Welcome to Shibuya-cho

This week I'm starting off with a big "I'm sorry", boys and girls. Last week we had Loveless vol. 7 coming out, and as much as I love the series I told you all that it was over. It turns out I was wrong, but let me explain! Ever since I started reading the series it was always listed as "1 of 7", or "2 of 7". Even as far as Volume Six was "6 of 7". I guess that's as far as there was available back when our distributors put it in their systems.

And, let's face it, volume 6 was really climactic. I mean, we found out Seimei was still alive and everything looked as if it were about to hit the fan. Lo and behold, I'm reading volume 7 and the aptly named "Septimal Moon" chapters, and I finally get to the end and what?! "In the next volume of Loveless..." Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it's not over, I just had to let you guys know I'm sorry about the incorrectness.

Moving on, last week we received an awesome little surprise of Air Gear vol. 6 -- the manga AND the Vol. 6 DVD coming in. The manga showed up a bit early, but the DVD came just in time. The DVD is also the last volume of the series (pending the decision on the second season). And while they changed a few things around to make the ending make sense, you can expect Benkei and Yoshitsune to be their awesome selves.

Now, you all know I'm an Air Gear fanboy, so I'm not gonna hang on that too long. The only other thing you need to know this week is Paprika is finally here! Now the DVD auto-plays in Japanese, but it does come with English subtitles for those of you who want it. And if you don't know Paprika, this is the latest movie from Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers). A group of psychotherapists create a device that allows them to travel into the dreams of their patients to help them overcome their issues, but someone steals a set of the D.C. Minis and starts mixing the crazy dreams of the patients into everyone else's heads... even while they're awake. Action, adventure, and tons of bizarre dream imagery makes for an awesome movie, but this has that extra spice... Paprika.

See you all next time, and don't hold that Loveless thing against me.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Welcome to another epic end, people. This week comes with bitter-sweet news. And that is... Loveless is over. That's right. Volume 7 comes out this week and I know every yaoi/cat-boy loving one of you out there are going to be sad and excited. Finally we get to learn the truth about Seimei and his mysterious relationships to just about everyone. Talk about dependancy issues, there's the old lady, his mother, Septimal Moon, his brother and of course Soubi. Anyway, yeah, everything to be revealed! And yet, you've loved it so much, you know you're sad to see it end. Well, if you need a fix, there's always the anime.

Also showing up this week is *drum roll* Vampire Hunter D... the manga! Now I know what you're thinking, "Hasn't the manga been coming out for a couple years now?" And the and answer is no. No it hasn't. Those have all been novels. As in books with words and no (or mostly no) pictures. By the way, Volume 9 of the novel series also drops this week, but back to the point. The Vampire Hunter D manga is 100% comic, the kind with lots of pictures, and it looks pretty awesome.

There's also a ton of other stuff coming in this week including a new Dark Crystal manga (following the trend started by Return to Labyrinth). A few brand-new titles that look like they might be worth checking out, like Suppli and Zig Zag. So drop by and enjoy the bounty. It almost feels like they're trying to make up for all those past weeks of nothing.

And a couple things before I go.

1) FRUITS BASKET 18 (almost forgot).
And 2)...there's no 2. See ya folks later.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Welcome all my friends to the show that never ends (hopefully). First news this week... STUFF! Lots of stuff. We just got in a million Naruto keychains, Deathnote keychains and patches, some new wristbands, necklaces -- oh, and 1:1 scale Naruto emblem iron-ons (like the Konohagakure red swirl, the Uchiha fan, the thing on the back of Tsunade's coat, and the Akatsuki clouds). So much new nifty stuff, that we had to play Tetris with all our other merchandise just to make space for everything.

Oh, and the toys. This week, we obtained a PVC of The Major from the Ghost in the Shell: SAC Solid State Society movie, a PVC of Urd from Ah! My Goddess in a bikini, chibi coin figures for the characters of Lamento (by the same people who did the chibi coin figures for Togainu No Chi), and a bunch of other PVC statues for Rumble Roses, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and many others. The downside? PVC statues get kinda pricey, but they're all so awesome that you know it's worth it (kudos to Japanese sculptors).

Now for the manga. This is a big week, since this is technically the first Wednesday of November. We've got Eden vol. 9, D. Gray-Man vol. 7, Prince of Tennis vol. 22 , One Piece vol. 16, and Ultimate Muscle vol. 18 just for starters. There's also plenty of new yaoi books coming in and a billion other titles I know you're gonna love; but this time I want to focus on a new book that I had once thought was completely over and am so glad to see now.

Now, I don't know if any of you remember a series called Hands Off by Kasane Katsumoto. It was about the two psychic cousins who struggle to restore their once-brotherly relationship that was wrought apart by ghost sightings, deaths in the family, and just growing up. You might also remember their overtly flirtatious and charismatic friend Yuuto thrust in the middle trying to keep everyone's volatile tempers from exploding every step forward. If you remember the series, then I'm sure you loved it too. Well this week beckons the release of Hands Off: Don't Call Us Angels Vol. 01.

By the end of the first series, so many other characters had appeared and while some mysteries and issues were resolved. Now we get the chance to go even further, and I couldn't be happier. This is essentially a mini-series dedicated to flashbacks of the highschool days of Udou and Kiba (the older psychics that appear half way through the original series), and we get to find out more about their relationship and how they came into their own powers. So this week, be prepared with all your saved-up allowance (even if you're the one allowing it to yourself), and all that unused lunch money (or money you were supposed to, but know you weren't gonna use on food anyway), and have a little shopping spree. God knows I'm broke. See you all next time.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

All around and back, people. Here we are again. When last we met it was all about blood, sex, and demon-slaying in the Witchblade: Takeru manga, so I figured we'll take a different path this time around and talk about Natsumi Ando's latest creation, Kitchen Princess.

Now some of you might remember her first series Zodiac P.I. which was pretty popular for a while, but it's been just that. A while. Finally she's put out a new series, and I like it. The art is super shojo style with the sharp-jointed stick people much like the Sailor Moon manga or the Utena manga. So as long as you don't have anything against shojo, I'm sure you'll dig it too.
So here's the skinny. This girl named Najika was raised in an orphanage on one of those tiny random Japanese islands after her parents died in an accident when she was little. With both of her parents also being world-class chefs, Najika was born with the sense of perfect taste. Basically if she tastes anything once, she can recreate it perfectly; even accounting for the love, thought, and soul put into the food.

The real story begins when Najika enters one of Japan's most prestigious private schools in search of a mysterious boy. He gave her a cup of flan and a silver spoon back when she was new to the orphanage and feeling super-depressed. Her only clue? The spoon he gave her is made by this school and given only to its students.

Many of the other students can't stand her and don't even know how she managed to get into their school at all, let alone on full scholarship. But Najika does her best to prove herself and help everyone with her awesome cooking abilities. It all might sound a little corny -- these things often do when you're sitting there trying to summarize them -- but what makes this series really awesome is that everything Najika cooks, from dinner to dessert to drinks, the recipes can be found at the end of the book so you can make it yourself (complete with handy doodles). So pick it up, enjoy, and vicariously make yourself hungry. Then eat. See ya next time.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome To Shibuya-cho

I know it's a little late this time folks, but last week the Witchblade: Takeru v. 2 manga came out, and revealed the bizarre conclusion. At the same time, the Witchblade anime is arriving this week -- a little late, but finally. The manga and the anime, while both supposed to be continuations of the american series (not directly, but they exist as some point in a post-Sarah Pezzini world), they actually have very little to do with each other.

The manga, subtitled "Takeru" since that's the name of the wielder, focuses on a high school girl who lives with nuns that have been guarding the witchblade for decades. Her boyfriend is the descendant of demon hunters, and her best friend is a nymphomaniac. I know, it sounds fairly typical, but it is full of gore and action, as well as the basic struggle for control between the wielder and the Witchblade.

What I love about it is that unlike so many American comic companies these days, it is an actual manga version of an American series, rather than the repint of a series in black and white or in digest form. It is a real manga written and illustrated in Japan by Japanese people, hence the meaning of the word manga. And on the other hand, what ticks me off about it is not that the Americans in the series are portrayed as psychotic, war-crazed asses, but rather that the Witchblade itself is some kind of demon hand.

Now I am a Witchblade fan, that's the main reason I started reading this series, and for those who don't know the Witchblade was spawned when the forces of light and darkness had sex and a creepy little bracelet appeared. But for the manga writer to keep so much, and yet change the origin to it being the hand of some great demon that was cut off, eh, just bugs me.

And the anime version puts a strange twist to the story. A woman named Masane is found at ground zero of some unexplained, or even defined, catastrophe in Tokyo lying unconscious holding a baby and wearing a bracelet. some time later, she's using the Witchblade to fend off some huge corporation and the government both vying for the blade. Just had to get that bit out of my system.

Anyway, there are a few titles coming in, including a lot of new books, and number 2's to a bunch of series that premiered a while ago like I Hate You More Than Anything, and In The Starlight. Also, two long awaited yaoi titles Passion v. 4 (and you were surprised when volume 3 appeared), and Constellations In My Palm. If none of that has you interested, I'm sure you're still reading all the books you bought last week. See ya next time boys and girls.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Good morning Boys and Girls, and welcome to another nifty issue. This week we've got a ton of the new Pokemon Miniature Figures Game. Any of you kids out there who have been looking for any kind of Pokemon toy to no avail are going to love these. Not only are they sculpted really well, and fairly larger than your average mini-fig game pieces like Heroclix, Horrorclix, and D&D minis, but they're packaged in ways to make them easier to collect. There are single packages so you can pick the one you want, double packages that have one visible and one secret figure, triple packages that have one regular figure, one exclusive Diamond and Pearl figure, and one secret figure. and then the four figure starter packs that come with three pokemon and one of the trainers -- not to mention game mats and checklist poster. They're totally cool, and cute, and well designed, like a Torchic engulfed in flames, or a Piplup sliding across a slab of ice on its tummy.

We also have a couple of hot DVD releases this week including the sudden release of the new anime, Phoenix, taken from the Osamu Tezuka manga. In a sleek shiny, very shiny box, the stories of Phoenix come to life adapting Tezuka's notorious art style into new animation full of color, drama, and life in a way you've never seen Astroboy even come close (not that classics don't have their place). If you ever wondered what an old school artist would look like these days, this is definitely a vote "for".

The Hell Girl DVD also came out this week, and this one also has a shiny box with black and gold trim, and the unique art of this particularly dark anime in the center. In fact, the people who put this together are so proud of the artwork that this first volume includes a couple of nifty art cards, (smaller than posters, bigger than postcards). Since most of you guys probably haven't heard about Hell Girl, this series revolves around people who wish revenge on someone and make a pact for their souls to send the recipient through Hell and back. Well, not so much back, they kinda stay in Hell. This one's dark, and not really for the kids, but definitely worth a spot by everyone else.

Now, one last mention before I wrap this up, we've got a bunch of manga coming in this week. A lot of cool titles, and a lot of brand new #1s that look like they might be interesting. So you all have to come check us out upstairs this week. God knows I have plenty of reading to catch up on. See you guys next week!

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Welcome back to Shibuya-cho, my faithful readers. I know you all missed me last week but I've had the most annoying cold all week. In the mean time, I hope you found the emergency article about Apollo's Song nifty and informative.

But enough about me. In toy news, we got in some new anime girls including Amy from Burst Angel and a new Neon Genesis Evangelion XX Chromosome Angel figure of Shamshel (the giant, red, mushroom-snake with laser whips for arms). Totally awesome and sexy.

And finally some big manga news. In case you didn't catch them last week, Bleach v. 21 and Bersek v.19 came in. And aside from them there are about 43 new books coming in on Wednesday. A good percentage of these titles seem to be from the Tokyopop vault of "manga that has been so delayed we forgot we loved it". This includes Ai Yori Aoshi v.17, Arcana v.6, Arm of Kannon v.9, Dragon Head v.8, Dragon Voice v.9, Hyper Police v.10, Id Entity v.10, Kami Kaze v.6, Liling Po v.7, MBQ v.3, Return to Labrynth v.2, Tarot Cafe v.6 (though not as long as the wait for volume 5 was), Tramps Like Us v.13, and Wild Adapter v.3.

Now this is obviously not everything, and I know a lot of you are still waiting for Legal Drug v.4, but it's still not coming, and this one isn't Tokyopop's fault. Clamp actually dropped the title for now to focus on the big hit, Tsubasa. And if you want the list of the rest of the books coming in just to check, it's right here. I just wanted to get you all a little hyped and happy for the week. The next wave of Naruto books are here: 19, 20, and 21. So start begging for money now, cuz you're gonna need it. See you next time!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

I sit here this week struggling with what to write about. I have been so overloaded as both retailer and fanboy by books, toys, and DVDs for the last few weeks that I totally forgot about those nifty manga exposés I used to do. So I'll just make a quick DVD mention about Air Gear v. 5, Bleach v. 6, and Kyo Kara Maoh Season 2 v. 6 having come in, and then go to a book that if you don't know about yet, you should definitely check out.

I know a lot of you out there are Fushigi Yugi fans. And even if you didn't watch the whole series, you know the death of Nuriko hit you right in the heart strings. You may also know that Season 1 was known as Suzaku Kaiden, and season 2 was known as Seiryu Kaiden (the Phoenix and Dragon respectively). But who was the first priestess, and who wrote the book that got this whole mess started?

That's where Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden comes in. Now Genbu is the turtle god of the south that carries the world on his back, often seen with a snake wrapped around him. And I'm sure some of you actually liked Miaka, but for those of you who thought she was annoying and useless, (as Lily called the series "What would have happened if Kairi was the main character") then you will love Takiko. This priestess comes with a spear (well, a naginata), and she knows how to use it. With a dead mother, a father who was missing most of her life, and her childhood love interest being married to someone else, oh yes, there will be drama. But also plenty of action, and magic, and coolness. Did I mention that one of her Seven Guardians can turn into a woman and can only use his powers in female form?

So yes, I highly recommend this one, and maybe if enough of you take interest Shojo Beat will release the volumes faster! See you all next week.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Welcome to another exciting episode of WTS. I know I mentioned this last week, but I wasn't sure when it would be here, and suddenly it's here this week. That's right, I'm talking about Kingdom Hearts 2 Master Form Sora. Bright yellow and once again containing two keyblades. This time the blades are "Guardian Soul" that he gets from Final Fantasy X's Auron and the "Circle of Life" blade that he gets from the Lion King world. Sexy.

Okay, more big news. Brace yourselves. This might be hard to believe, but Tokyopop FINALLY is releasing volume 4 of I.N.V.U by Kim Kang Won. I.N.V.U. is one of the very first Korean Manwha to be released in America and was (is) crazy popular. It almost makes me wanna cry to think about the delay between issues. It has been about 4 years since volume 3 came out, and while a lot of you gave up hope, I know there are a lot of loyal fans out there who keep asking when the next issue is coming in. If this doesn't prove that patience pays off in the end, then I don't know what will. I can only hope that Tokyopop doesn't do the same thing with the next issues of Tarot Cafe and Legal Drug, but that would be too much to ask.

Also coming in this week (which I'm sure most of you out there are already aware of), is Path of the Assassin Vol. 7. I'm sure I don't have to say too much, since anyone out there reading it already knows Kazuo Koike from the classic mega series Lone Wolf and Cub. I just thought I would let you all know since it has been a little while since volume 6 came out. Okay! I'm making it a short one this time readers, so see you next week!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Howdy folks. We just got an awesome unexpected toy arrival since last week's issue that I know you're gonna love. You've got Sora, you've got him in Valor form, you've got him in his Final form. Now finally, one year later, you can own Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora in his gloriously cool blue Wisdom form. Now this version only comes with one keyblade (as it is in the game), but at least this keyblade is the lovely "Follow the Wind" blade that Sora gets from the "Pirates of the Carribean" world. And just so you guys aren't kept in too much suspense, we do have Sora in Master form on order to arrive hopefully soon.

Now in the wild world of manga, my two picks of the week (until some other unexpected titles show up again), are Dark Horse's titles MPD Psycho volume 2 and XS Hybrid volume 2. Both have fantastic art, and intriguing and and curious stories.

First up is MPD Psycho by Sho-u Tajima and Eiji Otsuka about a homicide detective who was arrested after killing his girlfriend's killer. After a few years in prison a friend and also detective quits the force to start her own investigation firm and hires him onto her new team. So why does she take in a convicted murderer? He's the best profiler the department ever saw, and now he works for her. That's all well and fun, but who's fault is it when the serial killers start getting serial killed? The killer detective, the woman who got him out of jail, or one of the various personalities stored in the killer detective's brain?

And now XS Hybrid by Song Ji-Hyung is a different kinda story but with the same action pace. A young man tries to protect his girlfriend from a thug, but the thug wails on him in a fairly supernatural manner. Not even the cops who rushed to the scene can stop this guy. Shortly after a quick escape, they encounter the thug again, but are saved by this mysterious blond guy with the same strange strength only more so. And suddenly not only one, but international governments are involved. Still not quite sure what it is, but there's a secret about these "hybrids". That's why I'm aching to read volume 2. Ok, just so you know ahead of time, both these titles are quite violent in their awesome action-ness, so they're pretty much for late teens and up. Enjoy and I'll see you next week.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Let's start this week off with some DVD news for all you Naruto fans out there, (at least the ones who aren't broke yet from the triple release last week). You know that Naruto movie you may or may not have gotten the chance to see that one day in theaters? Well, we finally got it! I know I kept saying we wouldn't see it until some time in September, but we got it just a bit early. So in case you missed it, or just feel the need to own it now is the time to come get Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow.

Now in terms of books this week, there's nothing too notorious but that doesn't mean there's nothing good. For instance, if you haven't picked it up yet, I say you should check out Natsumi Mukai's series +Anima. Volume five comes out this week, but just in case you missed 1-4 I'll give you the rundown. Basically +Anima takes place in a world where one in a million people are born with the potential to become +animas, humans that can shift parts of their bodies to have animal attributes.

Such as the case of Cooro who is a regular hyper, happy kid who loves to eat but also is a crow +anima. Cooro can sprout black wings from his back and fly away. Also, there's Husky who is a fish +anima that can turn his legs into a fish tail and sprout gills, (so...basically, yes, he's a mermaid). The catch? First of all, almost everyone else in the world is afraid of them and regard them as freaks, but even darker than that, one can only discover they are a +anima if they go through some deep childhood trauma. Plenty of action, comic relief, and nifty +anima abilities make +Anima a blast. I promise. See ya next week!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Here's one for all you Naruto fans out there this week. Now I'm sure you were all excited by Cartoon Network's "Naruto: Hundo" marathon, and for those who haven't figured it out yet, "hundo" is some kind of Japanese-American slang for "hundred". The whole thing was a celebration for playing Naruto's 100th episode in America. And if you didn't get so Narutoed out from this 3-day weekend marathon, then have I got news for you. We got in volumes 16, 17, and 18 of the Naruto manga. Viz is starting they're "OMG-we-totally-have-to-catch-up-before-we-lose-the-american-audience-entirely" plan of putting out twelve volumes in the next four months. Now let me just say, the Sannin are finally here. These three books are wrought with pervy sage Jiraiya, Princess Tsunade, and Lord Voldem... I mean Orochimaru.

Hm, while the week itself isn't too big, (about 21 books, and that's counting the Naruto volumes as three different books), we do have some heavy hitters (yes, other than the big N). Things like Dr. Slump v. 13, Drifting Classroom v. 7 (which I know some of you have been waiting for), Hana Kimi v. 19, Golgo 13 v. 10, Monster v. 10, Hunter X Hunter v. 16, and a new Vampire Hunter D novel (the 8th I believe). So that should keep you all busy for at least 7 days.

But just in case you feel all splurgy and unfulfilled, there is one more thing we've got for you. *Drumroll* Katsuhiro Otomo's new hardcover artbook, Akira Club. "What is it?" you say, "Why should you care?", you say? This book is full of creator commentary, wild new art and original concepts of the world of Akira, including over 100 pages of full color prints of the covers of the original single issue comics. So yeah, total awesomeness. and you know what? It's not that expensive either, should be about $30. Sweet.

That's about it for now. See you all next week!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

Hey hey people, lots of news this week. First and foremost, we did a bit of remodeling to the upstairs area. so much extra space we're not quite sure what to do with it yet. But more than just stock space, there's alot more space to move around in, so everyone has to come and check it out. Make sure you get used to the new layout, not that it's a tremendous difference, but you'll have to come see for yourselves.

Now for this week's releases. Another fairly large week hits us. We have about 35 or so titles coming in...finally! More importantly, Fruits Basket v. 17 is out this week. Now everyone can run around and jump for joy. Now any of you who were reading since at least last year know that last summer they pumped out the volumes once a month all summer long. We were not so lucky this year. Who knows why the "#1 selling shojo manga of all time" only hits us once every 3 or 4 months. Considering it's not in any of the monthly comics magazines, why would Tokyopop be so stingy with one of their best selling books? *sigh* Alas it is not for us to understand, but only to be blissfully otaku when it does come.

Also coming in this week, again to our patient, expecting arms, long awaited shonen ai titles Loveless v. 6 and Love Mode v. 6 (cute gay coincidences aside). Not that every thing is all girly this week, really. For instance, the release of the once belived to never be printed in America Peacemaker series. The first volume of the new series just goes to show we never know what to expect from manga publishers these days. That's all i got for now. You have to come in this week and see all the new books, but more importantly, our new set up. We killed ourselves rearranging this stuff. seriously. See ya next time!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-Cho

Welcome back to another exciting issue my friends. I thought I'd get this week started by saying that apparently "Del Rey" is the magic word for August, (now what do we do when we hear the secret word?). Again we haven't been bum rushed with a release of titles even though it's the beginning of the month, (and by bum rushed, i mean 60 titles as opposed to a good regular 20-ish). But at least there's a good amount coming in on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also, the last ten or twelve days have been real good as far as Del Rey's manga titles. We're talking Air Gear v. 5, Alive v. 1, Gundam Seed Destiny v. 4, Guru Guru Pon Chan v. 9, Kitchen Princess v. 3, Nodame Cantobile v. 10, Pichi Pichi Pitch v. 6, School Rumble v. 6, Sugar Sugar Rune v. 6, and Tsubasa v. 14. Suffice to say it's about time for some of these titles.

There are a few other things I'm excited to see this week, the top of which are Princess*Princess v. 4 by Mikiyo Tsuda, and Tenjho Tenge v. 15 by Oh! Great, (who you might remember from my rave last week as the creator of Air Gear). At the short and swift of it, Tenjho Tenge is about a blonde shrimp and his tall American friend who decided they would take over their new high school on their first day, only to get their asses handed to them royally. After some convincing they decide to join one of the schools martial arts clubs. Love, destiny, horrible violence and brilliant action follow as they fight to protect the club from being forcibly disbanded.

And over on the other and of the spectrum is Princess*Princess. Simply enough. it's about a boy who gets accepted into an all boys' school, but this school has a strange tradition. In order to keep up the morale of the rest of the student body three freshmen are chosen every year to become "princesses" and perform certain civic duties such as cheering for their classmates at sporting events, (dressed up, of course, in costumes provided by the drama club), and being at any of the school's special events. Now how do you get a teenage boy to dress in a skirt and be sweet to other boys? Free room and meals for the whole year, that's how. And of course, as always, wackiness ensues. At least it's a good week for fun books! See y'all next time!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

So by now they've hammered home that this is our annual issue. But I've only been writing for eight weeks, so we'll forego the celebration for now. But don't fret, I have other news to be excited about. Now is the time for Air Gear! This past week the fourth DVD was released, which got me happy like Cooking Mama when you score 100%. But in case that wasn't enough to make me squeal, volume 5 of the manga is out this week with a beautiful shot of Agito on the cover. (That would be the crazy one.)

Okay now, for those who are reading this and thinking, "Huh?"; Air Gear is the second series by the artist Oh! Great (whose first series was the awesome Tenjho Tenge). Notorious for his fan service for the boys and the girls, Air Gear keeps up the tradition, only with better art (which should happen after ten years of drawing books).

So welcome to the world of AirTreks -- futuristic rollerblades that have small kinetic engines which allow you to go faster the more you impact against them. The new wheels allow you to catch ridiculous air, and ride up the sides of buildings. When Itsuki (Ikki) discovers the allure of AirTreks, he can't stop trying to soar... and trying to sneak panty shots. When he forms his own team and goes for the top, will the 8 keepers of the 8 paths reveal themselves to clip his wings; or help him fly?

Yeah, I know I got a bit corny at the end there, but that's what happens with a series I love. So action, testosterone, and wackiness ensue. And you don't have to be a rollerblader like me to fall in love with it. Seriously, I've seen proof! Happy fifty-two to us, and see you next time!

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-Cho

I know you love it so I figured I would start this week by letting you all know that Berserk v.18 is in on Wednesday this week. I mention this because people have been asking almost every day for two weeks. I gotta say, Berserk has actually been coming out pretty frequently compared to how it used to be (not to mention other Dark Horse manga titles *cough* HellSing *cough*).

Ooh! And in the world of toys and stuff, this past week we got a surprise item. Apparently we were able to get in this really awesome statue of Ryuk from Death Note. He's done up all in vinyl and a fur collar, and of course expertly painted in that special way only Japanese toy companies care to do in his dark blues and grays. From his perched base to his head the statue is about 12" tall (though he is sitting hunched over with his arms dangling). Here's the fun part. He comes with detachable wings that stretch out way over his head. And should you want to take them off, he also comes with a back plate that covers the holes the wings plug into. Overall a really nice piece for only a hundred bucks.

And finally, calendar season has arrived folks. I know you're thinking to yourself, "But it's only July." But you know as well as I do that you'll only put it off and suddenly it's April 2008 and you figure to hell with it, you'll wait 'til next year. That being said, now's the time! So far we've gotten a super cute Domo-kun calendar, a nifty new Inu Yasha one (which is much better than last years if you ask me), and an awesome new Bleach calendar. Of course there will be plenty more to come. Also of course, we have a bunch of non-anime calendars in the other parts of the store, but this is "Welcome to Shibuya-cho" for a reason. We don't talk about that stuff here. So use this time to pick up a new series, or catch up on a series you're lagging behind in. 'til next week!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-Cho

Once again it's kind of a slow week, a new Fumi Yoshinaga book (for like, what, 15 series now?), XXX Holic v. 9, and a few other new things. So lets take a look at something I have neglected to rave about for the last couple months, and that's the return of "GunSmith Cats". Kenichi Sonoda's awesome action series (which I think can be called a classic now) has begun anew with "GunSmith Cats: Burst". The first two volumes have already been released, and they're looking good.

Also, in honor of the new series, Dark Horse has reissued the once out of print original series in a couple of nice fat omnibuses, the first of which is over 460 pages thick and covers the first 16 chapters.

So, for those of you who haven't heard of them, or just never picked up the series, here's the run down. Basically it's two teenage girls named Rally and Minnie-May who run a weapons shop in Chicago. I know, I know, but bear with me a minute, of course a manga based in America is gonna sound a little bit off. Ok, so as if that's not enough for a couple of teenagers to deal with, they also run a side business as bounty hunters. Then crap hits the fan and wackiness ensues. Trust me, it's a blast. Besides, who can turn down the new sexy revised edition omnibuses? Oh, but I gotta say this one is an 18+ series for action, violence, and some sexual situations, so kiddies beware. Other than that, enjoy!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho #5

It's a slow news week this time folks, the biggest news (for me at least) are the super cool, but super expensive Ghost in the Shell die-cast Tachikomas that we're getting in. I already got mine and it's totally worth it! Battery powered lights, sounds, interchangeable nose-gun accessories and it's super poseable to boot! Oh, and not to mention, so so sooo shiny! *Squeal*

And just in case you're still worn out from my last Ghost in the Shell rant two articles ago, I'll move on to my newest favorite thrill "Claymore" written and drawn by Norihiro Yagi. Crisp art, big swords, tons of bad-ass chicks ripping man-eating demons to shreds, and not to mention amazing character development has caused me to fall for this book, and hard. Okay, so I admit the reason I even picked up the first issue was because the main character's eyes on the cover were printed in silver ink and glinted in the light. If you couldn't tell from the Tachikoma I love shiny objects. But each volume only gets better and more intense than the last.

Here's the gist, follow Clare as "The Organization" sends her from town to town to kill demons called Yoma who disguise themselves as humans so they can eat people. Mmmm...fresh organs. What gives the Claymores the edge? They're all girls whose DNA has been spliced with Yoma DNA by "The Organization". In one town Clare saves a boy named Raki whose older brother was a Yoma in disguise who killed his whole family. What is Clare supposed to do when Raki decides to follow her? Or an even better question, why does she choose to let him rather than ditching him like she could so easily do? Like I said, it just gets better from there, especially when you learn that Clare isn't as cool as you thought, but really she's just the runt of "the Organization". See?! Get into it! Even the anime (which hasn't arrived in the States yet) is totally amazing. *Whew* Ok, I'm done. See you next week.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-Cho

It's the beginning of the month again boys and girls, and you know what that means, another crazy flood of new releases. Now while plenty of great titles are coming out this week like Rozen Maiden v.5, Samurai Deeper Kyo v.23, and Trinity Blood v.3, there is a flat tie for the "it's-about-damn-time" release of the week. The winners are Kingdom Hearts II v.1 and Hellsing v.8.

First up, both the Kingdom Hearts, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories manga series have been wildly popular and set the pace for the expectations of K.H.2. I know we here have been bugged for it pretty constantly as soon as the first series finished up. Basically you know what to expect, just the manga version of the game again. I just thought I'd let you know it's here!

By the way, yes you heard right! Hellsing Volume Eight! We only had to wait something like 3 years for it! I'm so excited I can't stop using exclamation points!! This probably being one of the most anticipated and desired mangas ever, largely because we have no idea what's gonna happen! The original anime didn't last that long , and the new "Hellsing Ultimate" series is too new to know what its going to do. After all, what does a show that's supposed to be more dedicated to the books do when even the books are clueless? Now we can finally find out, and hope that it lasts us another 3 years until volume 9 comes out, (kidding...maybe). And I'll tell you this right now, Hellsing is one of the few series it's age that still sells out on a rapid basis.

That's all I got for you this time people (though I guess it seems like enough, doesn't it?). I wish I could say more, but I'm typing this up on Monday, and Hellsing doesn't show up until Thursday. All i know is it's first come, first serve. So play hooky this Thursday (or use your lunch break, whatever) and snag your copy before it's gone.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-Cho

Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I am a Ghost in the Shell super-fan. I'm the only person in the city who bought all the special editions of each volume of the second season just for the little toys or soundtracks that came with them. I own two tachikoma plushes, and all the little plastic ones from the mystery boxes, PVC statues, videogames, and various toys, t-shirts, key chain, and messenger bags. Oh yes, Major Motoko Kusanagi has received many a paycheck from me.

Now that that's out of my system, you know why this week's article has to be about the release of "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society". I personally have been waiting for this to get here for almost a year. The movie itself takes place two years after the events of the second season. The Major has left the team (don't be mistaken, she's still the star of the movie) and the rest of Section 9 is called in to solve the case of the Puppeteer. someone has been hacking into people's cyber-brains to commit acts of terrorism using their bodies.

And what does "Solid State Society" even mean? Don't worry, it will all make sense by the end of the movie. Oh, and in case curiosity and fandom aren't enough to move you to see the movie, the action and intrigue of Masamune Shirow's unique brand of espionage never cease to keep you riveted. Especially if he only has 109 minutes (as opposed to an entire 26 episode run). I'll admit it, I squealed like a schoolgirl every five minutes while I was watching. So go. See it. Now!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.