NEW SHOUJO SERIES
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STROBE EDGE
Ninako experiences love for the first time. Will it remain unrequited or is there hope?
Coming of Age/Romance. Looking forward to more from Io Sakisaka.
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MISSIONS OF LOVE
Cel phone novelist Yukina blackmails popular boy Shigure into compromising situations so she can experience love in order to write about it.
Lots of fun romantic tension. Romance/School Life.>/p>
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JIU JIU
Demon hunter Takamichi has two guardian wolf dogs who love her dearly. Their ability to transform into humans make them even more tempting as high school students.
Plenty of bare bishie body in this series. Supernatural/Romance
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THE EARL AND THE FAIRY
The manga adaptation of the popular light novel series. Lydia the Fairy Doctor becomes the assistant of Edgar, a suspicious character with an mysterious agenda.
A great new series this year from Viz, with a short run. Fantasy/Romance.
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THE LIMIT
When the school bus crashes on the class trip, a small group of girls survive. Social order gets thrown out the window as the girls struggle just to live.
Drama/Survival. Must read new series from Vertical.
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A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG
Maria Kawai must learn to fit an at her new high school despite her blunt nature. Her singing ability attracts the attention of two popular boys who become her friends and maybe more.
Slice of Life/Romance. The best new series from Viz this year.
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SOULLESS
Alexia is a spinster in Victorian England. As a soulless creature she is unable to be harmed by the supernatural, so escaping a vampire attack leaves the attacker dead. To make matters worse she is being investigated by her crush, Lord Maccon.
Fans of Gail Carriager should love this! Supernatural/Romance.
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PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA
Madoka has the opportunity to change her destiny if she becomes a magic girl. But with power comes great price. One she’s not sure she will risk.
Drama/Fantasy.
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LIZZIE NEWTON
Lizzie Newton is an high society girl in Victorian England. Highly educated, she is a mystery novelist who solves cases in real life. Her hunky fiance Edwin assists.
Romance/Mystery. One of the best new series I read this year. Great mystery, science, and romantic tension.
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START WITH A HAPPY ENDING
When several deceased are reincarnated as cats they have seven days to enjoy the life of a finicky feline.
Drama/Slice of Life. Really, who wouldn’t enjoy the life of a cat – eat, sleep, and purr!
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ALICE IN THE COUNTRY OF CLOVER
This encompasses all the titles for the series this year, including Bloody Twins, Cheshire Cat Waltz 1-3, and My Fanatic Rabbit. Alice’s adventures in the Country of Clover are parceled out among the romantic character options from the game.
Romance/Fantasy. I didn’t care for these because the plot is threadbare. Plenty of steamy action between Alice and all the male characters, though.
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BACK IN OMNIBUS FORMAT IN 2012
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PARADISE KISS
Ai Yazawa’s coming of age meets fashion is one of the best reprints this year from Vertical. Paradise Kiss is one of three josei series released this year.
Slice of Life/Romance. Get your copies today!
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ALICE IN THE COUNTRY OF HEARTS
When Alice arrives in the Country of Hearts, she meets a range of characters who want to be her friend. Based on the japanese visual novel, the reprints from Yen Press this year have beautiful new art and translations.
Fantasy/Romance.
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HANA-KIMI
Mizuki leaves the USA to become a high school student in Japan, all to meet her high jumper idol, Sano. Thing is, she’s going to an all-boys school. And her roommate is Sano himself. How will she hide her gender in an all boys dorm?
Gender Bender/Romance. One of my all time favorite series!
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SKIP BEAT!
Kyoko tries her hand at show biz in order to get revenge upon her childhood friend Sho. Lead actor Ren is her senpai at the agency, and sparks fly when Ren discovers Kyoko’s reason for her debut!
Drama/Romance. What? You haven’t read Skip Beat!? It’s one of the best and longest running shoujo series out there!
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KITCHEN PRINCESS
Najika is seeking her Flan Prince from her childhood, and her only clue is a spoon from Seika Academy. At the Academy she meets brothers Sora and Daichi who support her studies in the kitchen.
Cooking/Romance. Plenty of recipes and cute artwork adorn this coming of talent story.
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YOUNG MISS HOLMES
Classic 70’s shoujo brought into print by Seven Seas publishing. Christie Holmes is the niece of famous Sherlock, and at 10 is as astute as any Cambridge student. She helps her uncle and Watson solve crimes, and goes on misadventures with her huge canine Nelson.
Mystery/Suspense.
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NEW JOSEI
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SAKURAN
A coming of age story of a child sold to a brothel, Sakuran provides insight to the life of courtesans. Kiyoha must learn the ups and downs of prostitution as she grows up in a house in the red light district.
Coming of Age/Romance. A remarkable story for a mature audience.
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OLYMPOS
Ganymede is trapped in the garden of the Greek gods, used as an object of entertainment for them. His existence seems futile, as the gods come and go as they please.
Fantasy/Philosophy. Really!? Can’t we get some better josei?
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YAY! IT’S BACK FROM HIATUS!
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FUSHIGI YUGI GENBU KAIDEN VOL. 10
Starting right where it left off, Genbu Kaiden has plenty of story left to tell. Takiko must reach the last guardian and summon Genbu to save the Universe of the Four Gods.
Genbu Kaiden was on hiatus for three years while Watase worked on other pieces. We finally got volume 10 this year.
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FAVORITE NEW 2012 SERIES OUTSIDE THE SHOUJO GENRE
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THERMAE ROMAE
Lucius is a bath designer in ancient Rome who happens to travel via bath to modern Japan. The ideas he gleans from the different public and private Japanese baths and hot springs make him the most demanded bath designer in Rome.
Historical/Comedy. Plenty of naked men, but it’s more comical than anything else.
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