In response, I would have liked to lie splendidly: we have giant robots to do our filing and fetch our coffee; CLAMP and Ken Akamatsu stop by all the time for after-work karaoke; there are flat-screen TVs showing anime and Playstations with Japanese import games in every office; and we do nothing but read manga all day long (well, I do, but don't tell anyone!). But instead, I realized that it's possible to tell the truth and still be moderately interesting, so in the next couple of newsletters, I'm going to talk a little bit about the day-to-day goings-on here at Del Rey Manga.

Because, while we're not hanging with the manga-ka and playing Katamari Damacy all day, we are making manga, and that's still pretty cool.

So I'm going to start with my cubicle, and only one thing makes my cubicle different from Dilbert's. I have a big old cabinet full of manga:

This is just the cabinet in my own personal cubicle. We have two more closets, both bigger than this one, also stuffed to the rafters with manga.

The books in this cabinet are all tankobon. Most manga is serialized first on a weekly or monthly basis in an anthology-style magazine. Then successful series are collected in these trade paperback-sized editions, which collect five or six installments in one portable package. It's when the Japanese publisher sends us a copy of one of these books that the serious business of putting together the U.S. edition begins. So the life of a Del Rey Manga book, like the adventures told in The Chronicles of Narnia, begins inside a closet-like piece of furniture: the Cabinet of Tankobon.

Next month: pictures of my fax machine, phone, PC, and stapler.

MangaNEXT

It's not easy to get things right the first time around; that's my excuse for failing my driving test the first time I took it. But the planners for MangaNEXT, the world's first manga-only convention, fared much better. It was a fun show, with a glamorous Cosplay Cabaret, a fully stocked dealers' room and a lively Artists' Alley. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our panel, tested us with some great questions, and gave us a good laugh or two. You were the first to hear our big new title announcement, but here's the lowdown for everyone else:

Voila! C'est Le Chevalier d'Eon!

We get excited about every title we publish here, but we've been utterly conquered by Tou Obukata and Kiriko Yumeji's Le Chevalier d'Eon:

First, the anime is being produced by Production I.G., who gave the world the gift of the Ghost in the Shell anime and TV series. Check out Production IG's official site and the Japanese site and start your heart racing. Plus, according to our sources, the anime will be coming to the U.S.—sooner rather than later—and though we could tell you what we know, well, we're not going to...

Second, it's just so cool. Chevalier's a richly violent and super-glam dark fantasy set in the France of Versailles, guillotines, and elaborate corsets. Think Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, but with costumes by Alexander McQueen, swordfights choreographed by The Matrix's Yuen Woo-Ping, a soundtrack by Joy Division, and a bishonen hero who's hotter than Heath Ledger in Casanova. And gargoyles, ghosts, secret agents, mysterious cults, black magic, and a hellacious quest for vengeance, all rendered in art that's goth and gorgeous. Look for Chevalier to swoop into stores next summer!

Basilisk Anime on IFC

But that's next summer. For a quicker fix of action-packed period drama, tune into IFC this October for the Basilisk anime, which premiered Friday, October 6th. Go to IFC's official site for the schedule.

Train Man Contest Winners

Looking forward to reading Train Man? It's out November 7th, but here are ten people who've beat you to it—they all won advance reading copies:

• Carter Rice, Boca Raton, FL
• Setsuna Tang, Panorama City, CA
• Jasmine Grayson, Las Vegas, NV
• Neal Aaron Phillips, Kankakee, IL
• Don Frazier, Albuquerque, NM
• Peter Cintula, Manalapan, NJ
• Scott Inness, Athol, ID
• Marvin Vinluan, Cleveland, OH
• Andrew Floyd, Minerva, OH
• Brian Chapel, Chandler, AZ

One of our advance readers shares the love:

"This manga is great! I loved the original story, as well as the drama, and now that I get to read in manga-style, it makes me fall in love with the story all over again!" —Setsuna Tang

So what's life really like at the Del Rey Manga office? Maybe it would be a great subject for a manga: cross the BBC's The Office with Genshiken and there you have it!

Tricia Narwani
delreymanga@randomhouse.com

NEW IN STORES

PASTEL 4

Mugi Tadano is the happiest high school kid in the world. Not only does he get to live with his super cute classmate Yuu Tsukisaki, but his dad is rarely home. It almost seems too good to be true. Enter Kiku Murakami—the hottest, most popular girl in school. Kiku can have her pick of any guy, and she's chosen Mugi! The one thing that stands in her way is Yuu. Kiku's solution? Destroy the competition by any means necessary. When Kiku unleashes a series of hurtful rumors about Yuu, it is up to Mugi to clear Yuu's name and save her reputation. But can Mugi resist the charms of the sexiest girl in school?




KAGETORA 3

Young ninja Kagetora vows never to waver from his duty to protect his charge, Yuki—even if it means denying his love for her. Meanwhile, Kagetora has become an object of affection in his own right. Already reeling from the attentions of cute ninja Sakuya, Kagetora finds himself at the center of even more trouble when a headstrong rich girl sets her sights on him. When all this commotion finally prompts Yuki to question Kagetora about his feelings, he finds himself in a bind. What's a ninja to do when speaking from his heart means betraying his duty?




Q·KO-CHAN 2

Kirio Muji has been adopted by an adorable robot named Q·ko-chan and is taking part in a battle against octopus-like creatures, mind-controlled aliens, and his own government. But now a whole horde of robots like Q·ko-chan has shown up—and when his hated sister Furiko is adopted by the most powerful robot, the battle reaches a shattering climax.

With a mix of thrilling adventure and ultra-cute robots, Q·ko-chan is a manga event not to be missed!




THE WALLFLOWER 9

Four of Japan's hottest guys are struggling (in elegant surroundings) with the biggest challenge of their lives…transforming the geeky goth, Sunako, into a delicate lady. When Sunako's auntie—and the guys' landlady—arrives unannounced, she finds Sunako enjoying a slasher flick in the darkest recesses of her room. Clearly no progress has been made! So auntie decides there's only one way to turn her niece into a lady: Send Sunako and Kyohei on a little romantic getaway. Their accommodations for the evening consist of a vibrating bed, two-way mirrors, and a security guard who's blocking the only exit. Can Sunako survive a night alone with a creature of the light?




GHOST HUNT 5

The students of Ryokuryou High School think they've been playing a fun new game called Orikiri. They have no idea that it is actually a wicked spell conjuring up evil spirits that intend to kill their sensei! More troubling is that with each passing minute, the strongest spirit eerily devours the other apparitions and grows ever more destructive. Since the spirit can't be stopped, there's only one way to save the sensei: Turn the curse around onto the students who initiated it! Mai and Naru clash mightily on this case, as Shibuya Psychic Research must choose between the sensei and the students…and time is running out!




KUROGANE 2

Inside samurai Jintetsu's robot body beats a broken heart. Although he has avenged his father's death, Jintetsu is fated to live life as a lonely drifter—a man with no home, no title, and no peace. But then he runs into fellow assassin Renji the Firewalker, whose fate seems to be intertwined with his own. Jintetsu and Renji have worked together in the past, and share an unspoken bond of understanding and respect—that is, until Ryujiro, Jintetsu's childhood friend, hires the cyborg samurai to assassinate Renji. Now Jintetsu must choose between his friends—and whichever side he takes will lead him into grave danger.

The Del Rey Manga newsletter is copyright 2006 by Del Rey Books. This newsletter may be reproduced only in its entirety, and not for profit.