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SHOJO BEAT!!! (SJ for girls! Finally!)

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:10 pm
by Kireihana
Well I was pleasantly surprised to find out from my July issue of Shonen Jump that something I have long anticipated is finally going to happen!! Viz, the company that publishes Shonen Jump, has created a monthly manga magazine for girls (well, boys too), called Shojo Beat.

EDIT: Erm. It seems I was mistaken. The titles featured in the magazine in fact are:

Absolute Boyfriend
Baby & Me
Crimson Hero
Godchild
Kaze Hikaru
Nana

The titles I mentioned earlier, are being released only as Shojo Beat Graphic Novels (though I'm sure the ones in the magazine will eventually become GN's too.) They are:

Ultra Maniac
Full Moon o Sagashite
Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden
Ouran High School Host Club
Tokyo Boys & Girls
MeruPuri

Sounds really cool; I'm excited! You can go to http://www.shojobeat.com for more information and to subscribe online. :)

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:15 pm
by Arnobius
By the time it folded, Animerica Plus was essentially a shoujo mag. I believe they estimated 80% of the readership was female.

One would hope they did their research

And with Viz, newsstand is better than subscribing. No S+H and you get it a lot faster-- they ship out of Canada IIRC

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:23 pm
by Kireihana
Hmm. Actually, I get my Shonen Jump magazine a couple of weeks before they go on newsstands. But maybe it differs from location to location. The only reason I'm just discovering this now is because I was on vacation for the past two weeks, and only looked at the magazine for the first time this evening.

Do you mean Animerica Extra? It's a lot smaller than SJ... and features some title I'd rather stay away from (Utena, Video Girl Ai)... for that reason I never gave it much thought. I'm not surprised that it folded.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:29 pm
by Arnobius
Kireihana wrote:Hmm. Actually, I get my Shonen Jump magazine a couple of weeks before they go on newsstands. But maybe it differs from location to location. The only reason I'm just discovering this now is because I was on vacation for the past two weeks, and only looked at the magazine for the first time this evening.

Do you mean Animerica Extra? It's a lot smaller than SJ... and features some title I'd rather stay away from (Utena, Video Girl Ai)... for that reason I never gave it much thought. I'm not surprised that it folded.

D'oh! Yeah, EXTRA is what I meant

Maybe Viz improved. When I subscribed to Extra, I lived on the other side of the bay from their offices, but my magazines arrived 2 weeks after they hit the stands, so I figured why pay more.

I quit Extra when some of their titles (like VGAi) seemed to be getting too explicit and seemed to belong more in Pulp (gone and unlamented IMO)

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:31 pm
by AngelSakura
Bah. Rated Older Teen. I can't buy Older Teen...and it sounded good, too...

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:33 pm
by Arnobius
AngelSakura wrote:Bah. Rated Older Teen. I can't buy Older Teen...and it sounded good, too...

Shoujo does seem to have more problematic material than shounen, I've noticed

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:27 pm
by Mangafanatic
Absolute boyfriend!? NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

As interesting as the synopsis for that was, a chapter was enough to tell me that it wasn't for me. Darn, it. I wish they would put in some of the cleaner VIZ titles!

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:37 pm
by Arnobius
Mangafanatic wrote:Absolute boyfriend!? NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

As interesting as the synopsis for that was, a chapter was enough to tell me that it wasn't for me. Darn, it. I wish they would put in some of the cleaner VIZ titles!

I suspect it's the racier material that gets the attention...

Kind of like how in the early years of anime in America, it was the porn and violent anime that had the biggest representation...

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:40 pm
by Mangafanatic
Yes, thank you Viz for reinforcing in the mind of the ignorant public the idea that manga is all about sex. We thank you most sincerely.

Signed,
Sarcastic-one

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:27 pm
by kazekami
Did something come in the issue about Shonen Jump. Mine was ripped open when I got it. Saw an add for FUll Moon and some other titles. I'm not really intrested in getting Shoujo Beat especailly because it has Absolute Boyfriend. Which has to be the series I least like by Yuu Watatse. WOn't purchase it at all. I am intrested in Kaze Hikaru and Crimsom Hero. But I don't want to waste my money on the magazine, since I only want two titles in it. I'll wait for the GN's. =)

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 6:20 am
by Kawaiikneko
If Tokyopop put out a shoujo magazine (like SJ or SB, not this weird Takuhai manga preview thing) I would buy it. I think Tokyopop has better shoujo titles than Viz... imo anyways

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:08 am
by Ashley
Full Moon is really the only shojo title I have any interest in getting from their list...and I'm already trying to cut back on my manga/anime budget. >.>;;

But yeah, I probably won't be getting this either. I am not a big magazine person. I was willing to get Takuhai 'cause it's free, but graphic novels are more for your money, IMO.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:35 am
by kazekami
Kawaiikneko wrote:If Tokyopop put out a shoujo magazine (like SJ or SB, not this weird Takuhai manga preview thing) I would buy it. I think Tokyopop has better shoujo titles than Viz... imo anyways


I agree. Tokyopop did have a manga anthology called smile. It had sailormoon and peach girl in it. And i don't remember what else. I remember seeing it in Hot Topic when I first started reading manga. But they dropped it.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:20 pm
by Shao Feng-Li
Dang, I want something that everyone can read in my house, thank you.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:28 pm
by ChristianKitsune
I am guessing that YUU WATASE doesn't write very modest things right? (I have only read Alice 19th and even then there was some non modest things in there..ahah) but this other story you are all talking about..it is WORSE than that?

I don't think I will get this either... although I did subscribe to Takuhai...because it was free. (I think I subscribed twice by accident) and I have yet to tell my mom EEEK!

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:03 pm
by Mangafanatic
ChristianRonin wrote:I am guessing that YUU WATASE doesn't write very modest things right? (I have only read Alice 19th and even then there was some non modest things in there..ahah) but this other story you are all talking about..it is WORSE than that?

I don't think I will get this either... although I did subscribe to Takuhai...because it was free. (I think I subscribed twice by accident) and I have yet to tell my mom EEEK!



Well, let me just tell you what I know--

In the first chapter of Absolute Boyfriend there was a less detailed shot of the female protaginist messuring her bust while topless. In the end of the second chapter, a nude teenage guy is seen from the side.

Yeah. Not my cup of tea.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:59 pm
by ChristianKitsune
*sadly* ohhhh...-.- and her work is so pretty too...she has to go and waste it on crud like that...

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:14 pm
by Mangafanatic
ChristianRonin wrote:*sadly* ohhhh...-.- and her work is so pretty too...she has to go and waste it on crud like that...

Simple. 'Cause sex sells.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:28 pm
by ChristianKitsune
Stupid society of lust lovers...BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 5:40 pm
by kirakira
Humans will be humans. -_- Can't expect Christian behavior from people who don't give a care.

I'm excited about Full Moon, though. ^__^ *happy dance*

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 5:43 pm
by kazekami
Yeah it is the worst I've seen by her. Imadoki was her most modest one that I've seen. Along with some one shots like Mint de Kiss me. Thats why I don't buy Shocomi. Ribon is nice and safe. I'd buy Full Moon but I already have it in Japanese. heh. I'm going for Meripuri though.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 6:08 pm
by Mangafanatic
kazekami wrote: I'm going for Meripuri though.

MeriPuri, when did that get licensed?

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 6:59 pm
by kazekami
About the same time as Full Moon and Genbu Kaiden. I was going to buy that in Japanese as soon as I got Toraware no Minoue and the last two volumes of Full Moon but now it will be in English, I'll just get that version and hope for the best. Which reminds me I need to bug Sasugabooks about that order in 2 days. Better write it down.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:38 pm
by Kireihana
I for one am looking forward to Tokyo Boys & Girls. I really love Miki Aihara's style but Hot Gimmick seemed too risqué for my tastes; hopefully this new title is cleaner.

...Well it's rated T+. So maybe it's just wishful thinking.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:39 pm
by Shao Feng-Li
I just got it today. And just from reading Yuu Watase's work, "Absolute Boyfriend", I think it earned it's 16+.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:23 pm
by kazekami
Absolute Boyfriend or Zettai Kareshi, is definatly not something anyone younger should read. I wouldn't want my 13 year old cousin reading that. And she won't get it from me.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:25 pm
by Kireihana
Shao Feng-Li wrote:I just got it today. And just from reading Yuu Watase's work, "Absolute Boyfriend", I think it earned it's 16+.


You mean the magazine, right...? Is it good? (aside from Absolute Boyfriend)?

Gah, I need money!!! :bang:

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:19 am
by Shao Feng-Li
It's all right. Nana is only okay. I don't know what the buzz is all about. The art in those titles isn't all that great.... not that impressive.... Well, maybe that's because Rurouni Kenshin's artwork is so awsome.

God Child is really interesting. I'd lie to read more, but I don't know anything about it. THere's a little manga preveiw, "Ultra Maniac" by Yoshizumi Wataru in the magazine. I really like her work, and I want to read this title.

Nana is a bit more on the sexuall side. I don't think most of the characters are even virgins, which kind of bothers me. The main charcter is a teenager who's had an affair with a married man for crying out.... Jeeez. Maybe I'll stick with Shonen Jump. But it's really intereseting... *grr*

Absolute boyfreind is a bit suggestive and a male charcter is nearly fully nude.

They didn't pick the best titles for their magazine.

But overall it truly is more mature and not really all that dirty.

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 9:01 am
by kazekami
Godchild, being Count Caine is pretty intresting. A bit on the morbid side but intresting. Plus the art is pretty.

I didn't care for Baby and Me, Nana, or Absolute Boyfriend which I have read part of before.

Crimsom Hero is good though I've read the first volume. Haven't seen anything bad in it so far.

Kaze Hikaru sounds intresting to me. I haven't read that one at all.

Ultra Maniac ROCKS!! The anime is bad but the manga is great. =)

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 9:16 am
by Shao Feng-Li
Kaze Hikaru is kinda cool. It's about a girl who joins the Shinsengumi disguised as a boy. Charcters like Soji (right? or "Soshi?")Okita are there which is cool because he's in Rurouni Kenshin and it's so cool because it' kind of related in that sense...*gleam*