At PWCW, Kai-Ming Cha puts the CMX series Emma into context, talking about the background of the book and the influence it has had on the Japanese. Also at PWCW, the March best sellers list, which includes a few non-manga titles in the top ten.
What are the most popular manga in Japan? Readers of PUFF magazine voted for their favorites, and Fruits Basket topped the list, with other favorites like Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist making the cut as well.
Ed Chavez continues his publisher report cards at AoD with critiques of Go!Comi and Icarus Publishing.
Pata gives the Right Turn Only!! treatment to Negima, Wild Adapter, Suzuka, and To Terra, but saves most of his love for the classic Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga.
At Newsarama, Matt Brady begins a multipart examination of why Naruto rocks so hard. (Executive summary: Univeral themes of adolescence and maturation, plus awesome battle scenes.) Be sure to check out the comments thread, which is refreshingly free of haterz; those who dis Naruto do so because Death Note and Blame are better, not because it’s manga. Also, they post lots of clips of battle scenes, if you like that sort of thing.
The latest publisher to enter the yuri realm is Infinity Studios, which has just announced that it has licensed Iono-Sama Fanatics, by Miyabi Fujieda, from Mediaworks. It sounds deluxe, with color pages, dust jacket, and 4-koma extras. At Okazu, Erica is enthusiastic.
The students of Walt Whitman High School go to Katsucon. This is a charming little article, and I’m impressed that the high school offers Japanese, and that the students came to manga because of their Japanese class, rather than the other way around.
Kitty Sensei at The Star of Malaysia decides Newtype USA is good value for the money, which is saying a lot.
Elae links to some previews at Deutsche Mangaka.
Mely is not impressed by vol. 1 of Backstage Prince. At Mangamaniaccafe, Julie checks out two Harlequin manga, vol. 7, Misunderstood, and vol. 8, Heart on Fire. Anime on DVD’s Jarred Pine gives mediocre grades to vol. 1 of Phantom. Active Anime’s Holly Ellingwood reviews vol. 7 of Girls Bravo and vol. 1 of Gravitation EX.