By Mat K.
Okay, well maybe there is, I mean I really could have done without Angelic Days, and I’m pretty sure The Shinji Ikari Raising Project was only a step above that, (by the way, if you didn’t know NGE means Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is frankly too long a title to fit anywhere other than body text). The reason I’m bringing up Evangelion is because, that’s right, there’s a brand new series! Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse releases this week. Written and illustrated by someone only known as Ming Ming, which I sincerely hope is a pen name, or at least just a first name, this is a whole new spin on the fave series. In this new vision Shinji Ikari’s parents are gone, and he lives with his legal guardian, Ryoji Kaji, while attending the private NERV Academy. But no one ever told Shinji about its secrets . . . or that he’d find his fellow students Kaworu, Rei, and Asuka out on the streets late at night-fighting with sword, spear, and whip against an enemy that looks very human, but who Kaworu insists are beings called the Angels.
There is plenty of other good things this week as well, which is great considering how noting has come out for the last two weeks. This is also a huge week for Tokyopop, which makes me think Viz is going to dominate next week. There is another series premiering this week that looks really cute and I think deserves some attention. Hoshi No Witch (aka Witch In The Artemis), by Yui Hara. Before his death, Kazuki’s father told many stories about Artemis, a magical star not unlike their own, Planet. Now an orphan living with his brother, Kazuki daydreams constantly about Artemis, despite his brother’s warnings that the planet doesn’t actually exist. Then one day, Kazuki runs into a girl from Artemis…who disappears and is quickly replaced by another girl…who puts a curse on him that he can’t remove unless he finds the witch of Artemis…who happens to be the first girl he saw! But when he finds her, he discovers she’s much more than just your typical sorceress. Magic and the struggles of growing up intertwine in this tale of learning to follow your instincts in spite of your best -or worst – intentions.
There is definitely a lot of stuff I adore reading coming out, like Kyo Kara Maoh Volume 7, Silver Diamond Volume 7, Future Diary Volume 7, (wait, pattern? Maybe I should buy a lotto ticket this week). But I think my final spotlight this week is going to Junjo Romantica Volume 12 by Shungiku Nakamura. It has been AGES since the last volume of this series, and it’s about time. The anime was finally picked up, and we’ve been seeing merchandise like wall scrolls and key chains and such, so thank god Tokyopop got back on the ball. In this volume Misaki knows that living with Akihiko Usami, the ever popular boys love novelist, can be challenging. Being in a relationship with this egotistical (and sadistic) man turns the challenge into mission impossible. And when Akihiko’s jealous, pushy cousin moves in and tries to wreck havoc into Misaki’s already chaotic life, all hell breaks loose! And in the midst of all the turmoil, Misaki enters his fourth year at the university, and the necessity to land a job closes in on him. Will Misaki be able to overcome all these obstacles and make it out in one piece? And what is Akihiko’s reaction to all this?
Anyway, that’s what I got for ya this time. Aren’t you Thrilled? See you all next week.
Ja Ne!
