Mangaka of the Month – Kubo Tite

KUBO TITE

(久保 帯人 KUBO TAITO)

January

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Real Name: Kubo Noriaki (久保 宣章)

Hometown: Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima

Date of Birth: 26 June 1977

Kubo Tite’s most significant work to date would happen to be one of the most popular manga of all time –Bleach. His talent was recognised by one of the editors in Shonen Jump when he submitted an entry for one of the magazine’s contests. Although he did not win, the two worked together and he managed to produce three one-shots. His first serialisation was Zombiepowder in 1999, which ended in 2000 with 4 volumes. His next work is also his current one – the ever famous Bleach that has run in the Weekly Shounen Jump since August 2001 with over 430 chapters.

Some of his greatest influences include Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki and Saint Seiya by Masami Kurumada.

Lala Issue 03/2011~

*Spoilers Alert*

Good day! Hope y’all had a good week-end. I know I did. In fact, I don’t even have classes on Mondays anymore so I have an extra-long weekend. Who’s J-worded? Here are some photos of Lala 3. Highly anticipated for it’s special Ouran chapter! Also, if you’re an avid fan of Mishounen Produce, it’s final chapter is in this issue. Also, I made the photos clickable now, so you can view these pics in higher resolution, just a little bigger.

This was the freebie/furoku of Lala 3, very cute no?

One-Shot for the Weekend: Amai*Suppai*Horonigai – Love Sickness

Title: Amai*Suppai*Horonigai- Love Sickness or Sweet／Sour／Slightly Bitter – Love Sickness

Author: Chiba Kozue

Artist: Chiba Kozue

Genres: Romance, School Life, Shoujo

Summary: Kae has a weak body ever since she was a child, therefore, she cannot run nor overwork herself too hard and to add to that, she doesn’t have friends. On the other hand, she likes watching baseball from afar since they have tanned skin and can dash onto the field like the wind. One day, she was about to get hit by a baseball in the face when suddenly, a guy saves her. Will this person give her an illness called love? Or will she just try to cure this disease?

Collected in a tankōbon of short stories/one-shots entitled Amai Suppai Horonigai or Sweet／Sour／Slightly Bitter by Chiba Kozue.

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I hope the start of your weekend has been well! This week’s one-shot selection by me is yet another love story but this is just precious & sweet. The plotline may seem rather predictable for some but it felt so new when I read it.

The story evokes this sensation of falling in love for the first time in your life, just when you need it. It makes your heart race a little, makes your cheeks flush, but it doesn’t make you scream in fan-girl mode because the feeling is so personal. It’s a story which doesn’t make love overrated. The simple, shoujo-esque art makes the overall effect really cute and that’s just perfect for this story.

It’s just one of those stories you need when you would like a little pick-up & a little love in life.

Rating: 4.3/5

Final Fantasy Type-O & Final Fantasy Versus XIII HD Trailers~

Final Fantasy Type-O & Final Fantasy Versus XIII HD trailers are finally released. They both look amazing and I’m so excited! Apparently, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is not going to see a 2011 release since Tetsuya Nomura is hoping to make it “incredible.” I’m sure that the wait will be worth it from what I see in the trailer. There have been leaks from Dengeki & Famitsu magazine which has more detailed information regarding the game-play and you can check out the translations here if you wish.

Remember to set it to 720p & above for HD.

Oh yar. That lady dropping from the sky with extravagant armour is not Stella.

Anime Amped – Yumekui Merry (夢喰いメリー)

Similar to how we have Mushroom Manga for mangas we want to recommend but are too lazy to review, we have Anime Amped for the same purpose. But for animes. We hope to amplify the anime out into the wide wide world; and with that I present to you our first Anime Amped post.

Yumekui Merry (夢喰いメリー)

Ten years ago Fujiwara noticed he had a power to see multicolored auras surrounding people’s bodies. Ever since then he’s been having a weird dream about a war with cats. One day he meets a mysterious girl, that, after being picked on by crows and fallen from a tree, goes to search for her lost hat. Later that day, Fujiwara finds himself in a daydream, being attacked by the same cats he fights at night.

Genre: Action, Supernatural

Status: Currently airing, planned for 13 episodes

Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi, produced by J.C. Staff. Based on the manga by Ushiki Yoshitaka.

Rated PG13

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It recently came out this Winter 2011, but I do see quite a lot of potential in Yumekui Merry, also known as Dream Eater Merry. When I saw the promotional picture, I wasn’t that interested in it since it looked like the typical wimpy anime. It’s only been 3 episodes now, but I’ve actually really enjoyed it so far.

Gakuen Alice Vol 1

Title: Gakuen Alice/Alice Academy

Author: Tachibana Higuchi

Artist: Tachibana Higuchi

Genre: Action, Adventue, Fantasy, Mystery, Comedy, Drama, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Super-Natural, Tragedy

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Young Mikan runs away to Tokyo following her best friend, Hotaru, who has been enrolled in an exclusive, secretive private school for geniuses. But it turns out that Alice Academy is a lot more than meets the eye. If Mikan wants to stay by Hotaru’s side, she has to both pass the strange “entrance exam” and face the even greater challenge of befriending her very odd new classmates. Whether it’s Hotaru’s gift for inventing gadgets, the cranky Natsume’s fire-casting ability, or Professor Narumi’s control of human pheromones, everyone at the school has some sort of special talent. But what ability, if any, does Mikan possess? Mikan is going to have to rely on her courage and spunk if she’s going to stay in school, or even stay alive!

-TokyoPop

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The last manga I reviewed was High School Debut; I selected it since school was about to start so I thought it was a good entrance for the new year! Now that our dear students are a few weeks back into class – probably moaning and dragging their feet around in school – I thought I’d review a manga which has a big twist on school life to make the lives of students more exciting.

Or at least, in their minds even if not in reality.

One-Shot for the Weekend – Beelzebub

Title: Beelzebub

Author: Tamura Ryuuhei

Artist: Tamura Ryuuhei

Genres: Action, Comedy, Martial Arts, School life, Shounen, Supernatural

Summary: The story follows the “strongest juvenile delinquent”, Oga Tatsumi, as he watches over the devil king’s son (and future devil king) with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Published as a one-shot in Weekly Shōnen Jump 2008 where it won the fourth Gold Future Cup. It is currently serialised in Weekly Shōnen Jump, has 9 tankōbon volumes and an anime series

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I’ve been following the Beelzebub anime recently, and after watching the Beelzebub special episode it’s made me think back to the time when Beelzebub was just starting. Then I thought, “It’s such a waste if nobody doesn’t at least give it a try by reading the one-shot,” because, after all, I had been one of those misguided fools. Days have been devoid of laughter I could have experienced because I had not heeded my brother’s advice to read it. Not wanting anybody else to repeat my mistake, I post it here and now as this week’s one-shot.

Beelzebub. Is. Hilarious.

You can say that I’m shallow. I’ll call almost anything a brilliant piece of work as long as the comedy is awesome even if the plot is really going nowhere. But this is different. This is on an entirely new level. This is Beelzebub. And the plot really is going somewhere.

The one-shot is a really nice way to just laugh all your stresses away this weekend. It’s a ridiculous stupid kind of humour where you’ll be like ‘the heck?!’ most of the time and burst out laughing.

Okay, and besides comedy the action scenes basically have Oga pwning everyone. It’s hilarious how they all get defeated so easily.

Personally when I compare the serialised version to the one-shot, I feel like there’s been a huge development. If you did try it out and thought the one-shot was okay, don’t put it down just yet. That was the mistake I made. Continue reading, coz the serialised version gets even better.

Overall rating: 4.2/5.0

– arawr >=3

Manga-Talk: Manga Forever After

“It’s been going on since, like, forever!”

An extremely common statement, especially when in reference to anime like One Piece and Naruto. I myself have spent the last week catching up with Detective Conan by Aoyama Gosho and have finally reached the 758th chapter. I never really got into it before – probably since I had to read it in my second language, which suffice to say I’m not that great at. Even if it is my mother tongue.

Anyway. Conan.

It’s serialised in Weekly Shōnen Sunday with about 760++ chapters since 1994. At first I was like, oh, yeah, that’s a rather long time.

Then I think.

Wait.

Nineteen ninety four.

From 2011 onward, that is seventeen friggin’ YEARS.

The M.Weekend Shopper: Valentine’s Day Gifts – Part 2

Here in Manga Weekend, we understand that choosing gifts can be difficult; heck, just admit it’s hard okay? I’m sure you’ve been on Google or Yahoo or [insert search engine here], searching for gift ideas but yet, heck again! Why are they so VAGUE? Anime posters, action figures, buy him his favourite anime set? Pft. That’s why, we, are here to help you! We aim to give you a selection of specific products and maybe they can give you ideas too! And well, if you didn’t find anything special – we’ve got nothing to say to you.

Now, welcome back to Part 2 of the M.Weekend Shopper’s edition of Valentine’s Day gifts! Valentine’s Day hasn’t even cross your mind yet? Well, M.W are once again here to remind you! Best to plan early for your beloved sweethearts. If you didn’t get any ideas from Part 1, well here we go again! I’m quite excited about this batch!

Bessatsu Margaret/Betsuma 12/2010

It’s kind of late to post a december issue, but oh well! Yumemiru Taiyou takes the december issue spotlight! This issue’s freebie is a little zip bag decorated with Yumemiru Taiyou pandas! I have no idea what I’m going to do with it though.