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Windowology: New Architectural Views from Japan at Japan House London

Date: 2020 February 05 21:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture in London will want to head over to Japan House London to experience the Windowology: New Architectural Views from Japan exhibition. It's set to run from Thursday 16th April to Sunday 28th June 2020. Admission is free.

The exhibition explores the architectural side and also the abstract and meaning of windows. Of course they've also got a window into manga, with the classic manga Sazae-san being displayed. They've selected some great strips on the themes of windows too! Sazae-san is one of Japan's most popular manga series. It's presented in the classic yonkoma (4 panel) strip style.

So why not visit Japan House London to get a view on this exhibit!

Viz Media 2020 Release Announcements from New York Comic Con

Date: 2019 October 07 20:13 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

We've just been sent details of the release announcements from anime and manga publisher Viz Media. At New York Comic Con Viz revealed that they have the publishing rights for Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.

It's scheduled for release sometime in early 2020. The anthology will feature a collection of stories by renowned manga artists that include Akira Himekawa, Haruichi, Akira Fukaya, Takashi Kisaki and Subaru. Akira Himekawa is the Japanese duo best known for their work on the official The Legend of Zelda manga based on the smash hit Nintendo game series.

Viz have also got a ton of titles manga due out in the summer of 2020. Including Rumiko Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku. The much loved fan favourite has been eagerly anticipated for rerelease.

Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams by another legendary manga artist Naoki Urasawa has also been highly anticipated. We were lucky enough to interview Naoki Urasawa when he was in London earlier this year.

We're also excited about action packed comedy Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo. Along with Ping Pong by Taiyo Matsumoto, the mind behind Tekkonkinkreet and Sunny.

Japan Matsuri in London - Sunday 29th September 2019

Date: 2019 September 25 20:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of Japanese culture in London this weekend will want to head to the Japan Matsuri in Trafalgar Square. Now in it's 11th year the free event is set to run from 10am to 8pm on Sunday 29th September 2019. As always there'll be lots to see and do. Including a watching expert martial arts demonstrations, Japanese music and dance performances.

One of the main draws is always Japanese street food. We've also been told that Japanese fast food favourite MOS burger will be making their UK debut. There's always so much good Japanese food there it can be hard to choose what to eat! Yakisoba! Sushi! Hmmm. It's hard not to drool thinking about food while typing this!

There's also a great family activity tent will teach parents and kids alike manga, calligraphy, origami
and more.

This year's Matsuri marks the official opening of the Japan-UK Season of Culture - an exciting and varied programme of events taking place until the end of 2020.

Seven Seas Licenses 5 New Yuri Titles for 2020

Date: 2019 September 21 19:59 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good folks at manga publishers Seven Seas Entertainment have just sent us details of their 5 new yuri license acquisitions. They've got 4 new manga titles and one light novel.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden is a period romance between a British noblewoman and her maid. Volume 1 of the manga is due out April 14, 2020.

Syrup is a yuri anthology collecting short manga about adult women in love. It's due out June 9, 2020.

Failed Princesses is a unlikely high school romance manga. Volume 1 will be released on May 12 2020.

Fragtime is a time-freezing yuri love story. The manga will be released on April 14, 2020.

Adachi and Shimamura is a fan-favorite yuri romance that will soon be adapted into an anime series Volume 1 of the light novel series will be released in print on June 2, 2020

Manga Artist Talk with Keiko Takemiya in London

Date: 2019 August 09 20:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Manga fans in London are truly being spoilt with all the guests and events currently available over the last couple of months. This trend is continuing with a Special talk event with legendary manga artist - Keiko Takemiya. Known for her shojo manga, pioneer of the Boys' Love genre and author of the iconic manga including To Terra... and The Poem of Wind and Trees. Comic book expert Paul Gravett will be talking to Keiko Takemiya from 2:30pm to 4:30pm on Sunday 25th August 2019 at Foyles Charing Cross Road.

The talk will be followed by a Q&A and an opportunity for books to be signed bring them along with you!

This exclusive UK event is in partnership with Japan Foundation London.

The event costs £8 per person or £5 for students and Foyalty members.

Manga Symposium in London August 2019

Date: 2019 August 02 20:06 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Manga fans in London looking for an academic taste into the world of manga will be very pleased to hear about the Manga Symposium: What is Manga? Exploring Japanese Manga and Visual Narratives. The day long event gathers a range of manga academics at The British Library, Knowledge Centre Theatre. It's set to run on Friday 23rd August 2019 from 10:00 to 17:30.

Tickets cost £15 for adults or £8 for students under 18s and other concessions. We can think of nothing better than spending a learning about manga. Visit https://www.bl.uk/events/manga-symposium to book tickets.

What's Michael? Fatcat Collection Volume 1 Cat Manga Release Details

Date: 2019 June 25 20:47 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Fans of cat manga can rejoice as publisher Dark Horse are re-releasing the classic What's Michael? as a special fat cat collection.

The manga was originally released in English by Dark Horse in 1997 and has been out of print for a long time, with many fans thought a reprint of Makoto Kobayashi's manga in English unlikely. We're massive fans of the comic antics of this cat manga as it blends slice of life tales (or should that be tails?!) along with amusing fantasy incorporating cats. The light hearted title is due out in the US on January 29, 2020.

You can pre-order it from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

We've also been told that translator Zack Davisson is involved in this project and will write introductions for each volume. Zack is not only a manga translator, but a cat fan so it an appropriate choice for this series.

Why is the cat called Michael? Well Michael is used in Japanese as causal slang for cat, kind of like moggy.

This is Manga - The Art of Urasawa Naoki

Date: 2019 June 10 21:00 | Posted By: Guest Contributor

Category > Anime

In the window of Japan House in Kensington, a standee of a schoolboy with a baseball cap and backpack beckons. "Hey! Come look at this!" a speech bubble by his head says, inviting you to join him and his two friends inside. The characters have been drawn in the distinctive style of legendary mangaka Urasawa Naoki, and their invitation is for THIS IS MANGA - THE ART OF URASAWA NAOKI, which is open to the public until 28 July 2019.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

An Interview with Urasawa Naoki a Master of Manga

Date: 2019 June 09 21:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Japan House London are currently hosting a manga exhibition of Urasawa Naoki's work. His manga is hugely popular with his books having sold over 127 million copies in Japan alone. He's responsible for manga including Monster, 20th Century Boys, Pluto (the re-imagining of Tezuka's Astroboy).

Urasawa himself was in London to set up the exhibition and also was a guest at events run by Japan House, such as QAs and a few live drawing sessions. Urasawa's live drawing performances aren't like anything else we've seen before. The multi award winning manga artist is also a singer/song writer who has released two albums and performed songs that have gone on to be on the live action versions of some of his manga. His live performance at Japan House started with him singing and playing one of his songs on guitar, then he activated his loop pedal so the guitar tune continues and walks over to a drawing desk and draws for everyone to see on a projected screen. Once he finished drawing he returned to his guitar to finish the song!

We caught up with the manga master at Japan House London to hear what he had to say about the exhibition.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Manga Exhibition at The British Museum a Review

Date: 2019 June 03 21:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The British Museum have just opened the largest Manga Exhibition outside of Japan. Naturally being keen manga fans we were curious. What was it all about? Was it any good? We were invited by The British Museum to check out the new exhibition and find out for ourselves.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

This is Manga - The Art of Urasawa Naoki in London

Date: 2019 June 03 19:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Japan House London have just sent a reminder that manga artist Urasawa Naoki is in town. He's best known for manga such as Monster, 20th Century Boys, Master Keaton, and Pluto (his adaptation of Tezuka's Astroboy).

He's in London to promote his exhibition This is Manga - The Art of Urasawa Naoki. The exhibition has a wide varity of his artwork on display, from his early childhood drawings to now. It includes a lot of original pages from his manga where you can see all the original details of his art. Along with huge prints of some of his amazing work. The exhibition is free is to ender and is set to run from Wednesday 5th June to Sunday 28th July 2019 at Japan House London in Kensington.

As Urasawa-san is in London he's also hosting a few events including a booking signing on Friday 7th June 2019 (from 16:00 to 17:00), but places are limited. On the same Friday Urasawa will be also hosting a live drawing live signing session All Talking All Singing All Drawing! Urasawa Naoki Live in Concert, this is set to run from 18:30 to 20:00. It's also free, but booking is essential.

Japan House London will also have wide selection of merchandise for sale at their shop. This includes his manga, plus t-shirts, mugs, plastic wallets and other goodies.

Their restaurant Akira have also teamed up with Urasawa to create a Yawara themed dish of fish and chips, with deep fried, bread-crumbed eel topped with umeboshi (pickled plum) tartare sauce, lime and egg yolk shavings. A Monster cocktail will also be available which is made with Dewa no Sato sake from Yamagata Prefecture, Czech spirit Becherovka, ginger liqueur, peppercorns, lime juice, fresh ginger and cloves topped with a white chocolate liqueur foam sprinkled with matcha!

Legend of Zelda Manga Duo Akira Himekawa to Visit London this Weekend for MCM Comic Con London and Forbidden Planet Signing

Date: 2019 May 22 19:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of Zelda are in for a treat this weekend as Legend of Zelda manga duo Akira Himekawa will be in town for MCM Comic Con London and a special signing at Forbidden Planet (which is handy if you can't make it to MCM over the weekend).

The London branch of the Sci-Fi super store Forbidden Planet will be playing host to the manga duo for a special signing event. The signing event is on Friday 24th May from 6pm to 7:30pm. It's free, but you do need to get a wrist band from Forbidden Planet first in order to attend. No wrist band, no entry. To find out how to get a wrist band visit Forbidden Planet's website for details.

Akira Himekawa will also be at the MCM Comic Con London and attending the event throughout the weekend for signings and panels with manga publisher VIZ. Akira Himekawa's featured spotlight panel will take place on Saturday on the Main Stage at 14:15 and includes a special announcement of new titles, a live drawing session and awesome trivia questions for prize giveaways.

My Brother's Husband Manga Artist Tagame Gengoroh in Conversation with Book Curator Haba Yoshitaka at Japan House London

Date: 2019 May 16 20:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

London based fans of manga artist Tagame Gengoroh are in for a treat! On Wednesday 22nd May 2019 Japan House London will be hosting Tagame Gengoroh in conversation with book curator Haba Yoshitaka.

The event forms part of their new library display LGBTQ+: Diversity in Manga. Artist Tagame Gengoroh is a superb pick for the event having created the manga My Brother's Husband, a tender story about a single dad meeting his estranged brother's husband.

While My Brother's Husband is known to be a sensitive story Tagame's other work doesn't shy away from more mature and gritty renditions of gay life.

We're very excited about this event, as it's rare you'll get a chance to see a talk like this in London.

The event is free to attend, but booking is essential. As always we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

Seven Seas Entertainment April 2019 Release Announcements

Date: 2019 April 21 19:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good folks from manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have just sent us a load of details about their recent license acquisitions. They've got pretty much something for everyone, including Haruka Takachiho and Hisao Tamaki's Dirty Pair Manga Omnibus which is a manga retelling of the first Dirty Pair Light Novel.

We're very curious about the very interesting sounding My Father Is a Unicorn which tells the tale of Issei who's Mum has remarried to a shape shifting unicorn (as one does), so now Issei's step dad is a unicorn and hilarity ensues. We've not been as excited about a title like this since Seven Seas licensed My Girlfriend is a T-Rex (which you can also buy on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Monkey Punch has Passed Away

Date: 2019 April 17 20:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Current Affairs

Renowned manga artist Kazuhiko Kato more famously known as Monkey Punch passed away on 11th April 2019 aged 81. Best known for his lovable rogue thief Lupin III the manga made a massive impact in the 1960's and has been around ever since. Lupin III has been animated many times including a movie by a certain Hayao Miyazaki in 1979 called The Castle of Cagliostro (which is currently on Netflix).

Anime expert Jonathan Clements has written a more in-depth obituary on the Anime Limited Blog.

Souce: Otaku News

WIRED in Conversation with Urasawa Naoki in London June 2019

Date: 2019 April 13 11:07 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

London manga fans are in for a massive treat this June as Japan House London will be hosting WIRED in Conversation with Urasawa Naoki. The event is set to run on Wednesday 5th June 2019 from 18:30 to 21:30. The talk is ticketed and costs £10. We strongly advise you to book early to avoid disappointment.

Urasawa is known for many excellent manga works including Yawara!, Monster, Pluto and 20th Century Boys. We've already booked tickets to this event and we know a lot of our other readers are very excited about this. It's rare for manga artists to give talks in the UK and it's exceptional that an artist like Urasawa Naoki will be running a live drawing session and explaining his thought process.

Japan House London will also be hosting This is Manga - the Art of Urasawa Naoki from 5th June to 28th July 2019. This exhibit is free introduces Urasawa's ideas from inception through development, with more than 400 original drawings and storyboards on display. Japan House recently ran this exhibit in the US at Japan House Los Angeles.

Seven Seas Entertainment March 2019 Release Announcements

Date: 2019 March 19 21:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Manga Publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have just announced 3 new license acquisitions that'll arrive in shops in the final months of 2019. They've got Dance in the Vampire Bund: A.S.O. Volume 1 which will hit shelves on October 8th 2019. ASO stands for Age of Scarlet Order and continues the adventures of Mina and Akira. They'll also be re-releasing the original Dance in the Vampire Bund manga volumes in digital format in 2019.

If you fancy some fashionable cooking manga with a twist then Gal Gohan could be the title for you. Volume 1 will be out on December 10th 2019 on print and digital.

Finally they'll also be releasing the Kickstater hit ROADQUEEN: Eternal Roadtrip. The manga-style Girls' Love/yuri graphic novel about motorcycles and romance will be released in print and digital on October 8th 2019.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas Light Novel and Manga Release Reminder

Date: 2019 February 07 21:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have just sent a reminder about I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. The movie hits cinemas around the US soon. They're keen to remind us that they've recently released the original light novel and it's manga adaptation in print and digital platforms. The weepy romantic story has a legion of fans and we're eager to see it too.

As always you can buy the original light novel from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. The manga is also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

If you want to keep track of other release dates we suggest you check our out sister site the Otaku Calendar, which lists events and release dates of interest to anime and manga fans.

Seven Seas Entertainment New Year 2019 Release Details

Date: 2019 January 15 21:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

A new year marks a new load of releases from manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment. They've sent us a ton of press releases telling us all about them. Rather than spread them across a dozen pages, here's the full list:

There's pretty much something for everyone on this list. We're most excited about The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms by Nagabe as we're really enjoying reading The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún. Plus Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA light novel, as it's always interesting to see other takes on the huge franchise.

Dragon Half Omnibuses 1-3 (Complete Series) Now Available

Date: 2018 December 29 20:01 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good folks from manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have sent us a little reminder about their release of the Dragon Half Omnibuses. As of this week, they've released the third and final volume of the series for print and digital. This completes the manga adventures of half dragon girl Mink. The anime is well known in certain circles of anime fandom. It's held dear by a generation of fans who were captivated by it's ridiculous version of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, 4th movement as ending song My Omelette, along with a wacky story overall.

Mink has a crush on dreamy idol Dick Saucer (this is not a typo), who happens to be a dragon slaying knight, which happens to be a problem when you're a half dragon girl. Hilarity ensues.

As always you can order the books from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Manga Exhibition at The British Museum in 2019

Date: 2018 December 05 21:05 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks at the British Museum have just announced a major manga exhibition set to run during 2019. Called Manga マンガ it will explore the phenomenon of manga, and will be the largest exhibition of the art form ever to take place outside of Japan.

Why is the British Museum hosting a manga event? Well, it's not a secret, they've hosted events related to manga before such as Hokusai beyond the Great Wave, plus even had manga set at the Museum in the form of Professor Munakata's British Museum adventure. Speaking to some staff there we know they're massive manga fans too.

Many of the objects at the exhibition are loans coming to the UK for the first time. At the moment they're tight lipped about what exactly will be there as they want to keep it a surprise, but the official graphics used with the announcement includes Golden Kamuy's Asirpa. So we're guessing they will have some of Noda Satoru's work. We know very little else about the exhibit yet, but they do tease other things on a blog post accompanying the event. Pikachu himself was also present at Museum for the announcement.

The British Museum normally deliver something special, so we know we'll be in for a cultural treat when the exhibition runs next year.

The event is set to run from 23rd May - 26th August 2019 at Room 30 in the British Museum. The event is ticketed and costs £19.50 for adults, while free for under 16s, plus a 2 for 1 ticket deal for students on Fridays. Members of the British Museum can get in for free. So head to London!

Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection Manga Release Reminder

Date: 2018 August 24 22:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have sent us a friendly reminder about Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection. The hard cover book captures Go Nagai's original 1973 story in print and is out on Tuesday August 28th 2018.

You can pre-order the manga from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Shimanami Tasogare Manga North American Release Details

Date: 2018 June 30 19:48 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Manga Publishers Seven Seas Entertainment always have a nice habit of releasing interesting titles. This time around they've announced they have the license for LGBT+ Manga Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani. They've appropriately timed the press release to be out at at the same time as Pride Month.
The manga follows high schooler Tasuku Kaname who is the new kid in town and is also terrified that he's been outed as gay. By chance Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with issues similar to his own.

Seven Seas intend to release this title in single volume editions. Volume 1 will be released on May 7, 2019 for $12.99 USA / $15.99 CAN.

Manga Jiman 2018 UK Competition

Date: 2018 June 14 19:32 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

The Embassy of Japan in the UK have have just announced the theme for their manga competition. Theme for this year is "home". The competition has been running each year for more than 10 years now. Just by entering you can learn a lot, but this is certainly a competition worth investing time in. This years first place winner will get a flight to Japan, while second prize will get a laptop and third place will a digital camera from Ricoh UK (like Daido Moriyama we're fans of their GR Series cameras).

The competition has 2 distinct categories the Yonkoma Manga for 11 to 13 year olds where they can submit a 4 panel manga. While the main Manga Jiman is open for anyone 14 and over expects a short story told across 6 to 8 pages.

To check out previous winning entries go here.

My Solo Exchange Diary Volume 1 (sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness) Out Now

Date: 2018 June 11 20:42 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good people from manga publishers Seven Seas Entertainment have just sent us a reminder of their latest release print release - My Solo Exchange Diary Volume 1. The manga is the sequel to the autobiographical manga My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. We found the original manga to be essential reading and many other have agreed making the follow on true story of Nagata Kabi highly anticipated by fans.

As always you can buy My Solo Exchange Diary Volume 1 on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Volume 2 is slated for a February 2019 release and is already available for pre-order on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Of course if you want to start the original book is also available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

United Publications Spring Clearance Sale 2018

Date: 2018 April 09 18:38 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime and manga retailer United Publications have sent us details of their spring clearance sale for 2018.

Managing Director Martin Dudman tells us - "Chance to try new series or help fill gaps in your collection.
Spring Clearance Books, DVD & Figures, limited quantity first come first served.
All orders will be posted ASAP and can not be held waiting on other items"

United Publications are a retailer you may have met before on the UK convention scene, as they regularly have stalls at London Comic Con and fan run conventions around the country.

Souce: United Publications

Pluto: The Stage Play London Showing Details

Date: 2018 February 06 16:23 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Culture

London based readers looking to get some theatrical culture into themselves will want to head to the Barbican from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th February 2018 to catch Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon: Pluto.

The play is based on Naoki Urasawa's manga Pluto, which itself is based on Tezuka's Astroboy. The play combines elements of manga, traditional Japanese Bunraku puppetry, elaborate design and media projection.

It's only running at the Barbican for a few days, so if you're interested we suggest you book now to avoid disappointment.

Silent Manga Audition Round 9

Date: 2017 October 06 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Are you an aspiring manga artist? Do you want to get the attention of the manga industry? Well the Silent Manga Audition are running another manga competition. The clever twist is that you're not allowed to use dialogue, hence Silent Manga, this is clever as it makes it more international.

There are 3 themes for this round Fairness / Respect / Teamwork. The themes are chosen to encourage creation of works that will help promote the spirit of 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The deadline is 31st of March 2018. The top prize is 500,00 JPY (about $4,438 USD, €3,782 EUR, £3,396 GBP at the time of writing).

Takashi Fukutani Exhibition at London's Orbital Comics

Date: 2017 July 15 16:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of 1980's manga in London will want to head over to Orbital Comics from Tuesday 1st to Monday 14th August 2017 to catch an exhibit of original 80's Manga artwork. They'll be showing selected manga originals from the 1980’s slice of life manga series Dokudami Tenement for the first time in the UK.

This is to celebrate the release of the first volume of Dokudami Tenement in English from Black Hook Press. They'll also have a special limited edition Aizoban print for sale during the length of the exhibition.

An interview with Tim Clark the Curator of Hokusai: beyond the Great wave at the British Museum

Date: 2017 May 23 15:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

The British Museum will be hosting a Hokusai Exhibition from Thursday 25th May until Sunday 13th August 2017.

Dedicated to the Japanese master the exhibition entitled Hokusai: beyond the Great wave will feature two magnificent painted ceiling panels of wave subjects loaned by Hokusaikan, Obuse, done in 1845 for a festival cart, along with many other fabulous bits of artwork.

Naturally being fans of Japan we know you're eager to find out more about this. So we go in touch with Tim Clark the exhibition's curator.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Hyper Japan Festival London 2017 Details

Date: 2017 May 04 16:17 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

If you're in London and looking for some Japanese Culture on from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th July 2017 you should head over to Hyper Japan to indulge yourself in the festival. It's got something for everyone, street food, cosplay, chiptunes and traditional Japanese crafts. The event will be at The Tobacco Dock,

Introducing The Manga Concierge

Date: 2017 February 11 13:46 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Recently we interviewed Anne Ferrero of toco toco TV, she's just got in touch with us to tells us about a new show that's just started on YouTube The Manga Concierge. The show is in Japanese, with English and French subtitles.

Based in Shibuya, Torai Eisu is a "Manga Concierge", who guides people to the manga they "always wanted to read". In this program, we meet with him every month to hear his title selection, each time on a different theme. In this first episode, the manga concierge introduces three manga about 'game'.

Souce: The Manga Concierge

Talking to toco toco tv

Date: 2017 January 25 16:12 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Features

We've interviewed a lot of interesting people in the anime industry over the years and were delighted when we discovered the mini-documentary show toco toco tv. The series available on YouTube has a simple and effective format they talk to various Japanese creators and introduce places they like in Japan while telling the viewer about their work.

The show is aired on the French TV channel Nolife since 2011 and YouTube (with English and French subtitles) since 2015.

Being intrigued about the show we wanted to know more, so decided to interview Anne Ferrero the show's director.

Read More... | Souce: Otaku News

Hokusai beyond the Great Wave Exhibition Details

Date: 2017 January 20 16:10 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The image of Hokusai's Under the wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), is undoubtedly one of the most famous images to come from Japan. We know our readers love Japanese culture, so it makes sense you'll want to see more of the great Hokusai's work. The British Museum will be running an exhibition called Hokusai beyond the Great Wave. It's set to run from Thursday 25th May to Sunday 13th August 2017.

The exhibition supported by Mitsubishi Corporation will showcase outstanding examples of Hokusai's work, including landscapes (including Mount Fuji of course), flora and fauna, along with demons, ghouls and other monstrous yokai.

The British Museum tell us "The exhibition will include prints, paintings and illustrated books, many of which are on loan from Japan, Europe and the USA. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these extraordinary works together."

This is indeed a rare chance to catch a glimpse of some amazing artwork. Entrance for British Museum Members is free, while tickets for adults cost £12, with under 16s getting in free. With an event like this we strongly advise booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

Seven Seas License Dragon Half Manga

Date: 2017 January 13 18:04 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

It seems that Christmas has come early for some manga fans as publisher Seven Seas Entertainment have just announced that they'll be releasing Dragon Half as a manga omnibus from December 2017.

Certain anime fans will be aware of the much loved crazy title that follows the adventures of half human half dragon Mink, who has fallen for male idol and dragon slayer Dick Saucer (yes, that is his name). The 1993 two episode OVA was mad cap to say the least for many it was an early introduction into how crazy anime can be. That and how you can reinterpret Beethoven's Symohony Number 7 and the joy of omelettes (you really need to watch the anime to appreciate this). Yum! Tamago! *ahem*

Even if you haven't seen the anime If you love Japanese RPGs, you'll want to get a hold of this title.

Takarabune Art Show by Junko Mizuno December 2016

Date: 2016 December 08 15:45 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Readers in LA who are fans of renowned creepy-kawaii manga artist Junko Mizuno will want to head over to Gallery Nucleus on Saturday December 17th, 2016 for the opening reception of her new exhibition. Junko Mizuno's second Japan-themed art show will run from December 17th, 2016 to January 8, 2017.

Admission to the opening reception is free, booking is required. As always with popular events, we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

For those looking to find out more we interviewed Junko Mizuno last time she was in London.

Original Ghost in the Shell Manga Re-release Details

Date: 2016 November 19 10:27 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

While everyone's talking about the up coming live action Ghost in the Shell Movie starting Scarlett Johansson, lots of people will want to read Masamune Shirow's original source material. The good folks at manga publisher Kodansha Comics have just announced the release dates for Deluxe editions of the original manga. These editions will be in In the original, right-to-left format with Japanese sound effects for the first time. They also include brand new bonus content.

This is all 3 volumes, The original Ghost In the Shell manga (labelled as The Ghost in the Shell 1 Deluxe Edition), The Ghost in the Shell 2, plus Ghost in the Shell 1.5 which fills the gaps between volume 1 and 2.
All three will be hard cover editions.

They'll also be releasing a movie tie-in edition, the contents of which is a bit vague. Is it just the first volume with a different cover? Or extra content? We're not sure yet.

All 4 volumes are due out on Tuesday 31st January 2017.

You can pre-order them now from Amazon.

The Ghost in the Shell 1 Deluxe Edition - Pre order from: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Ghost in the Shell 2 Deluxe Edition (Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface) - Pre order from: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Ghost in the Shell 1.5 Deluxe Edition (Human-Error Processor) - Pre order from: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Ghost in the Shell 1 Movie Tie-In Edition - Pre order from: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

They're definitely worth getting if you haven't already got any Ghost in the Shell manga, especially the first volume as this is one of the most influential manga titles ever written.

Souce: Kodansha Comics

Drawing a New Generation of Manga - London Talk October 2016

Date: 2016 October 03 14:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Fans of manga looking for something interesting to will want to head over to Foyles Book shop on Charign Cross Road for the Manga: The New Generation talk. Ken Niimura and Miki Yamamoto will be joined by curator and comics writer Paul Gravett to discuss the new wave of manga artists.

The event is set to take place on Monday 17tth October 2016 from 6:30pm.

The event is free to attend but booking is essential.

As always with events like this, we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

Sherlock: A Study in Pink Manga Release Date

Date: 2016 September 12 15:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Fans of BBC Series Sherlock will already know about the English language release of the manga adaptation we've covered before.

Currently Titan Comics have split the manga up into 6 comic books to sell the chapters separately. The full collected manga for Sherlock: A Study in Pink will be released on 31st January 2016 as a single book.

The book is available to pre-order from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Manga Jiman 2016 Competition Details

Date: 2016 August 19 04:57 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Aspiring or upcoming artists based in the UK will be interested in the Embassy of Japan in the UK's Manga Jiman Competition. This year marks the 10th edition of competition. With the top prize being a return flight for two people to Japan, thanks to All Nippon Airways!

This year's theme is "Sights of Japan". The competition has two categories; Yonkoma Manga, a comic strip of 4 panels on one page, for entrants aged between 11 and 13 and Manga Jiman, a short story told across 6 to 8 pages for anyone aged 14 or over.

The competition closes on Monday, 24 October 2016. So get drawing!

Manga Workshop at Gnash Comics and Graphic Novels in Devon August 2016

Date: 2016 August 05 15:41 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Are you a UK based aspiring manga artist and will be in Ashburton in Devon on Sunday 21st August 2016? Well if so why not drop into Gnash Comics and Graphic Novels? They'll be hosting two manga workshops, one intro session at 1pm and another Manga Workshop at 2:30pm.

Fakku Publishing and Toshio Maeda Running Kickstarter to publish Legend of the Overfiend in English

Date: 2016 June 22 16:02 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Freaky Things

Sitting on a train travelling home, a man wearing a trench coat walked past me, I couldn't see his face, it was covered by the brim of his hat, I could see he had a moustache. I thought this was strange attire for the middle of June. I didn't know who he was, but he clearly knew me. Just as the train pulled into the next station he passed me a plain brown envelope and left the train before I could process what happened.

I waited until I got home until opening the envelope, just in case, as it's not everyday mustachioed stranger delivers a letter on public transport. The letter was from on-line retailer United Publications, they wanted to tell us that they've started stocking books for *ahem* mature readers from publisher Fakku. The letter said Fakku are company driven by fans, something United Publications are keen to support.

Not wanting to stop, the letter carried on.

"We know you've met renowned hentai master Toshio Maeda, but are you aware of the Kickstarter to get his most famous work Legend of the Overfiend published in English?"

We weren't aware of this Kickstarter, but now we are. Thank you, kind trenchcoated stranger.

The Kickstarter is due to end on Wednesday 20th July 2016. As of the time of writing $32,919 has been pledged towards the $47,000 (USD) target.

Souce: Fakku Kickstarter

Tezuka and Toriyama Artwork Auction Sale Results

Date: 2016 June 01 17:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

We've already mentioned the Sotheby's auction that contained artwork from Osamu Tezuka and Akira Toriyama. What we haven't covered is how much each item went for.

The prices listed below are the hammer price with the buyer's premium.

The Tezuka artwork went mostly within the estimated prices.

Lot 231 was estimated to sell for 8,000 to 10,000 EUR. It went for 8,750.

Lot 232 was estimated to sell for 3,000 to 4,000 EUR. It went for 3,625.

Lot 233 was estimated to sell for 2,000 to 3,000 EUR. It went for 1,750.

Lot 234 was estimated to sell for 2,500 to 3,000 EUR. It went for 2,750.1

Akira Toriyama's drawing was Lot 235 with an estimated sale price of 2,000 to 3,000 EUR. It sold for 15,000. That's 5 times the original estimated price.

Souce: Sotheby\'s

Sotheby's to Auction Tezuka and Toriyama Artwork

Date: 2016 May 05 15:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Manga fans with cash to splash will want to head over to famous auctioneers Sotheby's for their bandes dessinées auction (drawn strips). The collection of sequential art is mainly European and American artists. However manga fans are in for a treat with manga master Osamu Tezuka artwork for sale with prices ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 EUR. They've also got an original Akira Toriyama drawing too, which is estimated to sell from 2,000 to 3,000 EUR.

The auction will take place on Saturday 14th May 2016 at 2pm in Paris. You can bid on-line, but note that first-time bidders must pre-register 24 hours in advance of the sale in order to be approved by Sotheby's.

Thanks to Deb Aoki for the tip off on this story.

Hyper Japan July 2016 Details

Date: 2016 April 12 16:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have just sent us details of their July 2016 event. It's set to run at the Olympia in London, from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July 2016. As always there's so much to do for fans of Japan! It is after all a Japanese Culture event! There'll be cosplay with the COSTest competition, arts and crafts workshops including one where you can create your own Kokeshi dolls. There will also be plenty of Japanese food to enjoy and other fun goodies.

Kadokawa Buy Majority Stake in Yen Press

Date: 2016 April 12 16:03 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Manga publishing imprint Yen Press have just announced that they have entered into an agreement with mega-content publisher Kadokawa. The Yen Press imprint will be span off to form a new company Yen Pres LLC. Kadokawa will own 51% of the new company while the original parent company of Yen Press, Hachette Book Group will own the remaining 49%.

This is interesting news. There are many reasons why a Japanese media giant like Kadokawa would want their own English language manga publisher. Industry watchers are already speculating about what Yen Press will do next.

The news was first announced on Anime News Network.

World Cosplay Summit UK Qualifiers Details

Date: 2016 April 05 14:09 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

UK based cosplayers want to make their mark on the global cosplay stage will be interested in The World Cosplay Summit. The UK Qualifiers will be held at the MCM London Comic Con on Saturday 28th May 2016. There a team of two will be selected to represent their country as Britain's best cosplayers. They'll get flown to Japan for over a week of activities and attractions, including the WCS final itself.

So get making! As always, we suggest you check the rules and regulations.

Kiniro Mosaic Manga Licensed in English by Yen Press

Date: 2016 March 28 17:00 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

Regular readers of Otaku News will know our editor has a soft spot for Kiniro Mosaic. It's the story of a British school girl called Alice who lives with her Japanese friend Shinobu in Japan. A few years ago we went to the the actual location used for the anime. The anime is based on a 4 panel gag manga with the same name. Yen Press have just announced that they've got the license for the manga. They announced the news at Sakura-Con 2016. As of yet, there is no scheduled release date for the manga by Yui Hara.

There is also a special episode of the anime in works too.

Souce: Yen Press

Sherlock Manga Release Details Update

Date: 2016 March 26 15:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

We've already published details about Titan Comic's up-coming release of the Sherlock Manga. As news is spreading we wanted to know more details about the actual release. So we go it touch with Titan Comics editor Andrew James to talk about the release.

The Embassy of Japan Announce Manga Jiman 2015 Winners

Date: 2016 March 22 17:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The Embassy of Japan have been running the Manga Jiman for 9 years now. The premise of the completion is simple. Each year has a theme and the artists have to create a story around the theme. Previous themes have included "a chance encounter" and "voyages of discovery". This year's theme was "bright young things". Prizes include 2 return flights to Japan for the top prize winner, a laptop for the runner up, plus a top end digital camera.

Shojo Manga: The World of Japanese Girls' Comics Exhibition in London

Date: 2016 March 16 16:08 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from House of Illustration have sent us details of their up new exhibition Shojo Manga: The World of Japanese Girls' Comics. The exhibition is set to run from Friday 18th March to Sunday 12th June 2016 in at House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4BH.

It's the first major UK exhibition tour of the genre, from its golden era to the present day.

The Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm. It's closed Mondays. Admission is £7.70 (with gift aid), Concessions £5.50 (with Gift Aid).

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