Perfect Girl Evolution 28, The Black Swindler 18, Sky Without Tomorrow 1 by Heiuchi Natsuko (Level Comics manga out nau~)

Street date: 1 August 2012

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge © Hayakawa Tomoko/Kodansha [Serialized in Betsufure]. Published in Indonesia as Perfect Girl Evolution by Level Comics.

The shops Sunako patronizes are in deep trouble! The big supermarket next door lures the shoppers away, and threatens to close down the mom and pop businesses. Can Sunako and her My Fair Bishounen save the shopping arcade from going bust??

Later, a super-pretty boy stalks Kyouhei. Running scared, Kyouhei grabs Sunako and...!

The synops above refer to Perfect Girl Evolution Parts 112 and 113, Save the Shopping Arcade! and Karnaval Penuh Debaran. Rounding out PGE 28 is a special two-parter, in which Kyouhei plays Edo jidai's answer to Robin Hood, Nezumi Kozo, and “Osuna” is the daughter of an impoverished tavern proprietress.

For still compelling LMAO! even after over a hundred stories, Hayakawa Tomoko's Perfect Girl Evolution volume 28 rates a solid 8 of 10♡ or A-.

The Black Swindler vol 18 of 20
By Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi

A fraudster cons elderly owners out of their land with the shiny promise of letting them live in the mansions part of the so-called urban renewal project.

Meanwhile, a public works racket brings Kurosaki face to face once more with Shiraishi. This time, Shiraishi uses a woman as an informant.

Can Kurosaki finally bring down Shiraishi? Or will they end up strange bedfellows (bedfelons? :p) again?

The first preview refers to The Black Swindler chapters 186 to 188, the urban renewal swindle, while the second deals with chapters 189 to 196, the public works fraud, Parts I to VIII.

☞ Meanwhile, The Black Swindler sequel, Shin Kurosagi, is now up to 15 volumes in Japan. The 16th tank streets this 28 September.

New Level titles
Level launches Sky Without Tomorrow or Ashita no Nai Sora by Heiuchi Natsuko. The editor thumbs-ups the seinen sports manga for choosing under the radar handball—that's bola tangan, right?—to frame a touching story that doesn't lose out in dramatic showdowns to others featuring more popular sports.

“Handball is the sky...”

Life for Sai falls apart after his father commits suicide, dragging along his younger children, Sai's sibs, with him. Now alone, Sai finds comfort in the handball club he founded with best bud Guts.

Follow Sai and Guts as they take on rivals and (presumably) discover the meaning of life through handball in Sky Without Tomorrow. Three tankou out in Japan as of June 2012, and it's still running in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits.

If I'm not mistaken, Sky Without Tomorrow is the first Heiuchi Natsuko manga in these parts. Correct me if I'm wrong; you can check from the backlist behind the jump.

Level Comics manga (2012.08.01)

1. Birdy The Mighty (Tetsuwan Birdy) vol 4 of 20 by Yuuki Masami

Tetsuwan Birdy 「鉄腕バーディー」 by Yuuki Masami AKA Tetsuwan Birdy (II) Shogakukan Young Sunday and Big Comic Spirits (after the former's closure on 31 July 2008), seinen Volume 4 first published in Japan 2004.03.

Volume 4 compiles chapters:
33–39 The Child of Quarter (10–16)
40–43 Visitors from Pentagon (1–4)

Related series
Adapted from the original Tetsuwan Birdy serialized in Shonen Sunday Super between 1985 and 1988 (one volume per 1996.07 [discontinued]; two-volume Shonen Sunday Comics Visual Selection reprint from 1996.12 to 1997.04)
Sequel: Tetsuwan Birdy Evolution (11 volumes as of 2012.04 • volume 12 street date: 2012.08.30, serialized in Big Comic Spirits)

Other languages
French (Pika Édition: Tetsuwan Birdy, Tome 11 per 2010.07)

Adaptations
Madhouse's Birdy the Mighty OAV (1996.07.25, four episodes) starring seiyuu Mitsuishi Kotono as Birdy and Iwanaga Tetsuya as Tsutomu, and A-1 Pictures' anime: Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode (2008.07.04–2008.09.29, 13 episodes) starring Chiba Saeko as Birdy and Irino Miyu as Tsutomu, Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode Season 2 (2009.01.09–2009.05.28, 12 episodes) and Birdy the Mighty Decode: The Cipher OAV (2009.07.22, one episode)

2. The Black Swindler (Kurosagi) vol 18 of 20 by Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi

Kurosagi 「クロサギ」 by Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi Shogakukan Young Sunday, seinen Volume 18 (chapters 186–188 and 189–196) first published in Japan 2008.03

Awards
Best Seinen/General Manga, 53rd Shogakukan Manga Awards (2007), along with Sekiya Tetsuji's Bambino!

Related
Sequel: Shin Kurosagi (15 volumes as of 2012.06 • volume 16 street date: 2012.09.28)

Adaptations
An 11-episode live-action renzoku starring Yamashita Tomohisa (Kurosaki) and Horikita Maki (Yoshikawa Tsurara) aired on TBS from April to June 2006. A movie starring the same leads premiered in Japan on 8 March 2008.

3. Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei) vol 10 of 12+ by Matsushita Yoko

Yami no Matsuei 「闇の末裔」 by Matsushita Yoko Hakusensha Hana to Yume, shoujo Volume 10 first published in Japan 2000.12

Other languages/serializations
English Descendants of Darkness: Yami no Matsuei (VIZ Media: 11 volumes as of 2006.05), French (Editions Tonkam: Les Descendants des Ténèbres Tome 12 shipped 2012.02, serialized in Magnolia), Italian (Editions Star Comics; serialized in Kappa Extra), German (Carlsen Comics: Yami no Matsuei: Erben der Dunkelheit Band 11 released 2004.09), Polish (Waneko: Ostatni synowie ciemności Tom 12 per 2012.02), traditional Chinese (Tong Li Taiwan: 闇之末裔 12 released 2010.05)

Adaptations
The 13-episode anime adaptation by J.C. Staff aired on WOWOW from 2000.10.02 to 2001.06.24, featuring seiyuu Asano Mayumi as Kurosaki Hisoka, Miki Shinichiro as Tsuzuki Asato and Hayami Sho as Dr. Muraki Kazutaka.

Related
Matsushita Yoko Character Book ~Yami no Matsuei~ (published by Hakusensha in August 1999) and the Matsushita Yoko Sketchbook ~Yami no Matsuei~ (JP: 2000.11)

4. Gun Smith Cats Burst vol 5 of 5 by Sonoda Kenichi [Finale] «Ex-2012.07.25

Gun Smith Cats Burst 「ＧＵＮＳＭＩＴＨ　ＣＡＴＳ　ＢＵＲＳＴ」 by Sonoda Kenichi Kodansha Afternoon, seinen Volume 5 first published in Japan 2008.11

Related series
Prequel Gun Smith Cats (eight volumes)

Other languages
English Gunsmith Cats Burst (Dark Horse Comics; 5 volumes) and French (Glenat tome 5 released 2010.03)

5. MOON -Subaru Solitude Standing- vol 6 of 9 by Soda Masahito & Tomiyama Kuro

MOON—Subaru Solitude Standing— 「ＭＯＯＮ　―昴ソリチュードスタンディング」 by Soda Masahito & Tomiyama Kuro Shogakukan Big Comic Spirits, seinen Volume 6 first published in Japan 2010.05

Other languages
Traditional Chinese (Tong Li: MOON~昴‧續篇~ 7 released 2011.08)

Related series
Subaru (prequel; 11 volumes)

6. Perfect Girl Evolution (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge) vol 28 of 31+ by Hayakawa Tomoko

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge 「ヤマトナデシコ七変化」 by Hayakawa Tomoko Kodansha Betsufure, shoujo Volume 28 (Parts 112–115) first published in Japan 2011.04

Other languages
English The Wallflower (Del Rey until volumes 22/23/24; Kodansha Comics starting volume 25; 28 volumes as of 2012.05) and Chuang Yi (as My Fair Lady; volume 26 per 2011.02), French (Pika Édition: Yamato Nadeshiko Tome 16 shipped 2011.12), German (EMA/Egmont Manga & Anime: Perfect Girl Band 28 released 2012.06)

Related
A Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge extra chapter appears as the second story in the 2011.05.13 Betsufure omnibus Moero S-kei Seifuku Danshi!

Adaptations
Anime by Nippon Animation featuring seiyuu Takaguchi Yukiko (Nakahara Sunako), Morikubo Showtaro (Takano Kyohei), Yamauchi Yuuya (Toyama Yukinojo), Sugita Tomokazu (Oda Takenaga) and Nojima Hirofumi (Mori Ranmaru) aired from October 2006 to March 2007 on Japan's TV Aichi. A live-action renzoku starring Kamenashi Kazuya (Kyohei), Oomasa Aya (Sunako), Tegoshi Yuya (Yukinojo), Uchi Hiroki (Takenaga) and Miyao Shuntaro (Ranmaru) was telecast on TBS from January to March 2010.

7. [Series Premiere] Sky Without Tomorrow (Ashita no Nai Sora) vol 1 of 3+ by Heiuchi Natsuko

Ashita no Nai Sora 「明日のない空」 by Heiuchi Natsuko Shogakukan Big Comic Spirits, seinen Volume 1 first published in Japan 2009.07.

[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]

European comics/BDs (2012.08.01)

1. Agatha Christie: Murder at the Vicarage Pembunuhan di Wisma Pendeta (Agatha Christie, Tome 9: L'Affaire Protheroe) by Norma, Wilmaury
2. Alone 3: Geng Hiu (Seuls, Tome 3: Le clan du requin) by Gazzotti-Vehlmann
3. Cubitus and Friends (Cubitus, pour les intimes, Tome 5) by Dupa
4. Jojo: Perjalanan Empat Musim (Jojo, Tome 14: La Ballade des quatre saisons) by André Geerts

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The Black Swindler 17, The Drops of God 11, Bambino Secondo 1 by Sekiya Tetsuji (Level Comics 4 April 2012 manga)

☞ Reiterating: Comic prices have gone up↑ as of April 2012. For Level titles, from IDR 18,500 to IDR 20,000/volume. Bunko edition Blue Seal now carries an IDR 24,000 price tag.

Bambino! Secondo © Sekiya Tetsuji/Shogakukan
[Serialized in Big Comic Spirits]
Published in Indonesia by Level Comics

After a challenging internship at the Trattoria Baccanale Roppongi, Shogo Ban has been entrusted the position of pasta chef at the newly-opened branch, Yokohama Legare. To say he stands on a new battlefield is no understatement. Opening day brings typhoon-like chaos and Ban still has trouble adjusting to having assistants, not to mention leaving behind his loved ones.

Can Ban cope? asks Level, tongue in cheek, I'm imagining. (It has only been hyping Bambino! Secondo from the time prequel Bambino! wrapped — and that was some four months ago).

Like its predecessor, Bambino! Secondo also serializes in Big Comic Spirits, and as of March this year, has been compiled in 10 tankou.

Aside from Bambino! and Bambino! Secondo, Sekiya Tetsuji is also credited with the seinen manga Django!, first serialized in Morning (two volumes published between March and April 2001), and Oudoumon (two volumes published by Takeshobo's Kindai Mahjong Comics from February to July 2003).

I babble about the other Level manga debut—Ayamine Rando's Demons, Exorcism, Student Council Holy Talker—after the release list. For nau, top DO WANT!

The Black Swindler vol 17 of 20
By Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi

Kurosaki's case reunites the Swindler of Swindlers with an old school friend, a once—and apparently, future—fraud victim.

The Black Swindler volume 17 compiles two cases in chapters 175 to 179 and 180 to 185.

The Drops of God vol 11 of 32+
By Agi Tadashi & Okimoto Shu

The Third Apostle poses problems not only for inexperienced Shizuku, but even Tomine whose confidence is at an all time high from partnering with Loulan. Both guess wrong, prompting Robert Doi to deem both unworthy of Yutaka's wine legacy and threatening to strip their inheritance if they fail to identify the Third Apostle within three days.

Who will win the rematch? (Obviously) the answer lies in The Drops of God volume 11.

Thirty-two Kami no Shizuku: Les Gouttes de Dieu tankou have been published in Japan as of February 2012; the 33rd is set for a 23 May 2012 release.

Level Comics manga (2012.04.04)

1. Ami Non Stop vol 2 of 12 by Kitagawa Miyuki

Ami! Nonstop 「亜未！ノンストップ」 by Kitagawa Miyuki Shogakukan Sho-Comi, shoujo Volume 2 first published in Japan 1993.06

Reissues
Rereleased in six volumes under the Flower Comics Deluxe label from 2001.05 to 1993.09

2. [Series Premiere] Bambino! Secondo vol 1 of 10+ by Sekiya Tetsuji

Bambino! Secondo 「バンビ～ノ！ＳＥＣＯＮＤＯ」 by Sekiya Tetsuji Shogakukan Big Comic Spirits, seinen Volume 1 first published in Japan 2009.08

Related series
Prequel: Bambino! (15 volumes)

3. The Black Swindler (Kurosagi) vol 17 of 20 by Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi

Kurosagi 「クロサギ」 by Kuromaru & Natsuhara Takeshi Shogakukan Young Sunday, seinen Volume 17 (chapters 175–179 and 180–185) first published in Japan 2008.02

Awards
Best Seinen/General Manga, 53rd Shogakukan Manga Awards (2007), along with Sekiya Tetsuji's Bambino!

Related
Sequel: Shin Kurosagi (14 volumes as of 2012.03.30)

Adaptations
An 11-episode live-action renzoku starring Yamashita Tomohisa (Kurosaki) and Horikita Maki (Yoshikawa Tsurara) aired on TBS from April to June 2006. A movie starring the same leads premiered in Japan on 8 March 2008.

4. Blue Seal (Ao no Fuuin [Bunko]) vol 6 of 7 by Shinohara Chie

Ao no Fuuin 「蒼の封印　(小学館文庫)」 by Shinohara Chie AKA The seal on deep blue Shogakukan Sho-Comi, shoujo Bunko volume 6 first published in Japan 1999.05 (originally published in 11 tankoubon from 1992.04 to 1994.12)

Adaptations
Audio drama CD released by Shogakukan in May 1993 and light novels written by Yamamoto Natsumi and illustrated by Shinohara Chie, published under the KSS Comic Novels imprint (three volumes from September to December 1998)

5. The Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku) vol 11 of 32+ by Agi Tadashi & Okimoto Shu

Kami no Shizuku: Les Gouttes de Dieu 「神の雫」 by Agi Tadashi & Okimoto Shu Kodansha Morning, seinen Volume 11 first published in Japan 2007.05

Awards
Special Award of the Year - La Revue du vin de France (French wine magazine); Nominee (Glénat's Les Gouttes de Dieu, tome 1), French Angoulême Comics Awards; Nominee, 1st Keitai Comic Taishō (Mobile Phone Comic Award, along with Hiura Satoru's Hotaru no Hikari, Miyasaka Kaho's Kare First Love and 17 other manga)

Other languages
French (Glénat: Les Gouttes de Dieu Tome 22 shipped 2012.02 • Tome 23 street date: 2012.05.09), traditional Chinese (Sharp Point Press Taiwan: 神之水滴 30 per 2011.12), English Drops of God (Vertical: three volumes as of 2012.03.27 • volume 4 street date: 2012.06.12)

Adaptations
A live-action renzoku starring Kamenashi Kazuya as Kanzaki Shizuku aired from January to March 2009 in Japan on NTV.

6. GTO vol 7 of 25 by Fujisawa Toru

GTO 「ＧＴＯ」 by Fujisawa Toru Kodansha Weekly Shonen Magazine, shounen Volume 7 (Lessons 51-59) first published in Japan 1998.06

Awards
Winner, 1998 Kodansha Manga Awards in the Shounen category

Other languages
Bilingual Japanese/English (Kodansha International, three volumes per 1999.12), English GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (TOKYOPOP: 25 volumes), French (PIKA Édition: 25 volumes), Italian (Dynamic Italia), German (EMA), Polish (Waneko), Swedish (Schibsted Förlagen Sverige AB; serialized in Manga Mania), traditional Chinese (Tong Li)

Related series
Prequels Shounan Junaigumi! AKA GTO: The Early Years (31 volumes) and Bad Company (one volume) and sequel GTO Shonan 14 Days (nine volumes as at 2011.11, concluded)

Adaptations
A live-action GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka TV series, starring Sorimachi Takashi (Onizuka Eikichi) and Matsushima Nanako (Fuyutsuki Azusa) telecast from July to September 1998 on Fuji TV and Kansai TV, followed by GTO Drama Special (1999.08.28) and GTO: The Movie (1999) and Studio Pierrot's 43-episode Great Teacher Onizuka anime adaptation, starring seiyuu Takagi Wataru as Onizuka that aired between June 1999 and September 2000.

7. GTO Shonan 14 Days vol 5 of 9 by Fujisawa Toru

GTO Shonan 14 Days 「ＧＴＯ　ＳＨＯＮＡＮ　１４ＤＡＹＳ」 by Fujisawa Toru Kodansha Weekly Shonen Magazine, shounen Volume 5 first published in Japan 2010.10

Related series
Prequels: Shounan Junaigumi! AKA GTO: The Early Years (31 of 31 volumes); Bad Company (1 of 1 volume); and GTO (25 of 25 volumes)

Other languages
Simplified Chinese (Chuang Yi: volume 4 per 2010.10), English GTO 14 Days in Shonan (Vertical: two volumes as of 2012.03.27 • volume 3 street date: 2012.05.29)

8. [Series Premiere] Holy Talker vol 1 of 6+ by Ayamine Rando

Holy Talker 「ホーリートーカー」 by Ayamine Rando Kodansha Shonen Rival, shounen Volume 1 first published in Japan 2008.09

Adaptations
A Holy Talker drama CD was bundled with the limited edition volume 4 released 2009.07 with Kamakari Kenta as Takayama Renga and Suzumura Kenichi as Amakusa Chitose.

9. Onsen Paradise (Kirikiritei no Braun Sensei) vol 5 of 9 by Kikuchi Shota

Kirikiritei no Braun Sensei 「きりきり亭のぶら雲先生」 by Kikuchi Shota Gentosha Birz Comics Deluxe, seinen Volume 5 first published in Japan 2001.01

Related
Sequel: Kirikiri Teishujin (two volumes per 2010.12, ongoing)

Reissues
Re-released in four bunko volumes from 2009.03 to 2009.07

[Release links are hide/unhide. Click for more details.]

European comics/BDs (2012.04.04)

1. Agatha Christie: The Secret Adversary Musuh Dalam Selimut (Agatha Christie, Tome 5: Mister Brown) by Francois Riviere, Frank Leclercq (Heupe Sarl-Emmanuel Proust Editions)
2. Smurf: Kekacauan di Desa Smurf (Les Schtroumpfs, Tome 21: On ne schtroumpfe pas le progrès) by Peyo (Le Lombard)

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