Still using Japanese covers. Will replace later with Elex's Update: Covers OK; synops still unavailable
Don't look for Naruto volume 54 here. Neither the Indonesian cover nor contents—that's the entirety, isn't it?—have been greenlit, and approvals may (or may not) come by next month. In addition, Q.E.D. 39, Kungfu Boy 9 Premium and Nakayoshi Gress! 01/2012 have also been postponed. Only NakaGress has a new street date (2012.01.25).
Hayate no Gotoku © Hata Kenjiro/Shogakukan [Serialized in Shonen Sunday] · Hanasakeru Seishounen © Itsuki Natsumi/Hakusensha [First serialized in LaLa]. Published in Indonesia as Hayate The Combat Butler by Elex Media
Don't have the Elex Hayate The Combat Butler volume 26 preview yet (only chapter titles ex-Wiki; click the «Wiki link or toggle the Hayate release link below to see). Also don't have that of Blooming Youth 9. The latter is definitely frustrating because I wanted to work in in my babble the Hanasakeru Seishounen: Tokubetsuhen volume 2 and Hanasakeru Seishounen Premium Fanbook (both released last December) pix tweep Raynelly kindly shared with me. Why? Because the sad
story of Harry—HanaSei 9 cover if I'm not mistaken—appears in HanaSei Tokubetsuhen 2 *and* because Rumaty is that special story's volume 2 cover — which gives me a flimsy excuse to fangirl Rumaty-sama~! ♡ XD LiRen-sama fangirls (and boys), don't fret. Little Liren and his bishie dad also appear
in Tokubetsuhen 2, assures Ray-chan.
Now back to the actual Elex titles that street on the 18th.
Traumeister vol 3 of 5
By Nakayama Atsushi
Chandra's evil plan exploits people's naiveté and low self esteem — unforgivable!
Book Three of the ‘Super Sensation Healing Battle’ Traumeister, Elex sez, begins with the rescue of Fabre and the arrival of Da Vinci. Picasso and Guernica have to deal with the most villainous of villains, and it doesn't help that they're as strong as they are evil.
Elex insists you don't miss out on Traumeister, especially if you're a fan of Hyde & Closer. (I think they share a premise.) Just be prepared to wait, though; the gap between volumes 2 and 3 was a year—oh, OK, 11 months if you insist on the discount.
Mangazines: Shonen Star 01/2012
The issue number is correct; your eyes don't deceive you. The first ShoStar of 2012 retains the 24/2011
number. As for Shonen Star 01/2012 proper, Arakawa Hiromu's The Perils of Animal Husbandry
Silver Spoon (Gin no Saji: Silver Spoon) premieres, if we go by the write-up in the January Komikologi). Will confirm when I have an Issue 01/2012 on hand. «Edit: Yup, Silver Spoon debuts. Scroll down for NikBabble™.
Elex Media manga (2012.01.18)
- Blooming Youth (Hanasakeru Seishounen) vol 9 of 12 by Itsuki Natsumi
- Dear Boys Act 3 vol 7 of 8+ by Yagami Hiroki
- Dodge Fighters (Ganbare! Dodgeball Fighters) vol 9 of 10 by Murakami Toshiya & Saito Muneo
- Hayate The Combat Butler (Hayate no Gotoku) vol 26 of 31+ by Hata Kenjiro
- New Kobochan (Shin Kobo-chan) vol 14 of 22+ by Ueda Masashi
- Traumeister vol 3 of 5 by Nakayama Atsushi
 | Dear Boys Act3 |
Related
Dear Boys and Dear Boys Act2 (prequels)
Other languages
Simplified Chinese (Chuang Yi: volume 4 released 2010.08)
 | Ganbare! Dodgeball Fighters |
 | Hayate no Gotoku 「ハヤテのごとく！」 |
Volume 26 chapters:
273. *Heartbeat* ♥ It's an Operation ★ To Make the Maidens' Hearts Flutter ♥ Or Something Like That
274. Meow Meow Meow Meow Meoooow
275. Meoow Meoow Meow Meow Meow Meow Meow Meow Meow Meooow ♡
276. Miaooow ♡
277. Family Ties and Other Connections Can Be Found Here
278. Dreadful Power of Privileges
279. I Want to Meet Someone Who Has Looked Upon Me Kindly
280. It's DESTINY
281. My Birthday is October 19th. I'm a Libra.
282. Happy Birthday to Me
283. Most Effort is for the Sake of Staying With Someone
[*NOT Elex chapter titles]
Other languages
English Hayate The Combat Butler (VIZ Media: 18 volumes per 2011.09 • volume 19 street date: 2012.02.07), French (Kana: Hayate The Combat Butler Tome 10 shipped 2012.01.06 • Tome 11 street date: 2012.03.02), traditional Chinese (Sharp Point Press Taiwan: 旋風管家！ 28 per 2011.11)
Adaptations
Two anime seasons, at least one OAV and an anime film, Hayate no Gotoku! Heaven Is a Place on Earth that premiered 27 August 2011 in Japan. Seiyuu Shiraishi Ryoko voiced Ayasaki Hayate and Kugimiya Rie, Sanzenin Nagi.
The Taiwanese live-action Hayate The Combat Butler TV adaptation, starring George Hu as Hayate (Xiao Sa/Ling Qisa) and Park ShinHye (voiced by He Yipei) as Nagi (Xiao Zhi/Sanqianyuan Zhi), originally aired on FTV from June to September 2011, and on the cable channel GTV Variety Show from June to September 2011.
At least two light novels have been published: the first by Tsukiji Toshihiko and illustrated by Hata Kenjiro (JP release: 2007.05.24) and the second Nagi is the Familiar!? Let it ★ World Conquest (2008.03.18), featuring insert art by Hata Kenjiro and Zero no Tsukaima light novels illustrator Usatsuka Eiji.
 | Shin Kobo-chan 「新コボちゃん」 |
 | Traumeister 「トラウマイスタ」 |
[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]
Mangazines (2012.01.18)
- Shonen Star Issue 01/2012 (Indonesian Shonen Sunday)
Postponed titles
Naruto 54, Q.E.D. 39, Kungfu Boy 9 Premium (pending new street date) and Nakayoshi Gress! Issue 01/2012 (rescheduled to 25 January 2012)
¹ Sources: Elex STO 18 January 2012 (release schedule) and Komikologi and/or Gramedia Shop (synopses, unless indicated otherwise).
² All manga retail for IDR 16,500 each except 4-koma New Kobochan 14 (IDR 15,000). Shonen Star 01/2012 is priced at IDR 30,000/issue.
³ Links like this are commercial Amazon search and/or product links (other language versions).
Other 18 January 2012 highlights
Dear Boys Act. 3 vol 7 by Yagami Hiroki
Mizuho's match against Narita Chuoh enters the fourth quarter. Thanks to a three-pointer from Miura, Mizuho manages to whittle down the difference. Will a desperate Narita Chuoh call for a time out? Can another three-pointer—and no more fouls—put Mizuho in the lead?
Mangazines
Shonen Star 01/2012 ☆ Silver Spoon by Arakawa Hiromu
Gin no Saji: Silver Spoon
© Arakawa Hiromu
Shogakukan [Shonen Sunday]
After Buyuden's premiere last issue we get the next new Shonen Star serial, Arakawa Hiromu's Silver Spoon:
Hachiken enrolls in Ezo Agricultural High, hoping to become class valedictorian easily. But he is in for the mother of eye-openers. The city boy finds the lessons rely more on brawn, when all he can boast of is brains. Can Hachiken survive the "perils of animal husbandry"?
About Arakawa Hiromu-sensei, Baka-Updates Manga shares: Her self-portrait is usually that of a bespectacled cow, as she was born and raised in a dairy farm with three older sisters and a younger brother.
It adds: Before Arakawa Hiromu became a mangaka, she spent 7 years in Hokkaido working in the farming business. She raised cows, planted crops, was afraid of bears, and was constantly being turned around in circles by squirrels.
(The latter comes from the description of Arakawa Hiromu's Hyakushou Kizoku AKA Noble Farmer, Japan's first manga to describe the facts about farming!
)
Apparently, Sensei again puts her farm upbringing and experience to good use in Gin no Saji: Silver Spoon, a slice of life comedy about a townie trying to cope with life on a farm (rather a life studying how to farm).
Animals, Farmer, Agriculture, Lifestyle Change,
check ✓. Honors Student, Bespectacled Protagonist
Hachiken has no choice but to deal, living as he does in the school dormitory; character growth, some triggered by contact with Cows, Pigs
a given. [Baka-Updates Manga user tags for Gin no Saji]
Gin no Saji: Silver Spoon serializes in Shonen Sunday; two volumes have been compiled in Japan as of 14 December 2011. As for other Arakawa Hiromu manga—do you really need me to babble about these? Okay, lemme just mention Fullmetal Alchemist (Elex volume 27 of 27 released 28 September 2011) and Hero Tales (volume 4 of 5 per 26 October 2011).
Other ShoStars keeping company with Silver Spoon:
- ARAGO by Arai Takahiro
- Defense Devil by Youn InWan & Yang KyungIl
- The World God Only Knows by Wakaki Tamiki
- Buyuden by Mitsuda Takuya
- Magi by Ohtaka Shinobu
- Dr. Koto by Yamada Takatoshi
- Alice in Borderland by Aso Haro
- Kekkaishi by Tanabe Yellow
- Detektif Conan by Aoyama Gosho
- My First Mr. Akuno by Fujiki Syun
- Wild Life by Fujisaki Masato
Collecting the tankou? Most recent volumes: Kekkaishi vol 11 and My First Mr. Akuno 6 (2012.01.11 street date), Detektif Conan 65 and Dr. Koto 9 (2012.01.04), Wild Life 20 (2011.09.28) and Defense Devil 5 (2011.08.10).
Promise to add missing synopses/Elex artwork (Done) if/when they're available.
Still not enuf? Here are the other 18 January 2012 manga and manhwa
Level Comics: The Drops of God 10 · Eternal Sabbath 7 · Iliad 8 · Lost Man 7 · Adamas 1 by Minagawa Ryouji · Giant Killing 11 · Karakuri Circus 7 · Devil Devil 7 · K2 V10 · Zipang 11 · MOON - Subaru Solitude Standing 3 · Rantanplan: Sang Maskot
m&c!: The Breaker 3 · Crazy Girl Shin Bia 9· My Lovely Class Leader 7 · First Love Lesson 1 by Yabuuchi Yuu · My Gentle Wolves by Shiiba Nana · Samurai Force 3 · Full House: Love Continues 3 | Reprints: Cherry Love by Shigano Iori · Go! Go! Ichigo by Yabuuchi Yuu · Guardian of the White Robe by Himekawa Kirara · Lovely Lesson by Sakisaka Mea · The Secret Prince In My Ring by Takamiya Satoru · The Underground Kids by Shiiba Nana
Iamque opus exegi,
~Niki C. 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 · Amazon Japan · Wikipedia · ANN · Angelzon.com (Elex covers)
Hanasakeru Seishounen 「花咲ける青少年」
by Itsuki Natsumi
Hakusensha LaLa and LaLa DX, shoujo
Volume 9 first published in Japan 1993.10
Reissues/Other languages
Reissued in six aizōban from 2009.02 to 2009.03
Traditional Chinese 天國少女 (Tong Li, 12 volumes)
Related
One-shot sequel (Melody 27 June 2009) and Hanasakeru Seishounen: Tokubetsuhen (volume 2 street date: 2011.12.05). The Hanasakeru Seishounen Premium Fanbook also released on 2011.12.05.
Adaptations
A 39-episode anime adaptation by Studio Pierrot, starring seiyuu Endo Aya (Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth), Morikawa Toshiyuki (Huang Li-Ren), Ono Daisuke (Eugene Alexandr De Volkan), Namikawa Daisuke (Rumaty Ivan Di Raginei) and Fukuyama Jun (Carl Rosenthal) that aired between April 2009 and February 2010 on NHK, and at least two stage adaptations, the first premiering 29 September 2010 in Tokyo