Kodansha, Shueisha to join J-Comi website

Kodansha and Shueisha plan to collaborate with Ken Akamatsu’s J-Comi online manga website, Akimatsu reported Monday on his site.

The company plans for a second beta test before the end of the year. Shueisha will make available a 2007 unnamed Shonen Jum Series and a seinen series Kootsuu Jiko Kanteinin Tamaki Rinshirou by Kengo kagi, and Kodansha will bring a one-shot Shojo manga from Mayu Shinjo.

As of Tuesday, the site has had nearly 2 million downloads.

The full site will launch on Jan. 10, 2011. Akamatsu said in a press conference Monday that he feels free distribution of manga paid for by advertising is the only way to combat illegal distribution.

Official manga reading site announced

In response to industry demand, 37 publishers announced plans Thursday to bring a digital manga to a U.S. audience at the Denshi Shoseki Comic Summit in Akihabara.

The site is planned for March 2011 release, with a beta version this fall.

Amongst the publishers joining the announcement were some pretty big names, like Kodansha and Shueisha.

The full list is (from animenation.net): Akaneshinsha, Akita Shoten, ASCII Media Works, Bunkasha Publishing, Enterbrain, East Press, France Shoin, Fujimi Shobo, Fusosha, Futabasha, Gakken, Gentosha, Hakusensha, Houbunsha, Ichijinsha, Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, June-Net, Kadokawa Shoten, Kasakura Shuppansha, Kodansha, LEED Publishing, Libre Publishing, Magazine House, Media Factory, Nihonbungeisha, Oakla Publishing, Ohzora Publishing, Shinchosha, Shinshokan Publishing, Shodensha, Shogakukan-Shueisha, Shonen Gahosha, Tatsumi Publishing, Takeshobo and Tokuma Shoten.

 

New Negima OVA announced; promo streaming

In anticipation of the new Negima OVA series, Mahou Sensei Negima – Mou Hitotsu Sekai, the official Negima website has begun streaming a two-minute promo.

The series, which revolves around a 10-year-old sorcerer from a foreign country who must, as part of his training, teach English at an all girls junior high school — and his class of 31 girls are almost unanimously enamored of the young magician.

The new OVA will begin shipping DVDs with the ongoing manga series, starting with volume 27. 

To see the promo, click: Here!

Fairy Tale anime series greenlit

The popular shonen manga series Fairy Tale will be getting an anime series, says the 31st issue of Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine. 

Fairy Tale, which features an art style very similar to One Piece, is a story about a novice sorcerer who wishes to join a prestigious magic guild. After unknowingly befriending a member of the prestigious Fairy Tale guild, she gets her wish, as the pair form a team to carry out missions posted requiring sorcerer’s help. 

A-1 Pictures and Satelight will handle the project, which should be released this fall. The manga has been published in North America, with the seventh volume due out in October. 

Hiro Mashima’s other works include Rave, known in the U.S. as Rave Master. He is also the author of Monster Hunter Orage.