New Anime/Manga Titles for April 2011 in Australia

This may be a little bit early to do this, but with the new batch of anime released and the month almost at its end, there is no time like the present to put your orders in for April’s anime releases! There is another good selection available from both Siren and Madman Entertainment. As usual, I will list all the anime releases alongside with the manga releases I am currently interested in. The ones with *’s are the ones I will most probably get around to reviewing.

Siren Visual (15th April 2011)

Clannad: After Story – Part 1 *
An alternate path opens up for Tomoya and Nagisa as they enter their second semester and head towards graduation. Beyond school they look forward to a family of their own, though not without facing hardships and ultimately tragedy. After Story follows on from the original Clannad series and further expands on the themes of family, trust and empathy.

House of Five Leaves *
In Edo period Japan; a timid young ronin named Akitsu yearns for the respect and courage of his peers and elders. He meets Yaichi, a mysterious yet charismatic man who hires him to train as his bodyguard. Educating the young samurai in the warrior tradition, Yaichi builds Akitsu’s confidence and skill as he tells him of his dangerous life in the red light districts of Japan and the calling card of a secret kidnapping organisation: The Five Leaves.

Madman Entertainment (20th April 2011)

Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) Collection 1 (Episodes 1-12) *
Ciel Phantomhive is the most powerful boy in all of England, but he bears the scars of unspeakable suffering. Forced to watch as his beloved parents were brutally murdered, Ciel was subsequently abducted and violently tortured. Desperate to end his suffering, the boy traded his own soul for a chance at vengeance, casting his lot with the one person on whom he could depend: Sebastian, a demon Butler summoned from the very pits of hell. Together, they’ll prowl the darkest alleys of London on a mission to snuff out those who would do evil. They’re a rare sight, these two: the Butler who dismembers with dazzling cutlery and the Young Master who carries the devil’s marking. Rest assured that wherever they may be headed, it’ll be one hell of a ride.

Honey and Clover Collection 2 *
Shinobu has disappeared to America, leaving both Yuta and Hagumi with very mixed feelings. But talk about mixed up! If Takumi’s feelings are so tied up with Rika, why is he tied up in knots over his coworker Nomiya’s romantic pursuit of Ayumi? Plus, senior projects are getting everyone down, but none more than Yuta, who in a sudden burst of reckless abandon takes off on his bicycle on an epic journey of self-discovery… Ah, the enthusiasm of youth!

The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan & Nyoron! Churuya-san Collection 1 *
The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya
In these animated short episodes, based on the comical spin-off manga, the characters are presented in cute little versions of themselves and focus each of their unique quirks. Haruhi is even more outrageous with her twisted understanding of Valentine’s Day and Halloween, Mikuru is just as clueless as ever and Yuki is an ero-game addict.

Nyoron! Churuya-san
There comical shorts were originally a fan drawn 4-panel parody manga and due to its underground success, chosen to be animated. Follow the whimsical adventures of Churuya-san (based on the character, Tsuruya-san) on her quest for her favorite food, smoked cheese. 

FLCL Complete Collection
Bored with his mundane middle school life, Naota longed for a change from his daily grind. However his life completely changes after a pink haired stranger on a Vespa runs him over. Weird things happen when he is around the mysterious girl known as Haruko. Now not only must Naota deal with regular teenage troubles, but also with this new enigmatic woman.

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Collection 2 (Eps 27-50)
When we last saw Kenichi, he was making the transition from wimp to warrior – okay, maybe no warrior, but he was definitely taking steps to man up. Well, the world is starting to notice, which is good and bad. On the plus side, he’s making friends and getting more respect. In the minus column, his rep is growing faster than his skills, which is tricky now that every thug in town wants to test his new techniques. That means between street brawls and trying to score with Miu, Kenichi still has to hang tough with the six martial arts masters. Lucky for him, the training is getting more tense – because before Kenichi can finally stand tall, he’ll have to beat his fiercest opponent yet!

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Blu-Ray) *
Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice finds a young girl, Sheeta floating down from the sky wearing a glowing pendant. Together they discover both are searching for the legendary floating castle Laputa and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around her neck. Their quest won’t be easy however. There are air pirates, secret agents and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth – and from each other.

My Neighbors The Yamadas (Blu-Ray) *
Join in the adventures of the quirky Yamada family — from the hilarious to the touching — brilliantly presented in a unique, visually striking comic strip style. Takashi Yamada and his wacky wife Matsuko, who has no talent for housework, navigate their way through the ups and downs of work, marriage, and family life with a sharp-tongued grandmother who lives with them, a teenage son who wishes he had cooler parents, and a pesty daughter whose loud voice is unusual for someone so small. Even the family dog has issues! Experience the little victories in life with MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS — featuring the voice talents of comedic stars Jim Belushi and Molly Shannon.

One Piece (Uncut) Collection 8 (Eps 92-103)
As Luffy’s crew prepares for a treacherous trek across the parched sands of Alabasta, they are joined by Chopper, the ship’s new doctor. His healing powers are sure to come in handy with Crocodile and the assassins of Baroque Works plotting to take over the country by force. Meanwhile, Captain Smoker, a foe Luffy is powerless to defeat, continues to pursue the merry pirates to the far reaches of the globe. But thanks to some new friends and a fiery ally from the rubber-man’s past, the Straw Hats just might survive long enough to help Princess Vivi restore peace to her beloved kingdom.

Vampire Knight Guilty (TV Season 2) Volume 1 *
At prestigious Cross Academy, there are two sessions of classes, the Day Class and the Night Class. Yuki and Zero keep watch over the Day Class and must also protect the secret of the Night Class: they are all vampires!
The leader of the Night Class, Kaname, to whom Yuki owes her life, saves Zero, whom she wants to protect. The triangle becomes trickier as Yuki remembers parts of her forgotten past, and secrets to be revealed.

Manga from Madman (10th April 2011)

Aion – Volume 1
Tatsuya Tsugawa loses his wealthy parents in the middle of high school. Trying to fulfill his father’s dying wish of becoming an upstanding man, Tatsuya attempts to save a girl from obsessive bullies only to be consumed with intrigue and slight obsession himself. But what will Tatsuya do when his good will and earnest efforts lead him into a twisted fantasy world infested with mermaids and mind-controlling parasites?

Butterfly – Volume 1
In this creepy mystery, a guy who despises ghosts, lucky charms, and all things related to the occult — even anyone who is interested in the supernatural — is suddenly kissed by a school girl. Afterward, she informs him that she’s going to buy him — in order to wipe out every ghost in the world!

Chibi Vampire – Volumes 1-3
Karin is a cute little girl who also happens to be a vampire…with a twist. Once a month, she experiences intense bleeding from her nose–we’re talking gushers! In other words, she’s a vamp with blood to spare, so rather than stealing blood from humans she actually gives her blood to them. If done right, this can be an extremely positive experience that benefits the victim as much as the vampire. The problem is that Karin never seems to do things right!

Death Note Black Edition – Volume 2
Light is chafing under L’s extreme surveillance, but even 64 microphones and cameras hidden in his room aren’t enough to stop Light. He steps up the game, but before the battle of wits can really begin, a family emergency distracts him. But even though Light isn’t using the Death Note right now, someone else is! Who’s the new “Kira” in town?

Karneval – Volume 2
Nai’s sudden collapse leads to an astounding revelation about his physiological makeup that shakes up Gareki and the entire Circus. In light of the new discovery, Circus’ interest in Nai deepens, and an expedition is organised to the forest that Nai claims to have come from. With mirages and illusions everywhere they turn, can they find any actual clues that will bring them closer to the truth? Then, Gareki takes the opportunity to return to his hometown, where his family appears to have gotten themselves, literally, into a bloody mess…

Tegami Bachi Volume 4
Lag, now a Letter Bee rookie, meets Dr. Thunderland, Jr. a peculiar man who collects and catalogs the various Amberground species. When the doctor takes a particular interest in Steak, Lag and Niche have to hustle to keep him off the doctor’s dissection table! The ensuing chaos pays off for Lag when the doctor reveals that Gauche—Lag’s missing hero—paid the doctor a visit before he disappeared.

The Walking Dead – Volumes 1 – 6
This hardcover features the first 12 issues of the hit series along with the covers for the issues in one oversized hardcover volume. Perfect for long time fans, new readers and anyone needing a slightly heavy object with which to fend off the walking dead. *Most probably will only be getting Volume 1*