Turning Japanese News 6-23-2009

Oishinbo: Fish, Sushi and Sashimi edition coming 7/21

The critically acclaimed long-running cooking manga is written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki. Published by VIZ Media under its VIZ Signature imprint,Oishinbo: Fish, Sushi and Sashimi edition is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will become avaialble on July 21^st with an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $15.00 CAN.

OISHINBO (or “The Gourmet“) depicts the culinary journey of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who is tasked by fictional newspaper Tozai News to create the ultimate menu. Yamaoka and his father, Kaibara Yzan, have never enjoyed an ideal father-son relationship. In fact, it’s about as far from ideal as possible, and when they start arguing about food – which they inevitably do – the sparks really fly. In this latest volume of OISHINBO the subject of dispute is fish, starting with the question of whether mackerel can ever be truly good sashimi. Later, things come to a head during the “Salmon Battle,” which pits father against son in an epic contest to develop the best dish before a panel of judges. Will Yamaoka finally defeat Kaibara, or will he once again be left in his father’s shadow?

Previous OISHINBO editions have focused on other popular Japanese cuisine items such as ramen, gyoza, and sake. VIZ Media has selected highlights from the epic 100+ volume series and compiled them into seven a la carte editions that can be enjoyed individually or as a series. OISHINBO also won the prestigious 32^nd Shogakukan Manga Award in 1986.

VIZ Media to Release Children of the Sea manga!

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced the release of Daisuke Igarashi’s surreal and riveting manga series, CHILDREN OF THE SEA, releasing July 21st in North America. The manga is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry an estimated MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.50 CAN.

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish.

This is the first title to be published under IKKI by from VIZ Media, a sub-imprint of the VIZ Signature imprint. They have also created an online magazine which can be found here. They will present free chapters of their stories to their readers.

A little bit about IKKI magazine: IKKI, a monthly magazine published in Japan has established itself as the home of some of the most innovative, bold, and compelling series in the world of contemporary manga. Since its launch in 2003 IKKI has built a catalog of titles notable for its diversity. From action to comedy to drama, from slice-of-life stories to surrealist fantasies, the one common thing these works share is an uncommon emphasis on creative quality and on pushing the boundaries of the norm.

You can read the manga online at: http://www.sigikki.com/series/childrenofthesea.shtml.

ULTIMO! Featured in July Issue of Shonen Jump Magazine!

VIZ Media, one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the debut of the serialization of the ULTIMO series (KARAKURIDÔJI ULTIMO) in SHONEN JUMP magazine. Originally announced to a packed house at a Press Conference at New York Comic Con in 2008, the serialization begins in the July issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine, which is on sale now at retailers and newsstands nationwide.

ULTIMO represents a historic collaboration between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? Find out in the first chapter of ULTIMO!

“The addition of ULTIMO to SHONEN JUMP magazine marks this as a great time for both manga and comics, and we are very excited to be able to deliver this bold new story to fans every month,” says Grant Lowery, Editor-In-Chief of SHONEN JUMP. “The captivating character designs and action-packed story blend the best aspects of Western and Asian comic book traditions and will delight fans of both genres. We invite fans of both comics and manga to seize the opportunity to explore this groundbreaking new series!”

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

Unconventional author/artist Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the coveted Hop Step Award (for new manga artists) and the Osamu Tezuka Award. After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), Takei debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 with Butsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga series SHAMAN KING debuted in Japan in 1998 and has been adapted into a popular animated television series The SHAMAN KING manga series is published in North America by VIZ Media and to-date has sold more than 400,000 copies in the U.S.; for many years it was also serialized in English in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

VIZ Media August DVD releases

VIZ Media has announced their releases for the month of August. Check them out:

NARUTO Uncut Box Set Volume 15 Special Edition · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·

MSRP: $69.97 US / $99.99 CAN · Available August 25

Ino faces an unusual exercise in royal etiquette when she is asked by an overweight princess to take her place and attend the first meeting with the young prince she adores. Then the Hidden Leaf Village comes under serious threat when important blueprints of the village are stolen! Naruto, Shikamaru and the others have their hands full finding and removing the massive numbers of paper bombs placed throughout the village. Can they save the Hidden Leaf Village from utter demolition?

Includes playing cards 37-45 and a collectible Mininja Gaara Figurine (5 of 6) (limited supply)

BLEACH Volume 19 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN · Available August 18

Attempting to rescue Uryu, Ichigo, Rukia and their diverse allies launch an attack on the stronghold of the Bounts. But the evil Bount leader Kariya is far too powerful a foe, and things are looking grim. To make things more complicated still, it appears that one of their foes fighting alongside the Bounts is a former Soul Reaper, Maki Ichinose.

Episodes: 76 thru 79

HUNTER X HUNTER Box Set Volume 3 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·

MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN · Available August 11

Gon has finally been licensed as a hunter, and things are about to get a whole lot tougher! First he has to rescue his friend Killua from the clutches of…Killua’s own family?! Then it’s off to Heavens Arena, home to the biggest fighting tournament on the planet, where Gon must square off against his old enemy Hisoka. Gon is committed to being the best hunter he can be, but will he have to overcome more than a few broken bones to reach his goal?

New POKÉMON Releases Include:

POKÉMON: DP BATTLE DIMENSION Box Set 2 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages ·

MSRP: $24.92 each US / $35.99 each CAN · Available August 25

Ash and friends continue their Pokémon journey through the Sinnoh region, taking on new challenges like the Pokémon Summer Academy and meeting lots of new people, including a Top Coordinator, a Pokémon Ranger, and even some Poké Stylists! There are also a few familiar faces up to no good, like Pokémon Hunter J and Team Galactic – can Ash, Dawn, and Brock handle their latest threats?

POKÉMON: DP BATTLE DIMENSION Volume 3-4 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · MSRP: $14.98 each US / $21.99 each CAN · Available August 25

The episodes of POKÉMON: Diamond and Pearl Battle Dimension Box Set 2 split into two standard disc editions.

POKÉMON ALL STARS Box Set 2 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · MSRP: $39.97 each US / $57.99 each CAN · Available August 25

Over 11 hours of Pokémon adventures featuring more of your favorite Pokémon in a commemorative DVD box set! Includes: Meowth, Treecko, Psyduck, Wobbuffet, Lapras, Totodile, Skitty, Chikorita, Torchic, and Onix!

New from VIZ Pictures:

DEATH NOTE: L, Change the WorLd · MSRP: $24.92 US /$35.99 ·

Available August 18

The live action feature film -DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd introduces the unwritten chapter of DEATH NOTE and reveals how the legendary detective “L” spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the “Kira” case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving himself with only 23 days left to live. For his final case L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to.