The three above lead the Level DO WANT!, but reserving lead pix for Blue Flame: Comic Bomber Early Years, the ongoing story of Honoo-sensei that slots before Burning Pen in the Comic Bomber timeline.
Aoi Honoo © by Shimamoto Kazuhiko/Shogakukan [Serialized in Gessan and Young Sunday]. Published in Indonesia as Blue Flame: Comic Bomber Early Years by Elex Media/Level Comics
The early 1980s. The Japanese manga and anime industry enters a new phase, and a young man burns to gain fame as a comic artist. His name: Hono Moyuru.
Yup, see our ambitious manga-ka as a poor college student (still burning but with no head for alcohol). Aoi Honoo, the Gessan and Young Sunday installment of Hono-sensei's story, was short-listed for the 3rd Manga Taisho Award in 2010. Seven volumes of the seinen manga have been compiled as of November 2011. (Scroll down if interested in other Shimamoto Kazuhiko titles other than Blue Flame, Burning Pen, Comic Bomber and New Comic Bomber.)
X Blade vol 8 of 12
By Ida Tatsuhiko & Shiki Satoshi
Haru finally reaches Babel, only to find an Ojinto-wielding warrior blocking his way. Kushiro is Mana's former master and with one slash, destroys Babel.
What of Mana, trapped inside?
Blood Alone vol 3 of 7+
By Takano Masayuki
The beauty of cherry blossoms at night, a dress associated with a precious memory and a corner of the veil that rises over Sainome's past... Blood Alone Volume 3 continues the delicate waltz of mystery and feelings.
The above lyrical preview is adapted from Edition Ki-oon's Blood Alone, Tome 3 description; Level's more prosaic version talks about how Sainome presses Kuroe to accompany her to her family home. Sainome initially planned to pay her respects at her father's grave, but now is rethinking her plan, especially after having read her father's diary.
What did Sainome uncover that brought on misgivings?
More previews after the release list.
Level Comics manga (2011.12.14)
- Angel Heart vol 12 of 33 by Hojo Tsukasa
- Blood Alone vol 3 of 7+ by Takano Masayuki
- [Series Premiere] Blue Flame: Comic Bomber Early Years (Aoi Honoo) vol 1 of 7+ by Shimamoto Kazuhiko
- Go-On! vol 2 of 4 by Akishige Manabu
- Lost Man vol 6 of 14+ by Kusaba Michiteru
- Perfect Girl Evolution (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge) vol 27 of 30+ by Hayakawa Tomoko
- Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) vol 11 of 28 by Shinohara Chie
- X Blade vol 8 of 12 by Ida Tatsuhiko & Shiki Satoshi
- Yokohama Chinatown Fantasy (Kachuu Hana) vol 8 of 15+ by Nishi Yuuji & Hikino Shinji
- Zipang vol 10 of 43 by Kawaguchi Kaiji
 | Blood Alone 「ＢＬＯＯＤ ＡＬＯＮＥ」 |
Related series
Originally published as series of doujinshi (the manga is based wholly or partly on Blood Alone dj: Wild Arts 1.2.3., Holy Night, Stroll, Vanishing Point - Kiss In the Moonlight)
Other languages
English Blood Alone (Infinity Studios: four volumes [discontinued], picked up by Seven Seas: five volumes per 2011.12.06 • volume 6 street date: 2012.04.10), French (Editions Ki-oon: Tome 6 shipped 2010.06), German (Carlsen Comics: Band 6 released 2011.02), Italian (Edizioni BD s.r.l. [JPOP Division]), Russian (Istari Comics), traditional Chinese (Kadokawa Media Taiwan), Vietnamese (as Dòng máu lạ kì)
Adaptations
Three Blood Alone drama CDs—BLOOD ALONE, BLOOD ALONE II and BLOOD ALONE III— were released between July 2006 and May 2008. Seiyuu Nakahara Mai and Morikawa Toshiyuki voiced Misaki and Kuroe. Supporting cast included Kobayashi Sanae, Tanaka Rie and Miki Shinichiro as Higure, Sainome and Slye respectively.
 | Aoi Honoo 「アオイホノオ」 |
Awards/recognitions
Nominee, the 3rd Manga Taisho Award in 2010
Related series
Sequel Moeyo Pen or Burning Pen and its sequels (Hoero Pen/Comic Bomber [13 volumes] and Shin Hoero Pen/New Comic Bomber [11 volumes])
 | Go-On! 「ＧＯ‐ＯＮ！」 |
 | Lost Man 「ＬＯＳＴ ＭＡＮ」 |
 | Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge |
Other languages
English The Wallflower (Del Rey until volumes 22/23/24; Kodansha Comics starting volume 25; 27 volumes per 2011.11.22 • volume 28 street date: 2012.05.22) and Chuang Yi (as My Fair Lady; volume 26 per 2011.02), French (Pika Édition: Yamato Nadeshiko Tome 16 shipped 2011.12.01), German (EMA/Egmont Manga & Anime: Perfect Girl Band 26 released 2011.10 • Band 27 street date: 2012.03)
Adaptations
Anime by Nippon Animation featuring seiyuu Takaguchi Yukiko (Nakahara Sunako), Morikubo Showtaro (Takano Kyohei), Yamauchi Yuuya (Toyama Yukinojo), Sugita Tomokazu (Oda Takenaga) and Nojima Hirofumi (Mori Ranmaru) aired from October 2006 to March 2007 on Japan's TV Aichi. A live-action renzoku starring Kamenashi Kazuya (Kyohei), Oomasa Aya (Sunako), Tegoshi Yuya (Yukinojo), Uchi Hiroki (Takenaga) and Miyao Shuntaro (Ranmaru) was telecast on TBS from January to March 2010.
 | Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori |
Awards
Winner, 46th Shogakukan Manga Awards (2000) in the Shoujo category
Reissues/Other languages
Reissued in 16 bunko volumes between 2006.11 and V16 2007.05
English Red River (VIZ Media: 28 volumes), Italian Anatolia Story (Editions Star Comics: 28 volumes), German (EMA/Egmont Manga and Anime), Vietnamese Dòng Sông Huyền Bí (Tre Publishing House) and traditional Chinese 赤河戀影 (Tong Li)
Adaptations
Eight drama CDs were released between 1997 and 2003.
Related
An artbook (Japan release: 1999.02.24), fanbook (2002.07.26) and a two-volume novel adaptation Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori Gaiden Ma ga Jidai no Reimei written and illustrated by Shinohara Chie-sensei (2007.05 and 2007.09)
In addition, the following novels were published under Shogakukan's Lululu Bunko Novels label: Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori Gaiden Tsuitachi no Tsuki (Japan release: 2008.10); Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori Gaiden Mayu tsuki (JP: 2010.01); and Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori Gaiden Jōgen (2010.06).
 | XBlade 「ＸＢＬＡＤＥ」 |
Related series
XBlade Cross (sequel, two volumes per 2011.11.09)
 | Kachuu Hana 「華中華」 |
Reissues
Kachuu Hana My First BIG Specials volumes 1-8 released between 2010.10 and 2011.05
 | Zipang 「ジパング」 by Kawaguchi Kaiji |
Awards
Winner, 26th Kodansha Manga Awards (2002) in the General category
Other language versions
English (Kodansha Bilingual Comics; partial), French (Kana: Pack Fidelite Zipang Tome 30+T31 per 2011.08 • Pack Fidelite T32+33 street date: 2011.10.21) and traditional Chinese (Sharp Point Press: 次元艦隊 43 per 2010.06)
Adaptations
Anime by Studio DEEN starring seiyuu Inada Tetsu (Executive Officer Kadomatsu Yosuke), Hoshino Takanori (Gunnery Officer Kikuchi Masayuki), Ueda Yuuji (Navigation Officer Oguri Kouhei), Yara Yuusaku (Captain Umezu Saburo) and Touchi Hiroki (Lt. Commander Kusaka Takumi) aired in Japan from October 2004 to March 2005
[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]
European comics/BDs (2011.12.14)
- Marsupilami: Emas Boavista (Le Marsupilami, Tome 7: L'Or de Boavista) by André Franquin, Batem, Yann (Marsu Production)
Postponed titles
Smurf Hitam, Smurf Liar and Smurf dan Telur Ajaib by Peyo (new street date: 21 December 2011)
Angel Heart 「エンジェル・ハート」
by Hojo Tsukasa
Coamix (Shinchosha) Comic Bunch, seinen
Volume 12 first published in Japan 2004.09
Related series
Angel Heart 2nd Season (sequel; two volumes per 2011.09.20)
Reissues/Other languages
Reissued by Coamix under the ZENON Collection label from 2010.09 (18 volumes per 2011.05)
French (Génération Comics and Panini Comics)
Adaptations
Adapted into anime by TMS, starring seiyuu Kamiya Akira as Saeba Ryo and Kawasaki Mao as Shan-In Lee. Fifty episodes adapting manga volumes 1 to 18 aired in Japan from October 2005 to September 2006.