Saturn Provocateur & Other New Manga for May

By Mat K.

So this week is a small release week in quantity, barely even ten things are coming out, but the good news is, this week belongs t Dark Horse who is releasing a few choice titles for you guys. First on the list is the amazingly belated Hellsing Volume 10 by Kohta Hirano. Now this is supposed to be the final volume, and from what has been happening since Volume 9, it damn well better be. Aside from the fact that I don’t think the fan base can wait another however many years for an 11th Volume, let’s face it, I’ve been into the series since high school, it has been about 10 years, it’s time for it to end. Just as long Alucard…and therefor Allegra, ends up on top.

Also popping in from Dark Horse are Oh My Goddess Volume 35, Gantz Volume 10, and Vampire Hunter D the 14th Novel: Dark Road parts 1 & 2. See? Lots of tasty stuff this week.

Now, what does Hellsing have to do with Saturn? Absolutely nothing. Just because it is the most desired book doesn’t mean it’s the only book. Viz is releasing a couple brand new series this week as well. The first of which is Saturn Apartments by Hisae Iwaoka. Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the Earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the Earth, thirty-five kilometers up in the sky. The society of the Ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated junior high. When his father disappears and is assumed dead, Mitsu must take on his father’s occupation.

Also coming from Viz this week is a ballad for all over-aged, socially inept, super-otaku: I’ll Give It My All Tomorrow by Shunju Aono. This is the story of a forty-year-old salary man who quits his job to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist-and the family that has to put up with him. While not terribly unhappy, Shizuo Oguro can’t fight the feeling that something in his life just isn’t right, so he walks away from his stable (yet boring) day job to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Unfortunately for his family, this journey also involves playing video games all day while his teenage daughter and elderly father support him. Will Shizuo succeed in creating a true manga masterpiece or will he be just another drop-out living a life of slack?

So, it’s another “big things come in small packages” kinds of weeks, and there is definitely something for everyone, including a sappy shojo series, and even a yaoi. The only other announcement I really have is that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is finally beginning to release, and you fans know what that means: new merchandise is sure to follow, so just hold on to your panties. That’s all I have for you this time, so see you next week!

Ja Ne!