Leiji Matsumoto Manga

[Randycat]

Why isn't it that popular in North America, and why isn't more of it licenced? (and. . . why hasn't the new GE999 been re-released as smaller versions. . .?) I love his stuff!

[Digital Boy]

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Randycat said:
Why isn't it that popular in North America, and why isn't more of it licenced? (and. . . why hasn't the new GE999 been re-released as smaller versions. . .?) I love his stuff!

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I feel your pain. On the anime side we seem to get a fair amount of Leiji-verse stuff, but manga seems like slim pickings

[pathetic1]

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Randycat said:
Why isn't it that popular in North America, and why isn't more of it licenced?

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Probably because his art style is too "old" looking. Many of my favorite series suffer the same fate.

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pathetic1 said:
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Randycat said:
Why isn't it that popular in North America, and why isn't more of it licenced?

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Probably because his art style is too "old" looking. Many of my favorite series suffer the same fate.

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That's a damn shame if it's true. Matsumoto draws beautifully.

[Texhnolyze]

Probably for the same reason there's very little Adachi manga. Artwork is very old school and not flashy.

[BART]

I'd like The Cockpit to be published, but I'm not sure it'd do well in today's political climate.

[Randycat]

I really like his art style, its different.

[littleharlock]

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Randycat said:
I really like his art style, its different.

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Leiji Matsumoto´s art is definitely unique. Not for everyone, but personaly I adore it. At times it´s elegant and sexy, at times simple but yet detailed and than there´s also a cute touch added on occassion.
I don´t know how off-topic this is, but Randycat, I´ve got the impression you´re collecting artbooks. In that case allow me to recommend Matsumoto Leiji Gashû ~ Hoshi no Umi, Bi no Idenshi [DNA]. Released as part of the commemoration of Matsumoto´s 50th anniversary as manga-ka it´s focused on his famous space beauties.

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Mortimer said:
I'd like The Cockpit to be published, but I'm not sure it'd do well in today's political climate.

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The Cockpit is a very critical series. Matsumoto isn´t blaming/picking out a specific party involved in WWII for the war, he criticizes them all and moreover war itself. Matsumoto als stated in various interviews that if he had to pick a favorite series, it would be The Cockpit (despite the fame his Leijiverse series gained) because it´s one (if not THE) most personal series he created (in the lastest chapter for this series *still ongoing but under different names* he told the story of his childhood during WWII, which was sheer brilliantly handled).
Personaly I think this is one of Matsumoto´s best series (and next to Sennen Joô my alltime favorite by him).
I don´t know wether that´s much help to you, but at least the first series, the Senjô manga series ran in Shônen Sunday and contains Furigana. Keep in mind however that it showcases war in all its ugly and frightening facettes (which Matsumoto handled very well) meaning that it includes "a good load of sex and violence".

so far
yours
littleharlock

[Randycat]

What's Sennen Joo about, I don't think I've heard of it?

[littleharlock]

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Randycat said:
What's Sennen Joo about, I don't think I've heard of it?

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Shin Taketori Monogatari Sennen Joô (aka Queen Millenia, Queen of the Thousand Years) is set in 1999 and focused on a boy named Hajime Amamori and a mysterious beautiful lady named Yayoi Yukino who happens to be the Sennen Joô <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>sent from Planet Rametal that is travelling at direct course to colide with Earth on September 9th, 1999 in order to "prepair" Earth for its upcoming destruction</span>. As much as I love Matsumoto´s other Space fantasy works, Sennen Joô reaches IMO truely epical scenaries at times (and features her loveliness Ralera [img]/images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif[/img])

so far
yours
littleharlock