Turning Japanese Weekly News (February 8th – 21st)

VIZ Media Expands Digital Manga Titles Available For Nook Tablet

15 New Shonen Jump Series Now Available For Barnes & Noble’s 7-Inch NOOK© Devices, Including BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, NARUTO, ONE PIECE And More!

The digital manga convergence continues across North America as VIZ Media, LLC, largest distributor and publisher of anime and manga in North America, announces the launch of 15 additional manga (graphic novel) series for the Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color. Beginning today, the company expands its library of digital manga titles offered in the NOOK Store™ to include a variety of popular manga series published under the Shonen Jump and Shonen Jump Advanced imprints.

Volumes are presented in their original Japanese Right-to-Left reading format and are available for purchase and fast download in the U.S. and Canada for $4.99 -$9.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Over 35 series and 400+ volumes are now available, and new digital manga volumes, including previews, are added weekly.

Viewing manga on NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color is authentic thanks to Barnes & Noble’s newly implemented technology that formats manga in its original right-to-left reading order. Fans can read favorite graphic novels on the award-winning NOOK 7-inch devices, which feature a full-color VividView™ touchscreen. NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color also give users access to the world’s largest digital bookstore, popular movies, TV shows, music and more through the top entertainment services, as well as a collection of high-quality apps, fast Web browsing and email.

The following VIZ Media manga titles are now available, with more to be announced soon:

BAKUMAN｡ Vols. 1-8 · Rated “T” for Teens
BLEACH Vols. 1-37; Vols. 49-50 · Rated “T” for Teens
BLUE EXORCIST Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
CLAYMORE Vols. 1-19 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
D.GRAY-MAN Vols. 1-21 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-12 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
DRAGON BALL Vols. 1-16 (Full Series!) · Rated “A” for All Ages
DRAGON BALL Z Vols. 1-26 (Full Series!) · Rated “T” for Teens
NARUTO Vols. 1-57 · Rated “T” for Teens
NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T” for Teens
ONE PIECE Vols. 1-58 · Rated “T” for Teens
ROSARIO + VAMIPRE Vols. 1-10 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
ROSARIO + VAMPIRE SEASON 2 Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vols. 1-28 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens
TORIKO Vols. 1-7 · Rated “T” for Teens

For more information on VIZ Media manga titles, please visit www.VIZ.com.

For more information on NOOK devices, please visit www.nook.com.

To purchase VIZ Media manga titles for the NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color, please visit the NOOK Book Store at www.barnesandnoble.com/s?view=grid&store=EBOOK&sort=DD&PN=viz&FMT=KA.

VIZ Manga Releases New Shojo Manga “A Devil And Her Love Song”

An Outspoken Outsider With Amazing Singing Talent Tries To Fit In And Still Maintain Her Hard Edge In The Latest Manga Series From VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat Imprint

VIZ debuts the poignant shojo manga (graphic novel) series, A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, now available. The new title, published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Meet Maria Kawai – she’s gorgeous and whip-smart, a girl who seems to have it all. But when she unleashes her sharp tongue, it’s no wonder some consider her to be the very devil! Maria’s difficult ways even get her kicked out of an elite school, but this particular fall may actually turn out to be her saving grace… Maria’s frank nature gains her more enemies at her new school, but her angelic singing voice inadvertently catches the attention of Yusuke Kanda and Shin Meguro. Can these boys mend her hardened heart, or will they just end up getting scorched?

“Maria Kawai, an outspoken and radically honest girl who struggles to fit in at a new school, is beautiful and has an amazing singing voice, but isn’t the least bit concerned with being nice or popular,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “When she gets bullied by fellow classmates, two boys step up to aid her—Yusuke Kanda, a cheerful and popular guy who always tries to avoid conflict, and Shin Meguro, a moody outsider who tends to keep to himself. All these characters are dealing with something that we all struggle with—trying to figure out who we truly are and accepting ourselves even though the community asks us to be someone we’re not. It’s an engaging new series that offers a lot of depth, and we’re proud to have it be a part of the Shojo Beat imprint.”

Manga creator Miyoshi Tomori made her debut in 2001, and her previous titles have included Hatsukare (First Boyfriend), Tongari Root (Square Root), and Brass Love!! Her current series, A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, was featured in Japan in the popular shojo magazine Margaret.

For more information on A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, or other shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit ShojoBeat.com.

Section 23 Films Announces May Slate

Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its May slate of releases; including PLANZET, a science fiction tale of invasion, human struggle and survival. PLANZET will be released on both DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client, Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release
Coming May 2012

Title: PSYCHIC SQUAD COLLECTION 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 5/1/2012
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

They’re cute, adorable and three of the most powerful Espers the world has ever seen: Kaoru, the brash psychokinetic who can move objects with her mind; Shiho, the sarcastic and dark natured psychometric able to pick thoughts from people’s minds and read the pasts of inanimate objects like a book; and Aoi, the most collected and rational of the three, who has the ability to teleport herself and the others at will. So what to do with these potential psychic monsters in the making? Enter B.A.B.E.L., the Base of Backing ESP Laboratory, where hopefully “The Children” and others like them can become part of the answer to an increasing wave of psychic evolution. It’s a win-win solution… Unless you’re Koichi Minamoto, the overworked young man stuck with the unenviable task of field commanding a team of three pre-teen girls! Will Koichi survive the experience? Will the PLANET survive the experience? Find out as the girls get meta-physical in the first totally mental collection of PSYCHIC SQUAD!

Title: GUIN SAGA COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 5/8/2012
Format: DVD/BLU-RAY
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $79.98/$89.98

On the run from an army that destroyed their kingdom, the twin heirs to the Parros throne must avoid a magical land filled with incredible dangers. They are surrounded on all sides-by warring armies, an apelike tribe of desert creatures called the Sem, and the ruthless Langon clan. Giant sandworms, glowing, malevolent creatures, and powerful wizards mastering in the dark arts threaten them at every turn. If they were alone, they would surely perish. But in a dark forest, they are discovered by a mysterious stranger, a powerful warrior wearing a cursed leopard mask he cannot remove. His name…is Guin. He becomes their protector and companion, though he remembers nothing of his life before meeting these young runaways. Together, they begin a treacherous quest to find safety for the royal twins-and the answers to Guin’s secret origins. Based on the bestselling novels, this magical, animated epic is now available in one complete, sweeping set!

Title GET BACKERS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1225 min.
Street Date: 5/8/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

Whether it’s a favorite stuffed animal, a priceless painting or even your last shred of hope, if someone’s taken it from you, Ban and Ginji will get it back. They’re the Get Backers, an expert “recovery” service. And they’ll retrieve what’s been stolen, no matter what it is or who took it. Of course, with Ban’s special “Evil Eye” and Ginji’s lightning strike capability, they’ve got a head start on the crooks. No job is too big, no job is too small. At least not until they pay off their tab at the local coffee shop. Its 49 episodes of non-stop action. It’s the Get Backers Complete Collection – don’t let anyone take yours!

Title: THE BOOK OF BANTORRA COLLECTION 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 5/15/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

In another time and place, on a world of pain and sorrow, when someone dies, their soul doesn’t go to Heaven or Hell – it becomes a book. A book that reveals the deceased’s innermost secrets… and can be read by anyone. Protecting these priceless treasures is the elite organization known as the Armed Librarians. It’s their job to keep the books and the knowledge within them safe from those who would misuse or destroy them. It’s a tough, dangerous job, so Chief Librarian Hamyuts Maseta recruits only the best and the brightest psychics to join her team of expert fighters. But will they be good enough to stop the fanatics of the Shindeki Church from wrecking vengeance on the entire world? Only time will tell, but that book hasn’t been written yet. Don’t miss the non-stop action of The Book of Bantorra Collection 1!

Title: PLANZET
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 53 min.
Street Date: 5/22/2012
Format: DVD/BLU-RAY
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98/$39.98

In 2047, an unknown, alien life-form descends upon the Earth, destroying all the major cities in one fell swoop. The survivors unite and build a Diffusor to stop the Februus, the invaders the military would later codename the FOS, and a temporary peace is achieved. Jump forward to 2053, the present. A last, desperate counterattack is being mounted against the enemy. Hiroshi Akishima, soldier in the Planetary Defense Forces Alliance, would like nothing better than a shot at the aliens responsible for his father’s death six years ago. However, the new offensive requires the Diffusor to be dropped, leaving the entire planet terribly vulnerable once more. Will humanity regain the stars or lose everything in the final, ultimate gamble?

Title: GINTAMA THE MOTION PICTURE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 95 min.
Street Date: 5/29/2012
Format: DVD/BLU-RAY
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98/$39.98

Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you’re a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that’s been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of Gintoki Sakata’s somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice! So, if you’ve had the good fortune to see Gintama, Japan’s most popular science fiction samurai series before, get ready for more of the same on an epic scale! And if you haven’t seen Gintama before, well, this is your quick and easy introduction to why Gintama (the series) is the hottest thing to hit the Land of the Rising Sun since a certain large, green reptile whose name we can’t use due to certain litigious lawyers! So sit down, strap yourself in and make sure you’re not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the stunningly side-splitting screwy GINTAMA!

 

Japanese Iconic Rock Band, L’ARC~EN~CIEL, to Release 12th Studio Album, “BUTTERFLY” on 2/8/12 Via iTunes

“BUTTERFLY,” the long-awaited new album from one of the most celebrated Japanese rock bands, L’Arc~en~Ciel, will be released in North America (U.S.), Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico on Wednesday; February 8, 2012 via iTunes. Described by Kerrang! as “The biggest band you¹ve never heard of”, L’Arc~en~Ciel has sold over 40 million records and will also return to the U.S. in 2012, for the 2nd time in 20 years, on March 25th with a historic performance at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden. More information can be found at www.LArc-en-Ciel.com

“BUTTERFLY” will include the band’s 20th L’Anniversary single “X X X” (“Kiss, Kiss, Kiss”) and “CHASE”, all six singles since 2008′s including “DRINK IT DOWN” as well as three new songs.

The album also includes hit song “GOOD LUCK MY WAY” as featured in the movie version of the iconic and highly popular anime full-length feature film, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE STAR OF MILOS. This band’s hit single “READY STEADY GO” was utilized in the soundtrack of original hit FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST television series featured on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

L’Arc-en-Ciel’s lead singer, and occasional guitarist, hyde, has called this “a monumental album, it’s great that we can release the album just at the right time.”

L’Arc~en~Ciel ­ BUTTERFLY Track list
1. CHASE
2. X X X
3. Bye Bye
4. GOOD LUCK MY WAY -BUTTERFLY Ver.-
5. BLESS
6. shade of season
7. DRINK IT DOWN
8. wild flower
9. SHINE
10. NEXUS 4
11. Mirai sekai