Natsuki Takaya

If you are a certified manga addict, then perhaps you would know her.  Natsuki Takaya is the Japanese manga artist of the famous manga Fruits Basket (you probably have seen the anime adaptation) J.  That’s her pen name – she is born as Naka Hatake, on July 7, under the star sign Cancer.

I love her manga really – oh, I also love the 26-episode anime adaptation.  Because of the famous Fruits Basket manga, she received the Kodansha Manga Award for shojo in 2001.

My favorite Fruits Basket character is Kyou, the cat – hmmm, I can’t deny he’s really appealing, and I also like the character of the wacky Shigure-san.

I’m currently reading her manga Boku ga Utau to Kimi wa Warau Kara, though I’m really slow in terms of reading it because the semester is going to be over soon and lots and lots and lots of things are to be done.  whew!

Part one of my endeavor is shojo manga (and some series that are more on the josei side, I believe) coming out in 2010 (next is shonen/other manga). This started out as a list of shojo manga (that have their first volumes coming out next year) I thought would be good finds, and kind of turned into a list of all the shojo manga starting next year (that I know of)…apparently I’m not very picky… It’s still not all of them, but it’s a good majority of them.

And seeing how long this is (and only being part 1) should show you how easy it was for me to basically bankrupt myself on manga. xD

English covers were used if they could be found; if not the Japanese covers were used. They are arranged by release month and then alphabetically. If the Japanese name is commonly used in fandom, I put it in parentheses next to the official English title to help. I also used official summaries if I could find them, if not I used ANN, after that I went to myanimelist.net, and in some cases I had to go to mangaupdates.com.

I will gladly update this list if I’m missing something you think is going to be a good shojo manga find in the next year! :]

Happy Cafe (Shiawase Kissa Sanchome) by: Kou Matsuzuki
Complete at 15 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
Volume 1 January 2010, Volume 2 April 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: Welcome to the Happy Café, where romance and happiness are the specials of the day! Meet Uru: She’s a little short, a bit disorganized, often is mistaken for an elementary school kid, and lives by herself after her mother gets remarried. When she decides to pay the bills by working part time at the Happy Café, she meets Ichirou and Shindou, two of the most unsociable guys she’s ever met! And to make matters worse, it turns out that Uru is not exactly meant for the waitress world, as she’s a HUGE klutz. But as this hilarious shojo tale unfolds, 1 happiness–and even true love–might be lurking just around the corner…
My ramblings: This series just looks adorable, and looks like one that has a whole lot of potential, though I’m a little leery about the length, since 15 volumes can be a little tedious in some series. To be honest, I don’t know a lot about the story, but from the little that I do know, it should be fairly interesting.

Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yujincho) by: Yuki Midorikawa
Ongoing with 8+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 January 2010, Volume 2 April 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.
My ramblings: I watched the anime on Crunchyroll, and it’s a fantastic series. The art in the original manga seems to be a little bit different from the art from the anime art based on the cover of the first volume, but it still looks great. I can’t wait to read the source material. And who doesn’t love Nyanko-sensei?!?

Crown of Love (Renai Crown) by: Yun Kouga
Complete at 4 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 February 2010, Volume 2 May 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: After a chance encounter, Hisayoshi ”Kumi” Tajima falls madly in love with teen idol Rima Fujio. Bewitched by her beauty, he only wants to get closer to her. As a fan, he lives in a separate world. But if he becomes a fellow idol…
My ramblings: Crown of Love is, from what I’ve heard, a fairly early work from Yun Kouga, this time a part of the Shojo Beat line from Viz. This isn’t a title I know much about, but Yun Kouga’s work is sure to be pretty at least. Hopefully it will live up to what little of Kouga’s works I’ve read (I think only a oneshot in FAUST, but it was absolutely fantastic!).

Panic × Panic by: Mika Kawamura
Complete at 2 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 February 2010
Price: US $10.99
From this press release: PANIC X PANIC, a paranormal series by Mika Kawamura, combines comedy, fantastical action, and a budding childhood rivalry. Mitsuki, an only child at a Shinto shrine, grew up across the street from Kakeru, the son of a priest. They never got along growing up, and still don’t get along as teenagers. However, a strange encounter with a demon seals their fate forever: the pair discovers they are the descendants of priests who had sealed away disorderly demons. With the demons becoming a problem again, Mitsuki and Kakeru must inherit the mission of their ancestors—and somehow get over their mutual dislike for each other.
My ramblings: I’m a little leery about adding this one, since I don’t see much about it online (it took a lot of searching to find a summary), but it looks cute, and I’ll try to check it out.  I don’t think this is going to necessarily going to be a series that will be a major hit, unless it’s one of those series that’s a sleeper hit. It does sound rather cliché though, which is a little off-putting, but that could be a plus if you know you like stories like it.

Portrait of M and N by: Higuchi Tachibana
Complete at 6 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
Volume 1 February 2010, Volume 2 June 2010
Price: US $10.99
From the publisher: February brings us PORTRAIT OF M & N, starring two students in high school with something to hide. Created by the bestselling manga-ka of GAKUEN ALICE, Tachibana Higuchi, M and N refer to Mitsuru and Natsuhiko: she’s masochistic; he’s narcissistic. All they want is to be normal high school students!
My ramblings: I believe this is for slightly older audiences, as the M and N refer to masochist and narcissist, but it looks promising. I’ve read some good reviews of this series so far, so I think it should be fairly good, but I’m not entirely sure, since it’s not one you hear of much. The synopsis does seem rather interesting though, so I think I’ll check it out.

Cactus’s Secret (Saboten no Himitsu) by: Nana Haruta
Complete at 4 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 March 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn’t get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her “Cactus” for being prickly when he’s around. Will Kyohei ever figure out Cactus’s secret?
My ramblings: This is Nana Haruta’s first manga to be published in the states, and I want everyone to get it, so that the chances of getting more of the adorable goodness that is Nana Haruta are better! I don’t really know much about this series itself, but I’m sure it’s great, from what I know of her other works. And how can you pass up that adorable cover?

Haru Hana The Complete Collection by: Yuana Kazumi
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Tokyopop
March 2010
Price: US $16.99
From the publisher: HARU HANA tells the story of Hana Yamada, who has just moved to Tokyo and isn’t doing as well as she’d hoped. Her new school life starts poorly, and to compound her various problems, she breaks out in hives whenever a hot guy touches her!
My ramblings: Looks like another omnibus edition from Tokyopop, and the art looks adorable, so I think I’ll be checking out this 3-in-1. Apparently the “breaks out in hives from touching the other sex” is a much more common them than I though. I’ve seen it in Beauty Pop, Zodiac P.I., and MariaHolic and now this series. I didn’t realize it was so common. It’s kind of a strange theme to be so common. The series still looks cute, and since it’s just an omnibus, there’s not much to lose by picking it all up at one time.

Pink Innocent by: Kotori Momoyuki
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 March 2010
Price: US $10.99
From this press release: Kotori Momoyuki’s PINK INNOCENT, a quirky teen comedy, follows the romance behind an unlikely pair. Ditzy Cocona Sakuranomiya, a wealthy 16-year-old used to getting everything that she wants, is completely clueless about how to approach the super-serious Renji, who happens to be more interested in the stock market and his laptop than any girl.
My ramblings: I looked around the internet and heard good and bad things about this series, but it looks adorable (though that hairstyle is crazy!), so I’ll try and check it out. I think the biggest problem people seemed to have with the series is that the main character is apparently a huge ditz, but I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, so hopefully it’ll turn out better than some people thing it is.

Stepping on Roses (Hadashi de Bara wo Fume) by: Rinko Ueda
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 April 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: A rags-to-riches romance from the creator of Tail of the Moon! Poor Sumi Kitamura… Her irresponsible older brother Eisuke keeps bringing home orphans for her to take care of even though they can barely afford their own basic needs! Just when Sumi’s financial problems become dire, wealthy Soichiro Ashida enters her life with a bizarre proposition–he’ll provide her with the money she so desperately needs if she agrees to marry him. But can Sumi pull off fooling high society into thinking she’s a proper lady? Moreover, is it worth it to give everything up for this sham of a marriage?
My ramblings: I can’t emphasize enough just how good this series is. It definitely needs to be read by anyone who likes shojo manga! Sumi is a great heroine, and just look at Rinko Ueda’s art, it’s absolutely gorgeous! I’m so glad that Viz picked this up, and will definitely be buying it right when it comes out, job or no.

Flower in a Storm by: Shigeyoshi Takagi
Complete at 2 volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 May 2010
Price: US $9.99
From the publisher: Love is like a storm. Riko Sassoku is trying to lead a normal high school life when Ran Tachibana bursts into her classroom carrying a gun and telling her that her life is now his. Ran, the richest, most powerful 17-year-old in Japan wants her as his wife, and he’s not taking no for an answer! If Ran can’t capture her by five o’clock the next day, he’ll give up on her, but he has all that money can buy at his disposal. However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve–she has superpowers!
My ramblings: This is only a two-volume series, and it looks interesting. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested until I saw the cover for the first volume, and the art is just so nice, that I really hope the story is just as nice. The fact that the heroine has super powers is kind of interesting, but I’m not sure how it’s going to play out in only 2 volumes, and I have a feeling it might be kind of rushed.

Songs and Laughter (Boku ga Utau to Kimi wa Warau kara) by: Natsuki Takaya
My Song, Your Smile, Just Because is listed as the title in this Press Release and says title subject to change, and Amazon lists it as Songs and Laughter, so I’m not sure what the official title is yet. EDIT: Tokyopop said they’re still working on the title.
Complete at 1 volume
US publisher: Tokyopop
May 2010
Price: US $12.99
From the publisher: TOKYOPOP presents MY SONG, YOUR SMILE, JUST BECAUSE: STORIES FROM THE CREATOR OF FRUITS BASKET, filled with unforgettable tales from Takaya-sensei, including a side story to TSUBASA: THOSE WITH WINGS.
My ramblings: Another of Tokyopop’s Natsuki Takaya offerings trying to ride on the coat-tails of Fruits Basket, this time it’s a collection of one-shots. I know there’s a Tsubasa: Those With Wings side story, but past that I’m not sure what is included in this volume. I’m not really a huge fan of earlier Takaya art (her new/Hoshi wa Utau art is so much nicer), so I’m not sure if I’ll pick this up, though the Tsubasa: Those With Wings side story is rather tempting.

Yokai Navi Runa by: Miyoko Ikeda and Michiyo Kikuta
Ongoing with 3+ volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 May 2010
Price: US $10.99
From myanimelist.net: Luna Rindou is a klutz who loves to daydream and relies very much on her best friend. Her greatest treasure is an amulet that once belonged to her mother. One day, she runs away only to have the amulet stolen by a boy and girl who turn into animals when they come into possession of the amulet. What is the meaning of this!?
My ramblings: I have an old issue of Nakayoshi with this in it somewhere and I have some furoku for the series as well, which makes me want to try it out (a silly reason I know), but I haven’t really heard much about the series. The summary sounds rather all over the place, but I’m hoping that it’s not as crazy as it sounds. I’d like to try it, but I’m not completely sure yet.

Library Wars: Love and War (Toshokan Sensou: Love and War) by: Hiro Arakawa and Kiiro Yumi
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 June 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From mangaupdates.com: During the 31st year of Seika, the battle between the Library Force and the Media Improvement Committee reached a new level of violence. Each group has armed itself for either the freedom of expression or the “protection” of society from the bad influences of media. Kasahara Iku joins the Library Force with the intent of finding her “Prince” who helped her during a censorship exercise by the Media Improvement Committee and with her strong will of protecting books.
My ramblings: I am a huge fan of the Library Wars series, and the fact that even just the shojo version of the manga has been licensed is a huge plus (and heck, it’s the shojo manga version!)! The only thing that would make this better is if the novels were licensed too (here’s looking at you, Viz/Haikasoru). This is a definite purchase for me, but I have an unfortunate feeling it will only do well with people who are already familiar with the series.

Here I Am! (Koko ni Iru Yo!) by: Ema Toyama
Complete at 5 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 Fall 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $10.99)
From myanimelist.net: Hikage is a reclusive 8th grader who no one seems to notice. She finds comfort in her blog, and the people who comment on it. Everything changes one day when a cute boy tells her something Hikage’s always wanted to hear– she might not be so invisible after all.
My ramblings: From what I know of the premise of this series, it’s somewhat like Kimi ni Todoke. Hopefully it will be like Kimi ni Todoke in a good way, and be one of those series that just pulls at your heartstrings (in a good way). This is another series I haven’t heard much about, but it looks like something I’d really enjoy, and I’m hoping it’s as good as I expect it to be.

Grand Guignol Orchestra (Guignol Kyuutei Gakudan) by: Kaori Yuki
Ongoing with 2+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 October 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From myanimelist.net: The beautiful singer Lucille and his orchestra invite you to the city of fear where puppets hunt down humans. The puppets are playing an oratorio of magic and illusions!
My ramblings: This is Kaori Yuki’s newest series (it’s only up to 2 volumes in Japan right now), and I think it will be a definite buy for any fans of either her or just gothic manga in general. Her art is always so gorgeous and detailed and her stories are usually fairly complex. From what I’ve seen of this particular series, it’s just as grotesquely beautiful as her previous series, and there’s actually a little bit of gender bending if I remember correctly. Again, a great asset to the Shojo Beat family.

Wild @ Heart (Wild Damon) by: Natsumi Ando
Complete at 3 volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Omnibus October 2010
Price: TBD
From myanimelist.net: A girl’s life s going to change because of her father who is an explorer. He always bring her presents and this time he brought a boy that he found living in a jungle and took him home. Now she has to take care of him and guide him as he tries to adapt to the city life.
My ramblings: I’m a little worried about this early work by Kitchen Princess and Zodiac P.I. author Natsumi Ando, since Amazon originally had it listed as just the first volume, but now lists it as Wild @ Heart 1/2/3 (though I certainly don’t mind omnibus versions, it’s a little strange) and it isn’t available for pre-order (though it is a little early). But hopefully Del Rey pulls through (I expect them too, since Kitchen Princess seems to be a big seller for them and they picked up ARISA just recently also) and we’ll get this early Ando work sometime next year.

ARISA by: Natsumi Ando
Ongoing with 2+ volumes
US publisher: Del Rey Manga
Volume 1 November 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $10.99)
From myanimelist.net: Tsubasa and Arisa are twin sisters who haven’t seen each other for three years due to their parents’ divorce. They have communicated through letters, but finally decide to meet each other again. Arisa, the more gentle of the twins, suggests that Tsubasa take her place at school for a day, just for fun. However, there are things about Arisa and her school that she hasn’t mentioned to Tsubasa–dangerous things.
My ramblings: Natsumi Ando has a great record with manga, and I know this will be another big hit for her here in North America. This is certainly not a series I would give to a child, but it’s one that I don’t think shojo fans should miss. It’s one of the hot series in Nakayoshi right now, and there is certainly a reason for that (well, apart from the fact that it’s sort of riding on Kitchen Princess’s coat-tails), it’s really a great intriguing series!

Nice to Meet You, Kamisama (Kami-sama Hajimemashita) by: Julietta Suzuki
Ongoing with 4+ volumes
US publisher: Viz Media – Shojo Beat imprint
Volume 1 November 2010
Price: TBD (presumed to be US $9.99)
From ANN: Nanao Momozono suddenly becomes homeless after her dad disappeared and left a huge debt behind, which forced her to leave the apartment. On the street Nanao rescues a strange man from a dog. To thank her, he gives her his house, which proves to be a run-down shrine, inhabited by a hostile fox-eared young man. Confused and tired with no other place to go to, she decides to stay, but this proves to be more difficult than expected…
My ramblings: If the press surrounding Karakuri Odette is any indication, Viz’s decision to pick this title up from the same artist was a fantastic one (bet they’re kicking themselves over not getting Karakuri Odette too). The premise behind this series looks rather interesting to me, and I can’t wait to read it. If this is half as good as Karakuri Odette is (I’ve only read the preview on Tokyopop’s site, but it was really good), then this series should be another hit.

Bunny Drop (Usagi Drop) by: Yumi Unita
Ongoing with 6+ volumes
US publisher: Yen Press
Volume 1 March 2010, Volume 2 September 2010
Price: US $12.99
From the publisher: Returning to his family’s estate for his grandfather’s funeral, thirty-something bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a much younger lover! Needless to say, the rest of the family is shocked and embarrassed by this turn of events, and not one of them wants anything to do with the little girl, who refuses to say a word. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to adopt her! But is living with an overgrown teenager who can barely take care of himself the key to making Rin come out of her shell?
My ramblings: This is definitely josei, and it looks like one of those stories that would just break your heart. Of course, it could go the other way and just be terrible, but I think this looks incredibly promising. From what I’ve read online it’s a very slow slice-of-life that is none-the-less fantastic.