If you have followed my Quick Picks these past couple of months you will notice a pattern of manga and anime I choose to showcase. It should come to no one's surprise then, when I pick Bakuman Vol. 5 (Released: 06/07/11) as my top manga pick. As fans of the source material sometimes we wonder what goes on behind the scenes of the manga publishing companies. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, creators of Death Note, created a compelling character-driven story that inadvertently poses as educational on mangaka. This fifth volume focuses on the main characters' struggle to becoming successful manga artists now that they have achieved their goal to have a series in Shonen Jump.
Something I also tend to do when looking for picks of the week is to find a new "Volume 1" series. My new series pick would definitely have to be A Bride's Story Vol. 1 (Released: 05/31/11). The story focuses on Amir, a young new bride who is adjusting to her life in a different culture. Amir marries Karluk, a younger boy, and moves to her neighboring village where here abilities as a hunter and horsewoman don't seem to bode well with the village's customs. It might seem like it will appeal more to the shojo audience but I have enjoyed shojo series before, plus the aspect of two cultures colliding seems like and interesting story point.
In the case of anime, I tend to pick the most appealing series since I read more manga than watch anime. For my appealing anime pick I have to showcase You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle (Released: 06/21/11). The anime is about two bold female officers of the Bokuto Police Station and how they go about doing their job. Miyuki, who studied American police techniques when she lived in the US, and Natsumi, who served in the military, go from "confronting rogue wrestlers" to "pursuing suspects on in-line skates while wearing bikinis". Now that seems appealing!
Of course there is a lot on the lists below which I didn't cover, so I want you all to help me with the rest of the Quick Picks. I gave you three picks of mine so now you have to come up with three picks of your own. You can even use the categories I used to help you choose (Top Manga Pick, New Series Pick and Appealing Anime Pick) Let me know in the comments section!
Manga Releases
Anime Releases
Miscellaneous Releases
| Name | Publisher | SRP | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya Novel (Paperback) | Little, Young | $8.99 | 06/07/11 |
| The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya Novel (Hardcover) | Little, Young | $14.99 |
-- Geo (sora_thekey) 24/7 geek! -- Follow me on Twitter: @sora_thekey
I came here from GB through the link at the bottom of the screen. What is that anime they use for the link? The art looks very nice.
@gerhabio:
Bakuman. You should read it. It's very good.
btw just the heads up to Eurovicers that this week is released Evangelion 2.22, and next week the collector's edition of Akira, as well as the regular dvd and bluray version. :P
@shels: Omnibus books are just reprints of old volumes put together in a huge paperback. Usually 3 volumes are put together in an Omnibus.
@gerhabio: Bakuman. It's the manga/anime I mention as my Top Pick in the begining of the article.
@metalsnakezero: They are slowly releasing parts for Durarara!! I wonder if they will release a full series collection.
@metalsnakezero: True. It's not as expensive as other anime releases. I actually refrained from buying Parts 1 and 2 but now that you put it this way I think I'll buy them.
@sora_thekey: Oh my god... This is made by the creators of Death Note? Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?!
*Foams at mouth*