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Viz Media Turns 30 (Promises Goodies to Thank Fans) - Japanamerica Pop Culture Scholar Roland Kelts Contemplates the Impact of Three Decades of Viz

3/6/2016

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Happy 30th Birthday Viz Media
This summer, Viz Media celebrates its 30th birthday firmly entrenched as North America's foremost exporter, and promoter, of Japanese manga and anime.

There will be no big party in the streets by all accounts.  Yet fans can look forward to special offers and goodies given out as a thank you for for thirty years of support. 

However, those deals currently announced are only available to indivduals attending anime conventions across the USA.  Kicking off on July 1st-4th 2016, at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, and continuing throughout the summer and autumn season.  More on all that when we know further.

What Did Viz Media Ever Do for Us Anyway?

The obvious response is that Viz Media brought us Death Note.  Game over and cause to party right there.

However, if we can broaden our horizons for just three seconds, an even greater boon may be discerned. If you're reading from a Western nation then you have a lot to thank the company for in how it's spent those decades. Viz Media is probably the reason that you're here, or have even heard of Death Note. 

Even if only indirectly, with Viz acting as the trend-setter company that inspired others elsewhere to follow its lead, bringing Japanese pop culture into your local stores.

It barely seems possible that a time existed when the words 'manga' and 'anime' weren't mainstream in the West.  That outside Japan and its immediate neighbouring states, only Eastern ex-pats, Japanese Cultural Studies students, and a scattering of literary sci-fi geeks in any nation could have told you with any certainty what such alien terms described.  Or even hazarded a decent guess.

Yet in 1986, when Seiji Horibuchi - a Japanese ex-pat from Shikoku, then living in San Francisco - mooted to friends the notion that he could interest Americans in manga, anime and other cultural mainstays from his homeland, most people laughed.  They didn't think readers in the US would go for that at all.

Though obviously the majority first had to ask him what manga and anime were, before getting on with the general amusement and cynicism. 

Three decades later, we can say with great certainty that he wiped the smile off their faces.  Seiji's efforts through Viz Media - the company he founded to make good his idea and his dream - not only made him extremely rich, it secured a place for manga, anime and all else attached in the American heart and throughout the Western world.
Seiji Horibuchi Founder of Viz Media

Viz Media founder Seiji Horibuchi

Roland Kelts Puts Viz Media's Achievements in Context

Japanamerica by Roland Kelts cover

Buy Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture
has Invaded by US
by Roland Kelts on Amazon US
Just in case you haven't already grasped the enormity of Viz Media's impact in the West, Roland Kelts is on hand to spell it out.

As an academic specialising in Japanese Cultural Studies, Kelts is an author; essayist; lecturer at Keio University, Tokyo (and the occasional TED Lecture too); journalist with regular articles and columns in such illustrious publications as Time Magazine, The New York Times, Newsweek Japan and The Guardian; and steering committee member of the Tokyo Think Tank Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation.

He also wrote the acclaimed JapanAmerica (see left), all about how Japanese manga, anime and other pop culture became so big in the USA.

In May 2016, his monthly editorial for The Japan Times was devoted to Viz Media's thirty years as the main instigator of that.

Entitled Viz's 30 Years Pack a Punch in the US (May 14th 2016), Kelts outlines how Seiji Horibuchi pulled it off - from unlikely beginnings in the 1980s through to the legacy left behind by the time he parted company with Viz Media to explore pastures new.

Comparing notes with modern day Chief Marketing Officer Brad Woods, Kelts explores how Viz Media played a key role in the changing face of manga interest and sales throughout the West; touches upon the ever-growing mainstream awareness of Japanese pop culture, and projects how that success may continue into the future.

He's rather excited about how titles like Death Note are discussed as commonplace, particularly within the glittering circles of Hollywood studios executives, telling us that, 'in all the years I’ve watched manga and anime become mainstays in American homes, I’ve never seen a moment quite like this.'
More to the point, Kelts discusses the effect of such global popularity success on the domestic market in Japan. With its shrinking population population and declining consumerism, the business opportunities at home were always limited.  The injection of worldwide capital turned out to be very timely and very welcome for the overall prosperity of that island nation.

Not bad for a notion mooted by a San Francisco hippy, which turned out to be quite a fabulous one at that.  Happy 30th birthday, Viz Media; the celebrations may run worldwide.
5 Comments

Manga Entertainment: Death Note Blu-Ray Anime Coming to UK in 2016!  (Meanwhile Viz Media Promotes Death Note: Omega Edition in Blogs & Illinois)

31/5/2016

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Looks like the high definition, formatted blu-ray Death Note Omega Edition will be appearing in British stores later this year.

Manga Entertainment announced at MCM London Comic Con that Death Note blu-ray for the UK is on its way. The company has just secured the licence to distribute in that format to the Britons, and the description certainly matched that of Omega.

The news was simultaneously proclaimed on Twitter via its official account (see right), though fans at the convention found out first.

In both venues, the product spec was unveiled as being the entire run of thirty-seven Death Note anime episodes on blu-ray.  Included are the two re-cut movie length features Death Note Relight: Visions of a God and its sequel Relight: L's Successors.
Manga Entertainment: Death Note blu-ray Britain

Manga Entertainment: Death Note UK blu-ray
Announced on Twitter by @MangaUK, May 28th 2016
It's hard to imagine British distributors reinventing the wheel, when an English language blu-ray Death Note edition with that exact specification already exists as Omega. Available for US consumer viewers since March 1st 2016, created, packaged and promoted by Viz Media.

Talking of which, the Viz newsletter recently ran a piece reviewing precisely that Death Note blu-ray box set!

Urian Brown provides a pretty thorough synopsis of the story and what we may expect by revisiting its anime again in blu-ray.  The main event is earmarked once again as the unbelievable quality on display through blu-ray's famed high definition focus.  There's much talk of the detail in L's strawberry or Misa Amane's frills in his Viz blog entry - entitled Death Note: The Omega Edition with the tag-line Death Note finally gets the proper Blu-Ray treatment! (Viz, May 17th 2016).

Worth a read if you're wondering what all of the fuss is about.

Viz Media reps were also busy promoting its Omega Death Note blu-ray box set in Illinois last week.  The company had a booth at Anime Central 2016 convention, held from May 20th-22nd at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Fans stopping by to say hello could walk away clutching a free give-away Death Note poster.
Death Note Omega Blu-Ray Ryuk cover detail
Find Death Note Omega Edition in our own Death Note Anime Gift Store
- in fact, buy formatted blu-ray Death Note films from there too!

10 Comments

L Theme Park Attraction! Universal Studios Japan Join with Weekly Shonen Jump to Bring Death Note to the Tourists

10/5/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
A theme park in Osaka will be taking day-trippers into the Death Note universe with L right alongside to ensure no-one gets themselves killed.

Because he was always so good at that...

Universal Jump Summer marks a collaboration between Weekly Shonen Jump and Universal Studios Japan.  Running throughout the summer months of 2016 at the latter's tourist attraction, the event will bring to life major characters from manga and anime.

That includes Death Note detective L, who'll be recruiting rookie investigators (that'll be you) to accompany him through a role-playing, puzzle-solving, live action game entitled Death Note: The Escape.  It will be built on the back of other Death Note themed Real Escape games, that have been running in cities around the world to mark the manga's 10th anniversary.

Additionally, the theme park will regularly host theatrical performances featuring another stalwart of the genre.  One Piece Premier Show 2016 tells a story especially written for the event.

Unfortunately, visitors to Universal Studios Japan will have to pay extra to enjoy either of these anime-based attractions.  However, their general admission price allows for free access to the third one - Dragon Ball Z: The Real 4-D.  Not too much further information there, other than our hero Goku will be fighting the evil Frieza.

Yeah, whatever.  Our lot will be with L, taking on the truly nefarious designs inherent in a locked door.  And if you don't think that's dangerous, then you seriously never read Another Note.  Hold on.  Ok, so our guide looks like L. Fine. But someone must have double-checked his jam eating propensity.

Haven't they?

Enjoy going beyond in the Universal Jump Summer 2016 Death Note Real Escape event.
2 Comments

Selecta Visión Confirms Spanish Dub Death Note Blu-Ray Box Set - Catalán Too?

19/4/2016

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Selecta Visión (Death Note distributors in Spain)
Hot on the heels of the Omega Edition hitting English language stores, there's a heads up that the Spanish dub Death Note anime is getting its own Blu-Ray formatting - available from July 6th 2016.

Death Note - Box 1 (Episodios 1 A 20) - Edición Coleccionista [Blu-ray], as the box set is entitled, apparently covers only the first twenty episodes of the anime. Presumably Box 2 will finish off with the remaining seventeen.

Selecta Visión - the anime's distributors in Spain - hinted at the fact to fans during their recent tenure at Japan Weekend (Selecta Visión Confirma Las Licencias de Death Note y Assassination Classroom, report by Víctor González Valle, Region PlayStation (Feb 14th 2016)).

However there's been no official announcement as yet, beyond vague references via Twitter.

Like that on March 24th, when a fan asked if Selecta Visión would make available a Catalán version of the Death Note anime, someone from the company responded that the new Blu-Ray edition would be in Catalán. 

Though representatives at the convention suggested that it would appear in May, retailers across the board have since attached a release date of July 6th 2016.  Moreover, their attendant information uniformly names the language as being Español, not Catalán, for this Blu-Ray Spanish Death Note dub. 

Beyond that, all that we know is that Death Note Edición Coleccionista will be spread over four discs with a total running time of 500 minutes.  No word on any special features, additions nor even cover art as yet. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know anything else at all.

See Blu-Ray Death Note - Box 1 (Episodios 1 A 20) - Edición Coleccionista on Amazon Spain.

2 Comments

Warner Bros. Surrenders Death Note US Live-Action Movie; Netflix Bids High

7/4/2016

2 Comments

 
Variety breaks Death Note Netflix story April 7th 2016
How the story was broken
at Variety magazine by Justin Kroll
(April 7th 2016)
Adam Wingard's Death Note is likely to start filming in June 2016.  But it won't be Warner Bros behind the production anymore.  At the moment, it's highly likely to be Netflix.

That is the startling news circulating today.

It's unknown why Warner Bros. has decided to surrender the project, which it's held firmly in abeyance since 2009.  During that time, the studio has ordered script rewrites; actors have been linked with various roles, but the rumours rarely came to fruition; while directors have come and gone, one - we're indebted to you, Shane Black - with horror stories of Warner Bros. US attempting to sanitize the Death Note story out of all comprehension.

By the end of 2015 through early 2016, it seemed that Warner Bros. finally had a format which worked for them and all concerned.  Adam Wingard was directing; Nat Wolff had signed up to play Kira, with his real life girlfriend Margaret Qualley poised to become the movie's Misa Amane.  There was much talk of initial photography beginning in the spring.

Hence the shock nature of the news (broken by Justin Kroll at Variety) that Warner Bros. chose now to put their Death Note film 'into turnaround'.

Opening up a bidding war which Netflix currently seems set to win. Though SFX and Lionsgate are also strongly in the running.  (Anyone else think that something about a Lionsgate Death Note feels so right?) 

However, there is some speculation that giving up Death Note is part of Warner Bros. previously declared cull on 'homegrown movies', in order to concentrate its resources upon extant franchises known to be successful.  The monetary profit for Warner Bros - raised by the sale of its film rights to Death Note - is expected to fall into the ballpark of $40m-$50m.

Adam Wingard, Nat Wolff and Margaret Qualley are all apparently still on board, whichever company snaps the movie up.

Netflix, of course, already has some data concerning the popularity of Death Note.  It recently started streaming full episodes of the anime, so can see for itself how many Western viewers are interested in this particular story.  However, it's not yet game over for the other bidders.  The current status for Netflix and Death Note is 'in final negotiations', which could pretty much mean anything, besides what it says on the packet.

As for fans, it's mostly looking like we will finally get our US live-action Death Note movie, whomever produces it, though it remains to be seen whether that will be available online only, or also released as a theatrical run.

2 Comments

Ten Years On - Business Still Brisk for Death Note Manga in North America

3/4/2016

52 Comments

 
Death Note Black Edition Volume 1
Death Note Black Edition Vol 1
- buy it on Amazon.com
It may be the tenth anniversary of its initial publication, yet manga editions of Death Note sales remain evergreen in the US, Canada and Mexico. 

In fact, this far down the line, Death Note manga volumes are still one of the Top 10 best-selling titles within the c0ntinent for the genre.  It pretty much seems lodged there; camped in all perpetuity.

That's according to ICv2 - the North American pop culture news magazine for retailers - reporting in the April 4th 2016 issue of Publishers Weekly.

While Death Note may lack the current mega-sales of latest releases like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul and One-Punch Man, that's because they are new and trending fashionably. But that's more than made up for by the steady drip-drip of continued Death Note manga editions purchased throughout the last decade.

It even survived well during the overall manga slump in North America, which saw the trade in Japanese titles fall from a high of $210m in 2007 to a mere $65m by 2012.  The market had bounced back up to $75m by 2014 - mostly on the back of Tokyo Ghoul and One-Punch Man - with early figures suggesting that North American manga sales rose by another 13% again during 2015.

Yet even during the down days in manga consumerism, interest in Death Note there never really wavered.  ICv2 stated that it, along with Dragon Ball, went on 'selling well'.

So why should Death Note stand out so much amid all the rest?  ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp has an answer for that too.  "I think it all comes down to quality," He said, comparing Ohba and Obata's epic manga with iconic graphic novels of the West, like Alan Moore's Watchman or Batman: The Killing Joke. "Death Note is a good series."

And sometimes it really is as simple as that.

52 Comments

Death Note Drama on US Television? Distributors Viz Media Teams with UTA in a Partnership Bringing Live Action Anime Shows to American TV

29/3/2016

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Viz Media has teamed up with United Talent Agency (UTA) according to an announcement made on March 23rd.

It's a pairing which could spell drama in the shape of a US live action Death Note TV show.

That isn't precisely what has been said, but it's pretty much the way that everyone's been looking, when they hear the news.

Viz Media publishes Death Note manga and anime in the Americas.  The company owns its copyright there, hence may adapt the content how it will.  UTA specializes in producing live-action media for entertainment.

It doesn't take L to put two and two together there.
UTA logo
However, we might all be jumping the gun here somewhat.  After all, Viz Media has a rather large anime, manga and gaming portfolio, which includes many more big names than merely Death Note aside.  There's Bleach for a start, and One-Punch Man, Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul, Pokemon... in fact, you name it and Viz probably has the US rights to hand.  Ready to turn it into a live-action project with new business pals UTA.

Meanwhile, each company's respective executives are coming up with broad sweeping soundbites, which look good in print but tell us nothing of real import at all.  Like if there will be a Death Note US TV show?
We are excited to start this partnership to push the boundaries of storytelling, innovation and character through VIZ Media's prolific portfolio.
~ Howie Sanders, UTA
The UTA partnership represents an important new direction for VIZ Media and our colleagues in Japan.  Bringing the rich stories of manga and anime to life in new ways is an exciting opportunity with tremendous potential. UTA is an innovator that shares our vision, and their proven track record and strong relationships throughout the domestic and international entertainment sectors will be important factors as we move forward.
~ Brad Woods, Viz Media, Chief Marketing Officer
But what, if anything, are you doing to Death Note?!
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Death Note Anime Comes to Netflix Italia

24/2/2016

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Netflix Italia


In an agreement between Italian manga and anime publishers Dynit and Netflix, the complete Death Note anime series will be available on demand from today (February 24th 2016).

All thirty-six episodes of Death Note on Netflix Italia are dubbed into Italian.

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Microsoft Offers Death Note Anime Downloads for Free to US Customers

18/2/2016

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Screenshot of Microsoft Store Death Note page
Anime Month Microsoft Death Note promotion

Microsoft's Death Note anime store
(Screenshot February 18th 2016)

You can nab the first three episodes of the anime Death Note (2007), free of charge, as long as you're American and have an account with Microsoft.

Blatantly nicking the general idea from us, Microsoft Corporation have belatedly labelled February 2016 their Month of Anime.

This brings with it several free shows, while some of the big names - Death Note included - have downloadable episodes to grab and enjoy.

The whole Anime Month endeavour is to highlight what's available to stream or download via their store. They play on the usual supported devices: Xbox, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

All of the English dub Death Note anime episodes are present and correct.  Rebirth, Confrontation and Dealings resplendent alongside their 'get for free' button, while the rest cost $1.99 a shot.  As, presumably, will the first three once again come March.

So if you're suitably situated in the States - the rest of us have to pretend with a proxy, just to have a quick look - sign up for a Microsoft Store account.  (Instantly unsubscribe from the mailing list, or else spam will be your immediate and long-lasting future.) And get downloading Death Note for free.

All the time remembering, as you watch Light whining about boredom, then turning psychotic before your very eyes, that the voice you're hearing is Brad Swaile.

There's still just under a week left to get your question(s) in that Kira's voice actor may answer the stuff that you've always wanted to know.

And incidentally, we're also flogging volumes of the anime in our store too.  Proceeds to one day - when we pay enough attention to the gift area instead of the fun stuff out here - go towards the upkeep of the Death Note News website.
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Death Note Creators Ohba and Obata Comment on new Live-Action Movie

8/2/2016

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Banner Death Note 2016 official twitter account
It has been an incredibly exciting week for Death Note fans, and now we find out that Takeshi Obata has been overseeing the artwork for Death Note 2016's brand, new shinigami(s) too.

On the 4th of February 2016, the official Twitter account - for this new Japanese live-action Death Note movie - announced the actors involved in the film, character introductions, as well as posting comments from Obata and Ohba themselves!

The comments, translated from the original Japanese, state:
Tsugumi Ohba on Death Note 2016 live action movie
“It will be interesting, and there is a possibility that more Shinigami will pop up because of the six Death Notes.

There is a luxury cast involved in the movie, and I’m excited to see how they will react to everything.  You absolutely can’t hold back the excitement.”
– Ohba-sensei

Takeshi Obata on Death Note 2016 live-action movie - tweeting Feb 4th 2016
“The previous work on the Shinigami was more realistic, but I think the atmosphere is a lot darker now.

The art of the new Shinigami was closely supervised. I am also looking forward to seeing the completed product.”
– Obata-sensei
Japan's new Death Note movie will be released sometime this year, and cast comments are available at the official movie website.
Report by Renchan
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Keep Calm Meme: New Mexican Death Note Manga, Panini Turn Kira on Twitter

6/2/2016

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'Keep Calm and Tell Me Your Real Name' is how Panini México nudged its manga reading public; the slogan encased within artwork lifted from a Shinigami's notebook and written in familiar spidery Death Note font.

Though given that said readership is Spanish speaking, the legend actually read, 'Mantén la Calma y Dime Tu Nombre Verdadero'. *

Posted on social media - like Twitter, alongside the hashtag #SoyPanini, on February 4th 2016 - the meme was a bit of marketing.  A reminder that Panini Comics México will be reprinting volumes of Death Note manga.

The Mexican Death Note Panini Editions are due for release sometime this month, though even the individual posting their Tweets wasn't sure of the exact date.

Won't it be a lovely surprise when they appear on bookshelves in a Mexican manga store near you? 

Assuming, of course, that you live in México.  Mantén la calma, amigos!

(*With thanks to Lua, for the translation!)


Panini Mexico market Death Note manga with Keep Calm Meme

Panini México market Death Note manga with Keep Calm Meme
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Death Note Manga Store Fully Updated on Death Note News

18/1/2016

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Death Note Book Shop on Death Note News
Sales of Death Note literature on Death Note News
(Screenshot January 18th 2016)
So you think you've read (and probably own) every book about Death Note? Check out our store, you might be surprised.

We certainly have been.  During a whole weekend of hunting down errant manga and other literary Death Note works, there were tomes we'd never heard of, let alone read.

And coming from a gang of such Death Note obsessives, that's quite saying something.

For example, did you know about L: File Number 15?  A canon book of short Death Note cartoons created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.  Half of our team did not.

Or what about Notes of Reasoning, the Chinese novel by Zao An Xia Tian? Which may or not not be a canon work taking the Death Note universe and adapting it to a Chinese setting.  Or it may be an elaborate and published piece of fan-fiction.  We don't know. None of us speak Chinese.

How about the hardback special editions of Death Note manga that exist out there in the English language?  Some of those even took us by surprise, missing our radar entirely.

As you may have surmised, this weekend has been a time of skipping interesting things and putting our nose to the grind of finding, collating, formatting and arranging  Death Note books everywhere, in various languages, across the board of genres.

All now beautifully arrayed in the Death Note News book shop.

It's worth nipping inside, if only to discover what you may have missing from your own library collection.  But also to purchase a volume or two to help with the costs of running this website.  Enjoy!  And if you buy, thank you.

In addition the anime/movie Death Note store has been tidied up, hence will be easier to open, load and navigate.  While the music merchandise has had one or two updates too.


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Panini Comics Mexico Death Note Manga Republished in New Volumes

10/1/2016

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Panini Manga Mexico Death Note manga 2016
Panini Comics in Mexico previously stated that it would never reprint any volume of manga already been issued in the country.  But Death Note just changed all that.

In a surprise announcement on Christmas Eve, the company had a festive gift for Death Note fans:  the whole manga series reprinted and repackaged as brand, new editions.

Panini's Mexican Death Note manga will appear on bookstore shelves in February 2016.

News came via social media.  On December 24th, 2015,  the climbdown was acknowledged and shrugged away; their Facebook message read, 'Sí, habíamos dicho que no habría series previamente editadas en México en el corto plazo, pero el fandom habló y no podemos dejar de escuchar - ¡#FelizNavidadATodos!'

Roughly translated: Yes, we know we said we'd never publish a manga series which is already available in Mexico, but the fandom spoke and we have listened.  Happy Christmas everyone!
Meanwhile, over on Twitter, no mention was made until Christmas Day proper, when someone still at work Tweeted, '¡Oficial! El TPB de #HitGirl llega en enero y #DeathNote regresa a México en febrero de 2016 ¡#FelizNavidadATodos!'   (Another general translation - 'It's official!  The TPB (trade paperback - or manga, to the likes of you and me) of Hit Girl is coming in January and Death Note returns to Mexico in February 2016.  Merry Christmas all!')

Then continued on earning their overtime in reTweeting the excitement of Death Note fans in reaction to it all.
Before nipping back a few hours later to make the announcement again on Twitter, this time heralded by the joyous slogan, '¡Ustedes los pidieron, los tenemos!' (Vaguely - You have ordered them; we have them!)

Possibly because across Facebook and Twitter alike, suspicious Mexican manga readers were cropping up between the gleeful responses left, right and centre, querying the U-turn in Panini's reissue policy.

Staff now spending their holiday fielding questions along the lines of 'who requested it?', 'what's wrong with the existing Death Note Mexican manga editions, still in print, published by Editorial VID?' and 'whatever happened to 'will not publish anything already published as manga in Mexico?'

In short, more than a few Latino Death Note fans wryly pondering this unexpected inducement to purchase a whole new collection of the same, old story - beloved as it is - and how much this change of heart relates to the fact of a US live action movie coming out later in the year.

After all, Panini Comics won't cash in anywhere on perfectly serviceable extant Death Note manga printed in Mexico by Editorial VID. 
Panini Comics Mexico Death Note Xmas day retweets

Panini Comics Mexico retweeting
Death Note fans Regina Phalange and Cinthia Karine
on Xmas Day 2105
To their credit, Panini staff didn't ignore such pointed queries, spending the Christmas period addressing comments amassing Facebook and Twitter.  The policy of no competing reprints was only ever a 'short or medium term' one, and Death Note is their most requested manga volume set in Mexico.  That latter reasoning repeated time and time again.

Its very popularity means that Panini Comics Mexico can make an exception for Death Note.  It's only a short manga series, already concluded and extremely well known.  No hassle really to reproduce and market.  It's all for the fans. The fans want it.  We're just here to deliver, was the general essence of Panini's response across the board.

So you see, nothing to do with the potential of a nice little earner later in 2016, when the franchise explodes under the glitz and frenzy of a Hollywood movie set to propel Death Note's popularity into the stratosphere.  In theory. It's Mexican manga collection coming out now is just a big coincidence; rewarding fans with what they want for Christmas.

Panini Comic Mexico's manga Death Note volumes will be on sale in February 2016, priced at MXN 75,00 each.
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Is Matt a Biker?  And Other Tales from the Death Note Store

9/12/2015

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Screenshot - Death Note Gifts at Death Note News 9th Dec 2015
Screenshot of the current homepage for our Death Note Gift shop
Are you loving the Death Note Christmas gift shop gif that's over there on the sidebar being all festive?  Wonderful, isn't it? 

Orangepunch created it for us and it's been gently snowing away in that corner, calling people in to remember that seasonal Death Note decorations do exist and all that.

Whilst also reminding me that I never did get around to finishing half of the stores that it's inviting people in to visit.  Plus some of them went up with way too big images attached to every pretty product, rendering them too long to load for the average sense of patience to withstand.  If it doesn't crash the prospective buyers internet first. 

What can I say, I was young and foolish, followed by forgetful and lazy.  Swiftly introducing, 'Oh no! All of that should have been fixed months ago!' *cue pulling an all-nighter* into the bargain.  One unfathomably long night later, we have a much improved Death Note Gift Emporium (though granted, that might have been more useful a few weeks ago BEFORE you bought all your Xmas presents), plus some new departments entirely.

You will still find flaws in there (size of pics in DVDs and books pages, we're all looking at you), but I also found something quite intriguing to bring to the table.  Plus some gossip.

What's New in Death Note Gifts?

First let me run you through what's changed and sparkly new in our Death Note shopping area, plus a 'to do' list of what's coming up, so you can check if the issue you've found is already known.  If not, then naturally we'd be very grateful to get the heads up. 

The front page (screenshot above) got a redesign.  The thumbnails were all much reduced in size, in order to boost the speed at which the page loads.  Hopefully it is much more navigable now.

In addition, every Death Note merchandise page has been reconfigured with funky tabs - making finding things at a glance much easier and again dropping that load time a lot!  Check them out in any department clicked below.

Death Note Decorations & Party Stuff

Death Note L Reindeer Nendroid
Our Christmas Death Note store has been checked over and generally spruced up.  Looking nice for the influx of customers following Orangepunch's nice, new banner.

But nothing much has been added nor taken away from what was in there last year.  That's not through want of looking.  There simply was nothing to put in and all the links were good.

Job done!
Visit Death Note Christmas Gifts

Death Note OSTs & Other Musical Things

CDs Death Note Songs
Completely revamped!  Every bit of music for Death Note that could be found - digitally or on CD - is in there; all of the images are nicely resized; and extra tabs have been added to take in new categories.

It looks lovely!  All that's needed are extra outlets to link in to give you all a bit of choice in your purveyors of fine Death Note musical gifts. 

Meander in here for soundtracks from Death Note live-action movies or anime,  in addition to sheet music, other artists paying homage to Death Note, musical parodies and the like.
Visit Death Note Music Store
GOSSIP STOP!  In filling up those cyber shelves, I found several new Death Note tribute tracks by other artists, including two available for pre-order on release dates later this month or January.  They are both in our gift store now, but I will be hunting down the musicians and featuring them as separate Death Note News reports.  Death Note's 10th anniversary, TV drama or upcoming movies, appear to have inspired a veritable flood of them!  Happy days.

Death Note Cosplay & Costume Accessories

Store to buy Death Note cosplay
We've updated the selection of complete Death Note costumes to buy here - Misa's wardrobe really expanded.  In addition to the above, you can see what's on offer in cosplay Death Note wigs, replica notebooks, props etc.

The images here have been cut down. Each clothes rail should load immediately on all but the most ancient of potato-run connections. 

To do: 1, Updates in other sections; 2 More places to buy Death Note cosplay items.
Visit Death Note Costume Store

Death Note Manga & Other Books

Books Death Note manga store
The literary Death Note gift shop hasn't yet been touched.  It's on the agenda for today.  This is where you'll find all your manga, Death Note novels, guides, reference books, Death Note movie tie-ins and fun, coffee table type volumes. 

To Do:  1, Reduce image size to make loading quicker; 2, Check for updates since last Spring, when it was filled with the latest Death Note literature; 3, Increase the variety of outlets for choice.
Visit Death Note Bookstore

Death Note Anime, Movies and Other DVDs

DVDs Death Note anime to buy
Our video Death Note gift area also hasn't been looked at yet.  It will hopefully happen tomorrow.  Here you can peruse anime, box sets, Death Note live-action films and whatever else exists to watch.

To Do:  1, Reduce the size of images; 2, Update whatever may have been missed from Spring 2015 until now; 3, Add in more outlets for options on where to buy.
Visit Death Note Anime and Movies

Brand New Character Collections for Death Note Gift Ideas

These next two kick start a whole new category in Death Note memorabilia - collections based on merchandise for Death Note characters.  I'm sure that most people choosing which characters to begin would have gone for Light and L.  But I know my readership.

Death Note Mello Merchandise

Gifts Mello Death Note
All the gift ideas for Death Note Mello fans - collectibles, t-shirts, figurines, magnets, pins/buttons/badges (depending where you live), cosplay Mello outfits, custom jackets, and things to stick on your wall (from posters through to fine art in a nice frame).

Even a fabulous piece of Mello bathroom decor.  I kid you not.

As in you will find all of this when our Death Note character Mello gift-shop is actually completed.  It's mostly done.  Still some rogue Mello phone cases to round up and slap within.

I'm giving myself a deadline of December 13th. For obvious reasons.
Visit Death Note Mello Emporium

Death Note Matt Gifts & Memorabilia

Gifts Matt Death Note
All  of the above - insofar as it exists - but as Matt Jeevas gifts, instead of Mello.  The main issue being that there are far fewer items of Matt memorabilia.

I can only assume the average manufacturer and/or retailer of exquisite Death Note souvenirs doesn't know a grand money-making scheme, when it grins at them from behind silver-orange goggles.

To a given value of finished - we've corralled the pretty Matt goodies from a single store into our own - the Death Note Matt gift store is done.  We just have to pad it out a bit with extra keepsakes sourced from other locations.
Visit our Death Note Matt Mercantile
Anyone want to prod us towards which character to compile a collection for next?   If there's no broad hints in any other direction, we'll default to Light Yagami and work through the series from there.  Though I'm half tempted to be perverse and go Sachiko Yagami instead!  Reckon there would be anything out there to buy in honour of Light's mother?

But this brings us nicely to the salient question with which I led.

Is Death Note's Matt a Motorcycle Enthusiast?  Or Just a Punk?

Matt in Death Note anime

In manga and anime, we only ever see Matt driving a car, but is that his transport of choice?
I know where my money is.  In fact, I've written twelve novels of Mello/Matt fan-fiction spelling it out - and one of them initially ran with the working title Cyberpunk.  Another had titles lifted from several Cyberpunk dictionaries and cultural references.  Matt in my universe ended up with a motorbike once, but we've barely seen it since.

Maybe that's because I've missed a trick.  In conjunction with most of the Death Note Matt fandom, I missed what was in plain sight, because I never thought to look certain things up.

Matt's gift shop was looking a bit sparse.  Mello's was jam packed.  I felt bad.  So I thought it would be a nice idea to hunt for that habitual Matt costume for Death Note cosplayers to buy, love and cherish.  After all, its probably the most ubiquitously seen, ordinary collection of clothes on any Death Note character. You could grab half the items in any given mainstream clothes shop.

Or could you?  It's harder than it looks, this cosplay malarkey.   I started with the gloves.  How do you search for those?  They're quite distinctive.  Racing gloves? Long, black gloves for men?   Finally, I found them.  They are officially known - in non-Death Note circles - as motorcyclist's gauntlet gloves,  or motorbike racing gauntlet gloves.

Next I went for the goggles.  Bog standard cyberpunk, I thought, with an option on steampunk, if that outfitting genre fell short.  Close, but no cigar.  Yet I was finding something similar, if not precise, in a whole new class of goggle sporting necessities.  Necessary, that is, if you happen to be a motorbike racer.  Like those wearing the gloves too.

Shoved some stripy, long-sleeved tops in and off into the jeans department.  Mmmm, several billion here, what to search in order to narrow this down?  Ribbed jeans?  Denim with circles around them? 

Turns out that there are some jeans created specifically with patchwork patterns surrounding each leg - just like Matt's wears in fact.  They're made especially for bikers.  Apparently it improves their saddle grip upon the seat.  Saves them slipping about, as ordinary jeans might.
Matt and Mello in Death Note manga

Mello checking the manual to ensure that he is legally able to ride Matt's motorbike... possibly
So goggles, gloves and jeans all point due Matt the motorbike rider, with a strong nudge towards racing them too.  You going for that in your head canon?  Fan fiction writers, is that why he's beside a bike the first time we see him, and why Mello acquires one only after Matt's on the scene?  Death Note fan artists, what motorcycle does Mail Jeevas ride?  If this releases the throttle on anybody's muse, let me link the results, or show them  off here.

Or are you just going 'cyberpunk geek' like me, and dismissing this out of hand?  I'd be fascinated with your thoughts!
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Death Note Producers Nippon TV Open New Offices in Singapore

3/12/2015

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Kira in original Japanese live action movie Death Note
NTV produced Death Note anime, TV drama, original films
and the forthcoming Death Note 2016
Death Note's copyright holders NTV seem to be going for world domination.  In addition to a recent collaboration deal with German distributors Red Arrow Entertainment, and teaming up with Sony to create GEM TV Channel (broadcasting across Asia), the company has just announced that its setting up an office in Singapore.

Nor is Nippon bashful about why.  It's all 'part of (NTV's) continuing pursuit to become the leading media content company in Asia', according to their press release on the subject.

The new venture will be called NTV Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, with a start-up injection of $1m cash in US dollars, all contributed by parent company NTV.  Hidetoshi Hiramatsu - currently NTV's managing director of International Business - will assume command as NTV Asia Pacific's first CEO, naturally based in Singapore. Their new logo is below:

NTV Asia Pacific
So what will this mean for fans of Death Note?   Too early to know really, though NTV Asia Pacific will have immediate access to the entire Death Note franchise - as owned by NTV - and an easy means to request more.  I guess it's one of those know that it happened situations, then wait and see.
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