#IReadsYou Review: PING PONG: Volume 1

PING PONG, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Michael Arias
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Mike Montessa
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1165-9; paperback (May 2020)
530pp, B&W with some color, $29.99 US, $39.99 CAN, £23.99 UK

Ping Pong is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto, who is also the creator of the Tekkonkinkreet and Cats of the Louvre manga, to name a few.  Ping Pong was serialized in Japanese publisher, Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine, Big Comic Spirits, from 1996 to 1997.

Ping Pong tells the story of two boys, Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto and Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino, who have been friends since childhood despite having drastically different personalities.  They are now both talented members of the table tennis (ping pong) club of Katase High School.  The series depicts the boys' different approach to table tennis.

Shogakukan originally collected Ping Pong's 55 chapters into six tankōbon volumes (graphic novels), and in 2014, Shogakukan re-released the manga in two book volumes under the new title, Ping Pong: Full Game No.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of Ping Pong: Full Game No as a two-volume, paperback omnibus set under its “VIZ Signature” imprint.

Ping Pong, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 27) introduces longtime friends, Smile and Peco, who are both on the table tennis team at Katase High School.  Peco is all-in as a player, believing that he can beat just about any other ping pong player anytime.  Smile is eccentric and rarely smiles, nor does he take the game of table tennis/ping pong that seriously.  In fact, it seems that he would rather lose than have his opponent experience the agony of losing.

Well, Katase High's Coach Jo Koizumi won't accept that.  He is determined to make Smile a great ping pong player, even if he has to use every trick in his playbook.  Meanwhile, straight out of China comes Wenge Kong, a Chinese ping pong prodigy recruited by the Japanese high school, Tsujido Polytechnic, as a “ringer.”  However, Kong has his own issues and struggles.

[This volume also includes Ping Pong Episode 0: “Tamura.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  Some may know the Ping Pong manga because of the 2002 Japanese live-action film, which is how I first learned of the manga.  Over the last decade and a half, Ping Pong's creator, Taiyo Matsumoto, has become something of a graphic novel star with the English-language releases of his manga,  especially Tekkonkinkreet, Sunny, and Cats of the Louvre.

Ping Pong Graphic Novel Volume 1 provides a look at one of Matsumoto's early long form series, and it reveals that Matsumoto himself was something of a prodigy.  The first 27 chapters of Ping Pong are an impressive display of different graphical storytelling approaches in presenting the personalities, character, and motivations of the story's main players.

In fact, the characters' personalities drive this story.  For instance, Peco's cocky and carefree nature acts as a counter to Smile's stubborn attitude and taciturn nature.  As I read this story, I could almost feel the characters falling on either side of the Peco/Smile divide, and, for me, this gives a spice to the ping pong matches.  Speaking of those, Matsumoto turns the ping pong matches into duels of furious speed and slashing moves in which the players and rackets move as fast as the ping pong balls.

With his translation, Michael Arias' does what he did for Cats of the Louvre – give the readers an engaging tale full of diverse personalities.  Deron Bennett's lettering changes as Matsumoto's illustrations shift in tone and style, both creatives giving this tale depth and richness.  With a title like Ping Pong, one might not think that this story could be as wonderful as it is, and it is indeed wonderful.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Taiyo Matsumoto will want the VIZ Signature edition of Ping Pong.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: CATS OF THE LOUVRE

CATS OF THE LOUVRE
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Taiyo Matsumoto (with Saho Tono)
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Michael Arias
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Mike Montessa
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0708-9; hardcover (September 2019)
432pp, B&W with some color, $29.99 US, $39.99 CAN, £20.00 UK

Located in Paris, the Louvre is the world's largest art museum (and perhaps it most famous).  Did you know, dear reader, that the Louvre also publishes comics?  Yes, the most famous art museum in the world has been commissioning various legendary comic artists to write their own original stories inspired by the Louvre and its collection for the last decade.  These comics are published via a joint venture between the Louvre and French publisher, Futuropolis.

Most of these artists are French, but increasingly the Louvre has been working with Japanese manga artists (mangaka).  One of those mangaka is Taiyo Matsumoto, who is best known for his manga, Tekkonkinkreet.  Matsumoto won one of American comics' most prestigious honors, an Eisner Award (“Best U.S. Edition of International Material,” 2008), for Tekkonkinkreet: Black and White, VIZ Media's English-language edition of Tekkonkinkreet.

Matsumoto's contribution to Louvre comics is Les Chats du Louvre (Cats of the Louvre), which Futuropolis published in two books, one in February 2017 and the second in August 2018.  VIZ Media recently published an English-language edition of both volumes of Les Chats du Louvre in a single, hardcover, omnibus book under the title, Cats of the Louvre.

Cats of the Louvre, Part One (Chapters 1 to 10) and Part Two (Chapters 11 to 17 to Final Chapter) focuses on a group of human characters that works at the Louvre and a small family of cats that lives in the museum's attic.  Cécile Gagnier, a recent hire, is a tour guide.  Through Marcel, an elderly nightwatchman, Cécile learns that the paintings speak.  Although Cécile and, Marcel's new assistant, Patrick Nasri, initially doubt the old nightwatchman stories, they gradually become believers, especially Cécile.

For the world-renowned Louvre museum contains more than just the most famous works of art in history.  At night, within the Louvre's darkened galleries, an unseen and surreal world comes alive.  It is a world witnessed only by the cats that live in the attic, until now…  The cats, who change appearance at night into anthropomorphic forms, will end up sharing that magic with the humans.  Long ago, Marcel's sister, Arrieta, disappeared in the Louvre when the two were children.  Now, Cécile and a precocious white kitten named “Snowbébé” will solve a mystery that unites the world of the humans that work at the Louvre, the world of the cats, and the magical world a mysterious painting.

It is difficult to describe Cats of the Louvre.  It is surreal and partly exists in the real world and in the world of magical realism; then, some of it is entirely magical and fantastical.

Taiyo Matsumoto fashions an interesting and endearing group of human characters.  Marcel is mysterious, but he is the kind of old man who has a lot to say.  I found that I could not get enough of him.  Patrick Nasri is a nice spin on the skeptical youth type.  Cécile Gagnier is our doorway into the entire world of the museum and its employees and the world of the family of cats in the attic.  Her curiosity and determination and her willingness to listen and to believe make her an excellent focus and doorway into the narrative for readers.

The cats are something else entirely.  Even as cats, they seem slightly supernatural, so when they become human-like at night, everything about them turns magical and exciting.  I could follow their lives and adventures forever.  Most of the cat characters are quite interesting, but the star is, of course, Snowbébé.  This little white cat is the one who crosses the barriers, visiting the galleries during the day when the tourists and museum visitors can plainly see him.  It is his adventure into the mystery painting that creates the most magical and surreal sections of Cats of the Louvre.

Matsumoto's art is as lyrical, as poetic, and as personal as his story.  His odd, eccentric drawing style is perfect for comics; in fact, Cats of the Louvre looks like Eurocomics, American comics, and manga.  The art and story are hypnotic and alluring.  I found myself being pulled into the comic by the irresistible force of Matsumoto's graphical storytelling.

Michael Arias, the noted visual effects artist who directed the anime adaptation of Tekkonkinkreet, provides the translation and English adaptation for VIZ Media's edition of Cats of the Louvre.  Arias captures the magic and brilliance of Matsumoto's tale of the Louvre and its cats, its humans, and its charmed works of art.  Letter Deron Bennett turns in the best work of his career, providing the English lettering and sound effects and also, with his lettering, matching the beautiful spirit of Matsumoto's art.

I highly recommend Cats of the Louvre.  No admirer of the medium of comics can ignore Matsumoto's stunning manga.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: SUNNY Volume 3

 

SUNNY, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Michael Arias
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5969-8; hardcover (April 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
215pp, B&W, $22.99 US, $26.99 CAN

Sunny is a Japanese slice of life manga series written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine, Monthly Ikki, from December 2010 to September 2014 and in Monthly Big Comic Spirits from January to July 2015.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a full-color, hardcover, graphic novel series under its VIZ Signature imprint from May 2013 to November 2016.  Sunny is set at the orphanage, Star Kids Home, where there is a car called “Sunny,” a place where the children find solace.

Sunny, Vol. 3 (Chapters 13 to 18) opens with a visit from Nishita, a former resident of Star Kids Home.  Now, an adult, he wants to apologize for a terrible incident he started years ago that brought harm to Granpa, who heads the orphanage.

Next, Megumu decides to attend a party with a group of friends from school who live with their parents.  Her Star Kids “siblings” are not crazy about that, and Megumu feels conflicted.  Also, a TV station news crew visits Star Kids Home, and two brothers recall a visit to see their sick mother.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Sunny manga reads like an honest account of children adapting to life away from their parents and in an orphanage.  I often find myself racing through shonen manga in order to keep up with the action.  I also find myself fighting the urge to jump ahead when I read Sunny.  It is a character drama that is vivid and alive, and creator Taiyo Matsumoto makes me chase his narrative, as if it were shonen.

Sunny is heartbreaking and poignant, but it is even more upbeat and positive.  Matsumoto depicts the children of Star Kids as being imaginative and open to new possibilities.  Some may want their lives before Star Kids to come back, but that does not mean they won’t make the best of their new lives.  It’s a lesson we could all learn.

I READS YOU REVIEW:  Fans of the manga of Taiyo Matsumoto will want Sunny.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You and Revised:  Thursday, September 17, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SUNNY Volume 1

SUNNY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Michael Arias
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3448-0; hardcover (May 2013); Rated “T” for Teen is recommended for ages 13 and up
224pp, B&W, $22.99 US, $26.99 CAN

Taiyo Matsumoto is a manga creator best known for his manga, Tekkonkinkreet, which was made into an animated film in 2006. VIZ Media’s English-language publication of Tekkonkinkreet won Matsumoto an Eisner Award. He also created the series the manga, GoGo Monster.

Matsumoto’s new series, Sunny, began publication in the Japanese manga magazines, IKKI, in February 2011. Sunny is set at Star Kids Home, an orphanage. There, a car called “Sunny” is a place where the children find solace.

Sunny, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 6) introduces readers to Star Kids Home, a home for orphans and foster children. Another resident of this Japanese orphanage is the Sunny 1200, a dilapidated old Nissan car that sits abandoned in the orphanage’s garden. The children call the old car “Sunny,” and it is off-limits to adults. Sunny is something of a clubhouse for the kids, because it is the place where they can escape their everyday lives, daydream, think, hangout, and talk.

I’ll start my review with this recollection. Many years ago, I read a review/essay about the late comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, in which the review’s author praised cartoonist Bill Watterson for creating a “real kid” in Calvin. The author did his praising of the strip by criticizing “the Cosby kids” of The Cosby Show (1984 to 1992), the long-running NBC situation comedy starring Bill Cosby.

The author of the review/essay said (not exact words) that the Cosby kids weren’t real because of the way they acted. Back then, I figured the author did not know many upper-middle class African-American families – if he knew any at all. Maybe, if Theo Huxtable busted a cap in an ass or impregnated his fine-ass sister, Denise, then, the Cosby kids would have seemed more “real” to the review/essay author.

I don’t how many people will see the fictional children that Taiyo Matsumoto created for Sunny as real. At least at this point in the series, he hasn’t given each character a grocery list of quirks, motivations, and conflicts to prove to people that he can create “well-developed” or real characters.

Matsumoto simply makes the children seem authentic by their actions. The children of Star Kids Home (a great name, by the way) are seekers of knowledge, explorers of the ways of the world, and investigators of what drives people to do what they do. Sunny is poignant, but it is not really about a happy/sad or good/bad dynamic. Instead, Matsumoto has created manga with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the way the world is.

So are the children in Sunny real or real-like? I don’t know, but I do know that Sunny is the real deal in great comics.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

#IReadsYou Review: GOGO MONSTER

 

GOGO MONSTER
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Camellia Nieh
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Annette Roman
LETTERS: Susan Daigle-Leach
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3448-0; paperback; Rated “T” for “Teen”
459pp, B&W, $27.99 US, $36.00 CAN

GoGo Monster is a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto.  Japanese publisher, Shogakukan, published it in a single tankōbon (graphic novel) volume in October 2000.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of GoGo Monster as a single-volume graphic novel under its VIZ Signature imprint in November 2009.

GoGo Monster, a thick manga graphic novel by Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), takes readers into the make-believe life of a third grader.  A mystery and sleight-of-hand fantasy, GoGo Monster asks what is real and what is childhood obsession?

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, our world, Yuki is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see.  In the other world, these supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits that bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and even nature itself.

In Grade 3, Class 2, Yuki is a good student, but he is preoccupied with the struggle between his good supernatural friends and the bad ones who break windows and paint graffiti on the school walls.  Makoto Suzuki is the new kid sitting next to Yuki, and although the other students warn him against this, this boy becomes Yuki’s steady companion.  Yuki also finds sympathy in Ganz, the elderly caretaker of the school’s flower and vegetable gardens and also Sasaki a.k.a. IQ, a boy who wears a large box over his head.  Makoto isn’t sure if Yuki is making up his fantasy world or not, while Ganz and IQ are cagey about what they believe.  As he becomes more withdrawn, Yuki will have to depend on the friends that stick with him – whether he realizes it or not.

THE LOWDOWN:  The answer to whether Yuki Tachibana’s claims are true or not is obvious to most readers, but the validity of this child’s fantasies are not necessarily the heart of GoGo Monster’s narrative.  The genre to which Monster is closest is not fantasy, but rather the coming of age story.  In fact, Monster is a coming of age story presented in such a fashion that the reader must be a detective – searching for the truth by discovering Tachibana’s motivations and by dissecting what little of his past is presented to the reader.  The star of the story is Yuki Tachibana and he doesn’t disappoint.

Taiyo Matsumoto’s tale mixes environmental and green metaphors and symbols which gives the story’s themes of renewal and rebirth, not only for Yuki, but also for his classmates.  What Matsumoto does best, however, is engage the reader.  Matsumoto structures the story so that the reader is constantly trying to find the truth.  The execution of this comics or graphical storytelling is such that the reader is always looking for something – a strange looking creature or a subtle movement in the face of a staff member or student at the school – that will answer a question.

You will want answers, and you will be won over by this maddening complicated child, Yuki Tachibana.  He is our surrogate into this literary world.  GoGo Monster is a monster of a read, filled with a sense of wonder about the natural world, about the supernatural world, and also about living in the real world.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the manga of Taiyo Matsumoto will want GoGo Monster.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Revised and Posted on Friday, September 18, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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VIZ Media to GoGo

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS AN EMOTIONAL MIX OF THE REAL AND IMAGINARY IN THE DEBUT OF TAIYO MATSUMOTO’S GOGO MONSTER

New Manga Release Blends Bold Art And A Clever Story Of A Young Boy Who Tries To Balance His Own Lonely World With a Fantastic Supernatural Realm Only He Can See

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of Taiyo Matsumoto’s celebrated manga GOGO MONSTER on November 17th. GOGO MONSTER will be published by the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $27.99 U.S. / $36.00 CAN.

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students' lives, and even nature itself.

“Taiyo Matsumoto’s clever stories and striking art have placed him among the best of a new generation of influential manga artists and we are privileged to present GOGO MONSTER to U.S. audiences,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “This story continues to show Matsumoto’s fascination with youth as he seamlessly blends themes of alienation with the paranormal. For anyone with an overactive imagination or has even just daydreamed during class, GOGO MONSTER offers an emotional tale that shows how what we see and imagine, whether real or imaginary, shapes our personality in profound ways.”

Taiyo Matsumoto made his manga debut in the Japanese magazine Comic Afternoon with the short story STRAIGHT. He went on to travel throughout France and became heavily influenced by the French comics he studied there including those created by pioneering European artists like Moebius and Enki Bilal. Matsumoto has become internationally acclaimed for stories that capture the essence of disaffected youth and adolescent alienation. His other notable works include BLUE SPRING, NO. 5 and TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. TEKKONKINKREET won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted for an animated feature film. Another Matsumoto manga story, PING PONG, was turned into an award-winning live action film that is available from VIZ Pictures.

For more information on other VIZ Signature titles please visit www.VizSignature.com and www.Sigikki.com.

Fourth Quarter Books from VIZ Media

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA SERVES UP SCIENCE FICTION, ACTION FANTASY, ROMANCE AND JAPANESE CUISINE FOR NEW FOURTH QUARTER MANGA RELEASES

New Titles Span A Variety Of Genres To Delight Fans Of All Ages And Interests

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has previewed an array of new manga (graphic novel) releases scheduled to debut throughout the Fourth Quarter of 2009. The new titles span a diverse range of genres everywhere from science fiction, fantasy/adventure, and crime thrillers to shojo (comics for girls) and teenage coming-of-age stories.


The new manga titles debuting are as follows:
YU-GI-OH! r, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

YU-GI-OH! R is the shocking manga-only sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist and the prequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World. Volume 1, with story and art by Akira Ito, begins when the follower of an old enemy returns to take revenge. Yugi Muto must duel to save a friend's life, but can he overcome the power of the three "Jashin," the terrifying Evil God Cards? Creator Kazuki Takahashi built an action-packed adventure based on themes of friendship and fighting, and combined lots of weird and imaginative monsters to make YU-GI-OH! an international smash hit that spawned a real-world card game, multiple video games, and three anime series. Exclusive bonus card in the first print run!



RIN-NE, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

RIN-NE is the brand new series from celebrated manga creator Rumiko Takahashi (INUYASHA). As a child, Sakura Mamiya mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind her grandma’s home. She returned whole and healthy, but since then she has had the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! At school, the desk next to Sakura’s has been empty since the start of the school year, then one day her always-absent classmate shows up, and he’s far more than what he seems!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available Now!
A poignant collection of intersecting vignettes depicting twenty-something angst, Inio Asano’s WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD explores the various ways that modern life can be at once ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated. In Volume 1, what begins with a college dropout bored of her mediocre routine soon becomes a fantastic series of stories about the unexpected ways that different lives intersect. Filled with magical realism in the face of the cold reality of daily modern life, at their core these stories are about young people discovering something precious amidst the chaos of existence.

BEAST MASTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available November 3rd
Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened and sees blood. That doesn't stop animal-lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits...

DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd (Novel) · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available Now!

DEATH NOTE: L, Change the WorLd introduces the unwritten chapter of DEATH NOTE and reveals how the legendary detective “L” (Kenichi Matsuyama) spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the “Kira” case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving him with only 23 days left to live. For his final case, L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to.

The DEATH NOTE novel features the same format as the original Japanese printing with a hardcover and clear acetate jacket with metallic ink. DEATH NOTE is one of VIZ Media’s top five bestselling properties, with over 1 million copies of the manga sold in the U.S. The character of L is extremely popular with fans and has inspired various products such as apparel and stationery as well as spinoff novels and two live action DEATH NOTE films (available from VIZ Pictures).

POKÉMON: Giratina & the Sky Warrior! Ani-Manga, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · MSRP: $11.99 US / $15.99 CAN · Available November 3rd

Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon, usually leads a peaceful life in forests and among flowers. But when it gets swept up in a great battle between Legendary Pokémon Giratina and Dialga, it accidentally becomes part of a struggle to maintain the delicate balance between the Real World and an alternate dimension called the Reverse World. Ash, Dawn and Brock join the fight and soon discover that there's more to Shaymin than meets the eye!



INUYASHA (VIZBIG), Vol. 1· Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available November 10th
Rumiko Takahashi’s epic manga adventure INUYASHA is given an omnibus VIZBIG treatment that combines the first three volumes of the smash hit series. Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power they need to come true. Beginning October 3rd, fans can also catch animated episodes of INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT (subtitled) on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com mere hours after they air in Japan.

GO GO MONSTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $27.99 US / $36.00 CAN · Available November 17th
Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students' lives, and even nature itself.

This gorgeous edition is available in hardcover format with a four-color slipcase.

GO GO MONSTER was created by Taiyo Matsumoto, whose other works include BLUE SPRING, NO. 5 and TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. TEKKONKINKREET won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted into an animated feature film.

OISHINBO THE JOY OF RICE, Vol. 6 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available November 17th
Japanese cuisine is the star in this appetite-inducing series that has sold more 100 million copies in Japan. In this volume, Tōzai newspaper writer Shiro Yamaoka and his colleagues look into the single most essential food in Japanese cuisine: rice. Cultivated for millennia, a staple meal in itself and the basis of countless other dishes, rice is an important component not only of the Japanese kitchen but also of Japanese culture. When Yamaoka is asked by Tōzai's head chef for help in coming up with a new rice dish, what starts out as a simple culinary request rapidly grows into a disquisition into the past, present and future of Japan's food culture.

THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, ARINA TANEMURA ILLUSTRATIONS · MSRP: $19.99 US / $27.00 CAN · Available November 17th

Renowned manga artist Arina Tanemura created this acclaimed series that exemplifies the shojo style with highly stylized artwork and romantic plot twists presented with a swirl of billowing ribbons, romance and heartbreak. The gorgeously illustrated edition features designs for all the major characters from THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † and also includes two exclusive images for North America, author commentary, and a double-sided, full color fold-out poster. Tanemura is a prolific manga artist and is also the creator of several popular shojo series such as I-O-N, TIME STRANGER KYOKO and FULL MOON (all of which are published in North America by VIZ Media).

BUTTERFLIES & FLOWERS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available December 1st

Choko Kuze is the sensible daughter of a venerable family who went bankrupt. She joins a real estate company as an entry-level office worker, but her eccentric boss is harder on her than anyone else in the company! After hearing him inadvertently call her "milady," she realizes he was the young servant boy she knew as a child. At work he's a tyrant, but after hours he insists on treating her like a lady of the nobility. Is romance even possible for a couple locked in such a crazy role reversal? [END]

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