G.P.Manga Blog

I happen to be addictid to JDramas so when I found out about this I just had to pass it along. It seams that the classic shoujo manga Here Is Greenwood, which is currently being released in the US by VIZ, is to become a live action drama in Japan.

Kazuya is in love. Unfortunately the woman he's in love with has just recently married his brother! When he finds out that she's to live with them, he makes a decision: to stay at the high-school dorm known as Greenwood. But Greenwood has a few surprises of it's own.

Now, for those of you who are not a big fan of live-action or forking over a hefty amount of cash for a multi-region DVD player, Here Is Greenwood is also available as a anime through Anime Works. Originally released in the US in the 90's on VHS, Anime Works has since re-released the series on DVD.

{Official Japanese Drama Page}
{VIZ's Manga Series Page}

According to a recent press release, FUNimation has acquired the epic futuristic romance Romeo x Juliet. A new twist to Shakespear's tragic romance, with some other Shakespearean classics thrown in for good measure, this series spans 24 episodes and will be released in two 12 episode collections, one in spring and the other in summer of 2009.

The story tells of Juliet, the last remaining member of the Capulet family, who has been hidden within the city of Neo Verona after escaping a vicious raid against her family by Duke Montaque. Growing up under the oppressive reign of King Montague, unaware of neither her past nor her true lineage, Juliet realizes the cruelty placed upon the people by the king and takes action. Donning a red cape and mask she becomes the Scarlet Whirlwind and fights to right the wrongs placed upon the people under King Montague's reign. It is while in this guise that she comes across Romeo Montague, only son and heir to the throne. This is the tale of star-crossed lovers and the forces that strive to keep them apart.

The manga version of the story has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Aasuka shoujo magazine and it was also made in to an online radio series known as RomejulixRadio. More info coming soon!

{The official Japanese home page}

Yes, like usual, I am late posting the new releases for this month. Please, please forgive me! I'll just jump right in with the new releases. Blabber stopped.

The dates listed below are those taken directly from the publisher's website and may change without notice. And as always the list below is compiled of select titles and does not include every manga, manhwa, or manhua released. Really, that would be a long list and we just don't have that much time on our hands!

NOTICE: er, ok, maybe not a 'notice' but just a heads up. Click on the letter(s) to visit that title's page on Amazon or Barns and Noble. All linked titles now go to our review on our page.

Aurora/Luv Luv/Deux Press Visit them here,here,and here Walkin' Butterfly vol 3 (Aurora) A B&N Love for Dessert (Luv Luv) A B&N Yakuza in Love vol 2 (Deux) A B&N Blu Manga Visit them here Fumi Yoshinaga: Lovers in the Night & Truly Kindly vol 1 Broccoli Books Visit them here Unknown CMX Manga Visit them here King of Cards vol 4 (14) The Palette of 12 Secret Colors vol 3 (21) A B&N Swan vol 13 (21) A B&N Two Flowers for the Dragon vol 1 (May 21) A B&N Venus in Love vol 3 (21) A B&N Apothecarius Argentum vol 5 A B&N Dark Horse Visit them here Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus vol 4 (7) A B&N Blood+ vol 2 (14) A B&N Red String vol 3 (14) A B&N Del Rey Visit them here Kitchen Princess vol 6 (6) A B&N Nodame Cantabile vol 13 (6) A B&N Tsubasa 17 (13) A B&N Hell Girl vol 2 A B&N Mamotte! Lollipop vol 6 (20) A B&N Shugo Chara! vol 4 (20) A B&N Minima! vol 2 (27) A B&N My Heavenly Hockey Club vol 5 (27) A B&N DMP/June Manga Visit them here and here Enchanter vol 8 (13) A B&N Happiness Recommended (June Manga) (13) A B&N Better Than a Dream (June Manga) (13) A B&N Loving Gaze (13) A B&N Endless Rain (June Manga) (13) A B&N A Love Song for the Miserable (June Manga) (27) A B&N S vol 1 (June Manga) (27) A B&N A Strange and Mystifying Story vol. 1 (27) A B&N Red (June Manga) (27) A B&N A Promise of Romance (June Manga) (27) A B&N GO! Comi Visit them here Unknown GO Manga Visit them here Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus I (vol 1-3) A B&N Dance in the Vampire Bund vol 1 A B&N TokyoPop Visit them here The Good Witch Of The West vol 6 (1) A B&N Kedamono Damono vol 3 (1) A B&N Rozen Maiden vol 8 (1) A B&N Gatcha Gatch vol 7 (6) A B&N The Queen's Knight vol 11 (10) A B&N The Good Witch Of The West 2 (Novel) (11) A B&N Aria vol 2 (13) A B&N Cherry Juice vol 3 (13) A B&N Chibi Vampire vol 8 (13) A B&N Demon Flowers: Kuruizaki No Hana vol 3 (13) A B&N Fantamir vol 3 (13) A B&N Foxy Lady vol 1 (13) A B&N Good Luck vol 5 (13) A B&N Heavenshield vol 1 (13) A B&N The Knockout Makers vol 2 (13) A B&N Little Queen vol 6 (13) A B&N Love Mode vol 9 (13) A B&N Love Pistols vol 5 (13) A B&N Manga Sutra vol 2 (13) A B&N Rhysmyth vol 2 (13) A B&N Short Sunzen! vol 2 (13) A B&N V.B. Rose vol 2 (13) A B&N White Night Melody vol 1 (13) A B&N Udon Entertainment Visit them here Dorothy of Oz Vol 3 A B&N Chronicles of the Grim Peddler Vol 1 A B&N VIZ Media Visit them here Absolute Boyfriend vol 6 (6) A B&N B.O.D.Y. vol 1 (6) A B&N Crimson Hero vol 8 (6) A B&N Fairy Cube vol 1 (6) A B&N High School Debut vol 3 (6) A B&N Kaze Hikaru vol 9 (6) A B&N Love*Com vol 6 (6) A B&N Nana vol 10 (6) A B&N S.A. vol 4 (6) A B&N Sand Chronicles vol 2 (6) A B&N Skip Beat! vol 12 (6) A B&N Basara vol 27 (13) A B&N Honey and Clover (DVD) (13) A B&N Shojo Beat — June 2008, vol. 4 #6 (20) Yen Press Visit them here Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro vol 1 A B&N You're So Cool vol 1 11th Cat vol 5 A B&N Legend vol 2 A B&N

B.O.D.Y. Chibi Vampire High School Debut Little Queen Love*Com Red String Shugo Chara! Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Venus in Love

I am not joking here people! If you have not read a single volume of this hit manga, get your booties over to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy (hey, if you can afford it, pick up all 4 copies!!). I quite literally stayed up until 1am reading this sucker (er, no pun intended).

This Gothic tale of vampires and blood takes place at Cross Academy, where Chairman Cross has created two different class of students: the Day Class-filled with your average high school student-and the Night Class-filled with good-looking vampires. It is his belief, and hope, that the combined campus can create a better relationship and greater understanding between humans and vampires. Of course the vampires' presence on campus is to be kept a secret from the humans and to help protect this secret are Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, Prefects. It is their job to ensure the safety of the Day Class and the anonymity of the Night Class.

But Zero would like nothing better than to see the vampires extinguished. On top of having come from a long line of vampire hunters, his parents where murdered four years prior by the beasts they hunted and he, himself, was bitten. He feels nothing but hatred and disgust towards them. Yuki, on the other hand, believes there are good vampires just like there are bad vampires. Her own earliest memories of being saved by a vampire from a vampire prove this. What's more, her rescuer, Kaname Kuran, is the dorm leader of the Night Class. An obvious love triangle if I've ever seen one!

Seriously folks. If you have a love for a very well plotted, well paced, action packed, heart-pounding, Gothic tale, pick this up. I would have to admit that the art work isn't top notch (namely the characters with their expressionless eyes and faces-which I am happy to say improve as the story progresses) but Matsuri Hino has done a fantastic job of creating a Gothic setting. From the school's architecture and uniforms, to the Victorian roses and scroll work, this is one manga that accurately illustrates the tone.

Now, just a warning. There are currently only 4 volumes available in English and 7 published in Japanese with an estimated 10 volumes total. The story is currently running in LaLa Magazine (one more reason to learn Japanese: chapter 39 is now out!) as well as Shojo Beat Magazine here in America. Also, as of April 7th, the official anime version has aired in Japan with 4 of the 26 episodes already shown. I would guess that it would be available to us in English sometime around winter of '09 or spring of 2010 (why so long?!) no doubt released by VIZ Media. There's also a novel based on Aidou (one of the characters from the main story) that has been published in Japan. Bets that VIZ picks this one up, too? Gods, I hope so!


Here are some links for you: The Official VIZ Vampire Knight page, The Official Anime website (Japanese), and as a special treat...