#because it was on a kodansha sale

[shojoqueendom]

The whole story of the illegal sale of Candy Candy products by Yumiko Igarashi

What is Candy Candy?

Candy Candy is shojo manga that was published between 1975 and 1981 in Nakayoshi magazine. It was written by Kyoko Mizuki (Keiko Nagita) and illustrated by Yumiko Igarashi. It was adapted to anime between 1976 and 1979 with a total of 115 episodes by Toei Animation.

The dramatic story of the sweet and optimistic Candy was an international success and is today an icon of shojo manga and one of the best sellers.

Evidently, the copyright holders are both Mizuki and Igarashi, and the trademark rights holder is Toei Animation.

Beginning of the conflict: Cancellation of the contract with Kodansha

According to Igarashi, her subsequent works at Kodansha didn't achieve significant sales, so the publisher abandoned her.

Candy Candy's views were decreasing over time and Kodansha did nothing. So Igarashi asked Mizuki to cancel her contract with Kodansha, Mizuki chose her friend and they did so on February 26, 1995.

Toei Animation also had a contract with Kodansha for Candy Candy, which automatically expired when Mizuki and Igarashi canceled their contract. To broadcast Candy Candy, Toei Animation had to sign a new contract with Igarashi and Mizuki. Toei Animation and Mizuki tried to contact Igarashi many times for this but were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Igarashi was working with Fuji Sankei (now Qualus), through which she was able to offer licenses to many companies to sell Candy Candy products without asking permission from Mizuki or Toei.

The unmasking: Banpresto's purikura

One of these companies was Banpresto Co., Ltd., which develops video games and makes collectible figures. Igarashi lied about creating a new (fictitious) company in Hong Kong with Mizuki and Toei called "Candy Corporation." Igarashi and Banpresto made a "purikura" (Japanese photo booths) contract. Banpresto asked Igarashi many times if Mizuki was aware of this contract, Igarashi always confirmed it. Banpresto considered it rude to ask Mizuki herself to confirm, so they agreed.

So how did they find out what Igarashi was doing? Candy Candy's purikura was set up at the Tokyo Gulliver Store in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, which was a large gaming center managed by Banpresto.

Banpresto intended to install its purikura machines throughout the country, including Candy Candy.

Igarashi stated that she accepted the purikura because it was only "a test case" and that she would have no compensation. She said that she was worried that Mizuki would reject the offer because Mizuki didn't like games at all (which Mizuki never said), so she planned to talk to Mizuki later if the test was successful. News of Candy Candy's purikura spread through the media and reached Mizuki in May 1997. Igarashi says that Mizuki told her over the phone that if she had known she wouldn't have refused, and that Igarashi was trying to keep the profits for herself. She said that Mizuki forced her to cancel the purikura event and that she hired a lawyer to sue Igarashi. Mizuki refuted this on her official website. Igarashi stated that she didn't receive any benefit from the purikura because it was only a prototype. Even if it were, purikura isn't free, so benefits were generated.

The problem is that the idea of ​​creating a purikura was Igarashi's, not Banpresto's. Banpresto, upon realizing that they hadn't received permission from Mizuki, removed the purikura and wouldn't move it until the copyright issue was resolved. That's why Mizuki didn't sue Banpresto. Still, Banpresto apologized profusely for being involved in the scam.

Mizuki comments that she wasn't sure about canceling the contract with Kodansha, her husband didn't recommend it, but she still did it and regrets it. Her husband asked the legal advisor who had drawn up the contract, the legal advisor didn't know. Worried, Mizuki and her husband wanted to talk to Igarashi to discuss what they would do with Candy Candy from then on, but Igarashi kept putting off her request, saying that she was busy and for her to wait until the next month, and so on.

Mizuki became suspicious and finally they found out about the purikura issue, they even went to Banpresto to ask for explanations, to which Banpresto responded that they received the copyright to do it from the (fictitious) company that Igarashi created without Mizuki or Toei. They also told her how Igarashi confirmed to them several times that she had Mizuki's permission. Although purikura was considered a test, they received benefits for it.

As a result of this, everything that Igarashi had been doing in Hong Kong was discovered: she published manga products without authorization through Jade Dynasty Publishing. When this publisher found out that they didn't have Mizuki's permission either, they canceled the contract with Candy Corporation.

So far it was discovered what Igarashi had been doing without Mizuki's permission:

Original reproductions by Fuji Sankei and others.

Candy Candy reprint by Fusosha Publishing.

Fuji Sankei CD-ROM.

Postcards and cards manufactured by Jade Dynasty Publishing.

The Banpresto purikura.

Legal CD-ROM Manga.

Illegal CD-ROM Manga.

To all this, Igarashi insisted that 80% of Candy Candy belongs to her, and that only 20% belongs to Mizuki.

The case of fake original illustrations

In August 1997, the sale of original illustrations (again, without Mizuki's permission) was announced in the Sankei Shimbun. Finally, in September 1997, Fuji Sankei was sued for its lack of sincerity. These illustrations were actually prints made by a printer, they went on sale in February 1998 as a high quality print, but people in the art world warned that it wasn't a high quality print. That is, they were selling reprints at a high price as if they were high quality but they weren't.

An expert commented that these fakes have a real value of 30 to 200 yen ($0.19-1.27). If they were originals, it would be between 8,000 and 20,000 yen ($50.73-126.84) (and framed); but Igarashi and Fuji Sankei sold them for between 40,000 and 140,000 yen ($253.67-887.85). The deceived fans were deeply hurt, if they had known that they were buying it without Mizuki's permission and at a higher price than the real one, they wouldn't have bought it.

Mail order advertisements in newspapers ceased, but they were still distributed and sold in art galleries, for example Atelier Beauty and Prince Gallery.

The problem of selling products without the Mizuki's name

A friend of Igarashi spread the false rumor that Mizuki sued Igarashi without talking to her first. In fact, the decision to report a friend of 20 years wasn't easy for Mizuki, but she had to do it AFTER talking to her. But she and Fuji Sankei refused to have a conversation with her about what happened. Several people told Mizuki to be careful with Igarashi, but Mizuki always defended her.

In the indication © on products, the names of all copyright holders must be added and never omitted without their consent. In the following images you can see which are the official products and which are the Igarashi products.

In this bag we see that the three names are included, it is original.

This backpack is also an official product, it contains the names of Mizuki and Igarashi.

Let's now look at the illegal merchandise. In this product we can see only the Igarashi's name.

This other one used Mizuki's name without her permission.

The impossible broadcast of Candy Candy

In 2001 all broadcasting rights granted to foreign companies expired. So the later copies are pirated copies disguised as official products. This was done, for example, by Power International Multimedia Inc., Igarashi's business partner in Taiwan. Even after Igarashi lost her lawsuit in 2008, Power International released this DVD box set unlicensed from Toei Animation.

When it was discovered what Igarashi had been doing, Toei and Mizuko planned to resolve the situation by ratifying the illegal goods (confirming the counterfeit products and rebirthing them as an official product) if the Igarashi side appealed and didn't fight further after the court's ruling, with the intention to help scammed companies. But the matter reached the Supreme Court. The products spread so much around the world that nothing could be done about it.

On August 23, 1999, Mizuki and Toei signed an agreement stating that Toei Animation could register "Candy Candy" as a trademark so that it can broadcast the anime.

Currently, Toei Animation is wary of digitally remastering all 115 episodes (which would cost a considerable amount of money) only to have it eventually canceled due to the ongoing copyright dispute.

Mizuki allowed the anime to be broadcast. But there are many factors why it cannot be broadcast, even abroad:

The contract with Toei Animation hasn't been renewed.

The copyright dispute.

The problem of infringement of trademark rights by Igarashi.

Igarashi sent Toei Animation to court to invalidate its trademark on July 10, 2001, but this was dismissed.

Igarashi filed a lawsuit against Mizuki requesting consent to remake it.

In short, if both creators don't recognize the copyright and give their consent, the anime cannot be broadcast. But Igarashi didn't want to, she even wanted the trademark rights for herself, but Mizuki didn't allow it. Anyway, it's not fair because the anime version is also the work of Toei staff and voice actors. Igarashi gave Toei permission to rebroadcast it, but without acknowledging Mizuki's copyright, it became a vicious cycle.

Japan Manga Society against Kyoko Mizuki

Igarashi has publicly stated on many sites that Kyoko Mizuki isn't the original author. This is quite questionable because the story was written by Mizuki, Igarashi drew it. The Japan Manga Society doesn't offer Mizuki's presence and instead allows Igarashi to present convenient arguments and dismiss the Supreme Court's ruling. The Copyright Subcommittee of the Japan Manga Society declared that Mizuki's blocking the sale of products produced by Igarashi without permission from Mizuki and Toei was an abuse of rights without justifiable reason, even suggesting that Igarashi file a lawsuit against Mizuki.

During and after losing the case, Igarashi continued her illegal business saying that she had reached a deal with Mizuki (a lie).

Yumiko Igarashi on trial

Kodansha itself attempted to persuade Igarashi to apologize and reconcile with Mizuki by submitting a total of 3 statements to the district court in 1998 by Mitsuro Shimizu, the editor in charge of Candy Candy at Kodansha. Still, Japan Manga Society said Kodansha didn't testify. Mitsuro Shimizu explained that the editorial department selected Mizuki as the original author, the concept of Candy was discussed between Igarashi, Mizuki and Shimizu. Igarashi expressed her wishes and opinions but in the end it was Mizuki who made the final decision as the writer. Kunio Hase, the director of the Japan Manga Society said that these statements were false. Yukio Shindo, director of copyright business promotion at Kodansha, stated in court in October 1998 that manga works written from the original work are always subject to the original copyright of the original author, which to use a work for secondary use, permission must be obtained from the original author and the manga artist whatever it may be (even if they're illustrations) and that Kodansha always considered Kyoko Mizuko as the original author during the 20-year contract. The Japan Manga Society said that the Supreme Court's decision to position Mizuki as the original author is an absurd ruling that doesn't reflect the real situation of the manga industry. Kodansha has always maintained with legal opinions that Kyoko Mizuki is the original author and the manga work is a derivative, the work of the original manuscript. Yumiko Igarashi commented that the Supreme Court ruling naming Mizuko as the original author was unfair and doesn't accept that the person who wrote "just the words" has the copyright. In this situation, neither Kodansha can reprint the manga, nor can Toei broadcast the anime.

List of court cases related to “Candy Candy”

February 25, 1999: "Candy Candy" Case (Fuji Sankei)

Mizuki denounces the sale without her permission of false "high quality" illustrations by Igarashi and Fuji Kasei. The court recognized Mizuki as the owner of the copyright and ordered Igarashi to stop publication. Characters can't be used without Mizuki's permission. In November 1995 they signed a contract that established that their consent was required for the use of the characters, but Igarashi breached it.

April 8, 1999: "Candy Candy" Incident (Yumiko Igarashi Museum)

Mizuki denounces that products with Candy Candy's image continue to be sold without her permission, even after winning the first trial. The Yumiko Igarashi Museum had been conducting mail-order sales of Candy Candy products on the official Yumiko Igarashi website.

March 17, 2000: Candy Candy Illustration Sales Case (Shizuka Art)

Mizuki sues Shizuka Art for selling Candy Candy's image without her permission. An interim injunction was granted against Shizuka Art to prohibit sales. Shizuka Art was exhibiting and selling new paintings by Yumiko Igarashi as original paintings.

March 30, 2000: "Candy Candy" Case (Fuji Sankei)

The judge noted that in manga, the illustrations and the development of the story are inseparable and integral. You can't sell the illustrations.

May 25, 2000: "Candy Candy" Case (Kabaya Foods)

Between 1998 and 1999, Kabaya Foods, with only Igarashi's consent, manufactured and sold candy bags featuring the Candy Candy characters. The judge stated that the original author can exercise copyright even if only images are used. The Tokyo District Court ordered the defendant to pay approximately 3 million yen ($19,029.75).

October 17, 2000: Candy Candy Paintings Sales Case (Shizuka Art)

The "Hello Candy Candy" exhibition displayed and sold paintings of Candy Candy, again without Mizuki's consent.

December 26, 2000: Candy Candy Commercialization Case

Mizuki demands Fuji Sankei and Yumiko Igarashi.

March 2001: Japanese anime remake test

Igarashi filed a lawsuit against Mizuki demanding a remake of Candy Candy with Nippon Animation.

August 7-September 28, 2001: Toei trademark invalidation trial

Igarashi filed a trademark invalidation suit against Toei Animation on July 10 but it was dismissed because in 1999 Mizuki and Toei signed an agreement establishing that Toei Animation would register Candy Candy as a trademark.

October 25, 2001: "Candy Candy" Case (Fuji Sankei)

For the third time, the judge explains to her that copyright can't be enforced without the consent of the original author and the manga artist. They granted the copyright to the original author, Mizuki.

February 23, 2002: "Candy Candy" Incident (Lucky Corporation, Osaka)

Lucky Corporation sues Igarashi because it suffered damages of approximately 45 million yen ($285,446.25) from the manufacture and sale of "Candy Candy" products, a right granted by Igarashi but not by Mizuki. Igarashi paid about 10 million yen ($63,432.50) and a settlement fee.

April 2002: Otaru Art Museum Exhibition Test

Yumiko sued Mizuki over the exhibition at the Otaru Art Museum.

May 30, 2002: Candy Candy Clothing Sale (Tanii, Dan Enterprises, Sunbright, Earth Project)

Mizuki sues several clothing sales companies for commercializing Candy Candy characters without permission. The damage claim was for 55 million yen ($348,878.75), but the Tokyo District Court ordered her to pay approximately 29 million yen ($183,954.25).

September 10, 2003: "Candy Candy" merchandise breach of contract case

Toymaker Apple One made Candy Candy puzzles, again, only with Igarashi's permission, not Mizuki's. So they sued Igarashi and other companies that claimed to own the copyrights they granted them to make the puzzles.

July 21, 2004: "Candy Candy" merchandise breach of contract case

The Tokyo District Court of First Instance sentenced Igarashi to pay approximately 1.75 million yen ($11,100.69).

September 2005: Kurashiki Art Museum Exhibition Test

Mizuki against the Kurashiki Art Museum, which held an exhibition of Candy Candy with only the permission of Igarashi, who said "I don't need permission to show it."

甜甜 Lady Lady: The Taiwanese Candy

You may have ever used an image mistakenly thinking it was Candy. That's because Igarashi created a "new original work" called "Lady Lady" in Taiwan that curiously resembles "Candy Candy" (the difference is in the bangs and that she doesn't have freckles). The other two characters also look like Anthony and Terry.

In this way, Igarashi challenges Toei Animation by infringing (again) Toei's trademark rights. As if that were not enough, "Lady Lady" is the title of the animated version of "Lady!!" by Yoko Hide and trademark of Toei Animation. Also, Candy Candy's title in Chinese is "小甜甜" (Xiǎo tián tián), literally "Little Candy Candy". I mean, it's a shameless mix between Candy Candy and Lady Lady. 甜甜 is the Chinese name of Yumiko Igarashi's Lady Lady.

Current situation

Since as of today they have not reached an agreement, the anime cannot be broadcast nor the manga can be published either in Japan or abroad. The authors continued with their professional careers. Igarashi can't create or sell any products related to Candy Candy, something Mizuki can do, without using Igarashi's illustrations.

To date, Igarashi has't expressed any apology to Mizuki or Toei Animation. In fact, she is suspected of still producing illegal goods on the foreign market. Mizuki feels sad, not only because of everything that happened, but also because of the malicious mentality that Igarashi had about her, thinking that she was her friend.

Please, be careful with the products you buy of Candy Candy, try to make sure they're original and not illegal products. Do not contribute to Igarashi's illegal business.

Sources:

[juiceboxscans]

Happy Spring! 🌸🌸🌸

Blossoms are out, extras are up (only on Mangadex). We'll adjust the numbering if it turns out the next chapter is 38.2. Link under the pretty picture.

Thanks for being chill. We knew you would be, only the finest manga fans are, but we still appreciate it. This month took a little longer than we thought it would with offline stuff and personnel rearrangmensts but we're figuring it out.

Please support the mangaka (if/when you can). If you can't wait for us, you know what to do (see: Pinned Post).

Konishi recently posted that some overseas markets are not doing so great with sales (like Taiwan) and publishers are dropping. We're not naive enough to think we're taking a massive chunk out of profits for Kodansha and Seven Seas, but still. Do your bit, if you can. It's a good manga and owning your own physicals/renting your own digital copies is nice.

Old Twitter sketch of Konishi's:

Caption: Shouma gave her this mysterious shirt.

Shirt: NOT STAFF Please don't talk to me

Happy Spring Break! The ENG team is taking off for Spring Break which is an American thing that is both really stupid (because it's generally just an excuse for drunken idiots to trash beach towns on both coasts) and really necessary (because touching grass is kinda fun) so we'll be back in April. Until then, be cool, don't repost, order the licensed English if you can (Volume 7 is available on Amazon April 2), and stay hydrated.

Have a great rest of your week and thanks for reading! 🌸🌸🌸

[levbolton]

Blue Period Chapter 64

Scans and Rough Translation

Disclaimer: I DO NOT consent to using this translation for scanlation! I am not fluent in Japanese, I use Google Lens and Deepl/Google Translate to translate this, so sometimes stuff can be faulty or unclear. Besides, Impromptu Scanlations do their best with their scanlations. There's a simulpub, but kodansha decided they should keep it to US only and most of us do not live in US (and those that do don't share the translation bruh)

I am translating it this way because no one keeps up with the story and it feels lonely to be the only one reading it. You can obviously take bits form here to discuss, but do not use it for scanlation without my consent. If I see any I will immediately stop translating and you’ll get back to square 1

Scans are here

Translation 64

P1 : Title

You, send.

The blue continues. (Great start I don’t really know what it is supposed to mean)

君を、送る。

青は続く。

Art reference: Un enterrement à Ornans by Gustave Courbet

P2

Kanie: I'm here to collect all of Machiko Sanada's pieces.

Murai: Ha? What?

Murai: I didn't hear anything about that.

Murai: What? What? has the Kanie Gallery finally started doing things this way?

Kanie: ?

P3

Kanie: Listen... are you available?

Kanie: Well, you seem angry, don't you?

Kanie: You know...

Card: Machiko Sanada exhibition. ~ The genius girl painter who became a real deal/an angel.

Kanie: You can come, but don't get violent.

Kanie: Of course, I've already got permission from all the relatives.

Kanie: No wonder you don't know.

P4

Kanie: You're just friends, aren't you?

Hachiro: When did you decide?

Hachiro: When I talked to Sanada-san's mother last week...

Kanie: Let's see, the day before yesterday, or the day before that?

Kanie: Three years ago... The exhibition she was planning on doing before she died went bye-bye. I was about to give up on it, but...

Kanie: But then Machiko's paintings became a hot topic on SNS.

Phone screen: The artist died when she was 18. God takes geniuses with him.

Sound effect: I see.

P5

“Machiko's paintings...”

"They love her so much..."

Murai: ... What? SNS...

But her mother...

“She wouldn't want it to be like this”

“She wants you to be with someone who cares about you.”

(she probably meant she wanted people to care when she was alive)

P6

Yakumo: You're a miser!

Hachiro: Yakumo!

Yakumo: All he cares about is making money!

Yakumo: Are you happy that Sanada's dead and the sale price went up? Yeah?

Yakumo: Fucking hijacker!

P7

Kanie: After ten years, most of the paintings are worth two or three thousand dollars.

Kanie: Idiot.

Kanie: You guys must think you're doing something great, don't you?

Kanie: When you die, you get a fixed number of works for the rest of your life, so the relative value of your work goes up.

P8

Kanie: There are only a handful of artists like that.

Kanie: In fact, they almost always go down.

Kanie: There are artists who get recognition after they're dead.

Kanie: But there are artists who were very successful during their lifetime, have their prices dropping.

Kanie: Artistic value is determined over a period of 50 years.

Kanie: But 50 years...

Kanie: In other words, it's difficult to find a place that will value your work for 50 years.

Kanie: It takes a lot of space and money to store a painting.

Kanie: Even if it's a good painting for the person who buys it, it doesn't mean that the family who inherits it will share its value.

Words: Trend, Humidity, Sunlight, Location

P9

Kanie: incidentally

Kanie: Machiko Sanada's paintings didn't change in price between her life and death.

Guy in the background: President.

Kanie: It's okay, I've got the permit.

Kanie: Our job is to make the work worth the most and deliver it to the people who cherish it.

 Yakumo.

Kanie: Put your feelings aside.

Kanie: Are you going to turn mellow wine into vinegar?

P10

Yakumo: …

Kanie: good grief

Kanie: Galleries don't bring in any money.

Kanie: Fucking kids.

Momo: We’ll be late

Shall we go?

P11

Hachiro: ... Yes ... Yes ...

Hachiro: No, what mother decides is best.

Sound: Bleep.

P12

Yakumo: Maybe if we were a family (as in married I think?)

Yakumo: I'd have the right to tell him.

Momo: But we're friends.

Yakumo: But... But...

Box1: We're friends.

Box2: I feel so powerless.

P13

Hachiro: I see... Sales...

Hachiro: Yakumo will miss her paintings.

Hachiro: ...but I wonder if it will force him to get back on her feet.

Hachiro: Yakumo didn't even come to Machiko's funeral.

Yotasuke: What?

Hachiro: When someone you love dies, it means that one part of your daily routines disappears...

We're here.

Register: Those who have applied to the AOJ, please fill in this form and proceed.

P14

Yatora: Surprisingly ordinary warehouse...

Hachiro: There are no regulations on the size of the works, so this is probably all that's needed.

Yatora: Wow...

Yatora: I'm getting nervous now.

Hachiro: What's going on now?

Yatora: I've seen other works and I start to feel it...

P15

Yatora: So this is where I'm being delivered.

Yatora: Come to think of it, Hacchan seems to have finished early.

Yatora: What kind of...

Yatora: !

Yatora: An abstract painting? It looks like he put a brush on a cleaning robot and moved it...

But I don't have the image of Hacchan as a painter, so maybe the cleaning robot did it for real...

…!

Yatora: Yakumo-san...

P16-17 double spread

P18

Yatora: That…

Yatora: I knew right away.

P19

Yatora: It is a floral service.

Secretary:  Okay, we'll be judging in a week's time.

Secretary: We'll be streaming it on TUBE, so please do watch it, and we'll be in touch with the winners shortly afterwards.

P20

Hachiro: Uh-oh.

Hachiro: Mr. Kanie cleaned up the whole place...

Yotasuke: He left something...

Momo: It's a postcard for Machiko's exhibition! They're having a reception party.

Yatora: What's that?

Momo: A party for the people involved in the exhibition, right?

Momo-yota-yatora: The date is... One week later!

Hachiro: Mr. Kanie's been preparing for this for a long time.

P21

Hachiro: Well, I'm not keen on it, but I might just turn up.

Momo: It's been four long years. ~~~~~~

Yotasuke: Yaguchi-san?

Yatora: What?

Yatora: Oh...

Yakumo: Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!

Yakumo: Don't look at me. Go do whatever you want.

Yakumo: I'm watching the AOJ's trial feed.

Yakumo: They don't even know what the work is about. It's just a shitty exhibition.

P22

Hachiro: Well, Yakumo's right... Machiko's work is different from the type of artists Kanie Gallery usually deals with.

Hachiro: Maybe the Kanie’ customers won't be interested...

Sign: Kanie Gallery

P23

Yatora: Are there more galleries in Hiroshima?

Hachiro: Oh, no?

Women: I'm from Wakayama, I saw it on social media and thought it was a really nice painting...

Hachiro: I see.

Momo: I saw it on a social media and thought it was a very good picture.

Yakumo(‘s phone): This year's AOJ has started slowly, hasn't it?

Receptionist: Yaguchi Yatora-sama, isn't it?

Receptionist: Please have a drink from over there.

P24

Momo’s dad: Are you sure you didn't want to go with the others?

Momo’s dad: It was Machiko's big day.

Yakumo: You wouldn't want me to get into trouble, would you, kakinokizaka-san?

Momo’s dad: That would be a problem.

Momo’s dad: When he came to collect the paintings the other day, I got a call from Mr. Kanie. but I wondered if he'd already told you guys.

Momo’s dad: Now, this is Kenji Hachiro's work... (I think he rather meant responsibility???)

・・・・・・

P25

Momo’s dad: Hey, Yakumo-kun.

Momo’s dad: A lot has happened since Machiko passed away, hasn't it?

Yakumo: I never thought the three of us would pass the exam together.

Momo’s dad: Me too. I mean, no one thought so.

Yakumo: What's the matter? Are you trying to cheer me up?

Momo’s dad: Yakumo-kun, getting over something isn't a bad thing.

P26

Yakumo: You don't seem to understand, do you?

Momo’s dad: Funerals.

Momo’s dad: Maybe it's the ego of the living, but it's precisely because we humans can share something invisible that we can all interpret death together, accept it or let it go.

P27

Yakumo: In other words?

Momo’s dad: I mean, you know, I was thinking about moving on away.

Yakumo: ...? A postcard?

Postcard: Murai, I'll be waiting.  Sanada Machiko Solo Exhibition

Bubble: A postcard from the exhibition three years ago, which did not take place, addressed to you.

P28-29 double spread

Bubble: I think she wanted you to come and see it.

P30

Box: Amazing...

P31

Box: Egoistic.

Box: A strong picture that leaves no room for others.

Box: It's much stronger than the one I saw in the warehouse.

? - There you go.

P32

Kanie: So Yakumo didn't come after all?

Kanie: How's it going? It's a nice painting, isn't it? Sold out on the first day.

Kanie: Machiko Sanada's paintings only look good in the exhibition space.

Kanie: I understood the meaning of her persistence in the exhibition through this exhibition.

Yatora: I see…

Box: But for all that...

P33

Women: How could someone who paints such good pictures...

Women: She was... She was young, wasn't she?

Women: God is... really...

Dude: Hey!

Dude: Have you been on social networking sites too?

Dude: Sanada and I went to middle school together!

Dude: Sanada was a weird kid, but she was always really good at drawing...

Dude: Here's my graduation album from junior high school...

? - Hey...

P34

Yakumo: I know who you are, too.

Dude: Uh... friend of mine? You're a friend of mine?

Yatora: Mr Yakumo! You came?

Yakumo: Wow, so many people.

Yatora: Sanada-san's painting is amazing.

Yakumo: Hmm...

Yatora: What's going on?

Bubble: It's even better than when I saw it in the warehouse...

P35

Yakumo: It's a terrible exhibition. ~~~~~

Yatora: It's...

Hachiro: Yakumo ....?

Yatora: This is bad! It's a bad sign!

Yakumo: That woman...

P36

Yakumo: She just liked to draw, and it just happened that she drew good pictures.

Yakumo: Only to die at 18.

Yakumo: So what's this, "a genius girl painter who became an angel/real deal"?

Bubble: Who the hell is that?

P37

Kanie: So Yakumo's here...

Kanie: You can go home.

Hachiro: Yakumo.

Hachiro: Let's not... at Machiko's exhibition...

Yakumo: No, no, no, you can't stand it either, can you, Hacchan?

Yakumo: As soon as she died, they dramatized it.

Yakumo: Her drawings are eloquent, but she was just a quiet person.

Yakumo: I wonder why it's selling so well after all this time.

Yakumo: That's funny.

P38

Yakumo: If you pity her so much, buy her when she's alive!

Yakumo: Then maybe she'd be more...

Yakumo: Whaaaatttt?

Yakumo: Don't touch.../leave me alone

Kanie: You're ruining the mood.

Kanie: Go home.

P39

Talking: Call the police. ....?

Talking: What to do...

Hachiro: Let's go home. Let's go home.

Momo: Hacchan…

Hachiro: We're sorry for the trouble we caused you.

Hachiro: I will tell him to be more careful (something like this)

?- That’s unnecessary…

?- Hachiro-san...

P40

Machiko’s mom: Machiko must have made some good friends.

Bubble: Yes, she did.

P41

ha ha ha (laughing loudly)

Momo: Look! Look at this!

Phone: There was a man who was verbally abusing Machiko Sanada at her exhibition, it was terrible. Arrest him!

Hachiro: Yakumo. He's getting shit on social networking sites.

Yakumo: Hey, stop Ego-surfing!

Yatora: Ah, that middle school classmate...

P42

Momo: I can understand how Yakumo feels! I knew a lot of people who'd never even heard of Machiko.

Hacchan: Even the caption was, "What? Who?" It's a bit overdramatic.

Yakumo: Then, why don't you say so on the spot?

Momo: I'm an adult.

Hachiro: I'm an adult.

Bubble: If I were you, I'd retaliate in a way that wouldn't be noticed.

Yakumo: Oh, shit.

P43

Yakumo: No more paintings by that artist...

Yakumo: I've been drawing ~~~~ for a long, long time...

Yakumo: Every time I draw, every time I aim for something, I can't help thinking of her...

Yakumo: But it was fine...

P44

Yakumo: I've only known her for a few months.

Yakumo: That's fucked up.

Yakumo: I'd rather let my feelings die than be with her.

Yatora: What can you do with a person who draws like that?

Yatora: I’d think they’re too cool.

Yakumo: Ah?!

Yakumo: I think so too!

Yakumo: Right! She's so cool!

P45

Yakumo Oh, well, I'll just watch the rest of the AOJ feed.

Hachiro: Don't drink!

Hachiro: Thank goodness... Yakumo seems to be on the road to recovery.

Yotasuke: Hey...

Yotasuke: Why does he have to get back on his feet?

Yotasuke: .... What? What's wrong with Murai-san?

P46

Yotasuke: It's okay to live with that grief for the rest of your life.

P47

Yakumo: ... What?

Yakumo: I see.

Bubble: I can carry this sadness with me for the rest of my life.

Brush: Sanada

The wounds don't need to heal.

I will not forget you.

End of 64th stroke.

Next time: the results of the AOJ!

24th August 2023

[deathchrist2000]

"Piracy is the only way to read majority of comics" Please, could you elaborate? I am not disputing, just wish to know I understand.

There are a lot of comics that are not available to be read in any format other than via the seven seas. Be it due to a lack of translation, a specific version being under copyright, or simply a lack of interest in publication. For example, Epic's Colorized version of Akira (which is fucking beautiful) will never see a trade release due to the licensing of Akira being with Kodansha. Likewise, DC often publishes versions of comics with new coloring that distorts the original versions. And that's not even getting into the comics that will never have a trade release because of poor sales.

[dropintomanga]

You Can Get Bored With Manga

About a month ago, I discovered this video on my manga Twitter feed.

As much as I love manga, I have started becoming bored with manga at times since the start of 2023. Manga’s blown up everywhere offline and online, but I do feel that the growing popularity of manga can lead to oversaturation that biases the mind into a state of boredom.

I still think manga is exciting, but it’s getting really hard to keep up with everything released over here. Granted that I’m not in France with its huge love of manga culture, hearing licenses of various titles can get a bit overwhelming. I mean, when a publisher announces 10+ licenses in a day, it makes me wonder if enough people will buy those titles to justify the cost of the licenses.

What does not help is that even though a genre with common tropes may have a few titles that destroy those tropes, there’s more titles with the same tropes than those who diverge from them. Shonen is the biggest example of this. An example I can give is a title like Akane-banashi.  It’s one of the best manga out today and is published in Shonen Jump, which is still associated with mainstream battle series. But many people sick of shonen may not give it a glance because it’s either a Jump title or shonen in general. Of course, you can say the same thing for other genres. Read too much shojo/seinen/josei and you might become bored of it. I would argue that there’s more experimentation in seinen and josei (which, by the way, not many fans appreciate) than shonen, but you know what I mean.

I also noticed that there’s not many series that interest me as of late. There’s a bunch that sound the same. I see this in the case of the amount of romantic comedy manga in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine as there’s more rom-coms than action-oriented titles in the magazine. I saw a promo for who’s the best rom-com girl in all of the series published in the magazine and asked myself “Aren’t these are subjected to the usual rom-com tropes despite whatever unique differences they have?” I say this as someone who’s a fan of Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, which is published in Shonen Magazine. I love the concept of the story, but it’s easy to resort to common tropes because of genre limitations that might displease/bore fans if books aren’t selling. 

You can also argue that now that anime has become mainstream, all you will hear about in geek news is the mainstream stuff, which is often series with lots of action. This has a trickle-down effect onto manga since publishers need to make money. What still sells the most is action-heavy shonen to this day (a big reason why VIZ Media is still the big dog in English sales). That hasn’t changed for at least over a decade now despite outliners like Junji Ito stories and maybe a title like Fruits Basket, a shojo title which sold like hotcakes at the time of its initial release a long time ago. Shonen still being a hot mainstream commodity can lead to becoming bored of anime and manga since it technically is everywhere now.

So yeah, maybe it would be nice to change the shift from “All anime/manga = shonen = great” to “There’s REALLY something for everyone with anime and manga.” Now you might say that the 2nd statement is still preached and you know fans in your life saying this. Yes, it is. But it’s not coming from corporate execs with significant power to change consumer perception who don’t always get the full picture when it comes to anime and manga’s appeal to all kinds of people.

In any case, if you do get bored with anime and manga, it’s okay to feel that way. I’ve accepted that there’s certain manga titles I probably will never read due to personal reasons related to tropes. Yet I will always try to keep my curiosity open to titles that catch my interest. I still rely on buzz from certain manga outlets. I don’t think boredom is inherently bad; it’s just that it’s an opportunity to self-reflect and focus on what’s important/interesting to you, value-wise.

Remember - burnout is a huge thing and getting it from a hobby you love is not worth the experience. And that’s a trope you don’t want to be bored with.

[soul-dwelling]

Was SE NOT considered a failure and if yes maybe thats what is protecting us from the manga-acurate reboot of the main series?

Quoting Wikipedia: "The first three of the manga volumes [of Soul Eater NOT] released by Yen Press are best sellers according to The New York Times." So, the sales weren't terrible in the US, but I don't have sales numbers in Japan--and as the series had few chapters, and some released infrequently, and had only a short anime season, that doesn't make me think the series was that successful.

But I don't think any of this protects us from a manga-accurate reboot for one big reason: it feels like NOT has been written out of continuity, hence out of manga-accuracy, supplanted by Fire Force so that, when Fire Force ends, it leads to a Soul Eater reboot.

Let me explain what I mean by this.

(Fire Force spoilers below.)

What in NOT is really that necessary that you couldn't ignore it, pretend it didn't happen, and just give people a more accurate Soul Eater story instead of a moe-story? "But Tsugumi, Clay, and Akane show up in the manga's final arc!" But if you didn't know that was Tsugumi in the final arc, would that matter? And if you didn't know Clay and Akane from NOT, then you get to learn enough about them from just reading the final arc.

What I think NOT offered that was necessary was worldbuilding--showing that the rest of the world has little idea about Death Children lingo and style, that Japan has required its prime ministers be DWMA graduates ever since the Great War, that the DWMA was involved with one of John F. Kennedy's mistresses, that Death City gets funding from international sources and how that may have influenced the various cultural influences on the city's businesses, architecture, and people.

...And then Fire Force retconned almost all of that worldbuilding.

Shinra reboots his world into what becomes the Soul Eater world, with Lord Death as the new chief god--and suddenly so much of the world has skull motifs all over it, making Death City less interesting. Now it's not that the Death Children of Death City are unique--everyone dresses like that, because everyone sees Lord Death as closer and less scary and threatening.

(One counter-argument to what I just said: there is still 800+ years between when Shinra rebooted the world and when Soul Eater starts, so maybe the world gets back to "normal" in those 800+ years while Death City sticks to that creepy atmosphere. And it's not as if the skull motif wasn't in other parts of the world--the three one shots that started the manga and the anime had some skull designs on some buildings. And in 800+ years Justin Law is treated by others as weird for being so devoted to Lord Death, whereas when Shinra rebooted the world there were nuns in the same Lord Death church attire.)

How could there be the Great War and JFK in Soul Eater NOT if Shinra rebooted the world, such that such an older history is long gone? (Seeing as Shinra was remaking the world with almost zero knowledge how biology and past civilizations work, it is possible he literally brought back the Great War and JFK again, but it's probably easier to just pretend NOT didn't happen and that the Great War and JFK were from before the Great Cataclysm, not during the NOT time period.)

To summarize: I think it's more likely that David Pro (or whoever animates a reboot), Kodansha, and Square Enix will just pretend NOT didn't exist, that Fire Force is the prequel to Soul Eater, and, if a Soul Eater reboot anime were to happen, use this pretense to ignore NOT and wrap up the Fire Force anime with a final episode that also serves as a pilot for a Soul Eater reboot to come out in the subsequent year.

[ljaesch]

Kodansha Announces Messy Delights Digital Manga Sale

Are you looking for love that’s a little wild? A little spicy? A little… messy? Kodansha is celebrating complicated, awkward and sometimes dangerous love during the Messy Delights digital manga sale. In this sale there’s plenty for manga fans to love because they’re offering FREE digital Volume 1s of four select series including, the adult multi-partner romance, 1122: For a Happy Marriage; the…

[cesium-sheep]

okay okay okay I’m close enough to done with craftageddon that I let myself read one of my shojo beat sale volumes today, I started with yakuza lover cuz I expected it to be fairly generic and middle-of-the-road (much like yakuza fiancee(? yakuza boyfriend? something with a very similar title I got in a kodansha sale), which is not the same series) but it way exceeded my expectations!

the heroine is a rather taiga-type personality, deeply strong-willed but intrinsically romantic and easily wooed, but taiga (from black panther and sweet 16) would generally only ever be sweet or bullheaded, kind of on a toggle switch, and yuri has more variety to her moods than that. to the point of straight up kitty brat dom in the last chapter of the volume, which is fuckin choice. we love to see it. her sexuality is portrayed with very little shame, too, though the visuals are almost completely censored and the vulgar language is minimal. she is shown experiencing desire through more than just blushing, and has multiple Horny Dreams about him. afterwards she is often like “omg I had no idea attraction could be like this???” but she never seems to feel any guilt which is great. she just generally feels very solid despite only having a couple concrete Facts presented (only one of which felt at all clumsily presented, and even that was only mild).

the love interest is also compelling, though it may very well be mostly because he’s “mysterious”, although it feels genuinely believable that she’d be swept up in all this and he’s probably as much an ordinary person as anyone else who. happens to be a very high-level yakuza. so we get the thrill of a dangerous man, as well as the thrill of a rich man who doesn’t understand how extravagant he is, but so far he has only been dangerous in his professional life and very respectful of her in their personal lives. he waited until she approached him, without any mind games, and said outright she wanted to be his lover, and at a prior meeting even gently suggested they stop at just making out for the night, which she was happy with. he even went along with her brat domming without any resistance at all, despite outright asking her to please let him move and clearly being physically capable of overpowering her if he chose to. he doesn’t have a ton of personality yet, but the whole reason he was attracted to her in the first place was her own aggressive side, and he clearly also loves her sweet cute side, and he seems to have no interest in tempering either aspect of her personality. which we also love to see. also he’s very pretty, which is the point.

absolutely fucking choice couple, really really solid. not very thorough characterization but feels surprisingly solid, and the dynamics and the relationship are totally choice without feeling rushed at all. way better than I expected, I almost feel bad for starting with it when I’ve got shit like hot gimmick and honey hunt also in the queue, which I specifically bought for having a vague recollection of them being very Shojo Beat Standard when I’d get backissues from the local gamestore once upon a time.

there is technically an age gap, although she is already 20 when they meet and he’s still drawn pretty young so personally I feel it’s only mildly questionable at worst, and obviously there is a massive power gap that she doesn’t seem to think about, although he has consistently not used that to his advantage. there is a lot of on-screen-but-obscured sex, a couple nips, a couple swears, some guns, and one injury with blood spatter (with the actual wound obscured) but, yknow. all that is very par for the course imo. less par for the course but not wildly out of genre expectations is a scene near the beginning where she walks in on some folks using probably-cocaine at a party, who then bodily grab her and her friend and try to force them to join in so they can’t report them without incriminating themselves? which may be a little rougher than the rest but was short, and she’d pretty much gotten them out of it before he even turned up.

edit: wait hang on I forgot to write down that I Do Not Like how they draw his teeth sometimes, just way too realistic, but that's my only complaint about the art.

edit 2: boss wife was the other one I was thinking of.

[untilyouremember]

Where can I read and request manga?

My mission with my tumblr is to help you find official resources to consume manga; doing it these ways will help the mangaka who work to bring you content and it encourages English publishers to bring over more series.

Check under the cut for legal websites, apps and retailers with detailed information. At the bottom you'll find surveys and ways to contact publishers with requests.

You can use regular retailers to buy digital and print: Amazon/Kindle, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Bookwalker, Google Play, Apple Books, Nook

There are apps available for buying volumes, chapters, using ticket systems to access free content, or with subscriptions.

Mangamo - $4.99/mo for 200+ titles; titles available for purchases with in-app library

Viz manga - $1.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries titles from Viz, but not their SJ series)

Shonen Jump - $2.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries specifically SJ titles, which are often popular shounen)

Comikey - uses a key system; ability to read for free with ads and patience

Kmanga - app maintained by Kodansha; chapters are often available to read for free through a ticket system and able to purchase

Kodansha - a website where you can create a free reading account. They offer 3 free chapters on all their manga, occasionally feature several free volumes, and run sales on their content somewhat regularly.

MangaPlus - $1.99 or $4.99 for a subscription; will allow a free read of their simulpub series.

MangaPlaza - 7 day free trial; $6.99/mo; [info incoming, seems to have more mature licenses]

INKR - 3 ways to access content; free, coins & 'Extra Membership'. Extra can cost $4.99/mo or $44.99/year and gives you access to content, extra savings and "free ink" that can be traded for their coin system. (Used to be Manga Rock and that was a fun read from them)

MangaPlanet - $1.99/week -> $47.99/year depending on which tier you pay for.

MangaUP - 1 month free trial, $4.99/mo; you can browse their 'vault' to see if things you like are included

Renta! - point system; 1 point = 1 cent; regular bonus points for higher purchases

Mangacat - [currently researching; seems to allow people to independently upload and set prices for viewing; people can also do translations for work. Acts as somewhat of a 'by fans for fans' site. Coin system where 20 coins=1$ with no discounts for larger purchases]

Irodori Comics - hosts 18+, specializes in doujinshi, more info incoming

ComiXology - $4.99/month; a service through amazon that allows you access to comics, manga and graphic novels. Specifically boasts {2400} manga titles.

Animeplanet - has a library of completely free comics and anime through partnerships; seems to host less manga styled comics but free is free.

Manta, Comicle, Webtoon, Tappytoon, Tapas, WebComics, Bilibili will be looked into but they host mostly webtoon style comics

Seven seas has a (mostly) monthly survey that is linked on their homepage at all times. {They will pull from any publisher, including digital only simulpubs}

If you have a bookwalker account, I found a Google doc that you fill out requests and they send them to publishers.

To send suggestions to Viz, use this survey that is listed through their Contact Us page (you select the "Series Suggestion" and will be redirected) {they mostly pull from shogakukan and shueisha titles}

To send suggestions to Kodansha, go to their contact us page and there are 2 useful drop downs; suggest reprints and suggest series, suggest series is also useful to request a print of anything they've licensed digital only. {They pull almost exclusively from Kodansha Japan}

TokyoPop has a discord server where they look at your suggestions in the channel #licensesuggestion

If you are able, in any way, support official English releases. It shows it is a lucrative business decision to continue the manga. Nothing is worse than starting something and being unable to finish it because it stopped getting translated and published.

I will update this post as needed, enjoy your manga! ♡

[kirby-the-gorb]

[recentanimenews]

The Manga Review, 5/13/22

April sales figures are in, and manga continues to dominate the NPD Adult Graphic Novels list. Though the list includes some perennial favorites–Berserk, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia—Spy x Family saw a big jump in sales after its anime debuted on Crunchyroll last month. ICv2’s Brigid Alverson points out that  “April marks the fourth consecutive month that manga has completely filled the chart of the top 20 Adult graphic novels in the book channel.” Manga sales aren’t quite as robust in comic book stores, but three titles made ComicsHub’s Top 20 Graphic Novels for April: Chainsaw Man (4), Kaiju No. 8 (16), and Spy x Family (20). For additional insights into the current state of the manga, check our Madeline Dunnett’s recent post at Anime News Network.

MANGA NEWS

Kodansha just announced the winners of its 46th annual Manga Awards. [Anime News Network]

With less than three weeks to go, Sam Sattin and Guruhiru’s Kickstarter campaign for Unico: Awakening has exceeded its pledge goal of $50,000. The story is “an homage to the God of Manga’s original messaging of social welfare and eco-consciousness.” [Kickstarter]

Good news for Moto Hagio fans: Fantagraphics will be re-printing the first volume of The Poe Clan this summer. While there’s no official release date for the new edition, the long-awaited second volume will be released on July 26, 2022. [Fantagraphics]

Drawn and Quarterly will be publishing Nejishiki, an anthology of short stories by Yoshiharu Tsuge. Look for it in stores in April 2023. [Drawn and Quarterly]

Earlier this week, Yen Press announced that it will publish Sho Harusono’s Hirano and Kaguira, a spin-off of Sasaki and Miyano. [Yen Press]

Brace yourself: Seven Seas just announced even more new manga licenses! Among the most promising are Polar Bear Café: Collector’s Edition and Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten, which is pretty much what it sounds like: a former mobster indulges his softer side by rescuing a cat from the streets. [Seven Seas]

Over at The OASG, Justin and Helen round up the latest anime, manga, and licensing news. [The OASG Podcast]

FEATURES AND INTERVIEWS

Patricia Thang takes issue with the marketing label “manga-inspired,” arguing that “To call a comic ‘manga-inspired’ is akin to me saying, ‘Here’s a painting I did! It’s art-inspired! You’d think (or at least hope) I was joking, right? Because what in the fuck would that even mean?!” [Book Riot]

On the most recent Manga in Your Ears podcast, Kory, Helen, and Apryl dissect two manga by Naoki Urasawa: Sneeze, a short story anthology, and Asadora!, his latest series. [Manga in Your Ears]

Andy and Elliot dedicate the latest episode of the Screentone Club to City Hunter and Goodbye-Eri. [Screentone Club]

Walt Richardson and Emily Myers review the April issue of Shonen Jump. [Multiversity Comics]

The Mangasplainers turn their attention to Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler, “the smash hit seinen manga that pits trust-fund-teens against one another in battles that cause embarrassment and ecstasy, skirting the line between schadenfreude and sadism!” [Mangasplaining]

As the spring anime season kicks into gear, Silvana Reyes Lopez recommends fifteen “unmissable” manga adaptations, from Chainsaw Man to Kakegurui Twin. [Book Riot]

Wondering what to read after Black Clover wraps up later this year? Christian Markle has a few recommendations. [Honey’s Anime]

Brianna Lawrence argues that Death Note Short Stories is more than just a sequel or a companion to the original series; it’s a thoughtful exploration of “how the government would react if such a terrifying weapon was available.” [The Mary Sue]

In an interview with TCJ’s Alex Deuben, Ken Niimura discusses his latest work, Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy, which re-tells three of Japan’s most famous folk tales. “What I like about these stories… is that they’re pretty open ended,” Niimura explains. “They can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, there’s what’s considered to be the standard version of ‘The Crane Wife,’ but there are actually different versions depending on the region, the era, with many differences to the characters, the ending, etc…” [The Comics Journal]

REVIEWS

Readers in search of “hallucinogenic” stories might want to check out Keiichi Koike’s Heaven’s Door: Extra Works. “In some of these stories, the scale is pure Akira, but the detail and fluidness of the line are absolutely Moebius,” reviewer James Hepplewhite opines. Speaking of over-the-top manga, Megan D. revisits one of the most ludicrous series Tokyopop ever published: The Qwaser of Stigmata. (No, really; this manga goes to eleven.)

After School!, Vols. 1-2 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)

Apollo’s Song (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 13 (Sakura Aries, The Fandom Post)

Bungo Stray Dogs Wan!, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

A Centaur’s Life (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)

Dead Mount Death Play, Vol. 7 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

Death Note Short Stories (Joseph Luster, Otaku USA)

Death Note Short Stories (Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho?)

Dissolving Classroom (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)

Dr. STONE, Vol. 21 (Marina Z., But Why Tho?)

Eclair Bleue, Eclair Rouge, and Eclair Orange (Jaime, Yuri Stargirl)

Hinowa ga CRUSH!, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

Hinowa ga CRUSH!, Vol. 6 (Krystallina, The OASG)

I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)

Little Miss P: The Fourth Day (Demelza, Anime UK News)

Love of Kill, Vol. 7 (Krystallina, The OASG)

Made in Abyss (Harry, Honey’s Anime)

Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)

Marionette Generation (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)

Moriarty the Patriot, Vols. 6-7 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)

The Music of Marie (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)

Our Colors (Publisher’s Weekly)

Our Teachers Are Dating, Vol. 4 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Our Teachers Are Dating, Vol. 4 (Jaime, Yuri Stargirl)

The Royal Tutor, Vol. 16 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)

Seimaiden (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)

Spy x Family, Vol. 7 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

The Transcendent One-Sided Love of Yoshida the Catch, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Walkin’ Butterfly (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)

By: Katherine Dacey

[berrychanx]

I know you're a Tokyo Mew Mew fan, but did you think about why the 2002 anime (and some of the "popular" magical girls) only got one season (51 to 52 episodes only) that didn't get a second season (or more) to continue the story, instead of getting a reboot ? (I don't much like anime get rebooted)

But some of the magical girls anime (NOT includes Salior moon and Pretty Cure franchise) do had season 2 (or more)?

Nowadays the og tokyo mew mew would be considered a 3 season cour anime / split into 3 seasons if it was to have 52 episodes.

Sailor Moon has multiple seasons because during its airing time the manga was still in development, so the studio and the author had to come up with original / fillers episodes to fill in airing time... While the TV aired this original episodes, Naoko would work on the Manga. And then each arc was split into different seasons (nowadays its still the same).

When tokyo mew mew aired most of the Manga was already completed (when the Anime aired the Manga was entering the last volume/ climax chapters) so the studio had lot of material to adapt and didn't need to create that many fillers in order to let the manga develop.

Why no S2?

Why TMM never got a season 2 is probably because how A La Mode was received, Kodansha request Mia Ikumi to create a new short story (which is they commissioned to be 2 volumes) since it was so short and rushed there was no time for development, reviews and sales were ok... Which meant it wasn't profitable for any studio to grab the project or animated.

Besides the anime had already did its job, which was to help sell the Manga and toys/merchandise (this can be seen with a lot of mahou shoujo's aimed for kids, like precure or even shounen's like beyblade - their main objective is to sell merchandise to kids, that's another reason why so many seasons pop up... To keep younger viewers interested and to profit from their parents money).

Reboots:

Reboots tend to happen cause of the series anniversary, usually they're made as a way to commemorate the franchise X birthday or to finish adaptating the full story without original content (fruits basket) and be faithful to the source material (fruits basket, sailor moon crystal).

Usually they're a goods way to capture new audiences, since new generations are more used to modern anime style, they'll more quickly will watch the reboot in a style their familiar with than to watch a 20 year old version with XX episodes (for example, I love the franchise legend of the galatic heroes but I know 112 eps + movies + ovas can be very tiresome for some viewers... Despite having lot of episodes focused on world and character building the plot sometimes drags on for too long, usually to those type of people who can't stand more than X episodes, I recommend the reboot, although more condensed it does a decent job without dragging on for too much, plus Hirayuki Sawano soundtrack is a plus).

Pre-cure & Co - why so many seasons?

For example the author/director of Ojamo Doremi is also the author of the precure franchise and he directed some seasons.

Since both shows are original studio creation, the author (usually the studio director or project director) can make up as many seasons, movies, ovas as he/she wants because the project belongs to them and it's not based on anything. - This also applies to Princess Tutu which is a studios original.

In short as long it's a studio original and seems to be profitable on sales and viewers ranking it will spawn a lot of seasons.

Like I also mentioned before... Toys...

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review – Yuri Is My Job Vol. 1-5

Yuri is a genre deeply rooted in its history and traditions. Dating back over a century, many of the scenes and situations from early "Class S" literature still predominate Yuri titles today. Common elements include senpai-kohai relationships between a bright and cheerful younger girl and an older, more assertive upper-classman. The bonds between the two were not the romantic and sexual love of lesbian narratives, but more sate or "pure" relationships often devoid of lesbian identity or attraction. The presence of S elements ebbed and rose over the past century, but they experienced a surge at the end of the 20th century. Contemporary S literature dominated the Yuri scene for at least a decade, and even now, its effects are still seen in many works today.

Naturally, as with any genre that becomes too entrenched with tropes or clichés, Class S literature became the subject of parody, commentary, and deliberate defiance. And while numerous works have repeated, twisted, rejected, and exaggerated tropes, perhaps none have done so quite as masterfully or as enjoyably as Miman's Yuri Is My Job! The series uses S Yuri's ideas uniquely and masterfully weaves a narrative in and out of them with a layered setting and great characters. The constant balance between and integration of reference, humor, and a strong core narrative had me gleefully enthralled and thoughtfully pouring over every page. I ravenously consumed the series, not just because of the cute cakes and elegant young women, but because I was so invested in the story and intrigued by the manga's premise.

Breaking down every reference is far too daunting a task that frankly deserves its own dedicated article. Still, to briefly overview, Yuri Is My Job! is set primarily at a café themed after an all-girls mission school, Liebe Grils Academy. The servers of the café act as the elite students of the fictitious academy and offer outside visitors, patrons of the establishment, a glimpse into their forbidden world of elegance and sisterly love. The series follows high school student Hime after she starts working at Liebe after accidentally injuring the manager, Mai. The series takes off from there, with Hime participating in the various themed events and navigating challenging relationships with coworkers, including her hostile schwester, the upperclassman who mentors her, and, in the world of the café, partners her.

Yuri Is My Job! is much more enjoyable with an understanding of S literature and themes, as references can slip by readers otherwise. However, particularly after the first volume, the series opens up a little more with an overarching plot that dips in and out of the thematic S material. Even without a grasp of S tropes, readers can enjoy watching server Kanoko struggle with her hidden affection for Hime or get caught up in the excitement and scheming during a popularity competition between the staff.

Throughout the first five volumes, multiple shorter narratives, such as the cook getting sick or Hime learning how to serve guests, are interwoven with the overarching character and relationship-driven story. Although almost every character has plenty of time to shine and distinguish themselves, the main plot revolves around three characters, Hime, Yano, and Kanoko.

Hime, the protagonist, maintains a constant facade of the sweet and beloved princess. However, her adorable and charming act is just that, and only two people in her life know her secret, Yano, and Kanoko. Inside the café, Yano acts as Hime's "onee-sama", holding her close and praising her to the delight of Liebe's patrons. However, she is terse and often angry with the girl, unable to move beyond a misunderstanding in their shared past and her insecurities about Hime's true feelings. Kanoko however, acts as a foil to Yano. She relishes Hime's facade, specifically in that she is one of the few privy to the truth, and harbors an attraction to her; she hides these feelings rather than wear them on her sleeve as Yano does. The dynamic between these three drives much of the "action" in the manga.

The more I read Yuri Is My Job! The more I was able to see and appreciate the distinct patterns of storytelling and how the main plot is woven between three layers. The first, and most prominent, is inside the café, in a world dominated by S tropes. Here, characters play politics and plot against each other using their performance and the audience's reaction. For example, thinking how they will get votes for themselves or others during a contest, or else Hime acting cute and loving around Yano, forcing her to return the affection to maintain their roles as schewstern. Outside the fictional world of the café, elements of the story alternate between more grounded drama and thematic moments featuring Yuri tropes. Miman beautifully navigates the relationship between the plot and the parody, weaving a delightful story in and out of different classic Yuri scenarios.

Miman matches this creative story and setting with excellent artwork. Character designs are distinctive and well constructed. So much, that when characters say something "off-screen", a small sketch of their eyes and mouth in the speech bubble is more than sufficient to identify the speaker. Of course, the robust and developed personalities also assist here, as most lines are easily attributable thanks to solid writing and strong personality. The art also features very creative paneling, with almost every page having an entirely different layout. However, the order is still easy to follow and reads naturally.

Not only is the art pleasing to look at, but it also adds to the manga's setting and parody of Yuri tropes. Panels feature the girls holding each other in dramatic and literally flowery poses, like a shot straight out of Strawberry Panic, complete with a backdrop of lilies. Appropriately, these fantasy-inspired poses occur in the café, often to the pleasure of adoring patrons screaming in celebration (thus mirroring my reactions). Like the other Yuri tropes, these artistic presentations occasionally jump outside of the café in more emotional or poignant moments. However, in a few crucial scenes, those more related to the narrative when it steps outside the boundaries of Class S, feature more grounded, although still dramatic, art. A particular shot in Volume 4 where Kanoko confides her hidden feelings to her senior, Sumika, and is comforted, sticks out in my mind just for this reason. It is a perfect example of art assisting the themes of the narrative and changing to suit the situation.

Yuri Is My Job! focuses mainly on Class S style storytelling, and thus, while it has plenty of traditional Yuri imagery, there is a starkly limited amount of lesbian content. Sure, readers can enjoy a decent number of illustrations featuring girls holding each other in a dramatic pose, but this is the act put on for the cafe, which is copying the "practice" relationships of S literature, themselves devoid of lesbian attraction. It is an imitation of an imitation, not queer content. Of course, this is by design, but it does mean that if readers want a grounded lesbian romance, they will find the series lacking. A bit of lesbian content does exist, Kanoko's crush on Hime exists outside the boundaries of work and S tropes, a relationship told in a flashback was, at least to one of the characters, "real," and there are signs of an eventual romance. However, the lack of lesbian identity should not be a reason to avoid this excellent manga.

Yuri Is My Job! is one of the most brilliant and exciting Yuri works out there. The ways Miman plays with the tropes and expectations of the genre are hilarious, complex, and exceptionally compelling. The characters are exciting and watching their stories weave through different classic Yuri scenes and tropes is as breathtaking as it is enjoyable. My sincere thanks to Diana Taylor, and Jennifer Skarupa and editor Haruko Hashimoto, for so deftly translating this series and preserving the S ties. I cannot wait to visit the students, or rather employees, of Liebe Girls Academy, in Volume 6.

Ratings: Story – 10 Characters – 8 Art – 9 LGBTQ – 3 (Yuri 10) Sexual Content – 1 Final – 9

Review copies provided by Kodansha Comics

Get Yuri Is My Job! digitally and in paperback today: https://amzn.to/3gNNeRt

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[theanimeview]

Comic-Con@Home 2021 - Manga Publishing Industry Roundtable - Notes!

Credit: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

About the Event

Date: 25 July 2021 | Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkcbcyjYEHg&ab_channel=Comic-ConInternational

Panel Description: Manga sales are now at record highs, but while demand is up, unprecedented supply chain shortages mean that popular titles are frequently out of stock. With these mixed blessings, what's next for manga? Find out what's going from the perspective of top publishing pros, including Kevin Hamric (vice president – marketing sales, VIZ Media), Mark de Vera (sales and marketing director, Yen Press), Leyla Aker (director, publisher services, Penguin Random House), Ed Chavez (publisher, Denpa Books), and Ivan Salazar (senior marketing director, Kodansha USA). Moderated by Deb Aoki (Publishers Weekly, Mangasplaining).

Notes

As a reminder, these are not exact quotes from the speakers. I’ve done my best to match what they’ve said with some verbatim statements, but also summarization. I highly encourage those interested to watch the entire panel linked above. I took notes on what I felt was beneficial, but there was a lot more in this panel than the notes taken below. The panelists told stories from their careers so far, gave fantastic examples of different titles, and so much more. Their insight and information help inform on the culture and business behind publishing manga… with that in mind, let’s jump in!

Aoki: What goes into your decision-making process when you choose new titles to pick up? Obviously, what we get here in North America is the tippy-tip-top of the iceberg of what’s available in Japan, both on back-list and current titles. 

Akler: Every publisher will have different considerations when they are evaluating what they want to pick up. What might work for SQUARE ENIX is not the same thing that’s going to work for VIZ, which is not the same thing that is going to work for DEMPA, which is not the same thing that is going to work for XYZ. There is still very much an issue of imprint and publisher identity when publishing books because we all have our specializations. This is concentrated in Shounen (still one of the top-selling genres across the board), KADOKAWA, and, therefore, Yen Press, which is heavily concentrated in Isekai and light novel tie-ins right now. Kodansha kind of covers the waterfront as they do just about any genre at present. Ed Chavez at DENPA has more of an artistic and independent sensibility in what he’s picking up, while SQUARE ENIX is a little bit more on the video game tie-ins and more on the commercial end of things. So the identity of the imprints and what your publishing is informed by that decision. 

Akler cont.: Secondarily, as publishers, we’re looking at what will succeed in the market. And, I think that from the fan perspective, the whole thing is very opaque and mysterious. Why won’t a publisher pick up a title? It could be several things. Maybe the publisher doesn’t think it will work in the market here, maybe the sensibilities of the Japanese audience are not the same as the sensibilities of the North American audience, maybe it doesn’t fit the imprint’s identity, etc. Finally, there’s a certain kind of material that is more suitable for certain markets. The issue with which manga makes the evaluation is a little bit more complicated. If you’re a regular trade book publisher and a book doesn’t work, it’s one and done. Like, ‘okay, that title didn’t work. We move onto the next one.’ However, if you are a manga publisher, depending on the length of that series, you are locked in. So if a series doesn’t work, it’s not simply that a book doesn’t work. It means that book is not going to work possibly the next 64 times you come out with a volume under the title, and that is an incredible financial burden for any list to bear. Those aren’t the only reasons. As mentioned, there's a lot of considerations put into picking titles, and it just varies with every single publisher. 

[All the panelists agreed.]

Salazar added that sometimes those series you're looking for are coming; they're just further down the list, so no announcements have been made yet. Not always, but sometimes.

Vera added: [For] What goes into deciding what manga companies like ours (Yen Press) to acquire, I’m going to quote a wise mentor figure of mine’s saying: ‘Can I sell it?’ That’s kind of the essential question that’s asked when considering what manga books get brought over/what books to acquire, and there are two ways to look at that sentiment of ‘Can I sell it?’--The first is when, you know, when one hears that they may think, ‘oh, you’re looking out for those obvious anime hits and tie-ins’ and, yes, of course, those are things that are looked out for as that does increase the likeliness of a title series being acquired. But, in my time in the industry, I’ve been most satisfied by the other half of ‘Can I sell it?’ and that’s when gambles have been taken, which is why I am really happy to work for a company like Yen Press. Yen Press is a company that historically has shown itself to be the kind of business that’s taken gambles such as light novels, which once upon a time was looked at as not a viable category when it was given a try before. Then we give it the full Yen Press treatment, and now it’s doing amazing for us. This year we’re the first to publish Korean webcomics in a pretty significant manner, such as Solo Leveling.

Vera cont.: Solo Leveling took off as one of the best selling graphic novel series of the year, so it may seem like an obvious choice now, but there is definitely an element of risk-taking that went into it. In my time in the industry, whether it’s the examples laid out here or in other cases I’ve come across, I’d say that I’ve been, personally, most satisfied at the time where the companies I’ve worked for took risks on titles, on series, and on categories, that might not have seemed like obvious bestsellers in the market. But, we believed that there were fans for it, we believed that there were markets that we could sell to, and it did well. It’s a combination of going for the obvious choices and also gambling for those that might be less obvious.

Aoki: Building on that question, let me ask: can you maybe name some titles that’s on your list or that you consider to be something that’s maybe a little outside of your comfort zone, but that people should take a chance on? Or, is there a category of books that you’ve started to publish that are kind of like, ‘Wow! I couldn’t have done this five years ago.’

Vera: There are lots of smaller genres that have always had an audience but have been hard to bring out. BoysLove, for example, has really expanded in the last few years in the English market and even classic series (like the re-release of Fruits Basket) are getting bought out. 

Vera cont.: All the panelists agree that the rise in BL/Yaoi sales have gone through the roof. Maybe this is because of more want for representation--who knows? But it’s a really expansive introduction into the market that is very popular right now. 

Chavez: Josei titles are still difficult to sell right now. (Josei manga are Japanese comics catered specifically to women's interests, and marketed towards older teenage girls and adult women demographics.) Not sure why they’re hard to sell, but we’ll keep trying as it's a section I believe has potential.

Aoki: How is piracy impacting sales and titles? Piracy along with fan-scanlations was something I’ve heard a lot about previously but have not heard as much in recent years. Is it still heavily influencing your business or …?

Chavez: Piracy is still out there, of course. I feel where it hurts the most is when publishers are already working on the title for publication and then fan-scanlations start coming out. We, as publishers, don’t like to break the perception of what a marginal title could be, which is not helped when--about half-way down the line--we see a slow down of purchases, and see that people are ripping off ebooks and posting them to websites. 

Vera: Does it affect acquisition decisions and sales? It does not generally affect acquisition decisions as typically pirated titles are things already popular, so being afraid of that is not really a thing. It would be foolish to say it does not affect sales, but we’re also in an unprecedented time where we cannot keep certain titles in stock because so many people are buying them. Here’s the thing, though--it’s just not a good thing to do (to an artist or for yourself or the publisher) because it affects the business overall. 

Aoki: Where do you see the business of publishing manga going in five years? 

Hamric: The business goes in peaks and valleys for the book business in general. Where I see manga and the industry right now is a peak and we’re in a time, potentially, of something historical happening. We may see anime and manga go from the pop culture side of things into the mass-culture side of things like we see in Japan. Never before has things like manga, anime, and stuff like science fiction been as popular as it is now. For whatever reason that is, whether its Marvel or DC or Big Bang Theory--the people our age are passing things down and it’s growing in a way that is exciting. I think, in the next 5 years, it will settle into the mass-culture like we see in Japan currently. The last boom and bust is not something I see repeating. 

Aker: I don’t see the last boom and bust from the 2009/2010 period happening again in the next five years. The circumstances seem fundamentally different from back then. You know, back then, almost 50% of all manga sales came from BORDERS which has since shut down (right around the same time as the bust). BORDERS, Waldorf books, and B. Daltons comprised the majority of sales for manga titles then and the economic crash of that 2009 period took them out. So unless places like Amazon go belly-up, the distribution and sales is probably not going to walk back. Culture, too, does not seem like it’s going to take a step back. 

Chavez: From a pessimistic perspective, anything could happen so while I hope there isn’t a bust--if there is one, it would not be unheard of. I hope it doesn’t happen, but there probably will be a dip at some point. So, I hope we get to keep expanding with better outreach and distribution. 

Vera: One of the biggest readerships in comics is on the digital platforms--something Korea has really done well and is popular here so I think a turn towards the digital will be booming as platforms for manga and other comics. I feel like we will see a continued growth in legitimate consumption of the medium rather than continuing with piracy. (As a note here, when legitimate means come out at affordable rates, piracy tends to drops significantly, so with continued growth of the industry this is reasonable prediction.)

*As a final note, in reviewing this post before scheduling it, Salazar’s addition to the conversation seemed missing and I wished to address this. Salazar added a lot more to this panel through case examples. I didn’t feel like taking notes as he often was expanding on someone else's point rather than making new ones, as well as listing titles, BUT that does not mean that his inclusion and contribution should not be recognized. I, once again, highly encourage those interested to watch this panel fully to get a better grasp on the information within. 

[stray-tori]

I’ve been sitting on it for a while and I don’t think that the reason this is happening to TPN is because of the female protagonist. At least not the only reason.

It might be the dropped ratings during the serialization in WSJ (tried to find a source but nobody I found compiled all weekly ratings and I’m too lazy - so this may not be the case at all, I just heard it in some community convos) or/and that they just didn’t want to have to adapt a whole 150 more chapters.

Runtime / Assuming they’ll do roughly 40 each season like s1, that’s 4 more seasons, maybe 5 if they want to flesh the last stretch out as some people had hoped, which would be another.... like 6 years of runtime until it’s done, if they need 1,5 years for every season (as the head of CloverWorks said in Joey’s interview). Even if we say like 2-2,5 years for two 24-ep seasons, it’s still about 4-5 years) This is all based on knowledge I’ve heard and I haven’t read the manga.

I can’t recall any anime production going this far after the manga already ended, but I’m also not on top of every manga in existence.

Like... BNHA Manga, which keeps getting more seasons, is still ongoing. Literally the biggest / most mainstream anime right now, Attack On Titan, also still has an ongoing manga as the final season is happening AND on top of that the committee/publisher literally forced whatever studio to finish it on tought deadlines until now - that’s why WIT dropped it.

“The staff overworked to meet Kodansha’s deadlines.” [x]

It seems to be a big deal that the manga is still ongoing. Funny because apparently, the anime wasn’t told the ending so now the final season isn’t even the final season and they’ll probably adapt the ending in a movie or final season part 2 (that’s so funny to me please). LIKE WHAT IS THAT? why couldn’t they wait for the manga to complete or pace it so they’d have the time to do the ending too? Clearly ongoing manga is a big deal.

Counter Examples / I do think the haikyuu manga ended last year and I think the anime is still continuing but I’m not deep enough into it to know if that was/is the last season or if it’s a full adaption.

Demon Slayer also ended and it’s getting a second season. But Demon Slayer is also really big and the movie brought in a lot of money if I remember correctly. And it did end in May 2020, that’s true, so it’s been a while, but HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE SALES CHARTS. DS is too big internationally, it could probably carry itself through all that. It’s also a lot more action-y and lends itself to “epic” merch, so... yeah.

Beastars I think is also done, but S2 is happening right now and we’ll see if we get more -  but since Netflix is involved who are pretty disconnected from the overall anime industry and mostly want stuff for their catalog, I think as long as the SHOW itself does well, we won’t have to worry. So I don’t think it’s fair to compare that here.

There’s also the remakes, like FMA:BH, Fruits basket and Sailor Moon Crystal, one of which is.... not that good; and for the others,,, yeah I don’t really know how economy works but I could imagine either a “re-birth” for Merch or the brand overall or just.... passionate people who wanted to see it re-done. I know for SMC, the author herself provided some if not all of the budget iirc.

.

TLDR; we cannot blame it solely on misogyny, I think. It sadly is just relevancy to the overall brand (hype is biggest when everyone is either engaged in the brand by anime or manga, manga falls away because it’s finished, and then it depends on the producers and other people to be engaged enough to carry on, possibly for years more). TBH, Anime industry kinda cringe. I rest my.... thoughts.