Otaku USA

Last updated

Otaku USA
Otaku USA logo.svg
OtakuUSA2.JPG
Cover of Otaku USA Magazine (October 2019 issue)
Editor Patrick Macias
CategoriesAnime and Manga
FrequencyBi-monthly
First issueAugust 2007
CompanySovereign Media
Country United States
Based in McLean, Virginia
Website Otaku USA
ISSN 1939-3318

Otaku USA is a bimonthly magazine published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle (such as anime, manga, video games, cosplay and Japanese popular music) from an American perspective. The issues were accompanied by a DVD featuring three anime episodes but as of 2009 the DVD feature was dropped and the double sided poster feature of the Magazine was also dropped starting with the February 2010 issue.

Contents

Otaku USA began publication in August 2007. [1] The editor-in-chief of the magazine is Patrick Macias. After the shutdown of Newtype USA in February 2008, [2] Anime Insider in March 2009, [3] Shonen Jump in April 2012, [4] and the discontinuation of Protoculture Addicts since August 2008, [5] Otaku USA is the only remaining anime news magazine published for the North American market. Its only remaining trans-Atlantic competitor is Neo , a British-based title that cover similar topics and is sold in American stores.

Content

Each issue includes an otaku section, and reviews and commentary on various anime, manga, video games and live action films and TV shows. The otaku section informs readers of releases of BDs, video games, cosplay items and related goods. In each issue there are two manga previews printed in black and white featuring the original art with English text. There are also a small number of in-depth anime reviews, most of which are four pages long.

Each issue of Otaku USA is over 100 pages and includes a 32-page insert containing new manga excerpts from leading North American publishers, including VIZ Media, Dark Horse, Yen Press, Kodansha and Vertical. Notable titles recently featured in the magazine include Tiger & Bunny (VIZ), Blood-C (Dark Horse), and Moto Hagio's seminal shounen ai work The Heart of Thomas (Fantagraphics).

Availability

The magazine is available in a print edition at bookstores, newsstands, Walmart, and select comic retailers. It's also available in digital format on iTunes for the iPad and iPhone, as well as formats compatible with Kindle, Android, PC, and Mac computers. Both print and digital editions are also available by subscription.

Otaku USA is available all over the world, with international distribution by Curtis Circulation. [1]

In addition to the print publication, Otaku USA publishes a regular e-newsletter from Japan containing current industry news, as well as interviews with anime creators, travel-style cultural pieces, reviews of theatrical anime films, and more. Subscriptions to the newsletter are free and delivered by e-mail.

The official website acts as an extension of the magazine, with new material pertaining to anime, manga, cosplay, events, games, and Japanese pop culture. Features include companion stories to many of the stories published in the magazine, as well as regular columns from contributors covering anime, weekly manga releases, cosplay, convention reports, and more.

Sister magazines

Anime USA

Anime USA started out as a bonus issue of the main magazine before being split off into a separate entity in May 2015. [6] In the original bonus issue, editor Joseph Luster called the issue "special", saying that it would turn its focus towards Anime. Some of the reviews in the issue include Terraformars, Parasyte -the maxim-, Mysterious Joker, World Trigger, Gugure! Kokkuri-san, and Tribe Cool Crew. [7] The adapted magazine continues to be issued quarterly with various reviews on the latest anime series.

Cosplay USA

Cosplay USA was published once for the Summer of 2013 as a special issue to the main magazine. The magazines cover features a cosplayer dressed as Hatsune Miku, and features editorials such as "The History of Cosplay", and "My Life as a Cosplayer". In addition, there are also galleries of various known cosplayers from both the United States, and Japan. [8] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>JoJos Bizarre Adventure</i> Japanese manga series by Hirohiko Araki and its franchise

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump in 2005. The series is divided into nine story arcs, each following a new protagonist bearing the "JoJo" nickname. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is Shueisha's largest ongoing manga series by volume count, with its chapters collected in 130 tankōbon volumes as of May 2021.

Cosplay Type of performance art

Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Favorite sources include anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, television series, and video games. The term is composed of the two aforementioned counterparts - costume and role play.

<i>Weekly Shōnen Jump</i> Japanese manga magazine

Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. It is the best-selling manga magazine, as well as one of the longest-running, with the first issue being released with a cover date of August 1, 1968. The manga series within the magazine target young teen male readers and tend to consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of series that run in Weekly Shōnen Jump are collected and published in tankōbon volumes under the "Jump Comics" imprint every two to three months.

<i>Hunter × Hunter</i> Japanese manga series and its adaptations

Hunter × Hunter is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump since March 1998, although the manga has frequently gone on extended hiatuses since 2006. Its chapters have been collected in 36 tankōbon volumes as of October 2018. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon Freecss who discovers that his father, who left him at a young age, is actually a world-renowned Hunter, a licensed professional who specializes in fantastical pursuits such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, surveying unexplored enclaves, or hunting down lawless individuals. Gon departs on a journey to become a Hunter and eventually find his father. Along the way, Gon meets various other Hunters and encounters the paranormal.

<i>Newtype</i> Japanese pop culture magazine

Newtype is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime. It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country. Newtype Korea is published in Korea. Spin-off publications of Newtype also exist in Japan, such as Newtype Hero/Newtype the Live and NewWORDS, as well as numerous limited-run versions.

<i>Protoculture Addicts</i>

Protoculture Addicts was a Canadian-based anime and manga themed magazine published by Protoculture Inc., an Anime News Network company. The term "Protoculture Addicts" was also used by the Zentradi to refer to all the races that have been in contact with Protoculture.

<i>Animerica</i>

Animerica was a monthly magazine published by Viz Media containing news, feature articles, and reviews on manga, anime, and related media, as well as a section that serialized manga published by Viz. After an initial November 1992 preview issue, Animerica's first regular issue was released in February of 1993 with a March 1993 cover date. In 1998, Animerica Extra was launched as a separate manga anthology magazine which eventually focused specifically on shōjo titles. It was canceled in 2004.

<i>Beet the Vandel Buster</i> Japanese manga series

Beet the Vandel Buster is a Japanese manga series written by Riku Sanjo and illustrated by Koji Inada. It takes place in a fantasy world where humans have been suffering from the attacks of the demon-like Vandels. Humans can fight back by becoming a Vandel Buster, a paid monster and Vandel assassin. Beet, is a young boy who becomes a Vandel Buster to be like his heroes, the Zenon Warriors.

<i>Shojo Beat</i> Shōjo manga magazine (2005–2009)

Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Launched in June 2005 as a sister magazine for Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty. After its initial launch, Shojo Beat underwent two redesigns, becoming the first English anthology to use the cyan and magenta ink tones common to Japanese manga anthologies. Viz launched a related imprint of the same name for female-oriented manga, light novels and anime.

<i>Eureka Seven</i> Japanese anime television series

Eureka Seven, known in Japan as Psalms of Planets Eureka seveN, is a 2005 Japanese anime series created by Bones. The series was directed by Tomoki Kyoda, with series composition by Dai Satō, character designs by Kenichi Yoshida and music by Naoki Satō. Eureka Seven tells the story of Renton Thurston and the outlaw group Gekkostate, his relationship with the enigmatic mecha pilot Eureka, and the mystery of the Coralians. The fifty episode series aired in Japan on MBS between April 2005 and April 2006. It was licensed by Funimation in North America, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand and by Anime Limited in the United Kingdom for English home video releases.

<i>Neo</i> (magazine) Magazine

NEO is a monthly magazine published in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Uncooked Media. The magazine focuses on various aspects of East Asian entertainment, such as Japanese anime and manga, East Asian cinema, cosplay, music, and more.

<i>Lucky Star</i> (manga) Japanese manga and anime series

Lucky Star is a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga series by Kagami Yoshimizu. It has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comptiq magazine since December 2003. Cameo strips were published in other magazines such as Shōnen Ace and others. It has no ongoing plot and typically focuses on the daily lives of the characters.

<i>Shonen Jump</i> (magazine) Defunct North American manga anthology

Shonen Jump, officially stylized SHONEN JUMP and abbreviated SJ, was a shōnen manga anthology published in North America by Viz Media. It debuted in November 2002 with the first issue having a January 2003 cover date. Based on Shueisha's popular Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, Shonen Jump is retooled for English readers and the American audience, including changing it from a weekly publication to a monthly one. It features serialized chapters from four manga series, and articles on Japanese language and culture, as well as manga, anime, video games, and figurines. Prior to the magazine's launch, Viz launched an extensive marketing campaign to promote it and help it succeed where previous manga anthologies published in North America had failed. Shueisha purchased an equity interest in Viz to help fund the venture, and Cartoon Network, Suncoast, and Diamond Distributors became promotional partners in the magazine.

<i>Bakuman</i> Japanese manga series

Bakuman is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the same creative team responsible for Death Note. It was serialized in Shueisha's magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from August 2008 to April 2012, with its 176 chapters collected into 20 tankōbon volumes. The story follows talented artist Moritaka Mashiro and aspiring writer Akito Takagi, two ninth grade boys who wish to become manga artists, with Mashiro as the artist and Takagi as the writer. Some characters resemble real authors and editors of Weekly Shōnen Jump, and many manga titles mentioned in Bakuman have actually been published in the magazine.

<i>Toriko</i> Japanese manga series

Toriko (トリコ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro. It follows the adventures of Toriko, a Gourmet Hunter, as he searches for rare, diverse foods to complete a full-course meal. On his journey, he is accompanied by a timid chef who wants to improve his skills. Toriko was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from May 2008 to November 2016, with its chapters collected into 43 tankōbon volumes.

<i>Weekly Shonen Jump</i> (American magazine)

Weekly Shonen Jump was a digital shōnen manga anthology published in North America by Viz Media, and the successor to their monthly print anthology Shonen Jump. It began serialization on January 30, 2012 as Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha, with two free preview issues published in the buildup to its launch. Based on Shueisha's popular Japanese magazine of the same name, Weekly Shonen Jump was an attempt to provide English-speaking readers with easily accessible, affordable, and officially licensed editions of the latest installments of popular Shōnen Jump manga soon after their publication in Japan, as an alternative to popular bootleg scanlation services which were illegal and often poorly translated. It attempts to copy the Japanese magazine.

<i>World Trigger</i> Japanese manga series

World Trigger, also known in short form as WorTri, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Daisuke Ashihara. It was initially serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 2013 to November 2018, and transferred to Jump Square in December 2018. Its chapters have been compiled by Shueisha into 24 tankōbon volumes as of December 2021. In North America, the manga has been licensed for English release by Viz Media.

<i>Bungo Stray Dogs</i> Japanese media series beginning in 2012

Bungo Stray Dogs is a Japanese manga series written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa, which has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen manga magazine Young Ace since 2012. The series follows the members of the "Armed Detective Agency" as they try to protect Yokohama from the mafia. The show mainly focuses on the weretiger Atsushi Nakajima, who joins others gifted with supernatural powers to accomplish different tasks including running a business, solving mysteries, and carrying out missions assigned by the agency.

<i>Act-Age</i> Japanese manga series

Act-Age is a Japanese manga series written by Tatsuya Matsuki and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from January 2018 to August 2020, with its chapters collected into 12 tankōbon volumes. Act-Age was canceled and removed from the magazine and all official platforms after Matsuki's arrest in August 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "Otaku USA Magazine Arrives June 5". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  2. "Newtype USA to Cease Publication". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  3. "Wizard Entertainment Confirms End of 'Anime Insider'". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  4. "Viz's Shonen Jump Print Magazine to End Next March". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  5. "Dead English Language Anime Magazines: "Protoculture Addicts"". The Anime Archivist. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  6. "Anime USA Magazine is Now Available!". Otaku USA. May 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  7. "Contents & Anime Explosion!". Otaku USA. McLean, VA: Sovereign Media Company. January 2015. pp. 2 & 4.
  8. "Cosplay USA Contents". Cosplay USA. McLean, VA: Sovereign Media Company. Summer 2013. p. 2.
  9. "COSPLAY USA Puts the Power in the Cosplayers' Hands!". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2016.