Tanoshimi (Del Ray) UK manga release dates

Paul

Paul

Ghost of Animes
Administrator
Our eagle eyed forum user Kupoartist has noticed that the first wave of Tanoshimi (UK arm of US manga publisher Del Ray) release dates have been posted on Amazon.co.uk (and are listed below).<ul class="menu">The Seven Series:
Basilisk (August 3rd)
Ghost Hunt (August 3rd)
Guru Guru Pon Chan (August 3rd)
Negima (August 3rd)
Tsubasa (August 3rd)
XxxHolic (August 3rd)
Air Gear (October 5th)

Followed by, next year:
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (January 4th 2007)
School Rumble (January 4th 2007)</ul>
 
Not as easily though; I'm sure you can find these releases in Borders already, but what about Tesco? :)
 
From the perspective of making anime a success in this country, it's important it's sold in places like this. I wouldn't buy manga in Tesco but I know a lot of people who would, simply because it's there.
 
It would be too weird for me to see manga in Tesco... I already nearly burst out laughing when I walk in and see rows of weight training equipment.

If you want any of those manga right now just go to Sheffield. ;)
 
WTFDaveMustaine said:
The US releases are easily available in the UK as it is.
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Only in the biggest Citys is this even slightly the case. Import manga is rare across the range of bookshops, absent even in smaller chains of Borders. I don't think Waterstones do Imports at all. Net wise, Local publishers would put stock on sites like play.com which don't import books. Smaller high-street book chains, especially Ottakars will only stock UK published books.

Not all of us live in Urban areas. Where I live at home, the nearest bookshop is a small-town Ottakars which stocks a healthy selection of UK-Published Manga. If I want US releases, I have to go to Cambridge or London (and hope they have stock). By any stretch of the Imagination, that is not "easily available". My only realistic alternative is Amazon, but then I have to put up with the reality of shipping times between a week and a month on most titles, as Amazon rarely simply holds stock. Plus, Amazon's Manga listings are an atrocity of laziness and are very badly catalogued. The more copies there are on the high-street, the better for the industry and the fans who support it.
 
To be fair to Amazon.co.uk, almost every manga i've ordered from them has arrived within 2 days. That includes Del Ray releases.
 
I long for and dread the day when manga can be brought from places like Tesco, for then I shall truely have to learn the fabled art of self control. Having to catch a train into London is a good way of limiting the amount I spend but it's a real pain if you only want one manga but have to spend more than the price of the manga on travel or half the price of it on postage.

School Rumble next year! too long and as someone who has been getting the Genshiken manga I'd have to agree with Ramen89 - it is absolutely superb.
 
WTFDaveMustaine said:
Who wants to buy manga from Tesco anyway?
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People who want it cheap and in a timely manner, or for whom the net isn't that practical. Del Rey releases are only comfortably available in larger cities or online. The fact that their titles are very popular also means that new releases tend to sell out quickly, even online.

Ramen89 said:
No Genshiken? Thats a dissapointment, its Del Ray's best manga IMO.
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Yes, its actually quite a surprise. Perhaps they are going for a more mainstream audience and felt that the otaku references wouldn't work with the initiated? I think most people got switched on to the Genshiken manga through the anime, which is media blasters (i.e. never available here).

But Genshiken is astounding. It still is fresh, through the judicious use of new characters. I never thought I could actually be shocked by anything Kousaka did, but volume 5 was a real eye-opener ...

Its a shame about Nodame Cantabile too. Thats fantastic stuff. But I believe it is totally underappreciated us-side too. Its really popular in japan too and there is a huge volume count already, but unusually for me that is quite an attractive thing (I normally like controlled lengths) each volume is such a riot that its going to be a sad day when I read it all.
 
Laughing Manji said:
Ramen89 said:
No Genshiken? Thats a dissapointment, its Del Ray's best manga IMO.
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Yes, its actually quite a surprise. Perhaps they are going for a more mainstream audience and felt that the otaku references wouldn't work with the initiated? I think most people got switched on to the Genshiken manga through the anime, which is media blasters (i.e. never available here).
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I think it is a wise decision to hold off on Genshiken since it is something that would largely appeal to the hardcore fan market, which is still very small in this country. There's hope for seeing UK releases Media Blaster's anime licences yet, since Manga have licenced at least one title they hold the US rights for in Otogi Zoshi so it may not be as hopeless as it first seems...
 
Gawyn said:
I think it is a wise decision to hold off on Genshiken since it is something that would largely appeal to the hardcore fan market, which is still very small in this country. There's hope for seeing UK releases Media Blaster's anime licences yet, since Manga have licenced at least one title they hold the US rights for in Otogi Zoshi so it may not be as hopeless as it first seems...
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Its also quite possible that they know full well that the UK Genshiken fans are already importing their way through the series. Other than that, the UK has a proven appettite for Clamp & Ken Akamatsu so Holic/Tsubasa & Negima were guaranteed. Its the mix of other titles that is really interesting.

Its also nice to see that Air Gear releases are almost synchronous with the US launch. The disparity between release dates is what drives me to import manga. Actually Basilisk is only 2/3 months delayed too. The other titles are not far ahead either, or no more than Tokyopop-disparity. That would definately encourage me to experiment on them.

I don't think I am going to wait for them to catch up with Tsubasa though ... and if they do a Tokyopop-style import clampdown on my Genshiken & Nodame fix I will go crazy.
 
Laughing Manji said:
Its also quite possible that they know full well that the UK Genshiken fans are already importing their way through the series.
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Yeah, the two points work together well. Genshiken appeals to hardcore fans, and hardcore fans will go that extra mile to get their releases. The people who want to get it will probably already have it. Still, if manga takes off well enough because of labels like Tanoshimi, something like Genshiken may creep into the release list later on. It's early days after all: these series are only coming out in the first 6 months of Tanoshimi's life!
 
Has anyone else noticed how fast they're planning on releasing their titles? The first 3 volumes of Negima, Tsubasa and XXXholic will be released in August with two a month for the rest of the year. By the end of the year Tanoshimi will almost have caught up with Del Rey on all of their titles. It looks like they're aiming for synchronised releases, which is very good news and excellent business sense, as it will cut imports drastically. Still, that's an awful lot of books for a new publisher, even one that's going to be a sure-fire success.

On the availability of imports issue, my local Waterstones has a couple of import titles, I even brought a volume of Death Note there last week. But then, that particular branch is a very good shop, if a little small. Most local bookshops are nowhere as good or knowledgeable, so don't stock imports, although I'm sure many of them could if they wanted to. I've seen the novel of Battle Royale in several branches of Waterstones and that's an imported title.

Tanoshimi (UK arm of US manga publisher Del Ray)
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FYI, Del Rey and Tanoshimi are separate companies. Tanoshimi is owned by Random House UK, whilst Del Rey is the Sci-Fi (and Manga) division of Random House in the US. As such Del Rey don't exist in the UK. Incidentally, Random House and all its subsidaries (including Random House UK) are owned by Bertelsmann, the german company who also own Channel Five. Not that any of that really matters when compared to the fact that Random House are finally getting around to releasing Del Rey titles in the UK.
 
Noratav said:
Has anyone else noticed how fast they're planning on releasing their titles? The first 3 volumes of Negima, Tsubasa and XXXholic will be released in August with two a month for the rest of the year. By the end of the year Tanoshimi will almost have caught up with Del Rey on all of their titles.
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Well, possibly except Tsubasa, which will have a 10 book head start at UK launch. Negima & xxxHolic is quite advanced as well. But the schedule is noted.

But well, Clamp themselves are nearly outstripping Del Rey on releases. IIRC they released 6 volumes of Tsubasa last year.

Noratav said:
It looks like they're aiming for synchronised releases, which is very good news and excellent business sense, as it will cut imports drastically.
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Well I don't think the aim is to cut imports, as its more about establishing the independence of the local operation. We import for lack of options.

Noratav said:
Still, that's an awful lot of books for a new publisher, even one that's going to be a sure-fire success.
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True, but three (Tsubasa & Negima, and I think xxxHolic too) of those get into the US Bookscan top 100 on every release.

Also note the variance in themes, stories and intended audiences in the limited number of books. Both Air Gear & Basilisk seem quite interesting, with high action content but different levels of maturity and style. Air Gear is noted for its impressive artwork & Basilisk is going for the whole serious ninja stuff.

Pon-chans going for the girl market with easy accessibility for guys with the comedy. School Rumble is going for outright comedy and a big crowdpleaser. Not sure where Ghost Hunt stands I haven't heard much about it. One of their outside chances.

Gundam Seed is gundam. Apparently not one of Del Reys finest hours, and it all depends on how successful that franchise is.
 
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