mea (two-volume launch). All Shogakukan shoujo manga, all Sho-Comi alumni, except Ciao grad Love Samurai and ex-Betsucomi Glasses Boys' Fans Club. (I preview these manga below the release list.)
☂ [RE-STO]: If you missed some (or all) volumes of Fujieda Tohru's Dragon Girl, or Sakamoto Miku's Nekomachi Shop Guide, or Shigematsu Takako's Not An Angel, now's your chance to complete your collection.
m&c! manga (2011.06.01)
- Bleach 40 of 50+ by Kubo Tite
- [Premiere] Glasses Boys' Fans Club (Moe Megane Danshi Kurabu) by Kawamaru Shin
- Hai, Miiko! (Kocchi Muite! Miiko) 23 of 23+ by Ono Eriko
- [Premiere] Heroine Complex by Naoda Tsuboko
- [Premiere] Love Class (Renai Kyoushuujo) by Ayumi Rin
- [Premiere] Love Samurai (Love Samurai Yuika) by Aoi Michiru
- Magical x Miracle 6 of 6 by Mizutani Yuzu [Finale]
- [Series Premiere] My Tiger Boy (Tora wa Amaku Kiba de Kamu) 1 of 2 by Sakisaka Mea
- [Premiere] My Tiger Boy (Tora wa Amaku Kiba de Kamu) 2 of 2 by Sakisaka Mea [Finale]
- Out Code 3 of 3 by Suzuragi Karin & Himenogi Haruhiko [Finale]
- [Series Premiere] Seiyuu-Ka! Lovely Voice (Seiyuu-ka!) 1 of 6+ by Minami Maki
- Sky Blue Beach (Sorairo Kaigan) 5 of 6 by Yamada Nanpei
 | Moe Megane Danshi Kurabu 「萌メガネ男子倶楽部」 |
Related series
Glasses Boys' Lovers
 | Kocchi Muite! Miiko 「こっちむいて！みい子」 |
Awards
Best Children's Manga, 41st Shogakukan Manga Awards (1995)
Related series
Namaku Miiko! (prequel; four volumes)
Adaptations
A 42-episode anime adaptation by Toei Animation with seiyuu Tenjin Umi as Yamada Miiko aired on TV Asahi from February 1998 to February 1999.
 | Heroine Complex 「ヒロイン★コンプレックス」 |
 | Renai Kyoushuujo 「恋愛教習所」 by Ayumi Rin |
 | Love Samurai Yuika 「ラブ侍ユイカ」 by Aoi Michiru |
 | Magical x Miracle |
Other languages
English Magical x Miracle (TOKYOPOP: six volumes)
 | Tora wa Amaku Kiba de Kamu 「虎は甘く牙で噛む」 |
 | Volume 2 first published in Japan 2010.05 |
 | Out Code - Choujou Hanzai Tokumu Sousakan |
 | Seiyuu-ka! 「声優かっ！」 by Minami Maki |
 | Sorairo Kaigan 「空色海岸」 by Yamada Nanpei |
Other languages
English Skyblue Shore (TOKYOPOP: two volumes per 2011.03; further releases cancelled)
m&c! manhwa (2011.06.01)
- Female Wolf's BOY 17 of 17 by Han YuRang [Finale]
- My Own Princess (Personalized Princess) 3 of 10 by Hwang MiRee
- Say Say Say 2 of 7 by Hwang MiRee
 | [Female Wolf's BOY] |
Related
Based on the Korean Internet novel 암컷늑대의 BOY by i쿠키i조아 (iCookieiLike).
 | Personalized Princess 「나만의 공주님」 |
 | Say Say Say 「세이 세이 세이 (Say Say Say)」 |
[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]
AMERO comis (2011.06.01)
- Monika dan Kawan-Kawan (Turma da Mônica) 141 by Mauricio De Sousa
[RE-STO] Restocked (2011.06.01)
- Dragon Girl 1 of 5 by Fujieda Tohru
- Dragon Girl 2 of 5 by Fujieda Tohru
- Dragon Girl 3 of 5 by Fujieda Tohru
- Dragon Girl 4 of 5 by Fujieda Tohru
- Dragon Girl 5 of 5 by Fujieda Tohru [Finale]
- Nekomachi Shop Guide 1 of 2 by Sakamoto Miku
- Nekomachi Shop Guide 2 of 2 by Sakamoto Miku [Finale]
- Not An Angel (Tenshi ja Nai!!) 1 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 2 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 3 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 4 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 5 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 6 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 7 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako
- Not An Angel 8 of 8 by Shigematsu Takako [Finale]
- Rainbow over Her Arms (Anoko no Ude wa Niji no Tsuzuki) by Suzuki Yufuko
¹ Source: m&c! (covers and release advisory)
² All (including restocked) are priced at IDR 16,500, except manhwa (IDR 19,900 each).
³ Links like this are commercial Amazon search and/or product links (other language versions).
New titles continued
Glasses Boys' Fans Club by Kawamaru Shin
Aotani High boasts of a secret photography club devoted to immortalizing guys in glasses. Here, files are kept on the Bespectacled Emperor, the Cool, the Galahad, the Timid, even the True Geek megane.
The follow-up to Glasses Boys' Lovers, Glasses Boys' Fans Club includes the Love & Money
one-shot in addition to the Glasses Boys' Fans Club
story.
Heroine Complex by Naoda Tsuboko
Shy girl Koyuki, school beauty Nagisa and student council president Shin — each has a story to tell. In the upcoming cultural festival, who will emerge The Heroine?
Naoda Tsuboko-sensei has another Shy Girl-troped story, the Sho-Comi one-shot Haikei, Nanashi-sama.
The Heroine Complex omnibus appears to be her/his only tankou compilation.
Love Class by Ayumi Rin
Ran has been rejected by 18 guys already, but that's not stopping her from crushing on the school's most popular megane, Takashina. She's prepared to do anything to win Takashina's heart, even if she has to submit to a military-uniformed, whip-wielding Spartan's love training!
Verdict is #Fail Overhasty *sweatdrop*
Here's a case of DJAMBIC (Don't Judge a Manga By Its Cover). I was totally taken in by the droolicious military uniform but I barely finished the tedious, incredible (as in NOT credible) Love Class.
(Never mind dipping into the other two stories, Incomplete Love Song
and The Forgotten One.
) In all fairness, because I didn't finish the volume, I'm not giving Love Class a grade, but the fact that I gave up on it implies...
»Edit As I noted above, I was rash in panning this manga. The other two stories, Incomplete Love Song
and The Forgotten One,
redeem this omnibus. To make up, I will review this separately. »Edit2 Reviewed here.
m&c! published Ayumi Rin-sensei's Salon for a Broken Heart last September. Her other works include Usotsuki na Kanojo; Kiss Yori mo Ijiwaru; and Hoshii no wa, Anata Dake, also one-volume anthologies. Her current Sho-Comi serial is Taiyou wo Tsukamaete!
Love Samurai by Aoi Michiru
Hi, I'm Yuika! I'm head over heels over Youta who's in my kendo class. I have trouble telling him how I feel, but I still hate to see people underestimate love.
“People who laugh at love will cry for love! I am the Love Samurai!”
Aoi Michiru-sensei's backlist also includes Rhythmical Style, Super Sweet Honey and Tokimeku Marriage.
My Tiger Boy 1 of 2 by Sakisaka Mea
Misaki has missed a lot of classes because of her illness. She has logged so many absences, she's in danger of being held back. Her teacher suggests makeup lessons for Misaki to catch up.
Imagine Misaki's consternation when she finds out she's not the only one taking extra lessons. Class Badass Taiga is, too!
But Taiga-kun ain't so bad. He's like a tiger, yet he envelopes me with such gentleness...,
or so goes Shinnen's Tora wa Amaku Kiba de Kamu opener, excerpted by Baka-Updates Manga.
My Tiger Boy 2 of 2 by Sakisaka Mea
Misaki screws up her courage to confess to Taiga...and Taiga accepts. Their happy time together shatters when a doctor tells Misaki she doesn't have long to live.
What will the tiger that bites sweetly by the fang do? What hand or eye can dare frame his fearful symmetry? Keep a handkerchief or tissues handy, just in case.
Sakisaka Mea's Cute! Cute! Cute! also double launched, back in February. Her other Sho-Comi completed series include Gal Kadou, Himekei Doll and Lovely Lesson.
Series finales
Magical x Miracle 6 of 6 by Mizutani Yuzu
Several years have passed since the Master Wizard's departure. The protectors are forging their own paths, including Mel, now a wizard school graduate. Still, the Master Wizard's ideals hold sway, keeping another war at bay.
Will anyone actually replace the Master Wizard?
m&c!'s Magical x Miracle 6 synopsis seems so much Happy Ever After epilogue, I have to excerpt from TOKYOPOP's Magical x Miracle, Vol. 6 for some pre-curtains excitement: [P]eace is about to be rudely interrupted by the King of Caldia. Merleawe must put her master's wizardry to work one last time.
Out Code 3 of 3 by Suzuragi Karin & Himenogi Haruhiko
To help Hinako, Kirio takes on the core members of Helios. Can Kirio and Hinako save the world from the Helios threat?
The rest of the ongoing series
- My Own Princess 3 by Hwang MiRee: Nuri learns she has a younger sister. Aris turns out to be the true princess Bayu and Asyu are fighting over. The suitor Princess Aris chooses will reign as the next king and odds favor Asyu wearing the crown. Unwilling to accept defeat, Bayu takes advantage of Nuri to...
- Say Say Say 2 by Hwang MiRee: Yun Say meets Seo Young Won more often because of Jun Hwi and Young Won's friendship. The more frequently they meet, the more curious Say gets. She definitely feels something for Young Won, a feeling Jun Hwi, her boyfriend, doesn't inspire.
- Sky Blue Beach 5 by Yamada Nanpei: Tento likes Tomo but Tomo likes Tento's older brother Riku. Riku refuses Tomo, telling her he can't have a relationship with his student. What's going to happen to this love triangle now?
Still not enuf? Here are the other 1 June 2011 manga
Elex Media: One Piece 58 · Dream Eater Merry 2 · Kome Si Belang 3 · Kariage kun 42 · The Recipe For Gertrude 4 · V.B. Rose 7 · The Tyr Chronicles 6 · Crows 18 · Inazuma Eleven 3 · Lum, The Invader Girl 29 · Tena on S-string 7 · Doraemon: Gadget Cat from the Future 6
Level Comics: Soul Eater 7 · Dawn of The Arcana 1 by Toma Rei · Blade of Immortal 16 · A Spirit of The Sun 11 · Dark Edge 1 by Aikawa Yu · Attack!! 7 · Ghost Mum Investigator 3 · Rantanplan - Biang Masalah · Rantanplan - Natal Bersama · Spirou dan Fantasio - Jamur dan Sang Diktator
Iamque opus exegi,
~niki DBA 30uɐlnɯɐnɥ (花木蘭03)
Mistress of Adoxography
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 · 7net Shopping · YES24 · Wikipedia · ANN
Bleach 「ＢＬＥＡＣＨ－ブリーチ－」 by Kubo Tite
Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, shounen
Volume 40 (chapters 341-349) first published in Japan 2009.08
Awards
Best Shounen Manga, 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards
Other languages
English Bleach (34 volumes per 2011.03 • volume 35 street date: 2011.06.07), French (Glénat; Tome 42: Shock of the queen shipped 2011.05.04 • Tome 43 street date: 2011.07.01), Spanish (Glénat in Spain, Grupo Editorial Vid in Mexico), German (TOKYOPOP Germany), Dutch (Kana), Russian (Эксмо), Polish (JPF), Portuguese (Planet Manga) and simplified Chinese (Chuang Yi: Volume 48: God is Dead per 2011.01 • Volume 49: The Lost Agent street date: 2011.06.07)
Related
Kubo Tite and Makoto Matsubara co-authored two Bleach novels: BLEACH-letters from the other side: The Death and The Strawberry (Japan release: 2004.12) and BLEACH: The Honey Dish Rhapsody (2006.10).
The Bleach All Colour But The Black artbook, compiling color spreads from manga volumes 1 through 19 with original art and author annotations, released in Japan (2006.12), USA (The Art of Bleach, 2008.10) and France (All colour but the black: Recueil des illustrations de Bleach, 2008.11).
Companion guidebooks have also been published: Bleach SOULs and Bleach VIBEs released 2006.02 in Japan (The English Bleach SOULs. Official Character Book shipped 2008.11 in North America, while the French version streeted 2009.11). A third Bleach Official Bootleg: KaraBuri+ guidebook released 2007.08 in Japan. (English Color Bleach+: The Bleach Official Bootleg released 2010.08.10.) The fourth and fifth Bleach: Official Character Book 2: MASKED and Official Character Book 3: UNMASKED streeted/streets in Japan on 2010.08.04 (same day as Volume 46, Back From Blind) and 2011.06.03 (along with Volume 50).
Adaptations
Studio Pierrot's anime adaptation first broadcast in October 2004 and continues to this day. Season 15: Gotei 13 Invading Army opened with episode 317 in April 2011; latest episode 324 aired 2011.05.31). Seiyuu Morita Masakazu and Orikasa Fumiko star as Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia, with Park Romi playing 10th Division captain Hitsugaya Toshiro. Two OAVs and four theatrical movies—Memories of Nobody, The DiamondDust Rebellion, Another Hyōrinmaru, Fade to Black, I Call Your Name and Bleach: The Hell Verse—have been released. (Novelizations of these movies have also been published by JUMP J Books: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name in December 2008 and Bleach: The Hell Verse in December 2010.) Additionally, Warner Bros. has confirmed it will be producing a Bleach live-action film.
At least eight drama CDs have been produced. Featuring the original anime cast, the drama CDs were bundled with the DVDs.