Update: Replaced the Jormungand 1 cover with artwork provided by Level Comics
Also, Kawaguchi Kaiji's A Spirit of the Sun (Taiyou no Mokushiroku) volume 4 and the Tokyo Juliet finale (volume 13)
Jormungand © Takahashi Keitarou/Shogakukan (Serialized in Sunday GX)
Published in Indonesia by Elex Media/Level Comics
[Cover from Level Comics]
May contain [SPOILERS]
It was because Jormungand was the top DO WANT! of this Level manga release that I went and revisited Gundam 00, what with their superficial Death is their business and business is good
/child soldier protagonist similarities. (NOT because Gundam 00: A wakening of the Trailblazer's September premiere remains a brain splinter, though there is that.) But whereas Setsuna's past leads him down the war eradication path, Jormungand's reluctant hero Jonah takes up arms for reasons that clearly have nothing to do with peacekeeping.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me borrow Amazon's description for Jormungand (the VIZ Media English edition) to explicate the backstory:
Jonah is a child soldier, born into the chaotic conflicts that rage across Africa, his family lost to a war fueled by weapons supplied by the so-called “Merchants of Death”—international arms dealers. Despite Jonah's hatred of weapons and violence, he employs both extremely well in the service of high-flying arms dealer Koko Hekmatyar and her band of mercenaries. Their journey through the dark underbelly of the world's arms markets may lead only to damnation, but will Jonah one day make his way back to the light?
–Jormungand volume 1 description [VIZ Media edition]
Before Jonah can scrabble his way out of the nine circles of hell, though, he will first have to clear the assignments set out for him by boss Koko. The Level back cover blurb lets us in on his first mission: assisting in the delivery of fighter helicopter parts key to upsetting the balance of power in Eastern Europe. Jonah's task is made more challenging by one country that wants the chopper spare parts for itself.
Nik's Useless(?) Speculation: I don't know how “Jormungand” in the manga title ties in with Jormungand (properly, Jörmungandr) of Norse mythology, that Wikipedia sez is the sea serpent the god Odin threw into the great ocean surrounding Midgard (our world). Jörmungandr supposedly grew so large, he was eventually able to encircle the Earth and grasp his own tail. Nordic legend (via the same Wiki source) tells us that when Jörmungandr releases his tail, the world will end.
So. Does Jonah = Jormungand? Or is he actually Jormungand's arch-nemesis Thor? If only to answer these questions, I will take this new seinen series by Takahashi Keitarou for a spin.
Blurble for Tokyo Juliet 13 as well as previews of Akihabara@DEEP 4; Gun Smith Cats 4; Rumiko Takahashi's Best Short Story Collection (Rumic World) 2; A Spirit of the Sun 4; Subaru 5; and Astrosmurf are after the release lists.
Second Engage by Aikawa Momoko
This sked's other new title is Aikawa Momoko's Second Engage, a one-volume josei manga originally published under Ohzora Shuppan's Missy Comics Renai Hakusho Pastel imprint. Second Engage (which appears in the May Komikologi unlike Jormungand) tells the story of Yukari, newly-married into a rich family and dreaming of starting a family of her own. Her rosy dreams are shattered when husband Shinichi is demoted. What will happen to their marriage now?
(I don't know about you but knowing nothing about Shinichi, DV (domestic violence) is flashing in my mind right now, which ought to indicate my current mental/emotional state.)
[REISSUES] Other Ohzora josei Guilty Pleasures: Harlequin: The Case of the Confirmed Bachelor by Diana Palmer and Harlequin: An Impossible Dream by Emma Darcy that Level is reissuing this Wednesday.
Level Comics manga (2010.05.05)
Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details and cover scans.
- Akihabara@DEEP 4 of 6 by Ishida Ira & Akane Makoto
- Gun Smith Cats 4 of 9 by Sonoda Kenichi
- [Premiere] Jormungand 1 of 8+ by Takahashi Keitarou
- Rumiko Takahashi's Best Short Story Collection (Rumic World) 2 of 3 by Takahashi Rumiko
- [New] Second Engage by Aikawa Momoko
- A Spirit of The Sun (Taiyou no Mokushiroku) 4 of 17+ by Kawaguchi Kaiji
- Subaru 5 of 11 by Soda Masahito
- Tokyo Juliet 13 of 13 by Kitagawa Miyuki [Finale]
 | Gun Smith Cats 「 ＧＵＮ ＳＭＩＴＨ ＣＡＴＳ 」 |
Related: Gun Smith Cats Burst (sequel, five volumes, complete)
Three episodes of the Gunsmith Cats OAV animated by Oriental Light and Magic were released between November 1995 and September 1996. The anime starred seiyuu Araki Kae as Minnie May Hopkins and Neya Michiko as Rally Vincent
 | Jormungand 「 ヨルムンガンド 」 |
Volume 1 contains chapters:
第1話 炎兎
第2話 ガンメタル・キャリコロード
第3話 PULSARphase.1
第4話 PULSARphase.2
第5話 PULSARphase.3
 | Rumic World (Takahashi Rumiko Kessaku Tanpenshuu) by Takahashi Rumiko |
Volume 2 contains:
• Wasted Minds (Dust Spot)
• The Golden Gods of Poverty
• The Entrepreneurial Spirit
 | Second Engage 「 セカンド・エンゲージ 」 |
 | Taiyou no Mokushiroku 「 太陽の黙示録 」 |
Volume 4 contains chapters:
第23話 喪失せしもの
第24話 父と子
第25話 家族
第26話 託されたもの
第27話 屈せざる者
第28話 国民の前へ
第29話 熱意の到達点
第30話 祖国へ
AWARDS: Won best seinen/general manga in the 51st Shogakukan Manga Awards (tied with Rainbow by Abe George and Kakizaki Masasumi) and the grand prize for the comic category at the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006.
The series was adapted into an anime special by Madhouse. Two A Spirit of The Sun episodes aired in Japan on 2006.09.17 and 2006.09.18.
 | Subaru 「 昴 」 by Soda Masahito |
Related series: Moon (sequel; six volumes, ongoing)
 | Tokyo Juliet 「 東京ジュリエット 」 |
A Taiwanese live action adaptation Dong Fang Zhu Li Ye 「 東方茱麗葉 」 aired on GTV from June to September 2006. The series starred Ariel Lin as Lin Lai Sui (Minori) and Wu Chun as Ji Feng Liang (Akira).
Level Comics European comics (2010.05.05)
- Smurf - Astrosmurf (Le Cosmoschtroumpf) by Peyo
Level Comics reissues (2010.05.05)
- [RE-STO] Harlequin: The Case of the Confirmed Bachelor by Diana Palmer
- [RE-STO] Harlequin: An Impossible Dream by Emma Darcy
NOTE
(1) Sources: Elex Media STO 5 May 2010 (release schedule) and Komikologi (synopses, except where noted)
(2) All listed manga are priced at IDR 17,000 each, except Rumiko Takahashi's Best Short Story Collection 2 (SRP: IDR 25,000); Gun Smith Cats 4, Second Engage, and Subaru 5 (IDR 18,000 each); and the reissued Harlequin manga (The Case of the Confirmed Bachelor and An Impossible Dream, IDR 11,000/volume). The Smurf - Astrosmurf ROMIC retails for IDR 35,000 each.
(3) 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
Tokyo Juliet 13 of 13
「 東京ジュリエット 」 by Kitagawa Miyuki
Minori's hopes of reuniting with Akira through the Milan study tour are dashed when she is kidnapped by Katsuyuki and brought to Paris to debut in Paris Cour. Learning that Eiji is showing the newest Daisy line ignites Minori's fighting spirit. But will passion be enough to beat Eiji? And what about Akira who is looking for her?
And so ends Minori and Akira's troublesome romance (insert mushroom-shaped sigh of relief here).
Akihabara@DEEP 4
「 アキハバラ＠ＤＥＥＰ 」 by Ishida Ira & Akane Makoto
Digicapi president Nakagomi Takeshi dangles the prospect of generous funding and other goodies in front of otaku hacker Page in return for AKIHABARA@DEEP's more popular than Google search engine
CROOK. Page, however, turns the tempting offer down, seeing as how Nakagomi once made off with their BLUE. What will be Nakagomi's retaliation?
Gun Smith Cats 4
「 ＧＵＮ ＳＭＩＴＨ ＣＡＴＳ 」 by Sonoda Kenichi
Rally is drugged by the criminal she's been tailing, and to get her hands on the antidote, has to cater to sed villain's whims. Apparently, Rally's merciless enemy Goldie is behind the administration of the hallucinogenic drug, and the mob queen succeeds in implanting an order to kill Roy in Rally. Will the enslaved Rally obey?
Rumiko Takahashi's Best Short Story Collection
Rumic World (Takahashi Rumiko Kessaku Tanpenshuu) 「 高橋留美子傑作短編集 」
by Takahashi Rumiko
I didn't luck into a blurb for this volume, but according to Wiki, Rumic World 2 contains these stories:
Wasted Minds (Dust Spot)
: about a pair of bickering government agents (five-part miniseries)The Golden Gods of Poverty
: A boy's parents try to use him to make money, but they only succeed in contacting the Seven Lucky Gods who are also broke.The Entrepreneurial Spirit
: A woman leads seminars for a get-rich quick scheme.
A Spirit of the Sun 4
Taiyou no Mokushiroku 「 太陽の黙示録 」 by Kawaguchi Kaiji
Taiwan, 2017. Depression shrouds the encampment sheltering the Japanese refugees, even as Tansui camp head Ozu tries to pacify the angered Taiwanese residents. Disgruntled evacuee Kurofuji gathers together other malcontents and leaves the camp, disregarding Ozu-san's efforts. The breakaway group turns to guns and terror to effect change.
Meanwhile, government officials resisting pro-Japan Taiwanese president Cai Qing Ling, the country's first female commander-in-chief, plan her ouster from office. Detective Hata Ryotaro, who detests his father for relinquishing Japanese citizenship and was forced to join the anti-Japan group, vows to reveal everything. The south and north Japan local governments also weaken in the face of American and Chinese occupation.
As these harrowing events unfold, what can the resourceful Genichiro Ryu do?
This volume, comprising chapters 23 through 30, wraps the Japanese refugees in Taiwan arc.
Subaru 5
「 昴 」 by Soda Masahito
Suffering a high fever, Subaru faces disqualification from the Prix de Lausanne. Doctors insist on her admittance to a hospital; Vanya and Subaru, however, refuse. Subaru goes ahead and competes, but with a raging fever, is unable to perform at her best. Does this mean good-bye to any hope of winning the prestigious international dance contest and a future professional classical ballet career?
Smurf - Astrosmurf
Le Cosmoschtroumpf by Peyo (Les Schtroumpfs nr.6, Dupuis, 1970.05)
Le Cosmoschtroumpf
© Peyo/Dupuis
Published in Indonesia as
Astrosmurf by Level Comics
One smurf dreams of visiting other planets. He tries to build a rocket ship to take him to outer space, but fails, sending the smurf into depression. But Papa Smurf has an idea that would grant the wish of this wannabe Astrosmurf.
This sixth album of the original Smurfs comic series also contains the story Le Schtroumpfeur de Pluie
(The Weather Smurf) in which:
Handy Smurf invents a weather contraption that the other smurfs use to create a sunny day perfect for a picnic. Poet Smurf celebrates because he can compose an ode to the Sun; Farmer Smurf, meanwhile, grumbles that the heat will fry his crops, and appropriates the machine to make it rain. This leads to a tug of war between Farmer Smurf and Poet Smurf, and the weather alternates between sunny skies and downpour. [Adapted from Wikipedia's synopsis]
For preview pages, go here (Dupuis.com).
~niki DBA huamulan03 (花木蘭03) who thanks Level editor Lenny-san for the artwork
P.S. And who is also waiting for someone to point out that Jonah and Full Metal Panic!'s Sousuke also have (somewhat) similar backgrounds
UP NEXT: More 5 May 2010 manga
M&C!: Another Kingdom 1 by Fujita Maki · Battle Brawlers Bakugan 4 · Bleach 23 · Meet the Banchou 1 by Suzuki Nakaba · Sinful Love by Yoshinaga Yuu · Shanaou Yoshitsune volumes 13-17 (box set)
disclaimer
Cover images and source summaries used here for reference are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
manga available this week (28 April 2010 street date)
- Elex Media: Adventure of Cat Mix Toraji 3 · Eyeshield 21 v36 · Fullmetal Alchemist 22 · Kaiser Z 12 · Kunai Legend 1 by Iori Tabasa · Legend of Nereid 6 · One Piece 54 · Penguin Revolution 4 V3 · The Puppet Master Lin 6 · The Ruler of Nabari 9 · Sora - The Wingless Duck 16 · Trigun Maximum 14 of 14 · With My Brothers 4 · X-Zone 3 · HanaLaLa 49/2010
- Level Comics: Angel Heart 3 · Eagle 10 · Jio 5 · Love Affair 5 · Restore Garage 251 vol. 5 · Lucky Luke - Lucky Luke vs Joss Jamon · Lucky Luke - Nabi Palsu · Michel Vaillant - Para Sponsor · Yakari - Yakari dan Sang Rajawali
- m&c!: Battle Brawlers Bakugan 3 · Bleach 22 · Born To Cook 6 · C-Blossom 1 by Shimotsuki Kayoko/Fukui Harutoshi · Goong [Palace Story] 19 · My Fragile Love 1 by Miyawaki Yukino · My Fragile Love 2 · My Fragile Love 3 of 3 · Shanaou Yoshitsune - Genpei War 1 by Sawada Hirofumi · Tokyo Angels 1 by Fujii Mihona · White Paper Ark 5 · The Story of Wang Fenglei 1 by Tony Wong · Hand 7 No. 2 · PenDragon 2 · Tengu-Do 2 · KOLONI: Garudayana 2 · Cherry 42 · Shanaou Yoshitsune volumes 7-12 (box set)
other manga upcoming (5 May 2010 street date)
- Elex Media: Artist Acro 1 by Sakurai Ato · Caramel Boy 1 by Morio Masami · Crows 7 · Demon King 30 · Hyde & Closer 2 · Katsu! 3 · Kekkaishi 3 · Kumpulan Cerita Berwarna Doraemon 2 · LUM, The Invader Girl 22 · Otoboke Section Chief 1 by Ueda Masashi · Pandora Hearts 9 · Raiders 4 · The Real Fake Princess 3 · Spiral: The Bonds of Reason 2 · Treasure Gaust 6 · Wild Life 4
related monthly schedules
Level Comics May 2010 manga
Premiering Dolls of God by Yamamura Hajime, Oh Butterfly Oh Flower by Yoshihara Yuki · Second Engage by Aikawa Momoko (standalone)
Level Comics April 2010 manga
Premiering Historie by Iwaaki Hitoshi and Pandemic by Kakizaki Masasumi (one-shot) · Concluding Doubt and My Lovely Honey
Level Comics March 2010 manga
Premiering Rumiko Takahashi's Best Short Story Collection 1, A Flame Inferno by Kim KwangHun, Go Go Hanasaki Detective Office by Watanabe Wataru, Fire Investigator Nanase by Hashimoto Izo, New Comic Bomber by Shimamoto Kazuhiko, Show Me the Money by Lin Xin Ying
other invaluable resources
7net Shopping · Baka-Updates Manga · Wikipedia · Dupuis
Technorati tags
manga · ROMIC · Level Comics · seinen · shoujo · shounen · Akihabara@DEEP · The Astrosmurf · Gun Smith Cats · Jormungand · Rumic World · Second Engage · A Spirit of the Sun · Subaru · Taiyou no Mokushiroku · Tokyo Juliet
Akihabara@DEEP 「 アキハバラ＠ＤＥＥＰ 」
by Ishida Ira & Akane Makoto
Coamix (Shinchosha) Bunch Comics, seinen
Volume 4 first published in Japan 2006.09
Akihabara@Deep published in English by Media Blasters (volume 6 street date: 2009.10.07)
Related: Based on the Akihabara@DEEP novel by Ishida Ira (2004.11)
A live-action drama, comprising 11 + 1 (Special) episodes aired on TBS from June to August 2006, with Kazama Shunsuke (Konkatsu!) as Page, Ikuta Toma (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise) as Box, Himura Yuki (My Girl) as Daruma, Hoshino Gen (Ghost Friends) as Taiko, Kosaka Yuka (Uramiya Honpo Special) as Akira, Matsushima Hatsune (Tadashii Ouji no Tsukurikata) as Ism, and Honjo Manami (Futatsu no Spica) as Yui. An Akihabara@DEEP movie premiered in Japan on 2 September 2006.