Sooooooooo, its Wednesday and that means Father Geek is here with Scott Green to bring you all a new, packed to the gills edition of The AICN Anime Report, a column filled to the brim with all the Anime/Manga related info you could possibily use; Gaming, Cards, Toys, Videos, DVDs, Comics, Theatrical Releases and more ALL in one convinent mid-week column. Annnnnnd now on with the regular show... take it away Scott...

Anime Spotlight: Rayearth

Released by Manga Entertainment

Rayearth is a three episode OAV (released direct to video in Japan) alternate version of female manga team CLAMP's Magic Knights Rayearth. Might Knights is a bit the like a fantasy Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in that it was a genre parody, with slightly over the top, but charismatic, and believable characters, with some nice twists and emotional impact. Rayearth, is a world destroying, monkey's paw wish fulfillment, giant symbiotic deities destroy Tokyo, tale of distilled CLAMP angst (as in the movie telling of their Apocalyptic destiny story X).

Three school girl friends, energetic Hiraku, haughty but kind Umi, and introverted and stalwart Fu, are about to graduate school, and go there separate ways. After making a wish on a cherry tree to stay together, things begin to go very wrong. Rather than the typical anime schoolgirl occurrence of getting transported to a mystical world, the mystical world of Cephiro begins to transport itself over ours.

The point of an OAV series like Rayearth is the pop from fans seeing a brilliant new paint job on a familiar favorite. Even the stand alone nature of the story mostly just applies the new venire. You get to see popular characters rending in high quality animation. The large budget tenants being eye catching and complex, are applied to the fields of character design, motion, and backgrounds. Rayearth fans will enjoy the character looking their best.

The appropriate CLAMP trappings are all present: falling cherry blossoms, Tokyo Tower, a pointlessly cute mascot creature and in an Easter egg that will please CLAMP fans, the girls' school uniforms suggest that they attend the CLAMP Academy (an institution that factors into a number of series in the creators' shared universe).

Those unfamiliar with the original can enjoy the animation spectacle and action, but there is little in the cliff-note versions of the characters, or the conceptually promising, but disjointed telling of the story to become attached too. Like many CLAMP series, Magic Knights Rayearth was bitter-sweet if not downright tragic, but the OAV is oppressively overcast (Not to mention an off-putting aspect of the series where the heroines are Barbie-doll naked, and often bleeding as they pilot their giant deities into battle). The characters are is a constant state of confusion, if not trauma, without the opportunity to demonstrate any likable personality.

Anime Spotlight: Please Teacher Volume 1: Hot For Teacher

Released by Bandai Entertainment

Getting caught in a supply shed has to be one of the odder reasons for marrying someone. It's even stranger when the groom is a contemplative high school student who goes into a coma when he's depressed, and the bride is an alien sleeper agent posing as a teacher. Once again, anime has paired the geeky guy with the strange woman, but as relationship comedies that skew towards a male audience go, these tend to be sweeter than some of the other configurations.

Please Teacher (also known as Onegai Teacher, a name kept by ComicsOne.com's manga release of the title) is set in low-key lake town at an undisclosed point in the future (society and technology seems the current, the only benchmark is an allusion to a 2009 manned mission to Mars). Kei Kusangi is a subjectively fifteen year old student who lives with his uncle, a doctor who helps treat his coma inducing afflicting known as a "standstill". After witnessing a space craft land in the town's lake, Kei, sees a strange magenta haired woman named Mizuho Kazami who later turns ups as his new teacher, his neighbor, and then due to bizarre circumstances and logic, his wife.

The first volume of Please Teacher, is a nice, slow paced, relationship comedy. Kei is a bit whiny, but not obtrusive. Kazami's day to day life is that of a teacher (and not a bad depiction of such). Her alien-ness provides her with motivation, history, and a little yellow assistant creature/comedic device (good for cute moments, impressions and random teleports). Without being over-the-top or too much larger than life she has some good distinguishing characteristics: mostly a cool catch phrase, and an emotional attachment to cult junk food Pokey(cookie sticks cover with chocolate or other flavoring).

There is an interesting relationship between the couple, that evolves a bit like reality TV forced co-inhabitation, with the kind of the misunderstandings found when two people try to strike up a close relationship way too soon. It quickly goes from awkward attempts at seduction (skin tight alien suit that sprouts cleavage), to tit-for-tat willfully ignoring the other person. There are plenty of overplayed gags such as accident groping, or people walking in on an innocent, but compromising positioning, but Please Teacher also has some genuine moments.

Please Teacher is a strangely mellow series. It is a sitcom that doesn't go wild with its antics. There's an extended scheme where Kei's friends turn up at Kamazi's apparent, and despite the fact that Kei performs the standard routine of hiding, dangling off a balcony, falling, getting attached by a dog, the series never seems to raise its heart beat. It starts too, but after the commercial break cue, it's back to the normal beat. This is partly due to a muted color scheme, and partly due to calming background music, which occasionally too closely resembles music from an instructional video, but more often is just threat-level-lowering.

This Week's Releases:

Anime

• Babel Ii - Fall Of The Tower
• Dragon Ball Z - Path To Power
• Dragon Ball Z - Path To Power (Uncut)
• Gun Frontier Vol. #1: Hopalong Harlock
• Idol Project - Final Concert (Vol. 2)
• Magic User's Club - Magic Boxed Set
• Rayearth
• Saiyuki - Journey Begins (Vol 1)
• Street Fighter Ii Collection
• Wild Arms - The Return Of Laila (Vol. 3)

Manga

• Junko Mizuno's Hansel And Gretel Gn
• Neon Genesis Evangelion Vol 7 Tp

Marvel will be releasing $0.25 the first issue of Namor, which will feature illustration by Salvador Larocca rather than manga artist Mizuki Sakakibara. Marvel pull Mizuki Sakakibara from the title after promoting her award winning, but not yet professionally published work.

Hansel And Gretel is the second pop-grotesque fairy tale by Junko Mizuno that Viz has released (the first being Cinderalla)

Viz Confirms Kenshin Manga

Viz has confirmed that they will be releasing an English adaptation of Ruruoni Kenshin. It is currently undecided whether the series will be released as part of the Shonen Jump manga anthology, or directly in graphic novel collections.

Issue 7 of Shonen Jump will feature an article on the title, will the series itself starting at a later date.

The popular samurai action series is the story of a man who was a fear political assassin durin Japan's Meiji revolt, who greeted the new era by adopting the life of a wanderer, and vowing newer to kill again.

The manga diverges from the anime series after the lengthy Kyoto story arc. The subsequent "Revenge" story, in which Kenshin's actions as an assassin come back to haunt him, is partially adapted by in the two OAV anime series.

AniPike Return

The Anime Web Turnpike,the portal that was once the a cornerstone of anime online, has been updating by its new management with new design and content.

Rumiko Takahashi News

Rumiko Tahashi creator of Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha will have a new anime adaptation of her work premiere this summer as "Rumiko Takahashi Theatre".

The preview for the third Inu-Yasha movie, set to be release this December is online at Inu-Yasha

Anime at Cannes

Anime News Service reports out that in addition to Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy, the Madhouse file Nasu-The Summer of Andalsia will be shown at the Cannes film festival. Nasu-The Summer of Andalsia, a film about bicycle racing directed by Kitaro Kosaka (animation director for Princess Mononke) will be shown with incomplete animation and music.

Icv2 reports a new colaberation between Leiji Matsumoto, best known for his space operas (Captain Harlocke, Battle Ship Yamato/Star Blazers), and music group Daft Punk will also be shown at Cannes. Matsumoto, and Daft Punk previously colaberated on a series of music videos.

Hikaru no Go Manga Ends

Popular manga series Hikaru no Go has ended its 189 chapter run in Japan's Weekly Jump. A new one shot story will be published this summer. The series, which follows tournaments of the strategy game go gained an addicted following with its intensity and character work.

Spirited Away Moves Up in US Anime Ranking

Anime News Service has pointed out Box Office Mojo says Spirited Away has beaten the Digimon: Movie in box office sales, making it the 4th highest grossing anime in the U.S. and the second highest grossing film after Pokemon. See the listing here

production IG News

From Anime on DVD's report of the Anime Boston Production IG convention panel.

Going forward, Production I.G. will focus mainly on feature films. They're making a sequel to "Ghost in the Shell" which will be called "Ghost in the Shell: Innocence" in Japan. The US title undecided as of yet. They didn't want to call it "Ghost in the Shell 2" in Japan because the original "GitS" was not popular in Japan, so calling the new movie "GitS 2" might confuse or discourage potential viewers. "GitS" did 10X better in the U.S. than Japan. It will probably be released in Spring 2004 in Japan. Studio Ghibli is just an investor in the production, they aren't doing any of the actual work.

Regarding "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex", Masamune Shirow has been deeply involved in its creation, including writing a couple of episodes. Each episode costs around 35,000,000 Yen to produce, which is 2-3 times the "average" cost per episode for televised anime, it's basically feature film quality. An episode takes 3-6 months to create, but many are done in parallel. Since Bandai Visual and Bandai Entertainment (USA) put up some of the funding for the show, they will be the ones to distribute in the US, they don't need to acquire a license to do so.

Prodiction I.G. is also working with John Carpenter on an animated sequel to "Escape from New York", apparently there was an accidental announcement about this recently.

In response to an audience question: no sequel to FLCL is planned.

"Love Hina Again" has been licensed, but they were permitted to say by whom.

2003 Tezuka Award Winners

From Anime News Network

Grand prize: Kiiroi Hon ("The Yellow Book") by Fumiko Takano

Shinsei ("new hope") prize : Hikaru no Go, story by Yumi Hotta and illustarated by Takeshi Obata

Short manga prize : Hisaichi Ishii

Special prize : Shigeru Mizuki

Upcoming Anime Releases

Bandai:

8/19

Saber Marionette J Ultimate Collection

9/2

.hack//SIGN vol 4.

Please Teacher vol 3.

CPM

8/10

DNA2: Crossfire (vol 4)

Hades Project Zeorymer: Extinction (vol. 2)

Machine Robo volume 2

Patlabor TV Vol. #6

Spirit Warrior: Revival of Evil (vol. 1)

9/9

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Unveiling (vol. 8)

10/14

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Revelation (vol. 9)

11/11

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Finale (vol. 10)

Pioneer

8/19

Ai Yori Aoshi: Truly Yours (vol. 4)

8/26

Haibane Renmei vol. 1

Mahoromatic: Something More Beautifu: Maid In Training (vol. 1)

9/9

Cardcaptor Sakura vol. 17

Chobits: Love Defined (vol. 4)

Viz:

6/3 Inu Yasha Volume 6

6/10 Ranma Fovever Volume 7 Trouble Chocolate Volume 5

6/24 Pokemon: Crash of the Dairy Inu Yash Volume 7

Box Sets

Pioneer will be releasing the following box sets on July first: El Hazard: The Wanderers Box Set, El Hazard: The Alternative World Box Set, Sol Bianca: The Legacy Box Set, Adventures of the Mini Goddess Box Set and NieA_7 Box Set .

Viz will be releasing a Ceres box set this summer.

Chobits Tops Best Seller List

TOKOPOP's release of Chobits v.5 was the #35 BookScanbest-selling adult trade fiction title on the report for the week ending April 20, the only comic title to make the list. The other four volumes please of the in places between between 3 and 16 in the Adult Fiction-Graphic Novel list.

Chobits is a rare shounen (boy's) work from CLAMP, which is their typically innovative version of the boy with bizarre girl series. In this case a young man from the country finds his first computer/robot, which happens to be a young woman, who begins showing signs of free will.

Gustoon Collections Distributed by Diamond

Gustoon! Entertainmen has announced that Diamond Book Distributors will be distributing their graphic novel collection to book stores. Releases include the color Fist of the North Star Master Editions, and the collection of Raijin series.

In addition to the post apocaylptic martial arts epic Fist of the North Sky, other announced collections include its pulp prequel set in the 30's Fist of the Blue Sky, popular highschool basketball drama Slam Dunk, urban crime action City Hunter, and political drama First President of Japan.

Dallas Middaugh's New Enterprise

Dallas Middaugh, the director of sales and marketing for Viz during the company's big expansion has announed the formation of Redshift, a company dedicated to providing sales representation and business development services with a focus on graphic novels and animation. Comic book and graphic novel publishers Slave Labor Graphics and Oni Press have engaged Redshift to extend the publishers' reach into mass market bookstores.

July Manga Releases

The following manga (comics) be released in the July time frame.

Hightlight include the return of Fanboy Inc., the manga adapations of anime series Brigadoon and Niea_7 from TOKYOPOP, and a number of new series from Viz.

For a full list, or to pre-order them visit your local comic shop.

Comicsone.Com

ComicsOne.com's releases are a definite sign of their announced slowdown/

The only new release is the Storm Riders Collected Illustrations Book 3 hard cover.

Re-Releases include:

• Bride Of Deimos Gn #3
• Crayon Shinchan Gn #3
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Gn #2
• Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre Gn #3
• Iron Wok Jan Gn #2
• The Legendary Couple Gn #3
• Mega Dragon & Tiger Gn #3
• Onegai Teacher: Please Teacher Gn #1
• Red Prowling Devil #3 Gn
• Saint Legend Gn #1
• Storm Riders Gn #7
• The Story Of Tao Gn #1
• Weapon Of The Gods #5

Cpm Manga

Alien Nine Book 2 Gn by Hitoshi Tomizawa

Aliens keep dropping from the skies and they're getting more ferocious with every wave! Where are they coming from, and why does the school depend on sixth grade girls to fight the vicious beasts?

Record Of Lodoss War: Chronicles Of The Heroic Knight Book Five

Dark Horse Comics

Collections:

3 X 3 Eyes: The Shadow Of The Kunlun Yuzo Takada

Pai, the beautiful 300-year-old amnesiac mystic, and her companion-cum-immortal slave, Tokyo student Yakumo Fujii, may have found the clues they seek to help them discover the secrets of the Sacred Land. Joined by the dashing relic-hunter, Jake MacDonald, Yakumo and Pai discover an ancient temple that may hold the key to returning the Pai and Yakumo to their human forms. However their journey of exploration becomes a fight for survival as the pair are once again pitted against the evil forces of Kaiyan Wang.

Astro Boy Volume 18 Osamu Tezuka

Club 9 Volume 2 Makoto Kobayashi

On sale August 20, SC, 192pg, b&w, $15.95-MATURE READERS When country girl Haruo Hattori left the farm and her nutty family for college in the big city-and we're talking Tokyo big, folks-she promised to remain true to her high school sweetheart, but that was before she began work at Club 9, one of the hottest hostess bars in the Ginza, where temptation rears its ugly head on a nightly basis. Club 9 is a hilarious slice-of-life, fish-out-of-water romp from the pen of What's Michael? creator Makoto Kobayashi.

Cannon God Exaxxion: Stage 2

Gunsmith Cats creator Kenichi Sonoda continues his giant gun scifi action.

Issues:

Blade Of The Immortal #80: Petals On The Wind One-Shot

Cannon God Exaxxion #15

Oh My Goddess! #99: The Phantom Racer Part 4 Of 4

Super Manga Blast! #34

Fanboy Entertainment

Angel's Wing #2 by Tetsuya Aoki

The exciting follow-up to last year's surprise hit manga Angel's Wing! Join earthbound angels Mary and Shion as they help the orphaned boy Ken on his quest to find his long-lost father. Written and drawn by Japanese manga sensation Tetsuya Aoki, one of the original designers/creators of the Transformers and the Power Rangers! SC, 80pg, FC $7.95

Nozomi Volume 1 Gn by Nao Yazawa

Follow the adventures of Nozomi, a shy young girl whose life changes the day she wishes on a falling star. Her wish is unexpectedly granted but not in the way she expected. A playful demon comes to Earth to teach her about love. the hard way. Written and drawn by the creator of shojo manga Wedding Peach! SC, 56pg, FC $5.95

Gutsoon! Entertainment

Baki The Grappler Volume 1 Tp by Itagaki Keisuke

Filled with awesome, action-filled scenes of fighting and wrestling, Baki the Grappler is the story of a young man committed to becoming the strongest person on Earth!

Fist Of The North Star: The Master Edition Volume 5 Gn by Hara Tetsuo & Buronson

In a post-apocalyptic nightmare, a lone wanderer named Kenshiro protects the innocent from evil with the ultimate assassin's fighting style, Hokuto Shinken!

Raijin Comics #29-32 by Various

Featuring the prescient international intrigue of First President of Japan! Also: Fist of the Blue Sky, Slam Dunk, City Hunter, Revenge of the Mouflon, Guardian Angel Getten, Keiji, Bow Wow Wata and The Climber's Saga, with breaking video game and anime news of RGA Magazine, plus more!

I.C. Entertainment

Amerimanga #8

Hanaukyo Maid Team Volume 1 Gn by Morishige

Obeying his deceased mother's wishes, Tarou Hanaukyo journeys to Tokyo to live with his wealthy grandfather. But life is anything but normal at the mansion, kept in order by a horde of beautiful maids bent on showering their young master with love and devotion!

Hyper Dolls Volume 5 Gn

Vampire Yui Volume 5 Gn by Narumi Kakinouchi

You And Me Volume 6 Gn

Marvel Comics

Wolverine: Snikt! #3 (Of 6)

Cover By Tsutomu Nihei Tsutomu Nihei (w & a)

In an alien land, against an army of inhuman enemies, Wolverine's own humanity threatens to slip away as he's overcome by a berserker rage. (the solicitations are back to crediting Nihei as writer)

X-Men Unlimited #50

Cover by Katsuya Terada, written by Kazuo Koike

Renowned creator of the classic Japanese manga LOne Wolf And Cub, Kazuo Koike steps in to bring his feudal flair to X-Men Unlimited.

Quest #2 (Of 6) has art by Yuji Iwahara .

TOKYOPOP

Brain Powerd Volume 2 Gn (of 3) by Yoshiyuki Tomino & Yukiru Sugisaki

Brigadoon Volume 1 Gn (of 3)

Earth has been engulfed by an unidentifiable mechanical presence. This presence contains the Monomakia, a living weapon, whose sole purpose is to track down 13-year-old Marin, an orphaned girl living in an alternate version of Tokyo. Young Marin's only chance to survive rests with Melan Blue, the Gun-Swordsman, who is destined to protect her. With arms made of weapons, the power of flight, and retractable body armor, Melan is ready to defend his charge to the bitter end.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master Of The Clow Volume 6 Gn (of 6) by CLAMP

Chobits Volume 7 Gn (of 8) by CLAMP

Clamp School Detectives Volume 3 Gn (of 3) by CLAMP

Digimon Volume 5 Gn (of 12)

Dragon Hunter Volume 2 Gn

Dragon Knights Volume 9 Gn (Of 17) by Mineko Ohkami

Forbidden Dance Volume 1 Gn (of 3)

A dance-filled manga with a delicious twist! When a young girl loses her confidence to dance, she fears she'll never set foot on the stage again. But when she falls in lust with an all-guy avant-garde dance troupe and their leader, everything changes. Soon, her primary goal in life is to join the troupe and snag the guy. So what if she's missing a Y-chromosome? She's got spunk, skill, and passion-and, in the end, she hopes that love will conquer all.

G-Gundam Volume 2 Gn (of 3) by Yadate & Tomino, Chiba, & Takayama, Tokita & Takayama

Gravitation Volume 2 Gn (of 12) by Maki Murakami

Gto Volume 14 Gn (of 25) by Tohru Fujisawa

Happy Mania Volume 3 Gn (5)

Initial D Volume 7 Gn (of 23) by Shuichi Shigeno

I.N.V.U. Volume 3 Gn (Of 4) by Kang Won Kim

Jing: King Of Bandits Volume 2 Gn (of 7) by Yuichi Kumakura

King Of Hell Volume 2 Gn (of 3) By Na In-Soo & Kim Jae-Hwan

Love Hina Volume 13 Gn (of 14) by Akamatsu Ken

Lupin III Volume 6 Gn (of 14) By Monkey Punch

Magic Knight Rayearth II Volume 1 Gn-New Printing

by CLAMP

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are Tokyo schoolgirls with nothing else in common until one fateful day changes everything: the three are summoned to the magical realm of Cephiro and find that their lives are inexorably intertwined. Princess Emeraude, whose willpower keeps Cephiro safe, has been kidnapped by the sinister Zagato, and the three girls must become the legendary Magic Knights in order to save her. It's not going to be easy, as Zagato has sent his most powerful minions to stop the girls before they can fulfill their destinies. Protected by an ancient wizard's blessing and determined to find their way home, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu begin the adventure of a lifetime! New pocket-sized format, in the traditional right-to-left.

Marmalade Boy Volume 8 Gn (of 8) by Wataru Yoshizumi

Mars Volume 13 Gn (of 15) by Fuyumi Soryo

Niea 7 Volume 1 Gn (of 2)

Mayuko is a girl from a poor family who longs to make a change in her life. She goes to school and works multiple jobs, but her freeloading roommate NieA further complicates the situation. NieA is one of many alien outcasts who have integrated themselves into human society. Ironically, Mayuko feels more out of place than NieA, but perhaps she can learn something about herself from her irritating lodger.

Pet Shop Of Horrors Volume 2 Gn (of 10) by Mari Akino

Count D and his exotic pets have a way of changing a person's life for better or for worse. Whether it is fulfilling one's deepest desire or teaching an errant soul an important lesson in life, his magic always comes with a price.

Rave Master Volume 4 Gn (of 18)

Rebound Volume 3 Gn (of 10)

Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 2 Gn (of 18) by Kamijyo Akimine

Shaolin Sisters Volume 4 Gn (of 5) by Narumi Kakinouchi

The Skull Man Volume 7 Gn (of 7) by Kazuhiko Shimamoto with Shotaro Ishinomori

The Kindaichi Case Files: The Mummy's Curse Gn (volume 2 of 6)

The classic cases of boy detective Kindaichi! Hajime and Miyuki are invited to a wedding involving a pre-arranged marriage of their schoolmate, Wakaba Tokita. The village the marriage is to take place in is named after the six mansions positioned at the corners of the village, forming the Star of David. Each of the six houses is hiding a mummy, and each mummy is missing a body part. Owners of these houses are mysteriously killed one- by-one by the seventh Mummy. The murders, Hajime discovers, are related to an incident 27 years ago where villagers burned a church, killing the priest and his seven daughters.

Tokyo Mew Mew Volume 3 Gn (of 4)

Vampire Game Volume 2 Gn (of 2)

Viz Communications

Animerica August 2003 Volume 11 #8

Animerica Extra August 2003 Volume 6 #8

In this issue: Short Program 2,Fushigi Yûgi, Video Girl Ai, Steam Detectives, Marionette Generation and Banana Fish

Shonen Jump September 2003 Volume 1 #9

Dragon Ball Z: Defeated by the Androids, Earth's heroes regroup and plan their next move. and Piccolo makes the fateful decision to rejoin his ancient nemesis Kami-sama.

Yu-Gi-Oh!:

Over 60 pages! Yusuke's classmate Hanazaki likes superhero comics, but can the super hero Zombire save him from trouble in the real world? Yuyu Hakusho: Yusuke's back, and now he's a "Spirit Detective"! His first assignment is to get back three evil artifacts from the demons Gouki, Kurama, and Hiei!

One Piece: Roronoa Zoro vs. Kabaji the Acrobat! Naruto:

To fight Zabuza, Kakashi unleashes the mystic powers of his hidden left eye! Shaman King: With his soul enslaved by an evil sorceress, a dead kung fu master comes back as a rampaging zombie! His target: Yoh Asakura!

Sandland: Rao, Beelzebub, and Thief find the source of the river

The All-New Tenchi Muyô! Volume 2: Doom Time Gn by Hitoshi Okuda

Super genius Washu invents a way to stop time, Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi foils a bank robbery, cute energy-eating robots invade Sasami's school and the ruler of planet Jurai visits earth and promptly throws a royal hissy fit. Plus, the first two chapters of the epic Dark Washu saga.

Basara Volume 1 Gn

by Yumi Tamura

In the future, an apocalypse all but destroys the world, throwing Japan into a pre-technological desert wasteland where fierce kings use murder and destruction to keep the terrified peasantry in line! When Tatara, the prophesized "Child of Destiny" is born, his twin sister Sarasa is witness to the seeds of hope also born in the people of her town and the surrounding country. But the Red King will not stand for the sedition of this "Child of Destiny," and he ruthlessly murders Tatara before the horrified eyes of the town. Now the only thing that will keep the townsfolk from being slaughtered as well is if Sarasa can pretend to be her brother and lead the people of her village to safer ground. But how long can Sarasa keep up the pretense of being savior of the world?

Boys Over Flowers: Volume 1 Hana Yori Dango Gn by Yoko Kamio

Tsukushi Makino has been accepted into the prestigious Eitoku academy. >From a middle class background and poor compared to her classmates, a diploma from Eitoku would give her the freedom to become whatever she wants. Life changes dramatically for Tsukushi when her only friend, Makiko falls on Tsukasa Domyoji, the explosive leader of the "F4," a group of the four most handsome and richest young men at the school. Domyoji refuses to accept Makiko's apology and Tsukushi steps in to protect her friend. A red tag appears in Tsukushi's locker the next morning - a sign from the F4 that she is to be bullied by the school.

Castle In The Sky Volume 1 Gn

by Hayao Miyazaki

The classic tale by the Academy Award-winning director of Spirited Away! A legend of the days of the first flying machines, where fantastic adventure takes to the air in search of the Castle In The Sky! Pirates greedy for treasure, and secret agents hungry for power, are both chasing Sheeta, a young girl who wears a mysterious blue stone around her neck. The stone's power makes Sheeta defy gravity - and float down into the life of Pazu, a tough young orphan boy inventor. What ancient secrets link Sheeta's stone to the incredible dangers and mysteries of the Castle In The Sky?

Castle In The Sky Volume 2 Gn

Castle In The Sky Volume 3 Gn

Dragon Ball Z Volume 12 Gn by Akira Toriyama

Volume 12 begins the Trunks saga, and the portion of Dragon Ball Z told in Shonen Jump.

Excel Saga Volume 1 Gn

by Rikdo Koshi

Today the city - tomorrow, the world! That's the plan of Il Palazzo, the haughty, pretty-boy leader of Across, a secret society based somewhere deep beneath the streets and sewers of Fukuoka, Japan. Across begins its bid for global domination with just two members - Il Palazzo and Excel, the teenaged girl smitten with him. After setting up house, Il Palazzo explains that the budget for world conquest and for room and board must be kept separate. They hope their neighbors will overlook the irregularities of their comings and goings; not to mention the sound of screams, struggles, and gasoline explosions!

Flame Of Recca Volume 1 Gn

by Nobuyuki Anzai

Meet Recca Hanabishi, a regular high-school kid who hopes one day to become a ninja. Suddenly, he discovers he's had super ninja secret powers all along! Together with his friends, Recca slowly learns how to navigate the ancient and oft-times arcane world of ninja warriors. Not only does he already possess the skills of a ninja, he also harbors the ability to control fire. On the day he pledges his undying ninja allegiance to a pretty classmate named Yanagi Sakoshita. What's the deal with Fuko Kirisawa? Does she want to smash our hero to smithereens, or does she simply want to kiss him?

Gundam: The Origin Volume 6 Gn by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Gundam Wing: Episode Zero Gn-Second Edition by Katsuyuki Sumisawa & Akira Kanbe

Resourceful young pilots from the colonies - including a war orphan, a former child assassin, and the child of a traveling circus - answer the call to fight back against the tyrannical United Earth Sphere Alliance. As children, each of the Gundam pilots endured hardships that would have broken the will of any normal person. Visit a time in the pilots' youth when the events of a universe gone mad makes desperation just another part of daily life.

Hamtaro Abc Book Sc by Ritsuko Kawai

Hamtaro, Let's Play! Volumes 1-3 Tp's By Ritsuko Kawai

Hamtaro Board Game Book

Naruto Volume 1: The Tests Of The Ninja Gn by Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto learned the truth about the spirit of the demon fox sealed within him, but it didn't change his goal to win the respect of the village by becoming the greatest ninja ever! First he must pass the test to enter the Ninja Academy; deal with his would-be rival, Konohamaru; and learn to get along with his new classmates. Assigned to a three-person team, Naruto must survive a test against an upper-level ninja instructor. But only two people can pass... which one will fail?

No. 5 Volume 2 Gn by Taiyo Matsumoto

In this second volume, with No.'s 8 and 9 down for the count, No. 5 continues his battle against the forces of the Rainbow Council. In a world that has become 70% harsh desert, the Rainbow Council of the International Peace Keeping Forces, a team of super-powered global security guardians, have a growing crisis on their hands. No. 5, one of their own and known within the council as their top marksman, has left his post and gone rogue. It's up to the other guardians to track him down - but No. 5, with his mysterious companion Matroshka, won't go down without a fight.

A review of the first volume can be seen here

Project Arms: The First Revelation Volume 1: Awakenings by Ryoji Minagawa

From the creators of Spriggan (Striker by Viz) comes a new tale of nano-machines, cybernetic assassins, powerful telekinetic opponents, and a secret organization dedicated to bring forth the next evolution of man!

Silent Mobius Volume 11: Hell Gn by Kia Asamiya

Tuxedo Gin Volume 1 Gn

by: Tokihiko Matsuura

High school student Ginji Kusanagi has just met the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, Ginji is dead! Trapped between life and death, Ginji encounters a strange being who offers him a loophole in the cycle - if he is reincarnated as an animal and lives out it's natural life, then he may be reborn back into his original body. Ginji still wants to go on that first date with Minako, so goes through with the deal. Although Ginji is still sentient and thinks like his former human self, in his new life as a penguin, he can't talk to humans anymore. In this most silly of romantic love-comedies, is there a chance for love to bloom between a boxing penguin and a beautiful girl!?

Wedding Peach Volume 1 Gn

by Sukehiro Tomita & Nao Yazawa

In a world where the wedding chapel has become a war zone between good and evil, three young girls transform themselves into mighty morphin' warriors of love! Wedding Peach features first-year middle-school student Momoko Hanasaki and her two friends Yuri and Hinagiku - who transform into demon-fighting super-powered angels! One day, cute little Momoko Hanasaki is mooning over the captain of her school's soccer team. And the next day she's fighting evil as the angelic Wedding Peach. Here for the first time in the U.S. is the original issue of Wedding Peach and her friends, Angel Lily and Angel Daisy. Together they unite to battle the wicked Rain DeVilla. Will the power of love help them save the day? Only Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, knows for sure.