Latest Editions of Naruto Manga

You can read it online at VizManga. Also, if you own one of the following devices - iPad, iPhone and iPod (you can download the digital copy of it). However, you must get the VIZ MANGA application first. For more information on the app, click here.

NARUTO Vol. 54 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available Today!
Viaduct to Peace: Naruto and his team engage in an intense battle with the Akatsuki organization as both sides seek the power to determine the future of their land. Internecine fighting weakens the Akatsuki, but will their dark forces sideline Naruto?! Print edition debuts on January 3rd, 2012.

NARUTO Vol. 55 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available November 21st 
The Great War Begins: Evil masterminds Kabuto and Madara instigate a skirmish with Naruto and friends on Turtle Island. The Allied Shinobi Forces prepare to attack, but are they ready for Kabuto's horde of reanimated dead ninja?! Print edition debuts on March 6th, 2012. 

http://www.jpopasia.com/news/latest-editions-of-naruto-manga::9351.html

YUI New Album "HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE"

Time sure passes by real fast. YUI has accomplished a lot since her debut seven years ago. In the time span of less than a decade, she rose to become one of the most prominent and influential Japanese pop and rock artist. Her fifth original studio album HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE is released under the subsidiary labels of Sony Music Japan. It became a number one selling album on the weekly Oricon charts making it the fifth consecutive number one album for YUI. But do these numbers justify the quality of the album? Let’s find out.

Tracklist
1. HELLO
2. Separation
3. Get Back Home
4. Lock On
5. U-niform
6. Cooking
7. Rain
8. Good night
9. YOU
10. It's My Life
11. no Reason
12. Nobody Knows
13. Green a.live

Before the review, I would like to provide a little excerpt of YUI’s history and how I will go about reviewing this album because of my experience with her music. I have the utmost respect for YUI as a singer-songwriter as there is no denying her talents; she is extremely talented. Never have I viewed her as an idol; I save that for 48 other people. I have been listening to her music ever since her first debut single “Feel My Soul” in 2005. This was even before her hit song “Good-bye Days” which was a movie tie-in to Taiyou no Uta. Undoubtedly, one of the sources that got YUI’s popularity soaring was her tie-ins with anime songs and her more upbeat rock songs. However, sometimes I wish that her other songs were more well known too. If given a chance to rate her previous albums, none of them would fall below a 4 out of 5 rating. With these things in mind and my respect for YUI, I gave my most professional ear to her newest album. Let’s get on with the review.

Review
When it comes to YUI’s music, I feel that there is a cycle of denial and then acceptance. After her indie sounding debut album, she released a fast rock song, “Roling Star”. At first, I could not accept the route she was going on but the more I listened to it, the more I fell in love with it, thus the came acceptance. Then comes “CHE.R.RY”, a very happy pop song that once again surprised me and I fell back into the cycle. Similarly, “HELLO” is a happy pop beat and a great song to start off the album. This song along with “YOU” was used in the movie Paradise Kiss starring Kitagawa Keiko and Mukai Osamu. “It’s My Life” and “no Reason” are great upbeat songs as well. After going through the album a couple of times, I discovered that happy and encouraging songs were prevalent. Not that it is a bad thing; in fact it is wonderful and appreciative that YUI wrote these songs, as 2011 was not the greatest year for Japan.

http://www.jpopasia.com/news/review-yuis-how-crazy-your-love::9411.html

Manga Artist Arina Tanemura Ends Exclusivity Contract With Ribon

  

Arina Tanemura, creator of the hit series Shinshi Doumei Cross and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, has confirmed that she has ended her exclusivity contract with Ribon this past spring. 

Sakura-Hime Kaden will be her last series for Ribon, but she assures fans that she will continue the series until the end of the story. Tanemura has since launched her official site today. 


Previously, Tanemura launched her first manga series outside of Ribon. Fudanjuku Monogatari, based on the idol group Fudanjuku (male alter egos of the idol group Nakano Fujo Sisters), was publushed in Margaret magazine in July, which ended on November 5th.




quoted from http://www.jpopasia.com

Introducing Japan Today - Memperkenalkan Jepang Saat ini

A quirky 12-minute video titled “Japan The Strange Country” has been getting a lot of media attention. It was made by graphic designer Kenichi Tanaka and introduces precise details about Japan such as Japanese people’s characteristics, Tokyo, food culture, suicide, love and so on.

Tanaka says: “I created this information graphic motion piece as my final thesis project. My objective is to make Japanese people think about what is happening in their own country, and that some aspects of Japanese culture are not that normal. The English narration offers a point of view on Japan that isn’t usually considered by Japanese people, and therefore conveys a ‘foreign’ perspective. I hope audiences will learn about some of the weird aspects of Japanese culture.”

Some of the comments posted on YouTube by people who saw the video praise it for being the truth, very informative, an amazing insight into the world of Japan, and so on. Robert Hogan from Monterey Institute of International Studies said that “it’s a great project! I hope many people watch the movie.”



by Japan Today