Matthew High writes:

Here's a list of Cold Cut's top-selling manga series of 2005 -- but the way this list is composed is different from previous lists. For a graphic novel series which has multiple volumes, only the top-selling graphic novel is listed. For example, if Inu-Yasha graphic novels ranked 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th on the list, then only the first one is counted -- otherwise the list would just get filled with volumes from the same five or six series over and over, making for a very boring list. It is also important to note that Cold Cut does not carry many manga publishers out there, such as Tokyopop and AD Vision. Why? Because they have decided to sign a distribution-restriction agreement with another distributor. So, we mainly carry lots of Viz, plus a few smaller publishers such as Dr. Master and CPM. So please keep that in mind when viewing the list. For everything listed below, assume it is published by Viz unless otherwise noted.

[Emphasis mine.]

Still, look:

50. Blue Spring
52. Sensual Phrase
56. Kare First Love

Sam Humphries sent this link with a note that said, "Here's one for your clip file."

http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/manga/manga.php?manga_view=1408

"I am not sure why but practically all of Viz's shojo titles, Sensual Phrase included, has a solid translation. This is the second DeConnick translation I have read, and I have to say she consistently seems to enjoy the manga she works on. Similar to another title she translated, Matsumoto Taiyo’s Blue Spring, Kaikan Phrase is not an easy series to work on. While Blue Spring was filled with slang, graffiti and yanki attitude, Sensual Phrase has song lyrics which had to be translated, reworded to make them rhyme and arranged to make sense. DeConnick also had to maintain the concepts of seduction, jealousy and sexual frustration. She does not shy away from any of these themes, translating them honestly but also putting in her own appreciation for the manga. So while I might laugh at lines like “he’s completely ruining my panties,” I get the context and I appreciate the translator’s unique perspective and the work put into this title, as well. Very fun read."

Sweet.

I first heard mention of Virgin's new comics initiative in a Bad Signal from Warren Ellis.

Virgin to create Indian equivalent of manga Uttara Choudhury

NEW YORK: An Indian equivalent of stylised, colourful, futuristic Japanese cartoon books and films known as manga, would be the brainchild of Richard Branson, who’s teamed up with US-based Indian author Deepak Chopra and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

Alongside South Asia’s leading comic publisher, the Gotham Entertainment Group, they are setting up Virgin Animation in Bangalore and Virgin Comics in New York. Indian adman Suresh Seetharaman will run Virgin Animation in Bangalore which will produce animation films both traditionally and through computers.

The New York Times newspaper reported that the deal was worth at least 10 million pounds.

Cheap, readable and disposable — manga comic strip magazines are as much a part of Japanese life as sumo or sushi. Around a billion of them are sold every year and an incredible 45 per cent of all books and periodicals sold in Japan are comic books. “Similar to the phenomenon we have seen with Japanese anime (animation) and manga (comic books) which has influenced every aspect of popular culture and media today, our mission is to spark a creative renaissance in India,” said Sharad Devarajan, chief of Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation, in a statement released in New York.

More in link.

This is the first review of Black Cat v. 1 that I've spotted. It comes from Publisher's Weekly Comics Week:

Black Cat Volume 1 KENTARO YABUKI. Viz, $7.99 paper (208p) ISBN 1-4215-0605-X Although working within tired conventions, this collection adds up to a surprisingly enjoyable action adventure. Train and Sven are "sweepers," smalltime bounty hunters who survive hand to mouth. Sven is an eye-patched ex-cop; Train is a glamorously mysterious ex-crook. Along the way, the two team up with cute but sneaky Rinslet Walker, who's planning a big heist from a really dangerous master criminal. Readers may be reminded of Cowboy Bebop and a host of similar capers, but the interaction of these characters is brisk and funny, partly because they feel like such old friends. The dash of novelty is Train's not-so-secret identity as the Black Cat, formerly an unkillable assassin for a worldwide criminal conspiracy. He not only does incredible stunts like any action hero but also looks and behaves like a cat, agile and unpredictably feline: aloof and irritating one moment, then ingratiating and playful the next. He's the kind of hard-boiled manhunter who'd take a criminal o! n a good-bye visit to his family, while excusing the trip as a chance to sample a new town's famous onion buns. The art is familiar but well executed as Yabuki gives old material an enjoyable workout. (Mar.)

This is the first shonen title I've adapted, so I'm eager to see how it's received.

From Ten Things I Loved About 2005 by David Welsh on Comic World News --

Nouvelle, rich: Okay, so it took me a while to delve into some of the edgier, more experimental manga that’s available. Maybe it’s just as well, because now I’m greedy for more titles like The Walking Man, Kinderbook, The Times of Botchan, and Sexy Voice and Robo. Towards the end of 2005, nouvelle manga specialist Fanfare/Ponent Mon announced that it was working to make its titles more available to North American readers, and that’s all to the good. Viz and Del Rey both announced lines of titles for more mature readers, and while none of the books announced so far seem to quite be at the level of F/PM’s catalog, there’s considerable reason for optimism. After all, Viz was the first to publish Iou Kuroda in English. More, please. Now.

More in link.

Iou Kuroda's "Sexy Voice and Robo" is one of the best manga I have read in the past year (2005-2006 to be exact), and I am really sorry that I waited this long to get around to it. The larger print format and somewhat sketchy style may put off the manga fan looking for the next pocket sized book full of starry eyed girls and monster battling, but this book is about what manga and comics can be. A book that fans of manga, indie comics, and mystery and adventure would all be well served in picking this up (and the presentation looks great on a shelf along with all your other prestige graphic novels).

More in link.

Thanks, Eric, for the pointer.

I've authored the adaptations on the following:

Sexy Voice and Robo
Blue Spring
Kare First Love
Doubt!!
Sensual Phrase (Volume 11 of Sensual Phrase also includes and interview with Mike Doughty)
Black Cat
MeruPuri

...and a few others, but start with these.

(I get no kickback on these links. I still need to figure out Viz's new Associates structure.)