And...Dun, dun, dun, DUN!... Death's Notice 7!
Sawry for the NikBabble™ delay; there's a LOT of Level Comics to get through. (That's your Hella Long! warning.)
Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu Made © Takashige Hiroshi & DOUBLE-S
Square Enix [Serialized in Young Gangan]
Published in Indonesia as Until Death do us Part by Elex Media/Level Comics
Mission Exterminate Assassins in Shinjukugyoen, Start-OH!, and who should get in Mamoru's face but Detective Genda. In this inevitable badass showdown, which swordsman will prevail?
Observes Until Death do us Part editor Lenny-san: The Full action & technology!
spares no one, not even Haruka; she leaps into the Volume 7: Girl meets......
crossfire armed with what Mamoru taught her ^^
Lenny-san likewise edits the also Full of fighting scenes!
Soul Eater, Level's next Most Wanted manga separated from UDDUP by one point (my vote ^^).
Soul Eater 8 of 19+ by Ohkubo Atsushi
The SPSS (DWMA) mandates meisters and weapons to study Duel Arts to prep for combat against the first Kishin and the Arachnophobia syndicate. But resonance hiccups result in training #Fail.
Meanwhile, Medusa soul's survives Stein's death blow and resurfaces in a new body.
Lenny-san promises that we get Awesome! Death The Kid action in this tank (see »Wiki's summary for a sneak peek at asymmetriphobic DTK's virtuosity). Also, the Shinigama–Witch clot, errr, plot, deepens ^_^
Soul Eater 8 compiles chapter 28 through 31: Bodyguard (Part 2),
Snake
and Reunion Express (Part 1 and 2).
[*NOT Level's chapter titles]
The third top DO WANT!—Team Medical Dragon 17—yes, also edited by Ganbariya-san Lenny-san, making 6.28 a Lenny trifecta, is previewed behind the cut, along with seven other starred series.
New Level manga: Kowloon's Seekers
Shin Kijou no Kowloon
© Aoki Tomo & Nagasaki Takashi
Shinchosha [Comic Bunch]
Published in Indonesia
as Kowloon's Seekers
by Level Comics
Mid-21st century. Tsukueda Kyu is a seeker living in Neo Kowloon. Raised by the genetically engineered rabbit, Rabbi, Kyu hunts for missing ‘goods’ and ‘hearts’ in Tokyo, along with his animal sidekick slash parent.
Little do Kyu and Rabbi expect their next seeker case to pit them against Monk, a genius chimpanzee with big Annihilate humans! schemes. A chimp modified by Professor Moro, the same (mad) scientist who tweaked Rabbi.
Lenny-san (*grin*) deems this new science fiction/detective series a must for 20th Century Boys and Monster fans.
Why? Explains an unidentified Elex Media editor: writer Nagasaki Takashi collaborates with Urasawa Naoki on Monster and Billy Bat. Nagasaki Takashi-sensei was also among the planning staff of the live-action 20th Century Boys movie, as well as supervisor of the Monster anime for Studio Bee.
Meanwhile, manga-ka Aoki Tomo-sensei has more shoujo than seinen manga among his/her backlist (Fushigi Doushiden Hakke no Sora, Ryuuyou-kun Shimatsu Ki and the ongoing Sangokushi Joker, all first serialized in Akita Shoten's Mystery Bonita horror comics magazine).
Baka-Updates Manga identifies the 2002.12-vintage Kijou no Kuryuu or Kijou no Kowloon as the prequel to Kowloon's Seekers. I wonder, though, whether the latter is truly a continuation; I lean more to a reworking, I don't know why. Kijou no Kowloon was published by Shogakukan (Big Comics Special imprint) while Kowloon's Seekers was published by Shinchosha (Comic Bunch Extra imprint).
Lenny-san's GET! parting shot: Kyu and Rabbi solve cases not only with logic and deduction, but also with liver heart ♡. The poignant backstories don't lose out to the exciting cases >0<
Level Comics manga (2011.06.28)
- ARMS 20 of 22 by Minagawa Ryouji & Nanatsuki Kyouichi
- Bambino! 12 of 15 by Sekiya Tetsuji
- Basara 18 of 27 by Tamura Yumi
- Bronze Angel (Bronze no Tenshi) 3 of 7 by Saito Chiho
- Death's Notice (Ikigami) 7 of 9+ by Mase Motoro
- Devil Devil 2 of 15 by Miyoshi Yuuki
- Fight!! Ippo (Hajime no Ippo) 83 of 96+ by Morikawa Joji
- The Fugitive Lawyer Makoto Narita (Toubou Bengoshi Narita Makoto) 6 of 6 by Go Hideki and Takada Yu [Finale]
- [Series Premiere] Kowloon's Seekers (Shin Kijou no Kowloon) 1 of 3 by Aoki Tomo & Nagasaki Takashi
- Kyoko Karasuma's Case Files (Karasuma Kyouko no Jikenbo) 6 of 9+ by Hiroi Ohji & Kozaki Yusuke
- Miso-Com (30 Kon Miso-com) 9 of 12+ by Yonezawa Rika
- Psychometrist Eiji (Psychometrer Eiji) 21 of 25 by Ando Yuma & Asaki Masashi
- RRR 2 of 10 by Watanabe Jun
- Soul Eater 8 of 19+ by Ohkubo Atsushi
- Team Medical Dragon (Iryuu -Team Medical Dragon-) 17 of 25 by Nogizaka Taro & Nagai Akira
- Until Death do us Part (Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu Made) 7 of 15+ by Takashige Hiroshi & DOUBLE-S
- X Blade 4 of 12 by Ida Tatsuhiko & Shiki Satoshi
 | Bambino! 「バンビ～ノ！」 by Sekiya Tetsuji |
Awards
Best Seinen/General Manga, 53rd Shogakukan Manga Awards, tied with Kuromaru- & Natsuhara Takeshi's The Black Swindler (Kurosagi).
Related series
Bambino! Secondo (sequel; seven volumes per 2011.06.30)
Adaptations
An 11-episode live-action adaptation starring Matsumoto Jun (Shogo Ban) and Kitamura Kazuki (Yonamine Tsukasa/Yona-san) aired on NTV from April to June 2007. The TV series reaped four awards at the 53rd Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Actor (Matsumoto Jun), Supporting Actor (Kazuki Kitamura), Best Director and a Special Award.
 | Basara 「ＢＡＳＡＲＡ」 by Tamura Yumi |
Awards
Best Shoujo Manga, 38th Shogakukan Manga Awards
Other versions/languages
Re-released in 16 bunko volumes (2002.03 to 2002.10)
English Basara (VIZ Media: 27 volumes), French (Kana: 27 volumes), German (EMA: Band 26 ships 2011.10; Band 27 per 2012.01), Danish (Mangismo Danmark) and Swedish (Mangismo Sverige)
Adaptations
A 13-episode Legend of Basara anime by KSS, starring seiyuu Kimura Akiko (Sarasa) and Inoue Kazuhiko (Shuri), aired in Japan from April to June 1998.
 | Bronze no Tenshi 「ブロンズの天使」 by Saito Chiho |
Other versions
Rereleased in five bunko volumes (per 2011.03)
Related series
Bronze no Tenshi Gaiden (one volume spin-off; 2009.01)
 | Ikigami 「イキガミ」 by Mase Motoro |
Other languages
English Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit (VIZ Media: volume 6 per 2010.08 • volume 7 street date: 2011.08.09), French (Kazé Editions: Ikigami, préavis de mort, tome 8 shipped 2011.03), Dutch (Kana Netherlands), Polish (Hanami), Spanish and Italian (Panini Comics), Korean (Haksan), traditional Chinese (Sharp Point Press Taiwan: 死亡預告 7 per 2010.06)
Adaptations
A live-action movie, directed by Takimoto Tomoyuki and starring Matsuda Shota as ikigami courier Fujimoto Kengo, premiered in Japan in September 2008.
 | Devil Devil 「デビデビ」 by Miyoshi Yuuki |
Other languages
French (PIKA Édition: 15 volumes per 2005.10), German (Planet Manga)
 | Hajime no Ippo 「はじめの一歩」 |
Volume 83 chapters:
Round 788: Champion's Pride
Round 789: A Fight To Be Proud Of
Round 790: Hurricane Makunouchi
Round 791: Extreme Talent
Round 792: Go For The Throne!
Round 793: The Shape of Talent
Round 794: King of Speed Kings
Round 795: Be Aggressive!
Round 796: Unexpected Spar
Round 797: Hi-Speed Perspective
Round 798: The Worst Feeling
*NOT Level chapter titles
Awards
Best Shounen Manga, 1991 Kodansha Manga Awards
Related series
Hajime no Ippo Gaiden (one-shot prequel)
Other languages
French (Kurokawa: Ippo, Saison 2: Destins de Boxeurs tome 13 per 2011.06.09 • tome 14 street date: 2011.07.07) and traditional Chinese (Tong Li Taiwan: 第一神拳 95 per 2011.06.23)
Adaptations
A 76-episode anime by Madhouse, starring seiyuu Kiyasu Kohei (Makunouchi Ippo), aired on NTV from October 2000 to March 2002. A sequel/special, Hajime no Ippo - Champion Road, came out in June 2003, followed by the spinoff Hajime no Ippo - Mashiba vs. Kimura OAV (2003.09). The 26-episode second season Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger was telecast from January to June 2009.
 | Toubou Bengoshi Narita Makoto |
Related series
Shin Toubou Bengoshi Narita Makoto (sequel by Okamoto Sou; three volumes as at 2011.04.28)
¹ Go Hideki-sensei also writes as Natsuhara Takeshi (The Black Swindler/Kurosagi).
 | Shin Kijou no Kowloon 「真 机上の九龍」 |
Related series
Prequel: Kijou no Kowloon (1 volume published under Shogakukan's Big Comics Special imprint; 2002.12)
 | Karasuma Kyouko no Jikenbo |
Other languages
French (Taifu Comics: Kyoko Karasuma, Inspecteur à Asakusa tome 8 per 2010.10 • tome 9 street date: 2011.10.13), German (Carlsen Comics: Kyoko Karasuma: Detective of the Asakusa Police Department latest - Band 9), Russian (Comix-ART)
 | 30 Kon Miso-com 「３０婚 ｍｉｓｏ‐ｃｏｍ」 |
Other languages
Traditional Chinese (Tong Li: 待嫁熟女 11 per 2011.02)
 | Psychometrer Eiji 「サイコメトラーＥＩＪＩ」 |
Other languages
French Psychometrer Eiji (Kana/Dargaud: 25 volumes), simplified Chinese (Chuang Yi Singapore 感应少年 Eiji: 25 volumes), traditional Chinese (Tong Li)
Reissues
Re-released in 12 bunko volumes (2003.06 to 2003.11)
 | RRR 「ＲＲＲ」 by Watanabe Jun |
 | Soul Eater 「ソウルイーター」 by Ohkubo Atsushi |
Related series
First appeared as one-shots in two Gangan Powered special editions (Summer and Fall 2003) and Gangan Wing's 26 November 2003 issue. (Regular Monthly Shonen Gangan serialization commenced May 2004.)
Other languages
English Soul Eater (Yen Press: five volumes per 2011.02 • volume 6 street date: 2011.06.28), French (Kurokawa tome 15 shipped 2011.05.12 • Tome 16 street date: 2011.07.07), German (Carlsen Comics Band 11 shipped 2011.06.24 • Band 12 street date: 2011.08.26) and traditional Chinese 噬魂者 (Sharp Point Press)
Related series
Soul Eater Not! (side story; began serialization in Shonen Gangan 2011.01.12)
Adaptations
Manga volumes 1 to 12 adapted to anime by BONES. Fifty-one episodes starring seiyuu Omigawa Chiaki (Maka Alban) and Uchiyama Kouki (Soul Eater) aired in Japan from April 2008 to March 2009.
Square Enix bundled an audio drama, Soul Eater (Vol. 1): Special Social Studies Field Trip, with an artbook in August 2005. The drama CD featured different actors (Takeuchi Junko as Maka; Hoshi Souichirou as Soul Eater); only Kobayashi Yumiko reprised her Black☆Star role in the TV series.
 | Iryuu -Team Medical Dragon- 「医龍」 |
Awards
Winner, Best Seinen/General Manga, 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards
Other languages
French (Glénat: tome 16 shipped 2011.04 • tome 17 street date: 2011.07.20)
Adaptations
Two seasons of the live-action adaptation, starring Sakaguchi Kenji (Asada Ryutaro), aired on Fuji TV (Season 1: April to June 2006; Season 2: October to December 2007). The series won the Best Drama award at the 49th Television Drama Academy Awards.
 | Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu Made |
Other languages
French (Ki-oon: Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare tome 13 shipped 2011.05.12 • tome 14 street date: 2011.08.18), traditional Chinese (Tong Li Taiwan: 終極感應 13 per 2011.06.09 and Jade Dynasty Hong Kong), Korean (Haksan: 죽음이 두 사람을 갈라놓을 때까지 12 released 2011.06.17)
 | XBlade 「ＸＢＬＡＤＥ」 |
Related series
XBlade Cross (sequel, one volume per 2011.07)
[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]
European comics/BDs (2011.06.28)
- Cubitus - Nggak Pernah Mati! (Cubitus ne mord jamais, tome 36) by Dupa (Le Lombard)
ARMS 「ＡＲＭＳ」
by Minagawa Ryouji & Nanatsuki Kyouichi
Shogakukan Shonen Sunday, shounen
Volume 20 first published in Japan 2002.01
Awards
Best Shounen Manga, 44th Shogakukan Manga Awards
Other languages
English Project ARMS (VIZ Media: 22 volumes, French (Kana: 22 volumes), Italian (Panini Comics/Planet Manga), German (Planet Manga), traditional Chinese (Tong Li Taiwan).
Adaptations
TMS's 26-episode anime adaptation aired between TV Tokyo April and September 2001, starring seiyuu Canna Nobutoshi (Takatsuki Ryo), Takayama Minami (Kuruma Kei), Ueda Yuji (Tomoe Takeshi) and Miki Shinichiro (Shingu Hayato). The Project ARMS: The 2nd Chapter sequel (episodes 27-52) broadcast from October 2001 through March 2002.