Home Archives for Giveaways
27 August 2014 18 Comments

Manga Giveaway: Nana Giveaway

It’s that time again! Time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly manga giveaway! This month everyone will have a chance to win the first volume of Ai Yazawa’s fantastic series Nana as published by Viz Media. The series may not be finished, and it might never be, but it’s still well worth reading. The first volume actually stands very well on its own, too. As always, this giveaway is open worldwide!

Nana, Volume 1

Many, many years ago, before Experiments in Manga even existed, I read the first volume of Ai Yazawa’s Nana. I enjoyed it well enough, but didn’t initially get around to reading much beyond that. However, I kept seeing other people write about the series, expressing their love for the manga. And so a couple of years ago I decided to try reading the series again. And it floored me. (In a good way.) Who knows why at first Nana didn’t grab me? Maybe it was just bad timing, or maybe I was in a bad mood the day I read it. But I’m so glad that I gave the series a second look—it’s a tremendous work deserving all of the praise that has been bestowed upon it. Nana isn’t the only series that I’ve had a similar experience with. Take CLAMP’s X, for another example. I didn’t like the first volume at all, but gave the series a second chance when Viz began to release the beautiful omnibus edition. For whatever reason, the second time around X hooked me. Granted, in the case of X, it’s one of those manga that’s so bad it’s good as opposed to something like Nana which is just damn good.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Nana, Volume 1?

1) Have you ever given a particular manga or series a second chance? If so, tell me about your experience in the comments below. If not, simply mention that and tell me why.
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

There you have it! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway and has one week to submit comments. If you prefer or have trouble with the comment form, entries may also be sent via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. (The entry will then be posted in your name.) The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on September 3, 2014. Best of luck!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Nana Giveaway Winner

Filed Under: Features, Giveaways Tagged: , ,
6 August 2014 Leave a Comment

Manga Giveaway: Mecha Manga Giveaway Winner

Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1And the winner of the Mecha Manga Giveaway is…Elliot!

As the winner, Elliot will be receiving a copy of Mohiro Kito’s Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1. For some reason, I never think I’m going to enjoy mecha manga, but then I do. And so, as part of this giveaway, I was interested in learning what mecha manga other people had read and enjoyed. There have been a good number licensed in English, though this is only a small fraction of what’s available in Japan. As many of the entrants pointed out in the giveaway comments, sometimes an anime gives the mecha genre a little more oomph, but manga can be enjoyable, too.

Some of the mecha manga licensed in English:
Bokurano: Ours by Mohiro Kito
Broken Blade by Yunosuke Yoshinaga
Code Geass by Goro Taniguchi (and various)
Eureka Seven by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou
Full Metal Panic! written by Shouji Gatou, illustrated by Retsu Tateo
Gurren Lagann by Kotaro Mori
Kannazuki no Miko: Destiny of Shrine Maiden by Kaishaku
Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei
Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP
Mobile Police Patlabor by Masami Yuuki
Mobile Suit Gundam: Ecole du Ciel by Haruhiko Mikimoto
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino (and various)
Nadesico by Kia Asamiya
Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
RahXephon written by Yutaka Izubuchi, illustrated by Takeaki Momose
The Vision of Escaflowne by Aki Katsu
The Voice of a Distant Star written by Makoto Shinkai, illustrated by Mizu Sahara

The above list is only a small selection of the mecha manga that have at one point or another been released in English. I was a little surprised to see how much of it has gone out of print. But there are still some great titles like Knights of Sidonia, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, and the various incarnations of Neon Genesis Evangelion that are still going strong. Mecha will still be around for a while, I suspect. And thank you to everyone who shared your favorites with me!

Filed Under: Giveaways, Lists, Unshelved Tagged: , ,
30 July 2014 21 Comments

Manga Giveaway: Mecha Manga Giveaway (Bokurano)

It’s the end of the month and therefore the start of another manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga! For July’s giveaway you all have a chance to win the first volume in Mohiro Kito’s manga series Bokurano: Ours as published by Viz Media. As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1

I don’t know what it is about mecha manga and anime. For some bizarre reason, I never think that I’m going to like it, but I almost always end up enjoying what I pick up. Maybe my reluctance comes from the feeling that there’s just so much of it, giving the impression that the genre has been overdone and is lacking in originality. That’s a somewhat unfair train of thought on my part. Most well-established genres have the problem where a great deal of the media just isn’t very good or particularly notable, but they all have their gems.

Anyway. I recently started reading Mohiro Kito’s Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1, which is one of the more unusual mecha stories that I’ve come across. Granted, I haven’t gotten very far into the series yet, but I am liking its dark atmosphere and prominent psychological elements. Plus, it ran in IKKI, a magazine that publishes some manga that I really love. (And which sadly recently announced that it will be suspending publication in September.)

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite mecha manga, if you have one. (Never read mecha? Simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there it is! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. As usual, everyone has one week to submit comments. If you prefer or have trouble with the comment form, entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. (I will then post the entry in your name.) The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on August 6, 2014. Good luck to you all!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Mecha Manga Giveaway Winner

Filed Under: Features, Giveaways Tagged: , ,
2 July 2014 2 Comments

Manga Giveaway: Juné Manga Giveaway Winner

FlutterAnd the winner of the Juné Manga Giveaway is…Muteee!

As the winner, Muteee will be receiving a copy of Flutter by Momoko Tenzen as published by Juné, one of Digital Manga’s boys’ love and yaoi imprints. Because it was June and the wordplay amused me, I decided to hold a Juné giveaway, asking those who were participating to tell me a little about their favorite Juné manga (if they had one). After ten years of publishing and over four hundred volumes of manga and novels, there are quite a few Juné titles to choose from. Because I enjoy making lists, I’ve gathered everyone’s responses (and added a few additional favorites of my own) below. Check out the giveaway comments if you want all the details, though!

Some favorite Juné manga:
Café Latte Rhapsody by Toko Kawai
Caramel by Puku Okuyama
Cut by Toko Kawai
Deadlock written by Saki Aida, illustrated by Yuu Takashina
Dear Myself by Eiki Eiki
Don’t Say Anymore, Darling by Fumi Yoshinaga
Hero Heel by Makoto Tateno
Gorgeous Carat Galaxy by You Higuri
I Give to You by Maki Ebishi
In the Walnut by Toko Kawai
Invisible Boy by Hotaru Odagiri
Kiss Blue by Keiko Kinoshita
Little Butterfly by Hinako Takanaga
Loveholic by Toko Kawai
Ludwig II by You Higuri
Maiden Rose by Fusanosuke Inariya
Men of Tattoos by Yuiji Aniya
The Moon and the Sandals by Fumi Yoshinaga
Mr. Mini Mart by Junko
Necratoholic by Maguro Wasabi
No Touching at All by Kou Yoneda
Only Serious about You by Kai Asou
Only the Ring Finger Knows written by Satoru Kannagi and illustrated by Hotaru Odagiri
Our Everlasting by Toko Kawai
Rin! written by Satoru Kannagi and illustrated by Yukine Honami
Same Cell Organism by Sumomo Yumeka
Seven Days written by Venio Tachibana and illustrated by Rihito Takarai
Solfege by Fumi Yoshinaga
Thirsty for Love written by Satosumi Takaguchi and illustrated by Yukine Honami
Time Lag written by Shinobu Gotoh, illustrated by Hotaru Odagiri
The Tyrant Falls in Love by Hinako Takanaga
Yellow by Makoto Tateno

Thank you to everyone who shared their favorites with me. There are a few manga on the above list that I actually haven’t yet read that I’ll need to track down now. Hope to see you all again for the next giveaway!

Filed Under: Giveaways, Lists, Unshelved Tagged: , ,
25 June 2014 16 Comments

Manga Giveaway: Juné Manga Giveaway (Flutter)

The end of June is almost here, which means it’s time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly manga giveaway. And, because it’s June, I thought that I would hold a Juné manga giveaway. (I can’t help it, the wordplay amuses me.) This month (almost) everyone has an opportunity to enter for a chance to win a copy of Momoko Tenzen’s boys’ love one-shot Flutter! The giveaway is open worldwide, but if boys’ love and yaoi is illegal in your country, please don’t participate. (Sorry!) You must also be at least eighteen years of age for this particular giveaway.

Flutter

Last year I received a request to do a Juné manga giveaway. I actually do take requests, for giveaways as well as for reviews, though it might take some time for me to be able to follow through. Still, a Juné manga giveaway was something that I was pretty sure I could make happen. Juné is one of Digital Manga’s boys’ love imprints, taking its name from Japan’s earliest boys’ love magazine June. It’s also one of Digital Manga’s largest imprints with currently over four hundred manga and novels in its catalog. Juné’s first title, Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri’s Only the Ring Finger Knows, was released in August 2004, which means the imprint will be celebrating its tenth anniversary very soon. With so many Juné manga to choose from, and with so many that I’ve immensely enjoyed, I had a difficult time picking just one to give away. After putting some thought into it, I finally settled on one of the imprint’s newer one-shot manga that I’ve read recently: Momoko Tenzen’s Flutter. It’s an enjoyable volume with endearing characters and a slowly, quietly developed, slightly awkward romance between two grown men. Plus, one of them happens to be legitimately, and openly, gay. This isn’t particularly common in many of the boys’ love manga that have been translated, so it always makes me happy to see.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Flutter?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite Juné manga, if you have one. (And if you don’t, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that! For this giveaway, each person can earn up to two entries and has one week to submit comments. Entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if you prefer or if you encounter problems trying to leave comments. (I will then post the entry in your name.) The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on July 2, 2014. Good luck, and happy June!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Juné Manga Giveaway Winner

Filed Under: Features, Giveaways Tagged: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »