Diamond Life 3 of 3, Master Of Sea 15 of 15, Honey Hunt 4 (Level Comics 30 June 2010 manga)

Honey Hunt 4

Honey Hunt © Aihara Miki/Shogakukan (Serialized in Cheese!)
Published in Indonesia by Elex Media/Level Comics

Contains [SPOILERS!]

Haruki keeps pushing Kanae away; however, Kanae refuses to budge from Haruki's side. The pair eventually decides to get married, but before the happy day can dawn, Haruki's condition worsens. It's critical.

Is there a Happy Even After in store for our couple? Find out in Diamond Life volume 3 that, at the very least, promises s'more tearjerking. (Won't say which kind. I will, however, (over)share that the Diamond Life finale will likely be a Very Fast Read; fellow shoujo/josei fan dalina02-san confirms: It only took one hour to finish that manga.)

I don't have a summary for the other finale—Komori Yoichi & Takemura Yuji's marine salvage saga Master Of Sea—but one assumes Rintarou eventually services (if he hasn't already done so) his dad's ¥1.5 billion debt in full. (Sorry, not reading this Level title.)

Honey Hunt 4 of 6+ by Aihara Miki: Hot Springs Episode!

The latest Honey Hunt—the shoujo manga ANN calls a transparent rip-off of Yoshiki Nakamura's Skip Beat!... with a mopey heroine instead of a magnificently angry one and a cast of pretty boys with potentially bad intentions—has Yura landing a role in screenscribe Todoh Maki's newest drama. At the same time, singer/composer Q-Ta returns from England to see her — and we all know what effect he will have on Yura's concentration, at a time she really needs it.

Deeming celebrats like Q-Ta (and his twin Haruka) so much unacceptable debauch and not wanting to see Yura's budding career go down the tubes, manager Mizorogi orders his acting protégé to Just Say No! to boys and any romantic relationships. (VIZ's Honey Hunt 4 blurb cites greater paparazzi scrutiny of Yura as Machiavelli's, I mean, Mizorogi's reason.)

So what is Yura doing, disobeying Mizorogi and escaping to an onsen with Q-Ta?

Okay, so I don't think I've seen a Hot Springs Episode (yet) in Skip Beat!, so this is a Honey Hunt one-up.

New Level Titles

Ghost Mum Investigator by Sato Tomokazu

Ghost Mum Investigator 1 (Level Comics)

Ghost Mama Sousasen
© Sato Tomokazu
Shogakukan (Big Comics)
Published in Indonesia as
Ghost Mum Investigator
by Level Comics

Dead Mama Helps Son Solve Cases is the (relatively) novel premise of Sato (or Satou) Tomokazu's seinen manga Ghost Mum Investigator, originally Ghost Mama Sousasen. (I say novel because I'm blanking out on any similarly-troped extramundane detective manga.)

First-grader Tonbo sorely misses his mommy, an ex-policewoman who died in an accident. Now whenever the grade-schooler wears his mother's specs, he can see and communicate with her spirit. What else to do with the newfound power, other than collaborate with mom to investigate spiritual cases?

Among the Ghost Mum & Son's initial caseload: spiritual kidnapping and a double suicide (if I read chapter title translations right). Level bills the Mediumship With a Twist story funny and poignant.

Cubitus by Dupa

I'm pretty sure this is Cubitus' debut as a Level ROMIC/bande dessinée. Cartoonist Dupa's chubby white canine protagonist was first popped his furry head in Komikologi February, but only pokes his big black nose in and wags that highlighter yellow tail this Wednesday with Cubitus - Anjing yang Selalu Beruntung (Cubitus, chien sans accroc) and Cubitus - Si Anjing Penurut (Cubitus, donne la belle papatte).

The other BDs are regulars Lucky Luke and Spirou et Fantasio
(see list below).

Cubitus, who first appeared in Tintin, also starred in his own 1988-vintage Japanese anime, Don-don Domeru to Ron that became Wowser after export to the US. Aside from fame as Dommel in Japan, Flanders and the Netherlands, the Belgian native also goes by the aliases Teodoro (Italian) and Kaaboul (Arabic).

Level Comics manga (2010.06.30)

Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.

  1. Diamond Life 3 of 3 by Fujiwara Akira [Finale]
  2. [Premiere] Ghost Mum Investigator (Ghost Mama Sousasen) 1 of 3+ by Sato Tomokazu
  3. Ghost Mum Investigator 1 (Level Comics)

    Ghost Mama Sousasenゴーストママ捜査線
    by Sato Tomokazu
    Shogakukan Big Comics, seinen
    Volume 1 first published in Japan 2002.06

    Volume 1 contains chapters:

    • 1 とんぼのめがね
    • 2 奇っ怪・霊界・誘拐・捜査!!
    • 3 霊が何ぼのモンジャ!?
    • 4 一人でできるモン!?
    • 5 愛の降霊劇場
    • 6 心霊写真は誰のもの?
    • 7 犬も鳴かずば撃たれまい
    • 8 心中ブルース
    • 9 アリとカマキリ
  4. Honey Hunt 4 of 6+ by Aihara Miki
  5. Honey Hunt 4 (Level Comics)

    Honey HuntHoney Hunt 」 by Aihara Miki
    Shogakukan Cheese!, shoujo
    Volume 4 first published in Japan 2008.11
    Series on hiatus (volume 6 released 2009.12.24)

    OTHER LANGUAGE VERSIONS/SERIALIZATIONS
    Honey Hunt is published in English by VIZ Media (volume 4 released 2010.04.06 • volume 5 street date: 2010.08.03) and in traditional Chinese by Tong Li (Taiwan)

  6. K2 2 of 13+ by Mafune Kazuo
  7. K2 vol. 2 (Level Comics)

    K2K2 」 by Mafune Kazuo
    Kodansha Evening, seinen
    Volume 2 first published in Japan 2005.05

  8. Master Of Sea (Waga Na wa Umishi Master Of Sea) 15 of 15 by Takemura Yuji and Komori Yoichi [Finale]
  9. Master Of Sea 15 (Level Comics)

    Waga Na wa Umishi Master Of Sea
    我が名は海師-MasterOfSea
    by Takemura Yuji and Komori Yoichi
    Shogakukan Big Comics Spirits, seinen
    Volume 15 first published in Japan 2008.03

    Volume 15 contains chapters:

    • 139 百獣の王のやり方
    • 140 技を超える力
    • 141 それでもあきらめない気持ち
    • 142 親父の形見
    • 143 王の方法論
    • 144 海の男の礼儀
    • 145 噴出した本性
    • 146 サルヴァーの基本
    • 147 2つの流儀
    • 148 重責からの解放
    • 最終話 海師たちの夢
  10. Psychometrist Eiji (Psychometrer Eiji) 14 of 25 by Ando Yuma, Asaki Masashi
  11. Psychometrist Eiji 14 (Level Comics)

    Psychometrer EijiサイコメトラーEIJI
    by Ando Yuma¹ and Asaki Masashi
    Kodansha Weekly Shonen Magazine, shounen
    Volume 14 first published in Japan 1998.12
    (Series re-released in 12 bunko volumes from 2003.06 to 2003.11)

    OTHER LANGUAGE VERSIONS
    Psychometrer Eiji is published in simplified Chinese by Chuang Yi Singapore, in traditional Chinese by Tong Li Taiwan, and in French by Kana.

    ADAPTATIONS
    The live-action renzoku alternatively known as Simply Psychic ran for two seasons on NTV (January to March 1997 and October to December 1999). A one-episode, 45-minute anime OAV Eiji was released in August 1990.

    NOTES
    ¹ Ando Yuma's real name is Kibayashi Shin; he also writes under the pennames Agi Tadashi (The Drops of God, in collaboration with his sister); Amagi Seimaru (Kindaichi Case Files, Remote); Aoki Yuya (Get Backers); Ryuumon Ryou (Bloody Monday); Arimori Jōji (Monkey Typhoon); and Igano Hiroaki (Area no kishi).

  12. Tomo'o (Danchi Tomoo) 9 of 16+ by Oda Tobira
  13. Tomo'o 9 (Level Comics)

    Danchi Tomoo団地ともお 」 by Oda Tobira
    Shogakukan Big Comic Spirits, seinen
    Volume 9 first published in Japan 2007.03

    Volume 9 contains stories/chapters:

    1. ズレは気になるかいともお
    2. 一度は言いたいよなともお
    3. システムも大事だなともお
    4. 偉くなったもんだなともお
    5. ノープロブレムかよともお
    6. ホレボレするよなともお
    7. まだ続いてるなともお
    8. それも愛これも愛さともお
    9. いやいや今日は私が…ともお
    10. まだ間違えてたのかよともお
    11. 乗り越えていくのだともお
    12. せっかちでおセンチだったよともお
    13. 会イタカッタデースだよなともお
    14. で、赤いのは何なんだともお
    15. アフターケアも大事ってことともお
    16. 巡りゆくともお

Level Comics BDs or ROMICs (2010.06.30)

  1. Cubitus - Anjing yang Selalu Beruntung (Cubitus, tome 25: Chien sans accroc) by Dupa (Le Lombard)
  2. Cubitus - Si Anjing Penurut (Cubitus, tome 23: Cubitus donne la belle papatte) by Dupa (Le Lombard)
  3. Lucky Luke - Sepupu Dalton (Lucky Luke, tome 12: Les Cousins Dalton) by Morris & René Goscinny (Dupuis, 1958)
  4. Spirou - 4 Petualangan Spirou dan Fantasio (Spirou et Fantasio, tome 1: 4 aventures de Spirou... et Fantasio) by Franquin (Dupuis, 1950)
  5. Spirou - Seine di Paris (Spirou et Fantasio, tome 47: Paris-sous-Seine) by Morvan & Munuera (Dupuis, 2004)

NOTE
¹ Sources: Elex Media STO 30 June 2010 and Komikologi (synopses, except where noted)
² Links like this are Amazon.com (or other online merchants) search and/or product links (commercial), in case you're interested in another language version.

Volume previews continued

K2 vol.2 of 13+ by Mafune Kazuo

Some detective work required in the K2 medical drama

Dr. K tries to locate nine of the 10 surgical scalpels left by his predecessor Kazuya, and gets word about Blade #2: a doctor named Takaiwa Seiji has it. Apparently, 15 years ago, Takaiwa got into an accident and was saved by Kazuya. So how did Takaiwa end up with the scalpel? And can Dr. K recover it?

Psychometrist Eiji 14 of 25 by Ando Yuma, Asaki Masashi

First it was the tragic suicide of a girl who threw herself in front of train. Next came the shooting deaths of several Shibuya youths. And now, Toru has disappeared. While investigating Toru's trail, Shima and Eiji become suspects!

~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03)

disclaimer

Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.

other manga available this week (30 June 2010 street date)

Elex Media: BECK 19 · Detektif Conan 10+ Super Digest by Aoyama Gosho · Detektif Conan Spesial 32 · Hayate The Combat Butler 21 · Hell Girl 3 · A Kiss for My Prince 3 · Kunai Legend 3 · Legend of the Cursed Sword 30 · Look Up! 1 by Kusaba Michiteru · Natural Honey Dormitory 1 by Oda Aya · Otomen 8 · Pandora Hearts 10 · The Puppet Master Lin 8 · The Ruler of Nabari 11 · Spiral: The Bonds of Reason 4 · V.B. Rose 4 · Wild Life 6 · HanaLaLa 51/2010

m&c!: 1/3 Romantica by Shibano Yuka · A Badboy Drinks Tea 6 · Bakugan Battle Brawlers 7 · Bleach 29 · Cherish Fight by YASUKO · Finding My Destiny by Nakamura Sayumi · Love is Sweet by Kumaki Eri · Mysterious Joker 4 · Prince of Sewing by Koito Sayo · Wounded Angel by Mitsuha Yuu | AMERO BDs: 5 × Quick and Flupke by Hergé: (1) Mainan Terlarang, (2) Baik-Baik Saja, (4) Kembangkan Layar, (5) Sekarang Giliranmu and (6) Tanpa Ampun | Hong Kong manhua: Confucius 1 by Sai Ihara/Lee Chi-Ching · The Story of Wang Fenglei 3 | KOLONI local comics: Sweethearts · The Creator Jade · Komik Cihuy Anak Band

related monthly schedules

Level Comics July 2010 manga
Premiering Soul Eater by Ohkubo Atsushi and Yokohama Chinatown Fantasy by Nishi Yuuji · Ending Diamond Life

Level Comics June 2010 manga
Premiering Dark Edge by Aikawa Yu, Ghost Mum Investigator by Sato Tomokazu · Standalones: 1 or W by Takahashi Rumiko and Bus Hashiru by Sahara Mizu

other invaluable resources

7net Shopping · Baka-Updates Manga · Wikipedia · ANN

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