ComiPress translates an analysis of cover price versus page count for Japanese manga magazines that concludes that even though the price has gone up, the price per page has stayed the same.
Also from ComiPress: a math textbook is rejected for having too much manga.
Working with the idea that students tend to “avoid subjects related to math and science,” Keirinkan made the textbook through the process of trial and error, but according to an editor, “MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) decided that manga just isn’t suitable as the main content of a schoolbook.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s oldest book, The Kojiki, has been given the manga treatment, and had some of the sex and violence removed in the process.
At MangaCast, Ed takes a look at the many faces of maids in manga (including a yanki maid manga) and Readilbert discusses drawing styles, using scans of some very different types of manga.
PopCultureShock’s Erin F does her own take on the overlooked manga festival with a comprehensive review of the sadly neglected Club 9.
Same Hat! Same Hat!! checks out the German manga scene, with lots of pictures and informative links.
Manganews reports on an Ontario (thanks, Jen!) bookstore closing and another Japanese manga publisher going belly-up. Simon Jones has more on the publisher’s financial woes.
At Comics 212, Christopher Butcher looks ahead to new books arriving this week, including new volumes of Death Note, Dragon Head, Fruits Basket, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
As it’s a bumper week for good manga, this might be a good time to try ordering it cheaply online. John Jakala is checking out a new source.
Jordan Marks of Yaoi Suki is at Sakuracon, picking up tidbits about the new Boysenberry titles and new titles from Yaoi Press.
Reviews: Robots Never Sleep takes an advance look at the award-winning Disappearance Diary, which Fanfare/Ponent Mon will be bringing out in English later this year. At MangaCast, Ed has an audio review of two Broccoli titles, Galaxy Angel II and Murder Princess, Mangamaniac checks out vol. 1 of Millennium Snow, and Readilbert reads Complex and Lovely Complex. Active Anime’s Holly Ellingwood checks out vol. 1 of Avril Lavigne’s Make 5 Wishes, vol. 3 of R.O.D. Read or Dream, vol. 5 of Kamui, and vol. 3 of Tail of the Moon. Matthew Alexander reviews vol. 1 of Archlord for Anime on DVD.
Psssst— Ontario bookstore, not Oregon. As a Portlander myself, you had me worried for a sec there. ;)
That Make 5 Wishes article made it look okay.. but too bad I already bought the first four volumes of Fruits Basket in its place!
Jen: Fixed it! I was a little bleary this morning… Thanks for catching that!
Cameron: You can’t go wrong with Furuba!