DEL REY ACQUIRES TSUBASSA: RESERVOIR CHRONICLE AND XXXHOLIC

[MattBrady]

Press Release

Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, announced two new major Kodansha manga acquisitions today, both geared for release in May of 2004.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and XXXHolic are both creations of CLAMP, Japan’s wildly popular four-woman manga artist and writing team. CLAMP is the creative team behind such lucrative properties as Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits, which is currently one of the most successful manga properties in the United States. Chobits Volume 7 hit #17 on Bookscan’s adult trade paperback bestseller list, and #1 on their graphic novel bestseller list.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is the most highly-anticipated U.S. manga releases of 2004 and will feature crossover characters with XXXholic. In addition, both titles will also feature crossover characters from the Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits series, in addition to many other CLAMP titles.

“CLAMP have created some of the most beautiful and compelling works of manga published in the U.S. or Japan. Tsubasa and XXXHolic are the best work I've ever seen come out of their studio,” said Dallas Middaugh, Del Rey Director of Manga. “Manga readers have made CLAMP the most popular manga creators in America, and given the quality of this work, I don't see any reason for that to change in 2004!”

The acquisition of these two titles rounds out the four-title May 2004 launch of Del Rey’s new manga program. The first two title acquisitions, Gundam Seed, a manga adaptation by Masatsugu Iwase of the latest Gundam anime and Negima, a new series by Love Hina creator Ken Akamatsu, were announced at San Diego Comic-Con this past July.

[sat]

Well, I might as well mention this here, too.

Good news for Clamp fans. Not so much for me.

I'd really like to see more space SF manga from 2001 NIGHTS creator Yukinobu Hoshino.

But Del Rey's only republishing Kodansha books, and Hoshino's only done his _The Lost World_ inspired series dinosaur adventure BLUE WORLD for them:

More info on this and further volumes at
http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...9-00075-01-001
http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...9-00075-01-002
http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...9-00075-01-003
http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...9-00075-01-004

I would like to buy translations of these Kodansha series:


More info at
http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...9-00023-01-001


http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...6-00134-01-001


http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...5-00190-01-001


http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...5-00193-01-001


http://www.kodanclub.com/cgi-local/c...5-00089-01-002

EDEN translated preview at
http://www.kodanclub.com/club/preview0104/eden01.html

D'V translated preview at
http://www.kodanclub.com/club/preview/0101_dv01.html

I understand Del Rey is targeting a young adult audience, with their manga series selections.
EDEN (which looks like it could appeal to readers of the *huge* success AKIRA)
and D'V (which seems to have an appeal for the audiences of THE TERMINATOR and THE MATRIX)
seem to fit well with that approach.

And a *lot* of other titles that might be of others' interest at
http://www.kodanclub.com

[Cartoon Jay]

Thanks for posting up those links, sat. There are some good looking titles there I've never heard of; Ryugetsusho especially looks liek something I'd enjoy.

[sat]

Originally posted by Cartoon Jay
Thanks for posting up those links, sat. There are some good looking titles there I've never heard of; Ryugetsusho especially looks liek something I'd enjoy.

You're welcome.

With LONE WOLF & CUB having wrapped its successful run, RYUGETSUSHO by Ryoichi Ikegami (artist of CRYING FREEMAN, among many others) seems like a good succesor, IMO.

[gren99]

anything by ryoichi ikegami gets my immediate attention. i never got around to reading crying freeman when it was first published (but i managed to fix that oversight a few years back), but when viz published 'sanctuary' in the early 90s, it just completely blew me away.

it's kinda up there with 'v for vendetta' and the sandman books in terms of graphic novels, but honestly, it really compares more to the better prose novels i've read over the years -- it's simply that good.

'strain' (another series ikegami illustrated) is right up there as well. for my money, he's one of the best artists working in the field today -- in any country.

[Tivome]

really kicks butt. I've read the first few tanks and it's right up there with "Sancturary". The art is sinature Ryoichi mix of beauty and extreme violence. Highly recommended.

I doubt Del Ray will move into the mature titles soon. The target audience is now at around 13-14, the former Pokemon kids and the current Yu-gi-oh crowd. They are moving into Naruto/One Piece territory just now. Soon when the target demos moves into the late teens, we'll soon see these Seinen manga title appear. RAIJIN really looks to me to be more of a Seinen Anthology with City Hunter, Fist of Blue Sky, First President of Japan, etc. I hope they stay alive long enough to morph into the first true mature manga anthology in the US.

As for Del Ray, it would not be a stretch if they bring monthly Kodansha seinen anthology "Afternoon" to the US in the future, and share the joy of YKK and "Discommunication" on a monthly basis.