Update - rumor has been confirmed.

Is it true?  Is Shojo Beat ceasing publication in July????  First I can’t get my subscription to Yen Plus to come nor can I get anyone at Yen Press to respond and now Shojo Beat is leaving?

I wonder what the rationale is.  Considering that most of the shojo titles that land on the NYT Graphic Books bestseller list are SB series you would think they would really try to keep the magazine going.  Are times this tough?

Does anyone know of any campaign to save the shojo?

The other thing that bothers me is that, according to the blog post, I’ll get Shonen Jump for the duration of my subscription.  Ummm, I didn’t sign up for SJ.  I don’t WANT SJ.  There is absolutely nothing of interest (besides maaaayyyybeee Bleach) in there.

Now I’m off to try and get someone to talk to me about my Yen Plus subscription….again.

UPDATE – in case you care, apparently I was supposed to have gotten my first issue Yen Plus issue this month but I didn’t…grrr.  Anyway, July’s issue is supposed to be here by June.  We’ll see.  I left a snarky comment on their blog which I now feel kind of bad about…

I really enjoy hearing what other people think of the monthly installments.  Sometimes it makes me go back and reread a series I may have ditched, like Vampire Knight.

For the most part I agree with Matthew Brady.  I really really enjoyed the preview of Kimi Ni Todoke. Mainly because the manga-ka didn’t shy away from making heroine actually look creepy! I can see why everyone runs from “Sadako”.  To often in manga I find myself with a 90210 complex of everyone pretending so and so is ugly when they are clearly gorgeous.  Plus, this series seems to have a sweet heart and it’s summertime so sweetness is in.

I still cannot get behind Crimson Hero. The semi-rape scene was too much.  There was nothing to suggest Kaz would take things this far and having Yushin bust in went beyond cliche.  Then there’s Nobara who’s naivete is just unbelievable.  Maybe a volleyball hit me in the face when I was a baby or something because I can’t seem to get past my hatred for this series.  All the terrible haircuts don’t help.

Sand Chronicles – I can’t add anything.  This was a really good assessment:

“This series has gone from a wonderful bit of recognition at the complexities of relationships to a painful observation of the things people do that can hurt themselves and others when they aren’t willing to move on from traumatic moments.”

It keeps getting more and more painful and yet doesn’t go overdramatic.

Honey Hunt and Honey and Clover are sort of boring me at the moment….

What do people have against the Flaming Lips?

Matthew Brady a.k.a Warren Peace breaks down this month’s awesome Shojo Beat.  Sand Chronicles is getting so intense I read on the way in from the mailbox.

Comics Should be Good reviews Nighschool which I would read if my subscription to Yen+ ever kicks in.  Grrrr.

MangaCast supplies a yaoi fix by telling me about Live for Love.

Comics Reporter reports that Wolverine: Prodigal Son is not so good.  Too bad.