In the early noughties there was a sudden surge of interest in manga in the USA, resulting in several publishing houses establishing their own lines of manga in English translation. Some have fared better than others – and now, one of the best-established of them all, Del Rey Manga, has recently celebrated five successful years in manga publishing.

Del Rey, thanks to their relationship with Kodansha, have brought us a rich variety of titles and mangaka – although it will be interesting to watch what happens now as Kodansha have recently established their own US publishing base.

As a dyed-in-the-wool CLAMP fan, I was very happy to see Del Rey license the (then) new series ‘Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle’ and its crossover/linked manga ‘xxxHOLIC.’ And when the first volumes appeared in 2004, it was especially pleasing to see the care that had been taken with these titles, setting a high standard that, by and large, Del Rey have maintained. From helpful explanations about honorifics to the fascinating Translator’s Notes at the end of each volume, with illuminating Japanese cultural references, not to mention previews of the next volume in the original language, Del Rey were offering something a little different, even a little more scholarly (but in a good way!) than Viz and Tokyopop (their main rivals in the field.) Another massive hit has been ‘Negima!’ by Ken Akamatsu; the story of ten-year-old wizard schoolteacher and his harem class of fourteen-year-old schoolgirls is ongoing and still selling extremely well. Their latest hot property is Hiro Mashima’s immensely likeable ‘Fairy Tail’ (and, yes, his art is still reminiscent of Oda’s art for ‘One Piece’ but not in a bad way.)

As the five years have passed, there have been more jewels revealed in the collection: most notably ‘Genshiken,’ ‘Mushishi, ‘School Rumble’ and ‘Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei’ – and the classic SF series ‘Parasyte.’

And then Del Rey have given us the invaluable Character Guides: two for ‘Tsubasa’ so far and one for ‘xxxHOLIC’ (just out) as well as the ‘Genshiken Official Book.’ Filled with interviews, character information and facts as well as brand new material, these guides are useful for newcomers to the series and feed the addiction for existing fans. In France, a recent development from Pika has been to issue the last three volumes of ‘Tsubasa’ each in a box-set with the three episodes of ‘Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations’ on DVD (subbed, not dubbed) from Kaze; one wonders if Del Rey might consider a similar project?

Criticisms? Well yes, I do have a few, even though I applaud Del Rey for the overall high quality of their translations and presentation (the lettering is usually easy to read, another bonus.) But there have been some weak – yes, even depressingly bad – titles amongst the jewels. Several of the shojo titles have left me scratching my head and wondering ‘why?’ Especially when Kodansha’s mangaka have won awards for shojo titles such as ‘Guru Guru Pon Chan’ And I’ve been less than impressed with their ventures into OEL manga; although ‘Yokaiden’ by Nina Matsumoto is a notable exception, with pleasing art and a theme rooted in Japanese folklore, that’s well worth investigating. The cinemanga titles such as ‘Ben 10: Alien Force’ and ‘Secret Saturdays’ (linking up with Cartoon Network) have impressed my kids at school, but may be seen by some purists as selling out. I’d love to be able comment knowledgeably on the recent X-Men and Wolverine manga, but, unfortunately, I haven’t yet seen them.  

And now Kodansha Ltd, celebrating its centennial anniversary in Japan, has just begun to issue its own English editions, Kodansha Comics, via Random House the home of Del Rey Manga. The first volumes of ‘Akira’ and ‘The Ghost in the Shell’ have just been released – or ‘re-published’ according to the publicity. The word on the street says that, rather disappointingly, they seem to be the flipped versions previously available from Dark Horse.

So what can we look forward to in the next few months from Del Rey Manga?
Later in November, comes ‘Moyasimon’ by Masayuki Ishikawa
‘Tadayasu is a new, fresh-faced university student hiding a bizarre secret: He can see germs with the naked eye. Between the machinations of an eccentric professor determined to unlock the power of the microbial world and the doomed agricultural experiments of his fellow students, will Tadayasu ever find the cool college atmosphere he so desires?’

The final volumes of ‘Samurai Deeper Kyo’ bu Akimine Kamijyo. Volumes 35/36 in December, followed by 37/38 in June 2010, Del Rey having taken over the license from Tokyopop.

And to please anyone with an eye for bishonen – or who enjoyed the anime R1 series – ‘Nighthead Genesis’ #1 with art with You Higuri.

At a time when other manga publishers in the US (apart from Viz and Yen Press) are cutting back on their output, Del Rey Manga must be doing something right to be continuing to issue on average eight titles a month. I’ve found much to enjoy in their output; I hope they can continue to keep up their high standards.

To conclude on a lighter note – and at the considerable risk of provoking the ire of Answerman from ANN – here are some lists!

Five Titles Suitable for – and tried and tested by –  older Juniors (10+)
1/ Kitchen Princess: includes recipes and loved by boys and girls alike – truly addictive! (10 volumes: complete, yet with a light novel to come.)
2/ Sugar Sugar Rune: an imaginative, touching and unusual take by Moyoco Anno on the shojo theme of magical girls. (8 volumes: complete)    
3/ Shugo Chara: ongoing magical girl fantasy – a huge hit in Japan, with a charming anime spin-off.
4/ Dragon Eye: a shonen fantasy fighting adventure.  
5/ Bakugan Battle Brawlers: from the Cinemanga collection

My ‘Five to Avoid’ Titles (please argue with me on this one! It’s only personal taste…)
1/ Gakuen Prince: you’ll either love or loathe this tale of predatory, sex-obsessed high school girls and their prey. Guess which camp I fell into?  
2/ Q-Ko-Chan: The Earth Invader Girl: a massive disappointment from Hajime Ueda, the mangaka of FLCL; what was that all about, then?
3/ Le Chevalier d’Eon – deviates significantly from the anime, a (non) triumph of style and large bosoms over coherent plot and…well, anything, really. Only for true enthusiasts.
4/ Pichi Pichi Pitch: singing mermaids;  but which one is which? Impossible to tell them apart… or care…
5/ Gacha Gacha: fan service, obviously not intended for me to enjoy, but some plot would have been nice… 

http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/manga/index.pperl

I love CLAMP, I freely admit it. ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ was the first shojo anime series I remember seeing on UK TV (before ‘Sailor Moon’?) and even in its mangled US version, I fell in love with it and went straight out to search for the manga. From the elegant art nouveau drawings on the Clow cards, through the sweet but not sugary depiction of friendship and first love, to the shadowy presence of Clow Reed, everything enchanted me. Surprising, really, that the next CLAMP series I read was ‘Tokyo Babylon’, as it made such a dark and doom-laden contrast to the cheerful optimism of Sakura and her friends. Then, of course, I had to collect ‘X/1999’ to find out what became of the tragic and ill-fated pair Subaru and Seishiro. Duly devastated by the terrible fates of characters I’d come to love and hate in equal measure, I consoled myself with the science fictional fairy tale ‘Chobits’ and the exquisite artwork of ‘Clover’. By the time the first volumes of ‘Tsubasa’ and ‘xxxHOLIC’ began to appear from Del Rey Manga, I was utterly hooked; what CLAMP fan could fail to be drawn into the whole ‘Tsubasa’ crossover concept?
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Great Artwork, Clear Storytelling, An Involving Cast of Characters…
Del Rey Manga Round-Up Spring 2008

I really love the classy Del Rey manga format, especially their in-depth ‘Translator’s Notes’ and previews of the next volume, but sometimes, of late, I’ve felt that all their loving presentation has been wasted some less than distinguished series. The winning formula – for me – is quite simple: great artwork, clear storytelling, and an involving cast of characters. Yet it’s surprising how many mangaka don;t quite manage to pull off combining all three. So I’m delighted to report that their two spring lead titles, Hiro Mashima’s ‘Fairy Tail’ and ‘Toto! The Wonderful Adventure’ by Yuko Osada are well worth investigating.

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Pumpkin Scissors Vol. 1 Ryotaro Iwanaga OT Ages 16+

“This book does not contain and is not based on historical facts. Please also note that standard military facts and concepts do not apply, either.’

In the aftermath of a protracted war between the Empire and the Republic of Frost that in some ways resembles World War I, the motley little crew of soldiers (and their dog Mercury, Corporal Private 1st Class, soon to be demoted to Courier) that make up ‘Pumpkin Scissors’ (Imperial Army State Section III) struggle to help the people rebuild their lives. It’s three years since the cease-fire, however, and the Empire is still terrorized by bands of former soldiers.

In command is 2nd Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin: young, idealistic, yet incredibly stubborn when she’s determined to get her own way. Alice’s unit find themselves pitted against Grey Wolf, a group of ex-soldiers still in possession of a tank, who are hiding out in a dam and terrorising the local villagers. Things look bad for Pumpkin Scissors until a scarred giant of a man, Randel Oland, comes to their aid. It turns out that Grey Wolf were Chemical Tactic Troopers who have used Kirche-3, a delayed reaction chemical weapon on the villagers. Pumpkin Scissors have a short time to get the antidote from Grey Wolf or the victims will die. It’s only when they’re being fired on by the tank that Oland brings out his mysterious blue lamp and his true identity is revealed. He is a Gespenter Jager, Ghost Hunter or Deathmarch Trooper, one of those ‘who march among the midnight glow’. The implication here (and more will doubtless be revealed as future volumes are translated) is that Oland and others have been secretly altered during the war to make them into human fighting machines. Alice and Oland seem to understand each other and the taciturn giant is made a corporal in her unit. But it’s not long before they’re called to the estate of a viscount who’s been hunting down humans for fun – with a tank. Trapped, Alice is forced to reveal that she is one of the thirteen noble families as she tries to encourage the viscount’s servants to rebel against their master and stop his bloodthirsty games.

Fans of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ may find some echoes of Colonel Roy Mustang’s squad (there’s even a dog!). The nice little touches of humour that alleviate the grimmer moments also bring FMA to mind, especially when Pumpkin Scissors attempt to look after an abandoned baby. The growing understanding between Alice and her laconic new corporal Oland hints at interesting developments to come. Well-told, with sympathetic, quirky characters and an intriguing premise, ‘Pumpkin Scissors’ is the stand-out for me of Del Rey’s recent list. And there’s the anime version on R1 to enjoy as well; although sadly, for us R2 viewers, it’s one of the new ADV series that’s just been announced as on hiatus before it’s even begun!

Hell Girl Vol. 1: drawn by Miyuki Eto, based on an original story by The Jigoku Shoujo Project Ages 16+
“Hell does exist.”

Imagine you’re being blackmailed by one of your school fellows. Imagine you hear of a mysterious website that appears only at midnight which promises that the Hell Girl will care of your problem once and for all. Imagine you’re so desperate that you type in the name of your persecutor…

“To curse someone is to dig a double grave,” warns the beautiful, cold-eyed girl who arrives to fulfil your request. She is Ai Enma, Hell Girl. “If you want to take revenge you have to pay with your own soul.”

In each of the five tales that make up the first volume of Hell Girl, someone is being victimized. In Chapter 4, Junko’s beloved dog Lucky falls sick. Lucky dies in the care of the vet who has promised to care for him and Junko is distraught when the practice nurse tells her that the vet only treats the really profitable cases, neglecting the other animals in the surgery. After she uses Hell Girl’s website, the vet suffers an unpleasant fate and is last seen being ferried away on a boat by Ai Enma to hell.

The first volume of ‘Hell Girl’ has been released at roughly the same time as the R1 anime series from FUNimation. Each chapter follows the same formula, even down to the exact words pronounced by Hell Girl. Whether this format may evolve and change in subsequent volumes is hard to tell. There’s no hope of redemption here for the persecutors; they suffer a horrible fate for their crime, yet, as we already know, their victim’s soul is also destined for eternal punishment. The moral thus seems to be: put up with it – or condemn your immortal soul to eternal damnation!

Ventura Vol. 1 by Shino Midorikawa Ages 13+

Although it has been compared to Harry Potter, (well, it is set in a school for wizards and wizard-swordsmen) ‘Ventura’ feels more like a traditional sword and sorcery tale – and is none the worse for that! Red-haired Lewin Randit dreams of being a wizard but has to put up with being trained as a swordsman at the Gaius School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It doesn’t help matters that his classmates give him a hard time; easily provoked, Lewin is always getting into trouble. However, it seems that Lewin may not be as useless at magic as he believes – even though it can prove to be much more complex and dangerous than he has ever imagined. But when Lewin and two friends infiltrate the preparation room, they unwittingly unleash a deadly force trapped inside that endangers the whole school.

Midorikawa’s wispy and intricately detailed character drawings are distinctive and attractive, giving ‘Ventura’ a genuinely different look from many of the other fantasy manga stories around. It’s important to pay great attention to the text and dialogue; many significant nuggets of information are revealed, but not always at moments when they could move the story along in a meaningful way. In fact I had to read this first volume twice to make sense of the unravelling plot strands. Again, a most promising start to a genuinely different series that should appeal to CLAMP readers as well as sword and sorcery fans.

‘Dragon Eye’ by Kairi Fujiyama Ages 13+

Readers looking for a good shonen adventure can’t go wrong with ‘Dragon Eye’ by Kairi Fujiyama, which has recently reached Volume 3. Deadly viruses decimating mankind is a favourite theme of recent manga and anime series and in ‘Dragon Eye’ the ‘D Virus’ turns its victims into ‘bloodthirsty monsters’ called Dracules. Young Leila Mikami, whose parents were killed by a Dracule, sets out to join VIUS, teams of elite warriors who have very strong antibodies against the virus and are sent out to destroy the deadly Dracules.

‘Dragon Eye’ looks at first glance like a typical shonen, a little reminiscent of ‘D. Gray-Man’ (which is no bad thing), bursting with fights, warrior codes, and monsters. But a well-told, complex and involving story unfolds as Leila and the other new recruits are rescued from a deadly Dracule attack by a feisty blue-haired boy called Issa Kazuma. His secret is the Dragon Eye in his forehead, which lends him tremendous power whilst at the same time slowly destroying all that is human in his body. And, despite his youth, he’s the captain of Squad Zero to which Leila is assigned. Add in a third new squad member, Sosei Yukimura, out to exact revenge on Issa for killing his twin sister and an intriguing scenario is established, full of potential for future conflict. What is Issa’s secret?

Del Rey manga are still by far the best when it comes to helpful notes, explanations of Japanese life and culture and the pitfalls of translating (especially when it comes to jokes and puns). Colour plates are often included at the front (a real bonus in the case of CLAMP artwork).The list started very strongly indeed with the two ongoing CLAMP crossover titles ‘Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle’ and ‘xxxHolic’. Other successes include Ken Akamatsu’s ‘Negima!’, historical ninja feud story ‘Basilisk’(seinen), Fuyumi Soryo’s ‘ES’ (josei) and Moyoco Anno’s charming yet gently subversive modern fairy tale ‘Sugar Sugar Rune’ (children of all ages!). And Oh! great’s subversive and manically brilliant ‘Air Gear’ is as crazy and inventive as ever.

However I have to confess that I’m not so thrilled by some of their more recent acquisitions: ‘Psycho Busters’ and ‘Shiki Tsukai’ are distinctly underwhelming so far and ‘Pastel’ and ‘Gacha Gacha Revolution’ are yawningly predictable in the ‘teen boy sees/squeezes/accidentally falls against teen girl’s boobies’ department. With so many titles like these in the list, it would be good to see a yaoi and/or yuri title or two. Thank goodness the dreary (and confusing) mermaid saga ‘Pichi Pichi Pitch’ has finished at last (without colour it was almost impossible to tell one mermaid from another), although ninja teen romcom ‘Kagetora’ lumbers on. Sf thriller ‘Alive’ and the classic horror ‘Parasyte’ are much stronger contenders. Shojo magical tale ‘Shugo Chara’ from Peach-pit is currently being made into an anime and the genuinely funny high school ‘School Rumble’ is still going strong. So I’m hoping for more titles of the quality and range of ‘Mushishi’ and ‘xxxHolic’ as the list continues to evolve and expand, making a strong start to 2008, overall, with much to look forward to later in the year.