New Adult Graphic Novels and Manga

See the latest additions to the adult graphic novel and manga collection.  Click on the links to reserve your copy now!

Ooku: The Inner Chambers (Volumes 1 through 3)

In an alternative timeline of feudal Japan, a strange disease that only affects men has caused a massive reduction of male population, thus women have to pick up men's jobs, changing the social structure. Now, after 80 years of the initial outbreak and current man:woman ratio of 1:4, Japan has become completely matriarchal, with women holding important political positions and men being their consort. Only the most powerful woman -- head of Tokugawa shogunate -- can keep a harem of handsome yet unproductive men, known as "Ohoku." - Ooku Synopsis - Anime News Network

Footnotes in Gaza

Buried deep in the archives is one bloody incident, in 1956, that left 111 Palestinians dead, shot by Israeli soldiers. Seemingly a footnote to a long history of killing, that day in Rafah—cold-blooded massacre or dreadful mistake—reveals the competing truths that have come to define an intractable war. In a quest to get to the heart of what happened, Joe Sacco immerses himself in daily life of Rafah and the neighboring town of Khan Younis, uncovering Gaza past and present. Spanning fifty years, moving fluidly between one war and the next, alive with the voices of fugitives and schoolchildren, widows and sheikhs, Footnotes in Gaza captures the essence of a tragedy. - Footnotes in Gaza Synopsis - Macmillan

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel

It is known as “the strange plague,” and its unfortunate victims are referred to only as “unmentionables” or “dreadfuls.” All over England, the dead are rising again, and now even the daughters of Britain’s best families must devote their lives to mastering the deadly arts. Elizabeth Bennet is a fearsome warrior whose ability with a sword is matched only by her quick wit and even sharper tongue. But she faces her most formidable foe yet in the haughty, conceited, and somehow strangely attractive Mr. Darcy. As the two lovers meet in the ballroom and on the battlefield, they’ll soon learn that nothing—not even bands of ninjas, hordes of flesh-eating zombies, or disapproving aunts—can stop true love. - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Synopsis - Del Rey

Biomega

In the future, a virus has infected most of the population of Earth, turning them into zombie-esque creatures. Earth's last hope may be Zoichi Kanoe, and he isn't even human. His journey for salvation leads to unimaginable danger. - Biomega Synopsis - Anime News Network

Dance in the Vampire Bund (Volumes 1 through 7)

After millennia in hiding, Mina Tepes, the Princess of the ancient covenant and ruler of all vampires, wants change. Using the vast wealth of the Tepes line, she has paid off the entire gross national debt of Japan and in so doing, gained the authority to create a "special district" off the coast of Japan that is to become the future haven to vampires the world over. Now, on the eve of the landmark press conference announcing the existence of vampires to the world, terrorists and rival factions plot to assassinate Mina before she has a chance to make her world-changing announcement. - Dance in the Vampire Bund Synopsis - Anime News Network

New York Times Best Selling Manga List, May 16 - 22

New York Times Best Sellers Manga - May 16-22, 2010

This Week		Weeks on List
1	BLACK BUTLER, VOL. 2, by Yana Toboso. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Sebastian is a loyal butler who moves easily from dinner parties to the underworld. Is he too good to be true? Is he even human?	1
2	BLACK BIRD, VOL. 4, by Kanoko Sakurakoji. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Misao Harada can see into a magical realm where she is the bride demon of prophecy. How will she survive the pursuit of demons who want the power in her blood?	3
3	PANDORA HEARTS, VOL. 2, by Jun Mochizuki. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Oz, who is condemned to an abyss for a mysterious sin, sets out to investigate with an Alice, an equally mysterious girl he met in exile.	1
4	NARUTO, VOL. 47, by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Naruto learns more secrets from his past and moves closer to discovering the identity of his nemesis, Pain.	15
5	BLACK BUTLER, VOL. 1, by Yana Toboso. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Sebastian is a loyal butler who moves easily from dinner parties to the underworld. Is he too good to be true? Is he even human?	16
6	D. GRAY-MAN, VOL. 17, by Katsura Hoshino. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) The protagonist: 15-year-old Allen Walker. The setting: 19th century England. His mission: to find Innocence, a substance used to create weapons to destroy the akuma demons.	3
7	KOBATO, VOL. 1, by Clamp. (Yen Press, $11.99.) Kobato Hanato is a girl on a mission: to have a single wish granted. But she must first pass various trials that test her common sense which, alas, seems to be lacking.	1
8	RIN-NE, VOL. 3, by Rumiko Takahashi. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) High school dating has just gotten worse. Sakura Mamiya, who can see ghosts, finds herself pursued by a living boy and a dead one.	1
9	YOTSUBA&!, VOL. 8, by Kiyohiko Azuma. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Yotsuba goes to a festival and learns about the magic of cake!	5
10	ROSARIO VAMPIRE: SEASON II, VOL. 1, by Akihisa Ikeda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Tsukune Aono’s new school is filled with vampires and werewolves. And the girl he is interested seems to have eyes for him, but is it his blood she’s after?	6

New York Times Best Selling Manga List, May 9 - 15

New York Times Best Sellers Manga - May 9 - May 15, 2010

This Week		Weeks on List
1	BLACK BIRD, VOL. 4, by Kanoko Sakurakoji. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Misao Harada can see into a magical realm where she is the bride demon of prophecy. How will she survive the pursuit of demons who want the power in her blood?	2
2	NARUTO, VOL. 47, by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Naruto learns more secrets from his past and moves closer to discovering the identity of his nemesis, Pain.	14
3	D. GRAY-MAN, VOL. 17, by Katsura Hoshino. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) The protagonist: 15-year-old Allen Walker. The setting: 19th century England. His mission: to find Innocence, a substance used to create weapons to destroy the akuma demons.	2
4	INUYASHA, VOL. 48, by Rumiko Takahashi. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) A modern-day high school girl is pulled into Japan’s ancient past, filled with mysterious swords and demons.	1
5	BLACK BUTLER, VOL. 1, by Yana Toboso. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Sebastian is a loyal butler who moves easily from dinner parties to the underworld. Is he too good to be true? Is he even human?	15
6	ROSARIO VAMPIRE: SEASON II, VOL. 1, by Akihisa Ikeda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Tsukune Aono’s new school is filled with vampires and werewolves. And the girl he is interested seems to have eyes for him, but is it his blood she’s after?	5
7	OTOMEN, VOL. 6, by Aya Kanno. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Asuka helps his friend practice for a date by playing the role of his female intended.	2
8	BIOMEGA, VOL. 2, by Tsutomu Nihei. (VIZ Media, $12.99.) In a dark future Zoichi Kanoe fights to save humanity from the N5S virus that has turned the earth earth population into zombie-like drones.	1
9	YOTSUBA&!, VOL. 8, by Kiyohiko Azuma. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Yotsuba goes to a festival and learns about the magic of cake!	4
10	ONE PIECE, VOL. 46, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, the gang arrives on an island of zombies.	2

xxxHoLic (Volumes 1 through 15) by CLAMP (Story and Art)

Watanuki Kimihiro is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yuuko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he’s just been tricked into working for Yuuko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he’s employed in her little shop—a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience!

xxxHoLic is quite a unique manga. On the surface, it may seem like another supernatural manga, but there is much more lurking below. While there are spirits aplenty, there is also a recurring thread about the importance of dreams. Another thing that makes this series so great is the characters. We follow Watanuki on his journey to discover the secrets of his past locked away inside him and his interactions with those around him. CLAMP fleshes out their characters so well that you care about everyone, including characters that stay for just one story arc. With the art and great storytelling combined, it makes for a fantastic series.

While xxxHoLic is a parallel story to Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, the art style is noticeably different. The art becomes part of the storytelling. By warping the character sizes and proportions, the reader is forced to look at them in different ways. Often this is done when an element in the story may not be what it seems. Even the background gives clues to the overall plot. You will want to take your time and savor every page.

If you enjoy the art of xxxHoLic, you will not want to miss the anime based off of the manga. CLAMP's art is taken from the page and brought to life on the screen. While there are more references to Tsubasa in the manga, the anime mainly covers the stories from the xxxHoLic manga. What really sets this anime apart is the art style. In keeping with CLAMP's design of strange proportions, they are even larger on the screen. For some this may detract from the story, but I find I enjoy it and it adds to the overall theme of series. In addition to the series, you can enjoy the movie, xxxHoLic the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream.

You can find the xxxHoLic manga and anime by CLAMP on the CPL Catalog. If you enjoyed xxxHoLic, you may want to try Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE by CLAMP or Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.

A Manga Library!

This is the Hiroshima City Manga Library (yes, an entire library devoted to manga!).  It is the only public library in Japan that specializes in manga.  You can find all of the popular titles (Nana, Once Piece, and 20th Century Boys) as well as Edo era manga by artists such as Hokusai and Kuniyoshi.  If you ever find yourself in Hiroshima, you need to take a look.


This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: What a Manga library looks like., Hiroshima, Japan

New York Times Best Selling Manga List, May 2 - May 8

New York Times Best Sellers Manga - May 2 - May 8, 2010

This Week		Weeks on List
1	BLACK BIRD, VOL. 4, by Kanoko Sakurakoji. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Misao Harada can see into a magical realm where she is the bride demon of prophecy. How will she survive the pursuit of demons who want the power in her blood?	1
2	OTOMEN, VOL. 6, by Aya Kanno. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Asuka helps his friend practice for a date by playing the role of his female intended.	1
3	D. GRAY-MAN, VOL. 17, by Katsura Hoshino. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) The protagonist: 15-year-old Allen Walker. The setting: 19th century England. His mission: to find Innocence, a substance used to create weapons to destroy the akuma demons.	1
4	ONE PIECE, VOL. 44, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, war escalates.	1
5	YOTSUBA&!, VOL. 8, by Kiyohiko Azuma. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Yotsuba goes to a festival and learns about the magic of cake!	3
6	ONE PIECE, VOL. 46, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, the gang arrives on an island of zombies.	1
7	ONE PIECE, VOL. 45, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, new allies help the gang set sail again.	1
8	TSUBASA, VOL. 26, by Clamp. (Del Rey, $10.99.) Syaoran and Fei-Wang fight it out with Sakura’s life in the balance.	1
9	ONE PIECE, VOL. 47, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, zombies prepare for a deadly hunt.	1
10	ONE PIECE, VOL. 48, by Eiichiro Oda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Monkey D. Luffy and his motley crew of would-be pirates for a legendary treasure called “One Piece.” In this volume, meet Oars, a zombie warrior who is not so brainless.	1

Are you "America's Greatest Otaku"?

The American manga publisher, Tokyopop, has created a reality show called, "America's Greatest Otaku" which will film on tour this summer.  This interesting marketing campaign, Tokyopop Tour, will throw Tokyopop founder, Stuart Levy, into a bus with six otaku.  The tour will stop at manga and anime conventions, bookstores, and libraries across the nation.  Each contestant will represent a city the tour visits and have to research the local Otaku Spots.  The "Otaku Six" have already been chosen through an online copetition.  To keep up to date with the tour, visit their Ning social network site.

For more details about the Tokyopop Tour, check out the Anime New Network news story or Publishers Weekly's interview with Levy.

New York Times Best Selling Manga List, April 25 - May 1

New York Times Best Sellers Manga - April 25 - May 1, 2010

This Week		Weeks on List
1	TSUBASA, VOL. 26, by Clamp. (Del Rey, $10.99.) Syaoran and Fei-Wang fight it out with Sakura’s life in the balance.	1
2	NARUTO, VOL. 47, by Masashi Kishimoto. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Naruto learns more secrets from his past and moves closer to discovering the identity of his nemesis, Pain.	13
3	YOTSUBA&!, VOL. 8, by Kiyohiko Azuma. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Yotsuba goes to a festival and learns about the magic of cake!	2
4	ROSARIO VAMPIRE: SEASON II, VOL. 1, by Akihisa Ikeda. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Tsukune Aono’s new school is filled with vampires and werewolves. And the girl he is interested seems to have eyes for him, but is it his blood she’s after?	4
5	BLACK BUTLER, VOL. 1, by Yana Toboso. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Sebastian is a loyal butler who moves easily from dinner parties to the underworld. Is he too good to be true? Is he even human?	14
6	FRUITS BASKET: BANQUET, by Takaya Natsuki. (TOKYOPOP, $14.99.) This primer, filled with character profiles, quizzes and stickers, will catch reader’s up on the 23-volume saga of "Fruits Basket." It also includes behind-the-scenes and previously unpublished material.	1
7	YU-GI-OH! R, VOL. 4, by Kazuki Takahashi and Akira Ito. (VIZ Media, $9.99.) Resurrection day looms when the evil Yako Tenma takens over the gaming company Kaibacorp and its technology to bring the dead back to life.	4
8	SPICE AND WOLF, VOL. 1, by Isuna Hasekura and Keito Koume. (Yen Press, $12.99.) A young merchant finds himself with a companion: Holo, the Wolf-God of the harvest, and encounter some business opportunities.	2
9	NIGHTSCHOOL, VOL. 3, by Svetlana Chmakova. (Yen Press, $12.99.) Meet the macabre roster of students that inhabit a school after hours: vampires, demons and witches!	2
10	SOUL EATER, VOL. 2, by Atsushi Ohkubo. (Yen Press, $10.99.) Maka, an arms expert, wants to turn the Soul Eater, her living scythe, into the ultimate weapon for Death.	9