3… Highlights from this Week's FOC
WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT MISS THIS WEEK?
Hello fellow manga readers,
do you remember how crazy the newsletter at the end of September went? Just filled with iconic new titles and A LOT of new volumes for all of your favorite manga!
Let's do that again!!!
FOC MANGA NEWSLETTER FOR THE END OF OCTOBER - GOOOO!
🐎 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7 Steel Ball Run Vol. 4 🐎
Similar to the last FOC newsletter I wrote, I cannot believe that we are finally in the future!
When I first started getting back into reading manga, people already were talking about Steel Ball Run like the Holy Grail of manga!
It bugged me that I was left out and couldn't experience this story, especially because the German release was (still is) miles away from this part...
However, then I found out that the English release is one of the most beautiful hardcover collections I have ever seen, just ready to move into my shelf! And so... I adopted them.
Yes... All of them! 😭
I fell in love quickly and hard!
Jojo is one of the most random and funniest stories I have ever read! And while this is the big strength of Jojo, this is by far not the only reason why Jojo is so beloved by me and the anime/manga community!
The story revolutionized manga with iconic and bold art, featuring character designs that destroyed all gender-boundaries and style-norms. The story also started blending genres like no other manga before, which would forever change the boundaries of storytelling in manga.
And of course, the humor in the anime and manga is so beloved that it kind of birthed its own subculture. You may have heard: "Is this a Jojo-Reference?" before - because everything can, is, and will be a Jojo-Reference at one point (hehe) :P
And now, months after I finished the previous 6 parts, we are finally here at the peak of this series - and even at volume 4 already.
However, you may ask yourself: Ok, but why is this dude just suggesting a manga that has 6(!) previous parts? It will take months to reach this one.
Yes and No! Without spoiling anything, Part 7 is kind of a good starting point for new Jojo fans. I would still recommend reading the other parts to get the full grasp of this multi-generational tale (especially Part 6). However, Part 7 can be enjoyed on its own and may be the start of your love for Jojo - especially because the plot itself is so interesting and exciting! 👀
Jojo Part 7 at its core is about a former jockey called Johnny Joestar, who enters a cross-country horse race across the United States in 1890 to regain the use of his legs. If that isn't an amazing underdog story with a lot at stake, I don't know what is! 😎
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7 Steel Ball Run GN Vol 04 *PRE-ORDER*
€21,25
€25,00
SEP250223 (W) Hirohiko Araki The hunt for the Holy Corpse is on! Gyro and Johnny have managed to get ahold of the second body part, the eyeballs, but can they keep Dio from getting his claws on them? And with… read more
🏰 Kingdom Vol. 2 🏰
If you have missed the last newsletter or our Beyond The Panels-Blog, you will have missed out on the lengthy novels I wrote about this series. To sum it up quickly: It is one of the best-selling manga in Japan and one of the most anticipated manga in the West! And now... after years of waiting... we finally have the English release!!! 🥳🥳🥳
But before I start writing another novel, you can check out my full-length article about Kingdom and why it is one of the most historically accurate manga out there, on our Beyond The Panels-Blog!
But just so you can get a quick impression of what this manga is about, here is the story:
In 245 BC, during the final years of the Zhou Dynasty and the chaos of the Warring States period, China’s different states are engaged in brutal conflict as the Qin state, the largest one, rises to power. Two orphans, Xin and Piao, who live in Qin, dream of becoming great generals to bring their state to victory. When Piao is suddenly summoned to the king's palace, he vanishes for months.
When he finally returns to Xin, Piao is fatally wounded. But before dying, he urges Xin to meet Ying Zheng, the king of Qin, who looks identical to Piao.
Xin discovers that Piao was used as the king’s body double due to rising tensions within the royal family. At first Xin is enraged, but he quickly joins Ying Zheng’s cause to not only get revenge but also to unite China and chase his dream of becoming the greatest general in history!
Goosebumps! 😭
Kingdom GN Vol 02 *PRE-ORDER*
€12,74
€14,99
FEB257592 (W) Yasuhisa Hara After safely meeting with minister Changwen Jun and soldiers still loyal to him, Ying Zheng and his company must decide on the next steps to reclaiming his throne. Meanwhile, Xin and Diao are completely out of… read more
🎸 Nana 25th Anniversary Edition Vol. 2 🎸
Let us move away from Shonen and Seinen for a second and look at the other side of manga, where the most iconic Shojo is getting a second volume for a beautiful Anniversary Edition!
Nana is probably one of the most iconic Shojo manga out there, not only due to its amazing story and themes, but also because it was the one story that showed a lot of Shonen-/Seinen-Bros that there are amazing stories on the other side of the coin aswell!
Combined with Ai Yazawa's amazing artwork and character designs, it is a story that you cannot miss out on! 👀
The story centers around two women called Nana. (Yes, they have the same name!) Both are living in Tokyo now and face their own pain. While Nana K. cannot find luck in her love-life, Nana O. cannot avoid her successful ex-boyfriend. But, fate doesn't want to let these two women go through these tough times alone and brings them together!
However, will they be able to pick each other up, or will there be even more pain? 🥀
Nana 25th Anniversary Edition GN Vol 02 *PRE-ORDER*
€21,24
€24,99
FEB257614 (W) Ai Yazawa Living in Tokyo is proving harder than either Nana expected. Nana K. can't seem to outrun her bad luck in love, and Nana O. can't seem to avoid the constant reminder of her ex-boyfriend's success. Can… read more
⚡ QUICK-TIME-EVENT! ⚡
Although I already presented you the biggest highlights of this week's FOC, there is so much more that I want to mention! So, let us speedrun this one! READY? GO!!!! 🏃♂️
- We get volume 16 of the funniest and most random shonen at the moment - Dandadan!
- Retired grandpa assassins are going into the most crazy battles in volume 19 of Sakamoto Days!
- One of the best manga about fighting and finding purpose in peace is getting its 18th volume - Wind Breaker!
- Next up, a manga that is changing the world and breaking records - volume 110(!) of One Piece is coming!
- You miss Chainsaw Man or want something similar? Try Tank Chair, which gets its 6th volume!
- An underrated manga that can be compared to Mushishi with swords is getting its 8th volume - Sword Of The Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho!
- The mangaka of Tokyo Ghoul is still busy with his newest series Choujin X, going into the 10th volume!
- And last but not least, my personal favorite slice-of-life in forever: Hirayasumi is getting its 7th volume! (YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ONE - JUST THE PERFECT COZY READ!)
And although it might seem that I must have covered everything... I actually had to stop myself!
There is just so much good stuff coming soon and on FOC right now! So do not miss out! :P
I Wish Every FOC Would Look Like This! 🙏
Sentences my wallet has never uttered before! But I do... every day :(
You can check out every FOC this week, right here. All of our pre-orders run until Saturday at 4pm.
If you have any doubts or questions, you can message us, and we will gladly help you out.
But if you cannot wait and need some new manga right now, you can always check out our Beyond The Panels-Blog, where I already talked about a lot of different manga that you can get right away! :D
See ya,
Daniel
