Kate Dacey puts an interesting spin on the gift guide idea with a half-dozen items that a manga lover would enjoy at The Manga Critic. Sadie Mattox doesn’t like to give books as gifts, but she recommends some one-shots anyway at Extremely Graphic. Deb Aoki files her gift guide for shoujo, shonen, and otaku and another one for the rest of us. And Alex Hoffman hands out some lumps of coal at Manga Widget.
Melinda Beasi rounds up a whole heap of manhwa links, both reviews and discussions, in this week’s Manhwa Monday post at Manga Bookshelf.
Spurred on by manga scholar Matt Thorn, David Welsh adds to his manga license requests for this year. And at Good Comics for Kids, Eva Volin hosts a roundtable on comics we wish existed, including some manga.
Jog compares manga to American print comics and looks at the 80s anthology Manga, and how things have changed since then, at The Savage Critics.
News from Japan: Despite the untimely death of creator Yoshito Usui, there is a sequel to Crayon Shin-Chan in the works. And publisher Hakusensha is putting all the manga content from its new magazine Le Paradis online. ANN explains how to access it for non-Japanese speakers.
Reviews
Connie on vol. 6 of Arm of Kannon (Slightly Biased Manga)
Tiamat’s Disciple on vol. 2 of Bamboo Blade (Tiamat’s Manga Reviews)
Snow Wildsmith on Exotic and Delicious Fate (Fujoshi Librarian)
Julie Opipari on vol. 2 of Forest of Gray City (Mania.com)
Connie on vol. 3 of Future Diary (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 6 of Legend (Kuriousity)
Alexander Hoffman on vol. 3 of Magic Touch (Comics Village)
Erica Friedman on vol. 1 of Mikarun Cross (Okazu)
Sheena McNeil on vol. 1 of Momogumi Plus Senki (Sequential Tart)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Oishinbo a la Carte 6: The Joy of Rice (Comics Worth Reading)
Kris on Princess Princess Plus (Manic About Manga)
Julie Opipari on vol. 4 of Shaman Warrior (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Kris on A Strange and Mystifying Story (Manic About Manga)
David Welsh on Swallowing the Earth (The Comics Reporter)
Dave Ferraro on vol. 1 of Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee (Comics-and-More)
Martin on Voices of a Distant Star (Mono no Aware)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 1 and 2 of What a Wonderful World (Comics Worth Reading)