Tokyopop News

Hi Anime Vice! It's been a while since I've covered manga, well, regular manga anyway. So I'm back with another batch from my collection. In today's discussion I provide my thoughts on AiON Vol. 1-2 by Yuna Kagesaki ( Tokyopop), Highschool of the Dead Vol. 1-2 by Daisuke and Shouji Sato ( Yen Press), and Black Lagoon Vol. 2 by Rei Hiroe ( Viz Media). Enjoy and let me know what you think!

WARNING! This video contains explicit language. Also, this video is not edited in any way.

     

Please feel free to provide suggestions for an anime or manga for me to talk about and I will do my best to oblige. Also, if you are curious about anything discussed in this-or previous-episode(s) don't hesitate to ask me for more information/opinions.

Last episode: Off-Topic Talk of "The Lost Gate"

-Will McQuigg ( sotyfan16) is your everyday anime/manga enthusiast. You can also find him on Twitter ( bildo_88).

Helloooo Anime Vice! It's been 2 weeks since the last Dunce Cap episode and for those who have been waiting for a new one, I'm sorry it's taken this long. I've been traveling just about every other week for my job so my time has been limited in even keeping up with the goings on here. Enough of the dull stuff though. In today's episode I review 5 volume 1s! Those titles are: Butterfly by Yu Aikawa ( Tokyopop), Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida ( Viz Media), Maximum Ride by James Patterson ( Yen Press), Red Hot Chili Samurai by Yoshitsugu Katagiri (Tokyopop), and Toradora by Yuyuko Takemiya ( Seven Seas)!!

WARNING! This video contains explicit language. Also, this video is not edited in any way.

     

Please feel free to provide suggestions for an anime or manga for me to talk about and I will do my best to oblige. Also, if you are curious about anything discussed in this-or previous-episode(s) don't hesitate to ask me for more information/opinions.

Last episode: 2.22 x the Fun is an Understatement

-Will McQuigg ( sotyfan16) is your everyday anime/manga enthusiast. You can also find him on Twitter ( bildo_88). 

Why Does VIZ Insist on Removing Japan from Manga?

 
Recently, I've been trying to fill out as much information as I can about the series One Piece on AnimeVice. I've filled in information from episodes 1-132, creating profiles and filling them out. I'm only doing the animes and I wont even touch the manga section. Why? It's because VIZ publishes One Piece in the US. I know some of my blogs have been posted on the front page of this site, but this is my own opinion on VIZ and doesn't reflect the thoughts and opinions of the staff of AnimeVice.

In my search on some information I was browsing one one of the other manga/anime message board sites I frequented before I discovered AnimeVice. I was trying to gather some information about One Piece so I could add to this site. I had commented on how One Piece's release were anemic when compared to series like Naruto, also published by VIZ. A person replied with a link to the official One Piece VIZ website. On the front page it advertises that at the beginning of 2010 VIZ will be releasing five volumes of One Piece per month up to June and Volume 53.
 
This is superb news if you are a One Piece fan. Though I wonder if VIZ is even a good company for manga. This company is notorious for altering popular Japanese series dramatically. Not just the names, but the art work as well. Years back they had to republish the Dragon Ball series, because of fan pressure. VIZ had altered the artwork in the manga and the fans weren't happy. A petition was made and they changed the art back to what it should be.
 
I have seen myself that they have altered the art work in Naruto. Mostly when it came to any scene of nudity. Though the worst alteration VIZ has done with Naruto is rename all senseis with the title of "master"(i.e. Kakashi-sensei is changed to Master Kakashi). Do they think American readers are somehow too idiotic to understand the word "sensei". This alteration wasn't made for the dub of the anime and both and produced by VIZ. That makes the concept even more confusing that there anime and mangas aren't even aligned.
 
The dubs have altered scenes done on the original airing, removing most of the Tsunade breast jokes. Though in their defense they do release Director Cut versions of the animes. I haven't had the chance to see them myself, but I would imagine they would have less editing. Given the name Director Cut. Sadly, there are no options for Directors Cuts when it comes to manga.
 
The worst and most dramatic changes VIZ has ever made is to the series Detective Conan, another in the line of Shonen Jump series. The complete title was altered to Case Closed. In this series every reoccurring character's name is altered, save for Conan Edogawa; thought they change his real name of Shinichi to Jimmy. The villains in the series originally were all named after types of liquors, though I had scene that for the US VIZ altered the names to biblical characters. For some reason the name of Gin was replaced with Melkior. Yes, I'm sure the US audience will be much more familiar with the name of Melkior over Gin. They call the kids group "The Junior Detective League" though the badges the kids wear literally say "Detective Boys". You could argue that they did this alteration out of some act of political correctness, but that seems like a cop out. In the Japanese publication they say "shonentantei". While this does mean Detective Boys or Boy Detectives when translated. It can also mean Detective Kids. Why go through the trouble of creating a name like Junior Detective League when Detective Kids would work and be far closer to the actual intent of the source material? It's as if they went out of there way to use a name that was as far off the mark as possible.

You might not understand if you aren't a regular Detective Conan reader. So allow me to put this in perspective for you. Imagine if when VIZ published Naruto they changed the names of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke into Nate, Sarah, and Steve, or in Bleach Ichigo and Inoue were altered to Charlie and Irene. How would you feel about that? Detective Conan is a series that takes place in real life Japan. Though you wouldn't know it from reading the VIZ version.

There is also the poor translations of the series. I tried to stomach the altered Japanese names. I bought a few of the US Detective Conan volumes, but repeatedly I saw translations errors. What does that say when people who do tanslations for free on the internet do a far better job then people a company pays. In Volume 15 the art shows Conan finding a rather odd hair on the victim's neck. This was the proof that the victim had been strangled to death by a wig. Yet later the translation says Conan found it on the victim's finger. The translator most likely mistook "kubi" meaning neck for "yubi" meaning finger. The kanjis look nothing alike and a paid translator should know better. Especially when the artwork shows Conan removing the hair from the neck. I find it ironic that in a series where little details are the most important, such as murder mysteries, VIZ makes it's most drastic changes. Some may think this is a silly issue, but in series like murder mysteries. Where the evidence is found is very important. Little details can mean a lot. Part of the fun in reading the series is trying to guess the criminal.

This company has shown dramatic disdain for Japanese culture throughout the years. Often removing as much of the culture as possible in their publications. When they could be used to help educate the reader. It's odd when their publication of Neon Genesis Evangelion has kept the Japanese honorifics, such as Misato referring to Shinji as Shin-chan; and keeping the original Japanese sound effects, explaining them in the back of each volume.  When a company does these alterations they basically cast aside what would be there strongest built in audience for people who probably would never even pick up a manga in the first place. It treats the American audience like idiots who can't understand simple things like honorifics and words like sensei. It's no wonder so many people would rather go to online translation websites rather then buy the mangas in the US. It's the only place we can find translations that stick to the real story.
 
On a personal level, I would never recommend VIZ mangas to anyone. After the complete butchering of my favorite series I boycott all VIZ mangas. It's irritating, because I really enjoy many of the series they publish and I would love to support them. In these times I am not going to waste my money on an inferior product. Not when there are companies out there that treat manga with respect. Such as DEL REY, TokyoPop, and ADV Manga. DEL REY is one of the best I have seen. Their publications of Negima! and Fair Tail are great. At the beginning of each volume it has an explanation of the Japanese honorifics and in the back they explain issues from the volume that might not be clear. ADV Manga's publication of Azumanga Daioh also included these notes in the back of the volumes.

For One Piece VIZ doesn't do many alterations. Their most dramatic would be renaming Zoro to Zolo, and calling the Marines the Navy or Naval Marines, despite the hats, shirts, and sails on their ships saying simply "MARINE" in the US versions. I really enjoy many of the series and would love to support them in the US and add them to my personal library, but not when they show such little respect for the Japanese source material, and there are companies in the US that will treat the series with the respect they deserve. What I plan to do is import the Japanese version of these mangas, such as One Piece and Detective Conan. It was partially because of my irritation with VIZ that I've been educating myself to learn to read Japanese. This is something I plan to keep up until they change the names back for Detective Conan. I don't mind the Case Closed title change, but altering the names of the lead characters is inexcusable and ignorant. It would be a simple simple change since it's just the text. For Dragon Ball they had to replace the artwork back to the original. They may say that they are too far into the series to change them to the proper names now. Isn't that a bit like saying, "We have already dug ourselves into a hole. We might as well keep on digging."?
 
Let's say for the sake of argument that they do put the names back eventually. There is a certain Volume that I know of that using the English names they have been given will make a translations impossible and have it make any sense. The company decides to republish the past issues with the corrected names and translations. Why should I pay for a manga volume twice for something they should be doing in the first place? Importing will most likely cost me more, but at least I'll be getting my money's worth.

I encourage manga lovers to support companies who treat the series with respect and avoid anything VIZ altogether. The evidence is there that they don't respect the books. Giving them your money will only encourage them to continue these practices. Support books and publishers that show the stories and culture the respect they deserve. I'm currently waiting to see what Yen Press does with Soul Eater, which is due out this month.

TOKYOPOP Presents:
New Online Manga Programming
Exclusive to TOKYOKPOP.com
 
PSY-COMM Debuts as the First of a Number of Series in 2009

 
Los Angeles, CA (August 12, 2009) -- TOKYOPOP is pleased to announce the release of a number of its original series exclusively on TOKYOPOP.com. Modernizing the magazine serialization made famous by Charles Dickens, today TOKYOPOP will debut PSY*COMM volume 3, with a new chapter serialized weekly for free until the series concludes its story arc. The launch of this new volume of PSY*COMM marks the debut of TOKYOPOP's online manga program that will include continuing volumes of BOYS OF SUMMER, EARTHLIGHT, KAT & MOUSE, PANTHEON HIGH, UNDERTOWN, GYAKUSHU, and others.
 
In PSY-COMM volume 3, Jason Henderson, Tony Salvaggio and Ramanda Kamarga conclude their thriller about the ultimate reality show: War. Set in a future where warfare is entertainment -- scheduled, televised and rated -- this critically acclaimed series ("[A] great story ...a commentary on corporations, the media, war, and relationships, all wrapped in an interesting action manga with a driving plot and compelling characters." --Ain't It Cool News) concludes with a truly awesome finale.
 
"The Kindle, iPhone, web comics, and the like have dramatically changed the marketplace for online comics," says TOKYOPOP's Associate Publisher Marco Pavia. "With the launch of this online initiative, our goal is to increase visibility and demand for such critically acclaimed series as PSY-COMM, BOYS OF SUMMER and others that have, up until now, struggled to find their audience in a challenging retail environment. We are also exploring an on-demand model to satisfy print-edition demand for the online manga series. We'll have more news in the not-too-distant future, so stay tuned."
 
"We're very grateful for the patience of our manga-ka friends," adds TOKYOPOP Senior Editor Lillian Diaz-Przybyl. "Last year we discussed running a number of these original manga series online, so that they would be exposed to the widest possible audience. Now, with TOKYOPOP.com's nearly one million unique visitors per month and the ability for anyone to embed the TOKYOPOP reader anywhere, we are definitely excited about the vast audience to which these and other series will be exposed."
 
Following the time-honored tradition of New Comics Day, the first chapter of PSY*COMM volume 3 will debut Wednesday, August 12, with subsequent chapters releasing each following Wednesday. BOYS OF SUMMER will debut Wednesday, September 23, followed by EARTHLIGHT and KAT & MOURSE. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com/MangaOnline for the complete schedule, exclusively on TOKYOPOP.com.

About TOKYOPOP:
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

Nov 2009  - Jan 2010
New listings up on amazon for Viz , TKP & CMX
here's what i'm getting so far : http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=***&view=kismet&shelf=list

My god that's 52 volumes i seriously need to cut down. Why do series never seem to end??  ^-^
7 new titles
All My Darling Daughters
Beast Master, Volume 1
Butterflies, Flowers, Volume 1
Jormungand, Volume 1
Karakuriodetto Volume 1
Mad Love Chase Volume 1
Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 1

out of the lot most looking forward to Skip Beat as always, and Natsume.
Anything anyone is looking forward to?

UCLICK Offers Free Dramacon Comic App on Apple’s App Store

 

Kansas City, MO (March 17, 2009) – Uclick, the #1 distributor of comics and manga on mobile, in partnership with graphic novel and manga publisher TOKYOPOP, has announced the release of Dramacon Volume 1, Part 1 from TOKYOPOP, as a free app on Apple’s App Store. The free app is a full-length comic book application featuring the first of five installments that make up volume one of the international bestselling manga.

 

The free app is available now in the App Store on iPhone or on iTunes. Users can also access the free Dramacon app through the Uclick Web App by typing Uclick.com into the Safari browser.

 

“We’re making Dramacon 1.1 free because it gives us a chance to show off our panel-by-panel reading format with a very popular book from our lineup,” said Uclick CEO Douglas Edwards. “The Uclick comic apps offer the slickest and most intuitive comics reading experience on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and we offer the widest variety of titles and genres on the Apple devices.

 

“We want users to have the chance to try the reader for free and experience it for themselves, then check out our library of more than 100 titles and find more great comics.”

 

TOKYOPOP’s Senior Editor Lillian M. Diaz-Przybyl added, "As leaders in original manga and graphic novel creation, it's been a real pleasure to work with Uclick, who are clear front-runners in mobile entertainment. Their understanding of the marketplace and of the structure of comics is second-to-none, ensuring that their mobile versions are perfectly constructed and paced, retaining the experience of reading the original graphic novel." 

 

The Dramacon Volume 1, Part 1 app is the first free application from Uclick and TOKYOPOP. Most of the Uclick comic apps are available for $0.99 (US) cents. Other popular comic app titles from Uclick include Bone, Ghostbusters, Pibgorn, GODLAND, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Garfield Minus Garfield.

 

Dramacon is Svetlana Chmakova’s story of a manga artist attending her first fan convention. As her status quo unravels, encounters with her manga idol and a mysterious stranger take her life in an unexpected and exciting new direction.

 

“This is a very popular manga title with a large, loyal fan base,” said Edwards. “The story is instantly accessible and emotionally addictive, which makes Dramacon a great fit for all kinds of audiences, from diehard manga fans to those who’ve never read manga before.”

 

"Svetlana's work has touched hearts and tickled funny-bones worldwide,” Diaz-Przybyl said, “so Dramacon was an obvious choice when it came to launching a new series through the App Store. We look forward to both current fans and new readers discovering the joy of Dramacon in this exciting new format!"

 

The free Dramacon app for the iPhone and iPod Touch features tap-and-swipe, panel-by-panel controls. The Apple devices’ large Multi-Touch displays enable a clear, high-resolution presentation. The zoom feature allows an even closer look at any panel.

 

To receive the Dramacon free app and other favorite comic books, manga, webcomics and graphic novels for the iPhone and iPod touch go to the Uclick Web App by typing Uclick.com into the Safari browser or visit the App Store on the iPhone or on iTunes.

 

 

About UCLICK:

 

UCLICK® is the leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, manga, graphic novels, editorial cartoons, and other content for desktop, web and mobile phones. Uclick is also the leading creator and distributor of crosswords, and other word and number puzzles. Partners featuring Uclick content include the leading consumer portals Yahoo!, MSNBC.com, New York Times, Slate.com, washingtonpost.com, CNN, USA Today, and AOL. Uclick features include the top brand franchises Garfield, Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes, Paul Frank, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TOKYOPOP, USA Today, Pat Sajak, Wyland, and many more. Uclick creative content and services are available through the GoComics.com website, U.S. mobile phone operators, the iTunes App Store, and other distributors worldwide. UCLICK, LLC is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the leading newspaper syndicate and publisher of humor books and calendars in North America.

 

For more information on Uclick, visit www.uclick.com.

 

About TOKYOPOP:

 

TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace.

Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

TOKYOPOP PRESENTS: YEAR OF THE DOMO

International Media Celeb and Occasional Flatulent Aficionado Domo Stars in His Worldwide English-Language Manga Debut

He’s been described as “a strange creature that hatched from an egg.” His favorite food is a meat-and-potato stew, but he loathes apples. He communicates sotto voce with a verve that only his friends can understand. When he’s nervous or stressed out, watch out—he is infamous for passing some serious gas. He is featured prominently at major retailers all over the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of people have created fan sites, and millions more have viewed his antics on video sites like Veoh and Youtube. Even the New York Times Magazine featured him in a piece…

And in 2009, during the heart of apple-picking season, he is going to star in his very own TOKYOPOP manga!

TOKYOPOP, the leader of the global manga revolution, and Domo, the iconic global superstar who was first introduced to the world in 1998 on Japanese public television, have teamed up to present the beloved character’s English-language full color manga debut this September worldwide.

In these truly hilariously unpredictable and endearing tales, Domo’s wreaks havoc with his friend’s video game, trains a fighting beetle, enters a box car race by being the car, and decides to literally become any character he sees on TV including Tarzan, a samurai, and finally, a top chef.

Through TOKYOPOP’s partnership with Big Tent, the global brand agency dedicated to licensing the best quality family entertainment, an international collaboration is bringing Domo into a new medium that he has never seen before. According to Domo’s TOKYOPOP Editor Alexis Kirsch, “We've worked hard to re-create the beloved character and his world for the manga. In brilliant full-color, the Domo manga will resemble the TV shorts while also bringing a truly unique feel that only the language of the graphic novel can present.”

“TOKYOPOP is a creative powerhouse for manga entertainment and we are thrilled to find such an ideal partner for Domo’s global manga debut,” said Rich Collins, Chief Executive Officer, Big Tent Entertainment. “Longtime Domo fans from across the globe will be excited to see their favorite lovable creature come to life through the hilarious and innovative world of manga and we look forward to watching Domo make his way into the hearts of a whole new legion of fans.”

TOKYOPOP Associate Publisher Marco Pavia added that the creative juices began to flow last fall in Portland, when Kirsch met with Tsuneo Goda, who created Domo more than ten years ago. “Goda-san told us he looked forward to seeing the American take on his beloved character. Since this is Domo’s first foray into a major manga volume, we wanted the original creator’s blessing.”

Domo’s Manga will be supported by an aggressive viral marketing campaign, starting with a fan art contest that will launch at New York Comic-Con 2009. Preview art and pages can be seen at www.TOKYOPOP.com/Domomanga/shomeart. The manga will be on sale in September 2009, wherever books are sold.

About TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company’s global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP’s award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

About Big Tent Entertainment LLC
Big Tent Entertainment, LLC (www.bigtent.tv) is an entertainment company specializing in the integrated development and management of media brands. Formed in 2002, the company manages a portfolio across both traditional and new media while focusing on brand strategy, community building, viral marketing, licensing and retail merchandising.  Big Tent currently serves as the worldwide (ex Asia) marketing and licensing company for viral sensation Domo and the North American agency of record for a number of children’s properties including: Discovery Kids, the leader in real world, educational content for children; The Wiggles, the world’s most popular pre-school entertainers; and Miffy & Friends, one of the largest brands for infants, toddlers and preschoolers with an all-new tween/teen program. Additionally, Big Tent serves as the U.S. licensing agent for the masters of freestyle motocross, the Crusty Demons, and the world’s most popular series about girls and horses, The Saddle Club. The Company is also the worldwide management company for renowned art licensing agency Alaska Momma.