While there have been a lot of good manga officially published in english, there are still some titles that haven't been licensed yet and some I feel have no excuse not being licensed. These series I would eagerly plunk down my money for.
Ushio and Tora: This is probably my favorite Shounen Sunday manga I've ever read. I love the Calvin and Hobbes meeting YuYu Hakusho premise and the imagination of Kazuhiro Fujita is mindblowing. With the new anime adaptation bringing interest back to the series, I wonder if it will prompt Viz to license it.
Kongou Banchou: Nakaba Suzuki of Nanatsu no Taizai fame's previous series. It has an old school feel with a new school look as well as Suzuki's trademark explosive action.
Medaka Box: We already have the anime licensed and it ended on a cliff hanger so why not bring the manga over? The rest of the series is really good and creative.
Needless: More or less the same with Medaka Box. It also has a wicked and crazy roller coaster pace that makes it super fun to read.
Outlaw Star: The anime was a hit here and those who remember it still want more Outlaw Star.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Parts 4-8 and the rest of Hokuto no Ken: The situation with JoJo has been looking bright lately since Viz has been publishing Parts 1 and 2 when they only had Part 3 for a long time so there is some hope we'll get the other parts. Hokuto no Ken didn't get a full translation but maybe with it being better known in the English speaking world now it will have a better chance than before?
What series do you wish were licensed?
I'd love to be able to read Ushio & Tora, one day. I didn't know Outlaw Star had manga.
All I can think of is Baki. My manga knowledge is extremely limited.
Ushio and Tora would be great, and we'll probably be getting more JoJo down the line thanks to the newfound interest and popularity which the anime seasons have brought to it.
As for me, I'd die of happiness if we could somehow get Ashita no Joe, along with other Asaki Takamori-written manga licenses here and published in print.
There's six in particular for me.
Ushio & Tora
Karakuri Circus
Moonlight Act
Rokudenashi Blues
Rookies
Ashita no Joe
I thought the list would be longer, but I think those are the six I'd want to read above anything else.
Also, Sakigake!! Otokojuku has really been growing on me as I read it. I'm still really early on in the manga, but it's a pretty good sattire of "manly" 70's and 80's manga like Kinnikuman and and Hokuto no Ken. I think that with the popularity of anime adaptations of older manga these days, a revival of this series in anime form could really do wonders to boost awareness and popularity of the series in the west, and prompt a company like Viz to capitalize on that popularity by releasing it in the states.
I watched a few episodes of it at a con a few years ago. People were busting a gut.
The biggest hurdle would obviously be wondering if modern anime and manga fans would support an older series release. That is probably the number one issue preventing something like Ushio & Tora from being licensed since it is fairly long and a quarter of a century old.
But I wouldn't mind a kickstarter or something like Funimation is doing with Escaflowne if it came to it being the only way to gauge interest. I just want to legally support the series.
Good to see that I am not the only one wanting an official release of Ushio and Tora. Hey Viz Media, are you reading this? ;)
Nyatto! I would buy officially since I love cat girls and this short manga is probably the silliest (in a good way) of them all. Speaking of cat girls, I love Aisha Clan Clan and that's another reason why I want the manga of Outlaw Star.
I pretty much agree with all the series already mentioned.
One manga that I'm really surprised isn't licensed yet is Silver Spoon. While it's not an action series, you'd think that someone would at least try to bring it over after how successful FMA was. I'm still hoping that someone will license it once the manga ends since it really deserves more attention outside of Japan.
A few other series that I would like to see licensed are:
Cobra
Urusei Yatsura
Billy Bat
The Disaster of Psi Kusuo Saiki
Neuro: Supernatural Detective
Kochikame (with it being released as a "best of" collection series like Golgo 13 and Oishinbo were over here)
Interesting picks.
Billy Bat will probably be out after Viz is finished with Keaton. They only do one Urasawa series at a time.
Neuro might have a chance after AC is done. I mean, if Zombie Powder can come out here after Bleach's success, Neuro should have the same chance.
Cobra is constantly given attention in Japan. If it gets enough attention, maybe someone will give it a shot.
UY and Kochikame probably wouldn't have a chance unless they were digital only. If modern fans think series from the mid-90s are too old, just imagine the coronary they would have when looking at these. That's also why I doubt Ashita no Joe will get a release. Digital only at the very least would be nice.
Disaster, like Hinomaru, is a Jump series that, despite ranking well and having a fanbase, is given no real push by Jump. Like Psyren, they last for years but get no merchandise or an anime that would probably put them over the top. To put it in perspective, Viz dropped Gintama after about 20 volumes. If Japan won't push it, the chances of audiences over here grabbing on is slim.
Hopefully Cobra getting a new anime will increase its chances.
Hmm, is Guyver's manga easily available in English? :thinkin: If not, then add that to my list.
Quote from: gunswordfist on March 01, 2016, 06:16:18 PM
Hmm, is Guyver's manga easily available in English? :thinkin: If not, then add that to my list.
It needs a re-release. Same with Hokuto no Ken.
Viz released the first 7 volumes back in the 90s, but no one has re-licensed the series since then. The manga is still ongoing (it's even older than JoJo), but since there's only a single volume released per year in Japan, it's only around 32 volumes currently.
Thank you, fellas. :)
You're welcome, dude. :thumbup:
Kongou Banchou is only 12 volumes. That shouldn't be an expensive license?
Compiling the list from the blog VLord linked to, I came up with this list of Golden Age Jump material that would be prime licensing material. Of course, many of these ARE licensed and some of these don't appeal to me at all, but I'm going to post the whole list anyway just to have a handy list of them somewhere.
Hokuto no Ken/Fist of the North Star
Ginga -Nagareboshi Gin-/Silver Fang -Shooting Star Gin-
Kimagure/Capricious Orange?Road
Dragon Ball/Z
City Hunter
Tsuide ni Tonchinkan/Then to Absurdity
Sakigake!! Otokojuku/Charge Ahead!! Men's School
Saint Seiya
Kenritsu Umisora Koko Yakyuu Buin Yamashita Taro-kun/Prefectural Umisora High School Baseball Club Member Taro Yamashita
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Moeru! Onii-san/Burning Older Brother!
Bastard!! -Ankoku no Hakaishin/Destructive God of Darkness-
Jungle no Ouja/Jungle King Tar-chan
Rokudenashi/Good-for-Nothing Blues
Magical Taruruuto-kun
Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken/Dai's Big Adventure
Den'ei Shoujo/Video Girl Ai
Hana no Keiji -Kumo no Kanata ni-/Keiji of the Flowers -Beyond the Clouds-
Slam Dunk
Chinyuuki -Taro to Yukaina Nakama-tachi-/Journey to the Strange -Taro & His Pleasant Friends-
Yu Yu Hakusho/Poltergiest Report
Outer Zone
Pennant Race: Yamada Taiichi no Kiseki/The Miracle of Taiichi Yamada
Bonbonzaka Koukou Engekibu/Bonbon Hill High School Drama Club
Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen/Ultimate Perverted Mask!!
(Hareluya II) BOY
Ninku
Tottemo! Luckyman/Such a Luckyman!
Jigoku Sensei/Hell Teacher Nube
Captain Tsubasa: Principe del Sol
Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantic-/Kenshin the Wanderer -The Romantic Tale of a Meiji Swordsman-
Midori no Makibao/Makibao of the Green
Jinnai-ryu Jujutsu Butoden Majima-kun Suttobasu!!/Jinnai-Style Jujutsu Fighting Tale: Majima, Go Straight!!
Level E
Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoi yo, Masaru-san!!/Sexy Commando Side Story: That's Amazing, Masaru!!
Wild Half
And for fun, the Dark Age:
Hoshin Engi/The Historical Record of the Sealed Gods
Yu-Gi-Oh!/The King of Games!
Hanasaka Tenshi Tenten-kun/Tenten, The Angel that Made Flowers Bloom
I"s
Seikimatsu Leader-den/Tale of the Leader at the Century's End Takeshi!
One Piece
Rookies
Whistle!
Hunter X Hunter
Shaman King
Rising Impact
Hikaru no Go/Hikaru's Go
The Prince of Tennis
Zombie Powder
There's a lot of good stuff in there not licensed that I would certainly enjoy reading.
Bookmarked.
Most of the Dark Age titles that you listed either are or were licensed. Rookies, Rising Impact, and Zombie Powder are the only ones never localized here. I feel like any chance that Zombie Powder had of being brought over died with Bleach's popularity. When Bleach was still big over here, Viz could have marketed it by being by the same writer. As it is now, there'd be a lack of interest in reading an old Kubo series that was canceled after just three volumes.
As for JoJo, I have a feeling that Viz will start releasing each subsequent part after Stardust Crusaders once the anime gets up to that point. If they haven't already announced Diamond is Unbreakable, I'm positive that they will by some point later on this year.
Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on March 08, 2016, 09:08:47 PM
Most of the Dark Age titles that you listed either are or were licensed. Rookies, Rising Impact, and Zombie Powder are the only ones never localized here. I feel like any chance that Zombie Powder had of being brought over died with Bleach's popularity. When Bleach was still big over here, Viz could have marketed it by being by the same writer. As it is now, there'd be a lack of interest in reading an old Kubo series that was canceled after just three volumes.
Actually, Zombie Powder WAS licensed by Viz, oddly enough. It does give hope that something like Seikimatsu Leader-den Takeshi could get licensed since it's by the writer of Toriko.
Mostly I put the Dark Ages there as a contrast. Despite its name, pretty much all the important and well known series from then got licensed. Some of the Golden Age stuff WAS licensed, like Kimagure Orange Road and City Hunter, and are currently adrift without homes. I wish someone would scoop them up, if even just the anime versions.
Well, color me surprised. I never knew about that. It must not have been very popular, which still kind of falls in line with what I said about there not being enough interest in it. :D
It came out waaaaay back back when Bleach was still popular. A friend got it at the time, since he was a Bleach fan then, and I remember reading through it. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was probably better than post-Soul Society Bleach.
The JoJo manga seems to be in a pretty stable position in the US now, so I'm confident Viz will continue releasing more of it. I'm honestly more concerned with whether or not WB will continue dubbing the anime.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on March 08, 2016, 09:15:26 PM
Mostly I put the Dark Ages there as a contrast. Despite its name, pretty much all the important and well known series from then got licensed. Some of the Golden Age stuff WAS licensed, like Kimagure Orange Road and City Hunter, and are currently adrift without homes. I wish someone would scoop them up, if even just the anime versions.
Actually, Kimagure Orange Road got re-licensed by DM a few years ago. There's no physical release, but the entire manga is available on their online store. (https://www.emanga.com/search?keyword=Kimagure+Orange+Road)
Quote from: VLordGTZ on March 08, 2016, 09:55:35 PMQuote from: Spark Of Spirit on March 08, 2016, 09:15:26 PM
Mostly I put the Dark Ages there as a contrast. Despite its name, pretty much all the important and well known series from then got licensed. Some of the Golden Age stuff WAS licensed, like Kimagure Orange Road and City Hunter, and are currently adrift without homes. I wish someone would scoop them up, if even just the anime versions.
Actually, Kimagure Orange Road got re-licensed by DM a few years ago. There's no physical release, but the entire manga is available on their online store. (https://www.emanga.com/search?keyword=Kimagure+Orange+Road)
You know, I knew that and completely forgot. I'll have to keep it in mind. (I'd also fund a kickstarter for 2 in 1 physical releases, but I don't see that happening)
Still, I would like to see the anime again.
Oh, and I guess I should put the real long shot out there, which would be Ring ni Kakero. It's not as well known as Ashita no Joe is here, which gives it even less of a chance than that does.
Well, seeing as how Saint Seiya is fairly popular among old-school anime fans, I'd argue that it actually has a better shot than Ashita no Joe.
Thanks for the reminder about Rising Impact. Even though I am not interested in sports, I'd like to read it simply because Nakaba Suzuki is a damn good mangaka. Same with All Rounder Meguru by Hiroki Endo. Also, Dark Horse need to quit being lazy and release the rest of Eden It's An Endless World! already as well as license ARM! >:(
I will say, the manga from that list I'm most interested in (other than what I've already brought up in my first post and Ring ni Kakero) isn't that extensive:
Ginga -Nagareboshi Gin-/Silver Fang -Shooting Star Gin-
City Hunter (relicense)
Moeru! Onii-san/Burning Older Brother!
Outer Zone
(Hareluya II) BOY
Tottemo! Luckyman/Such a Luckyman!
Jinnai-ryu Jujutsu Butoden Majima-kun Suttobasu!!/Jinnai-Style Jujutsu Fighting Tale: Majima, Go Straight!!
All the other big ones are already out there.
City Hunter as well as Hokuto no Ken do need license rescuing. Sadly, the first didn't sell well and Hokuto no Ken's had two runs here that weren't successful. With the exception of Dragon Ball and JJBA to a lesser extent, classic manga just isn't a thing for most American manga readers.
The other list I went through is the Silver Age. I didn't bother with Bronze because there's an extraordinarily low chance of anything from that era ever coming out here. Though I sure wouldn't mind a few, I don't see any of them happening outside a fluke like Ring ni Kakero, Cobra, or some compilations of Kochikame. This is the final list I'll put here.
The Silver Age:
Naruto
Black Cat
Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar/Blow that Recorder, Jaguar!
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
Mr. Fullswing
Bleach
Ichigo/Strawberry 100%
Pretty Face
Eyeshield 21
Buso Renkin/Armored Alchemy
Death Note
Gintama/Silver Soul
Katekyo/Home Tutor Hitman Reborn!
D.Gray-man
Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
Neuro: Supernatural Detective
To Love-Ru
Sket Dance
Psyren
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Toriko
Bakuman
Inumarudashii
Kuroko no Basuke/Kuroko's Basketball
Beelzebub
Medaka Box
Nisekoi: False Love
Haikyu!!
The Disaster of PSI Kusuo Saiki
Assassination Classroom
Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma
World Trigger
Isobe Isobee Monogatari ~Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo~
Hinomaru Sumo
My Hero Academia
Looking at that list, it is no wonder why I hadn't cared much for Jump's output since the start of the Dark Age. I only really like a handful from just the first half of the list, though the strongest stuff is, in my opinion, up there with the Golden Age stuff and would slide right in with them. Also, it has Bakuman, Psyren, World Trigger, and My Hero Academia, which are up there with my favorites from the Golden Age and it's pretty obvious that Death Note, Gintama, and Assassination Classroom are looked at just as highly by most folks.
Also, of all the eras, this is the one with the most licensed material over in NA. Of the list, only Jaguar, Mr. Fullswing, Reborn!, Neuro: Supernatural Detective, To Love-Ru, Sket Dance, Inumarudashii, Beelzebub, Medaka Box, The Disaster of PSI Kusuo Saiki, Isobe Isobee Monogatari, and Hinomaru Sumo aren't currently licensed. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Saiki, Neuro, or Sumo are picked up eventually, that's a much better average than the Golden Age.
I didn't notice this last week, but it seems that Kodansha USA is publishing Kazuhiro Fujita's Black Museum: The Ghost and the Lady this fall. (http://kodanshacomics.com/2016/03/21/kodansha-license-announcement/)
It's good to see that Fujita is getting at least something of his published in the US.
Awesome news. I'd still like to see his Sunday works licensed, but this is still really cool.
DMP has launched a Kickstarter to re-translate and release Kimagure Orange Road in print. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitalmanga/publish-kimagure-orange-road-classic-manga)
The initial goal is $34,900 for a single omnibus that covers the volumes 1-3, and the remaining omnibus volumes are stretch goals.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on March 31, 2016, 11:23:11 PM
DMP has launched a Kickstarter to re-translate and release Kimagure Orange Road in print. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitalmanga/publish-kimagure-orange-road-classic-manga)
The initial goal is $34,900 for a single omnibus that covers the volumes 1-3, and the remaining omnibus volumes are stretch goals.
Well, Escaflowne just ended and I'm back in the deep end again.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on March 31, 2016, 11:23:11 PM
DMP has launched a Kickstarter to re-translate and release Kimagure Orange Road in print. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitalmanga/publish-kimagure-orange-road-classic-manga)
The initial goal is $34,900 for a single omnibus that covers the volumes 1-3, and the remaining omnibus volumes are stretch goals.
It's funded for the base goal of volume 1.
Now for the real challenge.
Hey Spark, which level did you reach? I'm thinking of going for Ditzy Hikaru when I get my paycheck next week.
I've been looking up Kimagure Orange Road, and it sounds like something I'd enjoy, so I'm glad to help out.
"Ditzy Hikaru" was the one I backed. The Canadian shipping is a bit rough, so I'm hoping we reach more volumes to make the shipping worth it.
And since they're screwing me by making me pay an additional $15 on each volume instead of total, I'm dropping out. I want to support this, but this is not worth it for me.
I wonder if/when Kodansha USA will release Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita Martian Chronicles. I love Gunnm/BAA and I don't want it to disappear from North America.
I listed some series I'd like to see licensed earlier, but not a proper Top Ten. So here's fifteen, instead. This is what I'd be most interested in being licensed whether for physical or digital release.
1. Ushio & Tora
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61uMW1-QIkL._SX351_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=9191595f8270dcc25e03144b509d4b41d8af6038)
The one everyone saw coming. I would pre-order and buy physical copies of every volume of this series. A series that never got a shot over here despite really deserving the chance and is currently running an excellent anime that has left me begging for more, this was one of the most important series of the 90s and it is a shame that we never got to experience it before. I don't buy many series in physical form, but I would certainly grab this one without question.
2. Karakuri Circus
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61Mz1dRMoVL._SX350_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=85276de5913e2917029e7a327ee22e1ba393004d)
Yes, my second most wanted series is one by the same author of the first, but there is a reason for that. From what I've read, Karakuri Circus is much more ambitious and epic in scope than Ushio & Tora is, showing that Fujita didn't wish to repeat himself. Even reading the first chapter you get a sense he was trying for something else. This is also his longest series at 43 volumes (23 in re-release form pictured above) which has divided a lot of people who couldn't quite get where it was going. That said, I would be more than willing to give it a shot.
3. Rokudenashi Blues
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F616%252BejAC8zL._SX346_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=f99bbc9c0a2989f30541d4ddac9a1edba71a361c)
This is pretty high, yeah. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that I like delinquent manga about rough protagonists that show there is more to them than meets the eye, and this is apparently the standard for those. Everything I have seen about this makes it seem right up my alley, but delinquent stuff usually isn't brought over here all that much unless it is a parody or some such. The second reason I'm interested is that it is also has boxing in it, which leads to my next entry . . .
4. Ashita no Joe
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51AWESYR7ML._SX350_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=38e4533dbd00718c379fea34f83cdc0e13d23ee2)
It's only not #1 because I'm pretty certain this will get licensed someday, but until then I can't let it fall too far. I've seen many write-ups (including here) on this series that excite me a good deal, and I've been chomping at the bit to get at it. What's to say that hasn't been written about a hundred times? This is a classic and absolutely should be licensed over here.
5. Urusei Yatsura
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F5103iavIeDL._SX348_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=4ee2ddae603e26c0386f900c8059fb8159992877)
I've never been the biggest Takahashi fan, though I really enjoy her pre-Ranma works. I'm very familiar with Maison Ikkoku and Inuyasha, and Mermaid Saga is it's own thing that I'm in the know of, but this is probably still the work over here that should have more attention yet doesn't and it's the one I'm the least familiar with. The chances of this getting a physical release is probably lower than it should be, but, hey, there's always a chance.
6. Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51R14VZ36CL._SX332_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=0d459607c705d11ec9b3c95970d29e3b5e1ad4e0)
Once again, one of the most popular delinquent manga that happens to be a comedy. It's also really long at 38 volumes (19 re-release) so that is probably a sticking point for this series. That said, I know there was a lot of crap stuff back in the '90s in regards to delinquent stuff, sadly, most of which actually WAS licensed over here instead, but this is one of the highest selling ones and was popular enough to get a re-issue. If there is a more lighthearted delinquent manga to be licensed, I would hope it is this one.
7. Moonlight Act
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51nYze5L1jL._SX313_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=6314afcc77e413326dd5adb0960e7bdec27fac1b)
Kazuhiro Fujita's third series, this one apparently based on fairy tales, unfortunately there isn't much about it out there. It lasted 29 volumes and only ended two years ago, so it might have a chance of release over here sooner than later. But again, I'm willing to give him a chance yet again for another series that never got a shot of release over here.
8. Ring ni Kakero
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F617HMkr%252BfzL._SX398_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=9a8415fb45d742002642831281c91ccd2b301704)
Kurumada's stuff has always been odd, but this one might take the cake. That said, everything I've seen about this series makes it seem much different even from shonen that's out there now so many years later. It's got nowhere near the worldwide appeal of Saint Seiya, but it does have a chance to reach a strong audience of its own. I do hope it is given a shot one day.
9. Rookies
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51byQmL8RdL._SX327_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=d44f10b4f0a5e38130ce54eab17cfdc50d15bcda)
By the same creator of Rokudenashi Blues, Rookies is a bit more straightforward of a concept about a teacher who tries to get the best out of his students and help get their team to Koshien. But considering the talent behind this, I would certainly be interested in giving this a real shot. Despite its premise, it does seem odd that this was never licensed before over here, it's not even that long at 24 volumes. Well, maybe he'll get a shot in the future.
10. Souboutei Must Be Destroyed
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwebsunday.net%2Ftop%2F160420%2Fcover.png&hash=4e5b17cb58a5d7f27bccd2da8d6391666ddc21e0)
Yes, it just came out. I don't care. I want Viz to get a jump on it and simul-pub it right now. I don't want Fujita's release record over here to be 0/4 for his long running series. Even the scan groups are ignoring this series. I don't want it to fall off the map so quick when what little I've seen of it looks really good.
11. City Hunter
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51w%252BUsZpd7L._SX343_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=0e745302f28aa6ff4605b41871dc25511a75c496)
City Hunter is a series that needs no introduction despite the fact that it has consistently gotten a raw deal here in NA. Despite all of that, it is still one of Jump's most popular series and well known to most anime and manga fans. If the series was even given the shot it deserved, I'd definitely give it a real shot since I've enjoyed the bit of anime I've seen of it.
12. Hono no Tenkosei
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51IK69Q7ToL._SX326_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=5361b56fba1f07f9d6bca24254fd4495dab08eb9)
This is the shortest series on here with 12 volumes (6 re-release) that is probably not too well known. It's sort of a parody of Ashita no Joe, part comedy and part action. This is also the man behind the Skull Man manga, which is decidedly different from this, but shows there's a lot of talent here. Truthfully, this is the series on this list I expect to be licensed the least.
13. Ghost Sweeper Mikami
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61qPNtCBASL._SX319_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=1a36a6684c1073a61707b5638357e571f460d46b)
He'll probably always be known for Zettai Karen Children, but I've always been more interested in his earlier series. ZKC's main weakness has been that Shiina is far better at standalone serial stories than ongoing narratives and apparently that is all GSM consists off which means this would probably be a very fun read. It had a pretty popular anime a while back, but that was long ago. It's chance of release now is pretty low.
14. Hareluya II Boy
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61wauGdcw-L._SX390_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=7f039b7bb5a2e7e637668586afa95e9685bfe9a7)
He's probably more well known for Bremen these days, but this series was essentially Gintama before there was a Gintama. A rag tag bunch of misfits for hire leads to a lot of drama and wacky hi-jinks. Not to mention fighting with a frying pan. Basically, it's just a lot of fun. It's just a shame this one is so obscure nowadays (even though it had an anime!) that it really has no chance of being licensed.
15. Outer Zone
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51qYCTS-irL._SX390_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=84368afcbbb66ef98d913d780ce5ca2e703f8c39)
Very much inspired by the Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, this is a manga version of an anthology show. It was fairly well-liked in Japan, running 15 volumes during Shonen Jump's Golden Age era, and even had spin-offs of its own. That said, it sure would be nice for it to have a real shot over here even if only digitally. Surely there is an audience for something like this out there.
Phew, that took a bit. What about you guys? Any hard to find stuff you'd like to see released over here?
Under the request of Izumi Matsumoto, DMP is ditching the additional stretch goals and making all of the remaining KOR omnibus volumes available at once. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitalmanga/publish-kimagure-orange-road-classic-manga/posts/1556100)
Good list. I'd love to start on Fujita's work.
Yeah, nice list Spark! :thumbup:
The manga I'd most want to see licensed would probably be these:
15. Neuro: Supernatural Detective
14. Jumbor
13. The Disaster of Psi Kusuo Saiki
12. Kochikame
11. Kindaichi Case Files
10. Aozora Yell
9. Hell Teacher Nube
8. Rokudenashi Blues
7. Yaiba
6. Cobra
5. Ring ni Kakero and Fuma no Kojiro
4. Any of Kazuhiro Fujita's major works
3. Any of Ikki Kajiwara's major works
2. Urusei Yatsura
1. Silver Spoon
Good choices yourself.
Disaster apparently has a big announcement in the next issue. If it's an anime, I'd guess its chances of release will shoot far up. Kazune Kuwahara is probably one of the best writers of shojo around, so I definitely wouldn't turn more of her work down. I've never read Jumbor, but it sounds pretty interesting.
Only ones I doubt are Kochikame and Kindaichi simply for insane length. Though in Kindaichi's case they could always focus on the original series and in Kochikame's case they could always do a best of release. As for similar series, I always wondered about Gimmick! since the original writer for Kindaichi wrote it.
Crunchyroll is removing several small manga titles on May 19th, including four manga by Takao Saito (Doll: The Hotel Detective, Barom One, Japan Sinks, and The Shadowman). (http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-950807/marathon-some-manga-before-they-go-back-in-the-vault)
Crunchy seems to be the only site (both legal or not) that has these, so I'd suggest checking them out asap if you're interested in reading Saito's non-Golgo 13 works.
Also, the KOR Kickstarter has reached all its stretch goals! (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-05-06/kimagure-orange-road-kickstarter-funds-final-omnibus-volume/.101822)
Kimagure Orange Road has been completely funded with the end of the campaign. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-05-11/digital-manga-kimagure-orange-road-kickstarter-campaign-ends/.101983)
Here's hoping other companies take notice. Though I do hope they run the actual campaign a little better if they do.
It looks like Kodansha USA is planning to release some old Del Rey licensed manga digitally (including School Rumble). (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-06-27/kodansha-lists-school-rumble-alive-nodame-cantabile-princess-resurrection-manga-on-itunes/.103666)
I don't think this means that they'll finish translating these series, but it'll be good to have the parts that are already translated available legally again.
Yen Press has licensed Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers light novels and manga, The Isolator, Big Order, Murcielago, and Smokin' Parade. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/yen-press-licenses-rokka-novels-manga-isolator-big-order-murcielago-smokin-parade-manga/.103867)
I live in a world where Big Order is licensed, but not Ushio & Tora.
:srs:
Viz has licensed the Dragon Ball Super, The Water Dragon's Bride, and Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt manga series. They are also releasing Rurouni Kenshin in that 3 in 1 format, and are releasing Revolutionary Girl Utena in a boxset.
This news at least got me to finally get started on getting the Viz Big's for Kenshin. Obviously they ain't getting reprinted now.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 01, 2016, 07:05:40 PM
Yen Press has licensed Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers light novels and manga, The Isolator, Big Order, Murcielago, and Smokin' Parade. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/yen-press-licenses-rokka-novels-manga-isolator-big-order-murcielago-smokin-parade-manga/.103867)
I live in a world where Big Order is licensed, but not Ushio & Tora.
:srs:
Welcome to the planet where 50 Shades Of Grey gets published.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 01, 2016, 08:15:47 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 01, 2016, 07:05:40 PM
Yen Press has licensed Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers light novels and manga, The Isolator, Big Order, Murcielago, and Smokin' Parade. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/yen-press-licenses-rokka-novels-manga-isolator-big-order-murcielago-smokin-parade-manga/.103867)
I live in a world where Big Order is licensed, but not Ushio & Tora.
:srs:
Welcome to the planet where 50 Shades Of Grey gets published.
After all that, Viz only licensed three series. One is Dragon Ball and the other is Gundam.
Yen Press is one thing, but Viz? This was a poor showing for them.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 01, 2016, 07:05:40 PM
Yen Press has licensed Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers light novels and manga, The Isolator, Big Order, Murcielago, and Smokin' Parade. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/yen-press-licenses-rokka-novels-manga-isolator-big-order-murcielago-smokin-parade-manga/.103867)
I live in a world where Big Order is licensed, but not Ushio & Tora.
:srs:
Fuck Big Order, I'm fucking pumped that Murcielago go licensed. :shakeshakeshake:
Glad to see Rokka getting its due in the US too. From what I understand, the LN's themselves are good, but anime-only watchers got a raw deal, so it's nice that people can officially read the source material.
Well, Viz still has a Shonen Jump panel at AX so they'll probably announce some stuff there. I'm also sure that they're saving some announcements for SDCC in a few weeks.
Viz has licensed Diamond is Unbreakable. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-04/viz-media-to-publish-jojo-bizarre-adventure-part-4-manga-araki-how-to-draw-manga-book/.103962)
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 04, 2016, 04:26:26 PM
Viz has licensed Diamond is Unbreakable. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-04/viz-media-to-publish-jojo-bizarre-adventure-part-4-manga-araki-how-to-draw-manga-book/.103962)
:e_hail: :h_hail: :el_hail:
It's a dream come true! I still want Ushio and Tora but this will sustain me!
I recently learned from a friend who works in the industry that Viz is contractually obligated to finish publishing the Urusei Yatsura volumes they never published before they can reprint the earlier ones. But Viz's own policies won't let them publish the later volumes because the earlier ones are out of print. Add considering that they've tried to release the series twice already to middling success...and that they have exclusive rights to the series because it's a Shogakukan property...the chances of the manga ever being reprinted and fully published in the west are highly unlikely to say the least. :(
At least there's still hope for the anime, since the Ranma 1/2 blu-rays did well.
I'm not sure what kind of issue they could have since Shogakukan owns Viz. If both parties wanted to change the contract, I'm not sure why they couldn't.
But really, even if they did, I would hope they aren't crazy enough to release them in singles. Nothing released before 2010 or so is going to sell unless in 2 or 3 in ones.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 04, 2016, 04:26:26 PM
Viz has licensed Diamond is Unbreakable. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-04/viz-media-to-publish-jojo-bizarre-adventure-part-4-manga-araki-how-to-draw-manga-book/.103962)
Great news! Hopefully they'll be publishing the most recent Japanese re-print that has similar formatting to the JoJoniums.
Quote from: LumRanmaYasha on July 04, 2016, 11:41:41 PM
I recently learned from a friend who works in the industry that Viz is contractually obligated to finish publishing the Urusei Yatsura volumes they never published before they can reprint the earlier ones. But Viz's own policies won't let them publish the later volumes because the earlier ones are out of print. Add considering that they've tried to release the series twice already to middling success...and that they have exclusive rights to the series because it's a Shogakukan property...the chances of the manga ever being reprinted and fully published in the west are highly unlikely to say the least. :(
At least there's still hope for the anime, since the Ranma 1/2 blu-rays did well.
Ah, dang. Are they not able to release the manga digitally?
I do hope that the anime gets a release here, at least. Although do you think that we might get Blus for MI first? If so, I'd gladly buy the series if it means that UY can have a shot here. Also because I would like to own it, and I think the DVDs are out of print.
It sure is shame that there's so much trouble re-releasing the manga over here. :(
The Maison Ikkoku anime probably has a better chance than Urusei Yatsura to be picked up again by Viz since the it has a dub and is a shorter series overall. The manga was also fully translated and released unflipped, so I don't think it would be too difficult for Viz to reprint their previous release or re-release it in the 10-volume wide-ban format.
I could still see UY anime getting re-licensed, but it'll probably be by Discotek or Sentai rather than Viz since it would be a sub-only release.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 05, 2016, 12:01:52 AM
I'm not sure what kind of issue they could have since Shogakukan owns Viz. If both parties wanted to change the contract, I'm not sure why they couldn't.
But really, even if they did, I would hope they aren't crazy enough to release them in singles. Nothing released before 2010 or so is going to sell unless in 2 or 3 in ones.
There probably isn't enough incentive on either side to change the contract yet, which is why it's been in limbo for so long. But if they were to ever re-release the series, the wideban editions would be the way to go. They condense the original 34-volume run into 15 collections, which would be much easier for them to sell and fans to collect.
Quote from: Avaitor on July 05, 2016, 04:33:13 PM
Ah, dang. Are they not able to release the manga digitally?
I do hope that the anime gets a release here, at least. Although do you think that we might get Blus for MI first? If so, I'd gladly buy the series if it means that UY can have a shot here. Also because I would like to own it, and I think the DVDs are out of print.
They don't even have the digital rights for the
Ranma 1/2 manga yet, so probably not.
It's still up in the air whether they'll put on blus for MI. Viz already owns the license to the it, unlike UY, so it definitely has a better chance. But I've heard that it was never a particularly great seller for them, so I'm not sure if they'd be willing to take a chance on it again.
Apparently, Dark Horse is still trying to license the final 3 volumes of Blood Blockade Battlefront. (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/07/06/dark-horse-working-on-releasing-remaining-blood-blockade-battlefront-manga)
I'm glad to hear that plans to release more BBB aren't dead yet. :)
Was just about to post this.
Great news.
What a relief! Hopefully they'll license Back 2 Back as well.
Isn't that the Drake diss track?
I'm referring to the direct sequel to Blood Blockade Battlefront. It's really little more than a name change brought upon because it changed magazines last year, but Dark Horse would still have to license it as separate series.
There's a sequel? Jeez, I need to watch tge anime.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 06, 2016, 11:06:23 PM
Isn't that the Drake diss track?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeafEWN2jo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeafEWN2jo)
Quote from: VLordGTZ on July 06, 2016, 06:23:57 PM
Apparently, Dark Horse is still trying to license the final 3 volumes of Blood Blockade Battlefront. (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/07/06/dark-horse-working-on-releasing-remaining-blood-blockade-battlefront-manga)
I'm glad to hear that plans to release more BBB aren't dead yet. :)
Wow, and I was just about to swear off Dark Horse for good. They better get back on Drifters and Eden as well. I do not want all three of these series to have incomplete runs.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 07, 2016, 12:10:13 AM
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 06, 2016, 11:06:23 PM
Isn't that the Drake diss track?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeafEWN2jo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeafEWN2jo)
God I love his music!
It's strange to me how Hokuto no Ken and Guyver were never completed by Viz despite how both mangas got live action films in the 90's. Does anyone know exactly why Viz dropped them?
Most likely due to poor sales. They initially dropped JoJo's Bizarre Adventure for the same reason until the 2012 anime revitalized the public interest and awareness of the franchise, which has given Viz the much needed incentive to give the manga another shot.
Some of these older series would need something similar to happen for them in order to justify Viz picking them back up again.
Quote from: Dr. Ensatsu-ken on October 22, 2016, 10:41:08 AM
Most likely due to poor sales. They initially dropped JoJo's Bizarre Adventure for the same reason until the 2012 anime revitalized the public interest and awareness of the franchise, which has given Viz the much needed incentive to give the manga another shot.
Some of these older series would need something similar to happen for them in order to justify Viz picking them back up again.
I think some other factors with JJBA were the music references being potential lawsuit landmines, the series has no end in sight, and most of the English speaking world at the time was only familiar with the OVAs and fighting games. I think I also read Jason Thompson say somewhere Viz only planned on bringing over Stardust Crusaders at the time but I'm glad the new anime made them change their minds.
I just hope the same can happen with Ushio and Tora. Some might ask why don't I just learn Japanese and import the various series I wish were licensed. It's not that I don't want to learn Japanese, I'm just not in a good place in my life to really take the time to learn a new language and importing stuff can be very expensive.
Quote from: Markness on October 22, 2016, 09:32:38 AM
It's strange to me how Hokuto no Ken and Guyver were never completed by Viz despite how both mangas got live action films in the 90's. Does anyone know exactly why Viz dropped them?
Viz tried to release FOTNS twice back in the day, first in 1989 and then later in 1996. Ultimately, the sales just weren't and they only got through roughly five volumes worth of content. Raijin Comics tried to do it later in 2002, but that attempt also failed, so badly in fact Raijin abandoned the american comics market entirely afterwards. The series has three strikes going against it at this point, so unless a new anime adaption comes out and becomes really popular, the chances of another attempt by anyone is pretty slim I'm afraid.
As for
JoJo's, Viz actually was originally going to publish it in the early 90s, but abandoned their plans after
Baoh sold poorly. Then in the early 2000s they were considering releasing it in monthly floppies like they originally did with
Dragon Ball, or adding it to their then upcoming Shonen Jump magazine, but they stalled on doing that until finally they just decided to release it in graphic novel format in 2005. They did
Stardust Crusaders because it was the most well-known and popular part, and that was really the only part they ever planned on doing unless it became really popular and sold really well. It didn't, so they just finished SC and left it at that. But compared to FOTNS you can say Viz's first attempt was at least moderately successful since it sold enough for them to be able to release all of SC like they wanted to in the first place.
Sighs, of course Guyver hasn't been fully translated. :el_cry:
Well, the Guyver manga is still ongoing, so it's not possible to fully translate it yet. :sweat:
I'm surprised no one tried to bring it over again when the 2005 anime came out, though.
Heh, I suspected it was still ongoing.
Quote from: LumRanmaYasha on October 22, 2016, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: Markness on October 22, 2016, 09:32:38 AM
It's strange to me how Hokuto no Ken and Guyver were never completed by Viz despite how both mangas got live action films in the 90's. Does anyone know exactly why Viz dropped them?
Viz tried to release FOTNS twice back in the day, first in 1989 and then later in 1996. Ultimately, the sales just weren't and they only got through roughly five volumes worth of content. Raijin Comics tried to do it later in 2002, but that attempt also failed, so badly in fact Raijin abandoned the american comics market entirely afterwards. The series has three strikes going against it at this point, so unless a new anime adaption comes out and becomes really popular, the chances of another attempt by anyone is pretty slim I'm afraid.
Fist of the North Star would go over great these days, but yes, it needs a new anime first before a new license would happen. I've been saying that a series that ends with the final fight with Raoh, cuts the filler, and has sharper pacing, would go over really well. Especially if someone like David were the ones to do it. I'm actually kind of amazed it's never been done again.
Quote from: Markness on October 22, 2016, 01:51:53 PMI just hope the same can happen with Ushio and Tora. Some might ask why don't I just learn Japanese and import the various series I wish were licensed. It's not that I don't want to learn Japanese, I'm just not in a good place in my life to really take the time to learn a new language and importing stuff can be very expensive.
Ushio & Tora depends entirely on the anime's success in NA at this point. If it gets a TV run, it's dub is really good, and is as successful as it by all rights should be, only then will the manga have a chance. It's my #1 most wanted license over here, but even I have to admit that it's not that likely to be picked up as it is right now.
Now, if Viz could let smaller companies sub-license series they don't want to invest money in that would be a whole other kettle of fish. They're sitting on sole licensing rights to series that could do well enough with less risk to them. I mean, there are series that could do well and would certainly sell better than stuff like Big Order but aren't getting the opportunity.
The other chance is if Souboutei is licensed and does well enough that they look into the author's previous works. However, considering that Sunday titles are rarely licensed these days, it doesn't look likely. A series written by the writer of Full Metal Alchemist wasn't enough to even be considered for licensing. I can't imagine a series by an author who has never had exposure over here is going to stand a chance.
I just want the show's art to be Tetsuo Hara level.
If it was David, they would probably keep it pretty close in style. I can't imagine it looking much different than the design style in Phantom Blood or Battle Tendency.
As cool as a FOTNS adaptation by David would be, I kind of want to see them do Sakigake!! Otokojuku first, since that series only got the first quarter of its manga adapted into an anime, and I feel like they would nail the style.
That's a good choice for them. I watched some of the old anime ages ago and I think it holds up really well from a comedic standpoint.
On the other hand, I'm not quite sure who could do City Hunter justice these days. It's not really the type of thing you see much in anime form, especially within the last ten years.
EDIT: Better video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq3JYmkmDhk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq3JYmkmDhk) It's ALMOST time!!!!!!!
Why is it when a company like Viz stops publishing a certain manga, it'll be announced that the latest volume will be the final volume for that series but the reason for ceasing publication will never be announced?
Quote from: Markness on February 24, 2017, 04:06:28 PM
Why is it when a company like Viz stops publishing a certain manga, it'll be announced that the latest volume will be the final volume for that series but the reason for ceasing publication will never be announced?
It's implied that Viz dropped those series due to low sales and did not view it financially viable to license more volumes. Viz did this to a number of series during the 2009-2011 period when the US anime/manga market was in a "drought" (Zatch Bell was an exception since that was due to Raiku's dispute with Shogakukan). It's usually not a practice Viz does anymore as most of their pickups now are series that they have safe confidence in their success or that they can break even on. At their worst, they slow down the rate of new releases for series if they aren't doing great.
Oddly enough, I didn't notice the manga drought until later on. I was actually getting into manga seriously when it happened so I didn't see anything suggesting the market was shrinking until I starting seeing how some Tokyo Pop series were disappearing from the shelves as well as seeing some books getting briefly solicited on Amazon but never coming out.
I also read somewhere that if Viz announced the series wasn't selling well, the mangaka could sue them for defamation. Is there any cases of this happening?
Quote from: Markness on February 24, 2017, 10:02:11 PM
I also read somewhere that if Viz announced the series wasn't selling well, the mangaka could sue them for defamation. Is there any cases of this happening?
I don't think that has happened before as far as I know. From a business perspective, it's usually a bad idea to talk about how bad a series is selling while it's still being released. Even with Viz's worst selling manga titles like
Firefighter!, I don't believe they directly said how badly it sold until after they finished releasing the entire series (which they only did because of contractual obligations to Shogakukan).
I wonder if maybe Viz cancelled Guyver because they may have been hoping the movies would boost the sales of the manga but it looks like the movies didn't generate interest in the manga on a wide scale. One of my friends didn't even know there was a Guyver manga, just the live action movies. Maybe it was the same with Hokuto no Ken?
Guyver, like a lot of 80s manga, never really seemed to catch on over here. Though, it probably would have done decently well if Viz had attempted to re-release it around the time of the 2005 anime. It's a real shame since I know the series has a small but extremely dedicated fanbase in the US.
Fist of the North Star seems to be one of those series that a lot of people are aware of, but aren't interested in checking out. Even if they do, they tend to be more interested in the anime rather than the manga since American audiences had far more exposure to that.
I'm pretty sure FOTNS would be huge if someone like David Productions simply made a new anime with sharper pacing and the filler (and post-Raoh material) gutted. Like Ushio & Tora, Parasyte, or JoJo, it needs to be brought back into popular consciousness before a full on manga release were to happen. It also helps if the manga doesn't require a time sink of an investment to re-release.
Speaking of which, was the Parasyte manga ever licensed? If not that was a huge missed opportunity.
I think part of the problem with FOTNS is that the first couple of volumes just aren't very interesting. Speaking personally, I wasn't really hooked on the series until the Jagi arc and it's everything involving Raoh that makes the series truly great. Viz never got to where Jagi showed up in both their attempts to publish the series before poor sales forced them to stop, and the anime never had much exposure either, so FOTNS never really had a chance to really take off in the west. I agree with Spark that if it had a new anime adaption that gave it more exposure there'd be more of a market for a dated-looking and fairly slow-moving manga like FOTNS to get relicensed and given a full release.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on March 02, 2017, 09:16:16 PM
Speaking of which, was the Parasyte manga ever licensed? If not that was a huge missed opportunity.
Parasyte was licensed by Tokyopop back in the mid-90s and they fully released it. It even ran in their Mixxine manga magazine alongside the likes of
Sailor Moon and
Magic Knight Rayearth, believe it or not. Del Ray acquired it after Tokyo Pop went under in the mid-2000s, and after they went bust Kodansha USA has had it since 2011, so the series has always been in print in the U.S. since the mid-90's.
I think one of the re-releases (can't remember which) condensed about 2.5 volumes or thereabouts per release. Getting the whole series out in ten volumes like that would be ideal.
And I think that's the key for old releases. Unless you're going the Kickstarter route like Kimagure Orange Road, the only way for the bigger companies to pick up an older series is if they have mainstream attention or are currently relevant for some reason or another.
The other issue is amount of content. There is, for instance, a less than zero chance of ever getting all of Kochikame or Golgo 13 released here even if both got new highly popular anime or movies. A 33 volume series re-released in 11 or 16 volumes, however? That is far more feasible. Just look at the aforementioned KOR or the upcoming release of Dragon Half.
This is why I think if you're looking at possible older series for license rescues these days you have to factor in both visibility and length. If you want something licensed, hope that MAPPA or David is listening to you and are planning to make a new anime. That's really the best shot you have at a new release.
Now if only Sentai would finally reveal their plans for Ushio & Tora. It's been almost two years since they first licensed it after all.
Quote from: LumRanmaYasha on March 02, 2017, 09:24:12 PMQuote from: Spark Of Spirit on March 02, 2017, 09:16:16 PM
Speaking of which, was the Parasyte manga ever licensed? If not that was a huge missed opportunity.
Parasyte was licensed by Tokyopop back in the mid-90s and they fully released it. It even ran in their Mixxine manga magazine alongside the likes of Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth, believe it or not. Del Ray acquired it after Tokyo Pop went under in the mid-2000s, and after they went bust Kodansha USA has had it since 2011, so the series has always been in print in the U.S. since the mid-90's.
I completely forgot it was one of those series. But yes, the fact that it got an anime on one of the most popular sources for anime in NA certainly helped its exposure. I would be shocked if sales didn't increase after the anime.
Dark Horse has confirmed that, after over 3 years, Drifters Volume 4 will finally be released this June. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2017-03-16/dark-horse-releases-1st-drifters-volume-in-3-years/.113535)
Now if only we could learn wtf is going on with the final 3 volumes of BBB...
Seven Seas has licensed To Love Ru and To Love Ru Darkness (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-04-21/seven-seas-licenses-to-love-ru-to-love-ru-darkness-manga/.115146).
I definitely didn't see this coming, especially due to its length and it being a Shueisha series. I wonder if this might pave the way for more Shuiesha series to be picked up by other companies. At the very least, this might lead to Seven Seas picking up Yuna of Yuragi Manor since it was also passed on by Viz due to its sexual content.
Shueisha allows non-Viz companies to touch their stuff. That's how Dark Horse got BBB, after all.
The good news here is that TLR is a Shonen Jump series specifically and not an old one like Kimagure Orange Road. Hopefully this paves the way for other SJ series Viz might not want to put out in the future.
In odder news, Viz has licensed the Splatoon manga. (http://gonintendo.com/stories/278633-viz-media-releasing-splatoon-manga-in-us-due-out-late-2017)
Gotta say, I didn't see that coming.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on April 21, 2017, 03:40:05 PM
Seven Seas has licensed To Love Ru and To Love Ru Darkness (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-04-21/seven-seas-licenses-to-love-ru-to-love-ru-darkness-manga/.115146).
I definitely didn't see this coming, especially due to its length and it being a Shueisha series. I wonder if this might pave the way for more Shuiesha series to be picked up by other companies. At the very least, this might lead to Seven Seas picking up Yuna of Yuragi Manor since it was also passed on by Viz due to its sexual content.
Well, Yen Press does have Soul Eater and Pandora Hearts which are both longer than To Love Ru or are you talking about how both the original manga and its sequel combined?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 21, 2017, 10:59:50 PM
In odder news, Viz has licensed the Splatoon manga. (http://gonintendo.com/stories/278633-viz-media-releasing-splatoon-manga-in-us-due-out-late-2017)
Gotta say, I didn't see that coming.
Why's that?
I saw some Japanese tank?bans of Guyver yesterday when I was in Austin but I didn't get them because my funds were low. Once I get my paycheck, I'll definitely get them. They will be the first Japanese volumes of manga I'll have bought.
Quote from: Markness on April 22, 2017, 02:38:18 PM
Well, Yen Press does have Soul Eater and Pandora Hearts which are both longer than To Love Ru or are you talking about how both the original manga and its sequel combined?
TLR and Darkness are 36 volumes combined which is a pretty big commitment. That being said, TLR seems to be quite popular in the US, so Seven Seas probably thought it would be justifiable to license both series.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on April 23, 2017, 12:40:21 AM
Quote from: Markness on April 22, 2017, 02:38:18 PM
Well, Yen Press does have Soul Eater and Pandora Hearts which are both longer than To Love Ru or are you talking about how both the original manga and its sequel combined?
TLR and Darkness are 36 volumes combined which is a pretty big commitment. That being said, TLR seems to be quite popular in the US, so Seven Seas probably thought it would be justifiable to license both series.
I never ran into anyone who likes the series in person but the online fandom seems pretty big. I read Black Cat last year and I liked Yabuki's art style so I've been wondering if TLR is as good or not as Black Cat.
I wonder what it would take to get Guyver back in English. A new anime, perhaps? I still want the Japanese copies I saw in Austin although the first two volumes weren't there. The store I saw them just had 3-28, IIRC. I've tried to see if I could find the first two online but I haven't had any luck.
Quote from: Markness on April 22, 2017, 02:38:18 PMQuote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 21, 2017, 10:59:50 PM
In odder news, Viz has licensed the Splatoon manga. (http://gonintendo.com/stories/278633-viz-media-releasing-splatoon-manga-in-us-due-out-late-2017)
Gotta say, I didn't see that coming.
Why's that?
Most video game related manga don't make the trip overseas. Not even Super Mario-kun has even been attempted to be licensed before.
That said, it's good to see Viz trying with Splatoon. And just in time for the second game's release.
Quote from: Markness on April 23, 2017, 12:03:40 PM
I never ran into anyone who likes the series in person but the online fandom seems pretty big. I read Black Cat last year and I liked Yabuki's art style so I've been wondering if TLR is as good or not as Black Cat.
Art-wise, TLR is on par with Black Cat, but the art is far more sexualized to due being an ecchi series. Personally, while I enjoy what I've read of Black Cat, I don't really care much for TLR (it probably doesn't help that Yabuki doesn't write it). Now that TLR Darkness is over, I hope Yabuki considers writing his own manga again. He gets a lot of praise for his art, but his talents as a writer seem to go unappreciated at times.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on April 24, 2017, 09:57:00 AM
Quote from: Markness on April 23, 2017, 12:03:40 PM
I never ran into anyone who likes the series in person but the online fandom seems pretty big. I read Black Cat last year and I liked Yabuki's art style so I've been wondering if TLR is as good or not as Black Cat.
Art-wise, TLR is on par with Black Cat, but the art is far more sexualized to due being an ecchi series. Personally, while I enjoy what I've read of Black Cat, I don't really care much for TLR (it probably doesn't help that Yabuki doesn't write it). Now that TLR Darkness is over, I hope Yabuki considers writing his own manga again. He gets a lot of praise for his art, but his talents as a writer seem to go unappreciated at times.
Yeah, I liked both his art and storytelling in Black Cat so it was disheartening to learn that the former is in TLR but the latter isn't there. I may give it a pass since there are other manga I'd rather get and my finances only allow me to get my absolute favorites and new series by my favorite mangaka. I will say My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, Terra Formars, and MurciƩlago have been exceptions. The first two are pretty popular and I can make some small talk about them if I am asked about them. In the cases of the latter two, something about Terra Formars keeps me interested in it and MurciƩlago is just so crazy and fun.
I went back to the store where I saw the Japanese Guyver volumes and bought a good chunk of them. I now officially own some original Japanese manga.
I wonder if Viz has interest in Billy Bat. Urasawa seems to be a decent seller stateside, and the series was a hit in Japan, so now that it's over, do you think it'll have a chance of being licensed soon?
I'm still holding out for double-sized rereleases for 20th Century Boys too, as well as Maison Ikkoku.
Quote from: Avaitor on April 29, 2017, 03:05:34 PM
I wonder if Viz has interest in Billy Bat.
God I hope so. Haven't caught up with the scanlations in years but it's such a fantastic series.
I'm doubtful that Viz is capable of licensing Billy Bat since it is a Kodansha published title. That being said, I'm surprised that Kodansha USA has yet to pick it up since they have licensed far more obscure series. Maybe they don't want to release it until Master Keaton is done being released by Viz, so that there aren't new releases of two different Urasawa series at the same time.
I also wonder if Kodansha USA will license Hiroki Endo's latest manga, Soft Metal Vampire. They released the first volume of All Rounder Meguru digitally and I didn't see that coming at all, especially since Dark Horse has yet to finish publishing all of Eden It's An Endless World! despite how they claim to love it so much. Kodansha USA are definitely more in the manga game than Dark Horse is as of late. I think they should just drop out of it since they go on abrupt publishing hiatuses and take years to respond to their fans.
I'm still hoping for Viz to release 20th Century Boys in a Perfect Edition, too. Been waiting for that since Monster finished up.
As for Kodansha USA, I honestly can't figure them out. It feels like they throw darts at a board to figure out what to license next.
You'd think that Billy Bat would be a given, especially since it's now finished, but I guess not.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 30, 2017, 07:27:31 PM
As for Kodansha USA, I honestly can't figure them out. It feels like they throw darts at a board to figure out what to license next.
You do have to give them credit for taking risks, though. I am glad they licensed All Rounder Meguru even if it's just digital only at the moment.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 30, 2017, 07:27:31 PM
As for Kodansha USA, I honestly can't figure them out. It feels like they throw darts at a board to figure out what to license next.
So they're the new Tokyopop? :lol:
I don't think Kodansha USA's licensing practices are particularly unusual. They're picking up a diverse stable of reputable titles that have are well demanded, and using a digital-first strategy to test the waters on long-running titles like
Ace of Diamond and
All-Rounder Meguru makes sense considering a print release for long-running titles like those might not be worth the return. I understand the frustration that they haven't picked up
Billy Bat yet, but considering that Urasawa stipulated Viz couldn't release
Monster and
20th Century Boys at the same time at one point, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some contractual restrictions preventing Kodansha from releasing
Billy Bat before Viz finishes releasing
Master Keaton, at least that's my theory. Either way, I think it's pretty inevitable that it'll get licensed at some point.
If that's the case, then by checking Viz's schedule for Master Keaton (I actually know little about this work- is it worth digging into?), they should be done in about 2 years.
Quote from: Avaitor on May 01, 2017, 09:38:21 PM
If that's the case, then by checking Viz's schedule for Master Keaton (I actually know little about this work- is it worth digging into?), they should be done in about 2 years.
Actually, Master Keaton will be done THIS year. Viz has been releasing the Kazenban edition, which covered the entire series in 12 volumes. Viz's release of Volume 12 is currently slated for this September. I read the first volume when it came out and liked it a lot, though I still need to touch my copies of vols 2-4. :sweat:
If it's done soon then expect an announcement of the next series coming down the pipe before summer is over.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on May 01, 2017, 11:22:03 PM
Quote from: Avaitor on May 01, 2017, 09:38:21 PM
If that's the case, then by checking Viz's schedule for Master Keaton (I actually know little about this work- is it worth digging into?), they should be done in about 2 years.
Actually, Master Keaton will be done THIS year. Viz has been releasing the Kazenban edition, which covered the entire series in 12 volumes. Viz's release of Volume 12 is currently slated for this September. I read the first volume when it came out and liked it a lot, though I still need to touch my copies of vols 2-4. :sweat:
Wow, really? I'm bad at this!
That's good news.
Quote from: LumRanmaYasha on May 01, 2017, 08:25:09 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 30, 2017, 07:27:31 PM
As for Kodansha USA, I honestly can't figure them out. It feels like they throw darts at a board to figure out what to license next.
So they're the new Tokyopop? :lol:
I don't think Kodansha USA's licensing practices are particularly unusual. They're picking up a diverse stable of reputable titles that have are well demanded, and using a digital-first strategy to test the waters on long-running titles like Ace of Diamond and All-Rounder Meguru makes sense considering a print release for long-running titles like those might not be worth the return. I understand the frustration that they haven't picked up Billy Bat yet, but considering that Urasawa stipulated Viz couldn't release Monster and 20th Century Boys at the same time at one point, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some contractual restrictions preventing Kodansha from releasing Billy Bat before Viz finishes releasing Master Keaton, at least that's my theory. Either way, I think it's pretty inevitable that it'll get licensed at some point.
Yeah, I pretty much agree with this. I think a big advantage that Kodansha USA has over Viz is that they only need to focus on a sole publisher, which allows them to localized more nicher titles. Their recent digital-first/only initiative is certainly helping with that as well. Hopefully, it may lead to seeing some series like Kindaichi Case Files R and Historie getting licensed over here.
Seven Seas just put up a new manga survey where they are taking manga licensing suggestions. (https://docs.google.com/a/gomanga.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0emTIgBkibY3uUJQ7Atg8jcZfJN5pbR6hkKjQt_kFBClGHA/viewform?c=0&w=1)
I ended up suggesting Yuna of Yuragi Manor, Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, and Grappler Baki. I'm sure Viz has passed on Yuna, so Shueisha will probably be willing to give it to another licensor now. Next Dimension is a bit of a stretch since I'm not sure how well Viz's release of Saint Seiya did, but Seven Seas has licensed a number of Akita Shoten titles (including Devilman G), so I could see it as a possibility. Baki is probably never going to happen but I can dream right? With the upcoming TV adaption of New Baki the Grappler, there could be some interest in licensing the manga.
I decided to choose three impossible licenses since I figured why not.
Since old Shonen Jump and Dragon Magazine stuff is in play, I went with the three most plausible that are sort of well known here.
I picked City Hunter, The Weathering Continent, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. The first because it's one of the more famous SJ series that hasn't really had much of a chance here, and the last two because they're two of the most popular series from Dragon to never get licensed. Worst comes to worst and they're too long then there's always the e-book only route.
The original Devilman will be released next year (http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/2017/05/19/seven-seas-raises-hell-with-release-of-devilman-the-classic-collection-and-devilman-vs-hades-manga-series/).
Nice!
Yen Press has licensed Silver Spoon!!!!!!!
I'm pretty excited.
Quote from: Dreamer2 on July 02, 2017, 12:56:42 AM
Yen Press has licensed Silver Spoon!!!!!!!
DREAMS DO COMES TRUE!!! :joy:
It's nice seeing a licensor that isn't Viz finally be able to get a Shonen Sunday series. Maybe there's hope for series like Souboutei to finally get licensed.
This means someone else can license Shonen Sunday stuff! Hooray!
And Boo for Viz not licensing anything of note (aside from Fire Punch) yet again. Why are they avoiding Kimetsu no Yaiba and Souboutei? Those are high sellers in Japan. Doesn't that indicate there should be an audience for it here?
Seven Seas is asking for more licensing suggestions. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuBqVoa-Qgx7SPIco3H67vb29ODOlKhV_1CgSSQdRshj4I2A/viewform)
I put in Ushio & Tora, Mazinger Z (original), and Souboutei Must Be Destroyed. Long shots, but since they've shown interest in classics, and now that I know Sunday series can be licensed by non-Viz companies, I gave them a shot.
I put in Guyver and Soft Metal Vampire as well as Ushio & Tora. I hope atleast they'll see there is some interest in these titles. I suppose Kodansha USA could get SMV since they did license All Rounder Meguru (digital only so far) but I do want to put SMV's name out there just in case.
Oh, and Kodansha USA is finally bringing over Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Mars Chronicle! (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/07/04-1/kodansha-announces-battle-angel-alita-follow-up-sailor-moon-eternal-edition-and-more)
I put in Urusei Yatsura, Ushio & Tora, and Tenshi to Akuto. Hey, I can dream right? Especially if Sunday stuff is on the table for other licensors to pick up. Though thinking about it, I should've also put in Saike Once Again to throw Bomber a bone (and because it's really good).
Why can't exactly Viz do a re-release of Urusei Yatsura even though they still have the rights to it? Is it due to fear of market oversaturation or that classic manga just falls under the radar?
I forgot that I still want Medaka Box, Needless, and Kongou Banchou officially as well. Oh well, there's next month.
Quote from: Markness on July 16, 2017, 03:14:49 PM
Why can't exactly Viz do a re-release of Urusei Yatsura even though they still have the rights to it? Is it due to fear of market oversaturation or that classic manga just falls under the radar?
As far as I know, Viz lost the license to UY a while ago, so I think the series is now fair game for licensing. Strangely enough, Viz still seems to have Maison Ikkoku (https://www.viz.com/maison-ikkoku), so I wish they'd do a new release of that at the very least.
Just got around to filling out the Seven Seas survey. I suggested Dagashi Kashi, Souboutei Must Be Destroyed, and Saike Once Again. I really hope we start seeing more Sunday series get licensed.
Viz has finally licensed Kimetsu no Yaiba!!! (https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/888181971112914944) :shakeshakeshake:
Quote from: VLordGTZ on July 20, 2017, 06:46:49 PM
Viz has finally licensed Kimetsu no Yaiba!!! (https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/888181971112914944) :shakeshakeshake:
YES!
One of my top 5 most wanted licenses, easy.
EDIT: Here's the official release (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-20/viz-media-to-release-black-torch-kaguya-sama-love-is-war-kimetsu-no-yaiba-manga-in-english/.119060)!
Looks like the overseas title will be Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. No complaints here.
It's well deserved, and I will be fully supporting this set of releases with my wallet. The only thing that would make me even more excited is an anime announcement, which of course it's still way too early for at this point.
Considering that World Trigger, MHA, and Black Clover all got anime announcements before they reached 100 chapters, I wouldn't be surprised if we get an anime announcement for KnY this year (maybe at Jump Festa). In any case, I'm glad that Viz has finally picked up the manga. It's been long overdue.
It will get an anime, that much is certain. I bet it'll get one announced at the end of the year. I just hope it's not Toei. MAPPA and Nishimura would be perfect.
But it is great that it's licensed. That's one off my list. Now to hope for Ushio & Tora and Souboutei.
The weird thing about Toei as a studio is that it's not impossible for certain projects to be well handled and maintain a consistent level of quality, at least as far as production values go. Digimon Adventure Tri, while it has some major story issues, certainly doesn't feel like it was a half-assed effort; though to be fair it's released at a snail's pace, so the animators clearly have the appropriate amount of time to work on it. But then you get an experimental series like Kado, which is one of my personal favorite anime from this year so far, and I wouldn't have even guessed that it was a Toei production if I hadn't seen the logo at the beginning of every episode.
However, their sub-division that deals with their long-running properties, typically based off of manga, is so ridiculously inconsistent in quality control, which is why we've been getting sub-par anime adaptations of everything from One Piece to World Trigger, and why Dragon Ball Super still has scheduling problems to this day, making it notorious for just how many animators have dropped out of the project since it's supposedly hell to work on that show, even if the conditions have supposedly gotten at least a bit better since its inception.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 20, 2017, 10:52:02 PM
It will get an anime, that much is certain. I bet it'll get one announced at the end of the year. I just hope it's not Toei. MAPPA and Nishimura would be perfect.
But it is great that it's licensed. That's one off my list. Now to hope for Ushio & Tora and Souboutei.
KnY doesn't seem like the type of series that Toei would be willing to produce an anime for. Worst case scenario, I see it going to Pierrot like Black Clover. Personally, I'm also hoping for MAPPA or maybe Madhouse.
It's not the type of series that screams mainstream hit. And with Pierrot busy with Boruto and Black Clover, I don't think they'll bother. And I think they would be worse than Toei. A studio that would be willing to do a season a year like, say, Production I.G. would work great for it. But it's not the type of series that would work as a long runner like Toei and Pierrot are used to.
My personal hope would be MAPPA with Nishimura directing, but that's a longshot. Still, I can hope.
Also licensed was Inio Asano's Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction, Black Torch by Tsuyoshi Takaki, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War by Aka Akasaka (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/07/21-1/viz-manga-licenses-kimetsu-no-yaiba-and-dead-dead-demons-dededededestruction)
Viz sure made up for their last dud of an announcement here. These are all series people have been begging for for some time now.
Really great gets. Finally, I can read KnY and Dead Dead Demon legally! Hoping they simulpub KnY in the english Jump, though it's probably unlikely considering how full up it is right now.
I'm not expecting it to be simulpubbed. But it doesn't really bother me. The volume releases are more than enough to make up for it.
Same. I just hope the volume releases are regular enough so that we won't be too far behind the japanese releases.
My Hero Academia Vigilante has been licensed digitally. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-21/viz-media-to-release-my-hero-academia-vigilantes-spinoff-manga-digitally/.119148)
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 21, 2017, 12:15:03 PM
Also licensed was Inio Asano's Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction, Black Torch by Tsuyoshi Takaki, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War by Aka Akasaka (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/07/21-1/viz-manga-licenses-kimetsu-no-yaiba-and-dead-dead-demons-dededededestruction)
Viz sure made up for their last dud of an announcement here. These are all series people have been begging for for some time now.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on July 20, 2017, 06:46:49 PM
Viz has finally licensed Kimetsu no Yaiba!!! (https://twitter.com/VIZMedia/status/888181971112914944) :shakeshakeshake:
All of these sound really interesting. I've been looking for more manga to get into, so I will keep an eye out for these plus Silver Spoon, which I have to get. Should be fun.
Seven Seas' August survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_iGdlUMlo-vvMqqX8msgR7-5x2CTsoUWGV98SqaHTPIOm5w/viewform) is up.
A Kickstarter has launched for a complete bilingual release of Fist of the North Star in the form of an eBook device that emulates the feel of an actual book. (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-13/kickstarter-launches-to-publish-fist-of-the-north-star-manga-in-bilingual-ebook/.121274)
It's already well past being fully funded, and damn it looks awesome!
:o And I thought eBooks were never worth the time. I will possibly back this. I'm way overdue reading Fist Of The North Star.
A listing for an English release of Yuna of Yuragi Manor under the name Yuna and the Haunted Hot Springs has shown up on Amazon. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947804049/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506658006&sr=1-5)
At first, I was a bit skeptical of this since the listed publisher is called "Ghost Ship", but then I realized that that's the exact same name Seven Seas is publishing To Love Ru Darkness under. I guess we might be hearing something about this soon.....
Quote from: VLordGTZ on October 01, 2017, 12:00:09 PM
A listing for an English release of Yuna of Yuragi Manor under the name Yuna and the Haunted Hot Springs has shown up on Amazon. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947804049/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506658006&sr=1-5)
At first, I was a bit skeptical of this since the listed publisher is called "Ghost Ship", but then I realized that that's the exact same name Seven Seas is publishing To Love Ru Darkness under. I guess we might be hearing something about this soon.....
It's official, Seven Seas is starting a new imprint called Ghost Ship and has licensed
Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs and
World's End Harem! (http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/2017/10/11/seven-seas-launches-new-ghost-ship-imprint-to-deliver-mature-manga-through-diamond-book-distributors-including-new-titles-yuuna-and-the-haunted-hot-springs-and-worlds-end-harem/)
This is quite impressive of Seven Seas considering that these are both hit titles in WSJ and Jump+ respectively. It gives me hope that they can pick up more Shueisha titles that Viz has passed on. I'll definitely be picking up
Yuuna when it comes out since it's basically my guilty pleasure series. :sweat:
Good for fans. I'm still waiting for Souboutei to be licensed. It's crazy that this series is being slept on.
Seven Seas is announcing new licenses all this week. They did three today.
Today they announced Dragon Goes House-hunting (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-13/seven-seas-licenses-dragon-goes-house-hunting-manga/.123991), Harukana Receive (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-13/seven-seas-licenses-harukana-receive-beach-volleyball-manga/.123992) and My Solo Exchange Diary (http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/2017/11/13/seven-seas-licenses-the-sequel-to-blockbuster-hit-my-lesbian-experience-with-loneliness-with-my-solo-exchange-diary-manga/) for next year. None are my thing, but there you go.
Holding out for a classic license like Mazinger Z or Getter Robo or something out of left field like Souboutei. They don't tend to license much that interests me personally, but I like how hard they try to get quality.
I've heard great things about My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness! so I'll probably check out My Solo Exchange Diary once I finish that. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Seven Seas has picked up in this license wave.
I'm not sure when this went up, but it looks like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Volume 1 has been set for a July 3rd, 2018 release. (https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Slayer-Kimetsu-Yaiba-Vol/dp/1974700526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510636242&sr=8-1&keywords=Demon+Slayer+manga)
It's still a ways off, but I'll be eagerly anticipating it nonetheless.
Seven Seas has licensed the original Space Battleship Yamato manga (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-11-14/seven-seas-licenses-leiji-matsumoto-space-battleship-yamato-manga/.124025) by Leiji Matsumoto! They'll be putting it out in one hardcover edition.
Nice! This is a great get.
Still crossing my fingers for the original Mazinger Z.
The original True Tenchi Muyo light novels (http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/2017/11/16/seven-seas-explores-galactic-lore-with-license-of-true-tenchi-muyo-light-novel-series/) written by Masaki Kajishima and Yousuke Kuroda have been licensed by Seven Seas.
New Seven Seas (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCCtC8IbyxXQoOiLZ6v7KD_deUi7BI_c3kpkqqe6Y_xkBBIA/viewform) survey.
Once again I put in my bid to see Ushio & Tora and Mazinger Z licensed.
Kodansha takes over publication of Shaman King. (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2017-12-26/shaman-king-trademark-listed-under-kodansha/.125772)
Quote from: Daikun on December 27, 2017, 05:16:08 PM
Kodansha takes over publication of Shaman King. (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2017-12-26/shaman-king-trademark-listed-under-kodansha/.125772)
Yeah, this isn't too surprising considering that Hiroyuki Takei severed all ties with Shueisha earlier this year. As for the special announcement that Kodansha is planning, it's likely an announcement of a new print of the Shaman King manga under the Kodansha label, or the sequel to Shaman King Flowers that Takei has been hinting at for a while. A new anime would be cool, but I doubt one would happen so soon after the series changing hands. Coincidentally, Viz is no longer selling Shaman King or Karakuri Doji Ultimo digitally, so it's very likely that their license to both series are expiring in the near future.
I hope Kodansha USA re-releases the Shaman King manga over here so that we can finally receive the revised and conclusive ending provided in the Kanzenban release, since Viz only ever released the original tankobons. I actually think that a new anime is very possible considering 2018 will be its 20th anniversary, and I'm sure Kodansha would want to capitalize on that.
Damn, 20 years?!
Seven Seas has finally licensed volumes 4 and 5 of Boogiepop, and is releasing the first 6 Boogiepop novels in omnibus format! (http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/2018/03/16/boogiepop-is-back-with-seven-seas-license-of-additional-light-novels/)
It's good to see the upcoming anime causing increased interest in Boogiepop again. I'll definetly be picking these up!
Oh hey, I was just thinking I wish I had a chance to read the original novels. Great news!
EDIT: One thing I would like to see is more obscure works by Hideyuki Kikuchi, though I see how hard a sell it is since only Vampire Hunter D is popular over here. Still, I'd like to see Demon City Blues (the current releases are so scattered and hard to find) or Treasure Hunters. He has some interesting stuff.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on March 16, 2018, 04:03:15 PM
EDIT: One thing I would like to see is more obscure works by Hideyuki Kikuchi, though I see how hard a sell it is since only Vampire Hunter D is popular over here. Still, I'd like to see Demon City Blues (the current releases are so scattered and hard to find) or Treasure Hunters. He has some interesting stuff.
You can get Demon City and Yashakiden on kindle at least. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the Wicked City books which seem to be long out of print. Noble V Greylancer is also on kindle, but apparently the Ayami Kojima illustrations were removed, which is just plain unforgivable in my opinion.
Dark Horse has licensed Mob Psycho 100! (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/04/23/exclusive-dark-horse-to-publish-ones-mob-psycho-100-manga)
It's good to see another Shogakukan title get licensed!
Quote from: VLordGTZ on April 23, 2018, 12:32:26 PM
Dark Horse has licensed Mob Psycho 100! (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/04/23/exclusive-dark-horse-to-publish-ones-mob-psycho-100-manga)
It's good to see another Shogakukan title get licensed!
:SHOCK: :SHOCK: :worship:
It's really strange that this took so long to get licensed. But at least it's finally coming.
Viz has got the Urusei Yatsura manga (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-07-19/viz-media-to-release-rumiko-takahashi-urusei-yatsura-manga/.134453).
Guess they finally figured out a way to put it out.
Incredible news!
Damn this is insane! I'll be looking forward to having a shiny new UY release in English. ;D
In other unexpected news, Media-Do International has licensed Baki the Grappler! (https://twitter.com/ImpassionateK/status/1020113389350080512)
Considering how long the manga is, I thought it would be a mere pipe dream, but damn this is amazing!
I won't lie, I was expecting a Maison Ikkoku rerelease first, but at the same time, I'm nut too surprised UY is getting another shot, since I'm seeing a tiny bit of a surge in recent popularity with western anime fans.
I'm also seeing that with AnJ, a little bit before, but especially after Megalobox became a season favorite, so I'm really pulling for it to get a release as well.
A lot of older series have been seeing releases recently, so now is the best time. I would imagine if this is successful they'll move on to Maison Ikkoku then Ranma.
I hope this spells a chance for Fist of the North Star. 2 in 1s would do great for it. It was released a few years ago in an Extreme Edition in 18 volumes which is the perfect one to use.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 19, 2018, 10:39:52 PM
I hope this spells a chance for Fist of the North Star. 2 in 1s would do great for it. It was released a few years ago in an Extreme Edition in 18 volumes which is the perfect one to use.
FOTNS is an inevitability at this point. The Extreme Edition was already fully translated as a part of Progress Technologies' eOneBook release of the series (https://progresstech.jp/zenkan/index_en.html), so it's just a matter of an English publisher licensing it over here.
It looks like the first volume of Viz's JoJo Part 4 manga release will come out on April 2nd. (http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/JoJos-Bizarre-Adventure-Part-4-Diamond-Is-Unbreakable-Vol-1/Hirohiko-Araki/JoJo-s-Bizarre-Adventure/9781974706525)
The final volume of Part 3 comes out in February, so it looks like they'll be going straight into the next part with no break.
This month's Seven Seas survey is out. (https://t.co/xrpnMFLe9b)
I suggested Billy Bat and Harenchi Gakuen for manga, as well as Slayers and Kino's Journey for LNs.
I put a suggestion in for 1618! myself. They already license-rescued Yu Aida's other manga, Gunslinger Girl, so I felt it'd be appropriate for them to grab this one too. Also because I want to read it, haha.
I asked for Mazinger Z and Souboutei. They aren't that long and both have had other series released by SS before.
I still don't know what's taking so long for Billy Bat to be released stateside. I thought Master Keaton would have been done by now.
Kodansha owns it. They're abysmally slow with licensing.
At this point I expect his new series to be released by Viz here first since it's Shogakukan again.
J-Novel Club has licensed the Full Metal Panic light novels! (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-03-17/j-novel-club-licenses-full-metal-panic-light-novel-series/.144663) :shakeshakeshake:
J-Novel Club has confirmed that in addition to the digital release, Full Metal Panic will be getting 3-in-1 omnibus hardcover volume releases! (https://twitter.com/jnovelclub/status/1119714646326267904)
I would like to eventually read the Fullmetal Panic! novels. I recently got J-Novel Club's edition of Crest of the Stars but I still need to read it.
I found out Hiroki Endo is drawing a new manga called Gusha no Hoshi. I would gladly pay for a physical copy of it.
Quote from: VLordGTZ on July 20, 2018, 10:40:57 AM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 19, 2018, 10:39:52 PM
I hope this spells a chance for Fist of the North Star. 2 in 1s would do great for it. It was released a few years ago in an Extreme Edition in 18 volumes which is the perfect one to use.
FOTNS is an inevitability at this point. The Extreme Edition was already fully translated as a part of Progress Technologies' eOneBook release of the series (https://progresstech.jp/zenkan/index_en.html), so it's just a matter of an English publisher licensing it over here.
Viz got the rights to it back and it's getting the hardcover treatment. I hope this means they'll do the same for Ushio and Tora, Guyver, and maybe even Bastard!!.
I have been trying to message Kodansha Comics about potentially publishing Gusha no Hoshi but I am not having any luck getting an answer from them. Does anyone have advice on how to go about this?
I sent them an email and they actually replied. They said they will be "determining who best to respond to it". (sic) It's been since the 16th.