Chelciejo Anime Collection: Mail Girlfriend

Kicking off the 18 April 2012 releases with m&c!'s for a change. (What has NOT changed is The Breaker again emerging as top DO WANT!)

The Breaker © Jeon KeukJin, Park JinHwan/Daewon C.I.
[First serialized in Young Daiwon]
Published in Indonesia by Gramedia/m&c!

The leaders of Murim learn of the presence of Koo Moon Ryong's disciple in their midst; now danger stalks Lee Shi Woon even at school. Whether the poor kid likes it or not, he must face the coming onslaught, relying on his own strength alone.

How does Lee Shi Woon fare against a new batch of opponents? See The Breaker volume 6 for answers.

Mail Girlfriend vol 5 of 5
By Oshima Towa

Flamer Sei throws not only Kakeru's online life into chaos, but likewise doesn't spare Haruka from his/her attentions. Only at this critical juncture does Kakeru realize that he has peeps on teh internets.

New m&c! titles
m&c! backs off from double-launching Minase Ai's Therefore Please Choose Me (originally Dakara Ore ni Shina yo ex-Sho-Comi), but the debut of Sugiyama Miwako's Flower and The Beast (Hana ni Kedamono), also ex-Sho-Comi, is "All systems green!" for this week. Same goes for I Love You Just As You Are, a three-volume manhwa published by Kenaz (responsible for bringing you those Telecinema7 manhwa last week), and the graduation into tankou of Nakajima Yuka's My Mysterious Neighbor (Tonari no Obake-san), which finished its Indonesian serial run in Cherry. Deets after the release list. [Continued...]

m&c! manga (2012.04.18)

Canvas ~ Rainbow Sketch (Canvas 2 - Nijiiro no Sketch) vol 2 of 4 by Kodama Miki «Ex-2012.03.28 (Resked)

Canvas 2 - Nijiiro no Sketch
「Ｃａｎｖａｓ２～虹色のスケッチ～」
by Kodama Miki, FC01FANDC. CO. JP
AKA Canvas2
Kadokawa Shoten Shonen Ace, shounen
Volume 2 first published in Japan 2005.12

Related
Based on the FC01 FANDC visual novel Canvas 2 - Nijiiro no Sketch, sequel to Canvas: Motif of Sepia. The game was also adapted into a 24-episode anime produced by Kadokawa Shoten and ZEXCS, which aired from October 2005 to March, with seiyuu Sakurai Takahiro as Kamikura Hiroki, Nazuka Kaori as Elise Housen and Nabatame Hitomi as Kikyou Kiri.

[Series Premiere] Flower and The Beast (Hana ni Kedamono) vol 1 of 5+ by Sugiyama Miwako

Hana ni Kedamono 「花にけだもの」
by Sugiyama Miwako
Shogakukan Sho-Comi, shoujo
Volume 1 first published in Japan 2010.12

Mail Girlfriend (Mel Kano.) vol 5 of 5 by Oshima Towa [Finale]

Mel Kano. 「メルカノ。」
by Oshima Towa
Shogakukan Sunday GX, seinen
Volume 5 first published in Japan 2010.06

My Lovely Class Leader (Gokujou!! Mechamote Iinchou) vol 10 of 16+ by Nishimura Tomoko

Gokujou!! Mechamote Iinchou
「極上！！めちゃモテ委員長」
by Nishimura Tomoko
Shogakukan Ciao, shoujo
Volume 10 first published in Japan 2009.08

Serializations/Other languages
Serialized in the Indonesian Cherry (ongoing)
Traditional Chinese (Tong Li Taiwan: 戀愛班長 13 per 2011.10)

Adaptations
The 51-episode Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou anime produced by Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment, starring seiyuu Ogawa Mana (Kitagawa Mimi) and Oshima Ryo (Toujou Ushio) aired from April 2009 to March 2010 in Japan. The Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou Second Collection sequel premiered 2010.04.03; episode 51 finale aired 2011.04.10.

Related
Cookbook Oryōri no Kihon ga Wakaru Gokujō no Hajimete Recipe Gokujō!! Mechamote Iinchō Ciao Happy Collection in 2009.07

[Premiere] My Mysterious Neighbor (Tonari no Obake-san) by Nakajima Yuka

Tonari no Obake-san 「となりのオバケさん」
by Nakajima Yuka
Shogakukan Ciao, shoujo
This volume first published in Japan 2011.02

Serializations
Serialized in the Indonesian Cherry (concluded)

m&c! manhwa (2012.04.18)

The Breaker vol 6 of 10 by Jeon KeukJin & Park JinHwan

The Breaker 「브레이커 (THE BREAKER)」
by Jeon KeukJin & Park JinHwan
Daewon C.I. Young Daiwon, seinen
Volume 6 first published in Korea 2009.04

Related series
Sequel: The Breaker: New Waves (two volumes per 2011.12.28)

[Series Premiere] I Love You Just As You Are vol 1 of 3 by Kim EunHee

Love You Just As You Are by Kim EunHee
First published in Korea by Kenaz

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

Shopping list ~~only this week. Can't be helped.~~ Update: And recommendations And took out Canvas ~ Rainbow Sketch vol 2 (moved to 2012.04.18)

Bishounen Moraimashita © Shiiba Nana/Shogakukan
[First serialized in Betsucomi]
Published in Indonesia as My Handsome Butler by Gramedia/m&c!

Who, pray tell, gets a BUTLER for a birthday present?

16y.o. Yoshino, that's who. For as long as she can remember, she's been engaged to the scion of a rich family, and for as equally long, he's been giving her weird birthday gifts. But an air-freighted butler is the weirdest one yet! What on earth is commoner Yoshino supposed to do with a bishie butler/bodyguard?

Shiiba Nana's My Handsome Butler, originally Bishounen Moraimashita, first serialized in Betsucomi. The bishie-themed antho—does Nana-chan-sensei produce any other type?—contains six shorts including the title story. Aside from My Handsome Butler, there's My Handsome Butler Background Story, Love Love Gang, It Becomes a Habit, Prince's Salon and Continue! Love Love Gang.

I rate Bishounen Moraimashita 7.5 of 10 and its follow-up Ura Bishounen Moraimashita background story, a 6; Love Love Gang receives a 7.75 (yes, higher), but the Zoku! Love Love Gang continuation drops to 7/10. Oujisama no Salon merits a 7.25. My favorite, the image transformation, revenge-troped It Becomes a Habit or Kuse ni Nacchau! clocks in at 8 of 10♥. So with a 7.25/10 average, I recommend My Handsome Butler as a GET! if not a Must Borrow!

☞ m&c! has published quite a few of Shiiba Nana's shoujo manga, most recently My Gentle Wolves (Ookamitachi no Shiikuhou). If interested in other Shiiba Nana titles m&c! has released (and which were reviewed by other manga critics), go »here.

I preview and rate the other m&c! debut—the ex-Sho-Comi 1/2 Love by Kayoru (I've Loved You Since So Long manga-ka)—after the release list. Previews of ongoing series DO WANT! there, too.

Mangazines: Cherry March 2012 Edition
The March edition of Cherry, the Indonesian mangazine that serializes shoujo titles off Ciao, (now defunct) ChuChu, Sho-Comi, Flowers and Betsucomi, highlights Nakajima Yuka's Heart Curtain and features the Ciao manga on the cover. We're up to episode 3 from one-volume Kokoro Curtain tankou here. [Continued...]