Jun 17 2006
How's this for a new anime twist? TOKYOPOP has announced the October 2006 launch of Pop Fiction, a new line of serialized international teen novels. Reaching out to the 13+ crowd, the Pop Fiction line has a clear purpose: to reveal the beauty in imperfection. "... this is the message that will resonate and comfort our core audience: teens who are in the trenches trying to accept that life isn't wrapped in a perfect pink bow, but instead consists of a series of missteps and trials by error, daunting and ugly and therefore beautiful!" The innovative new line will kick off with four titles:
SCRAPPED PRINCESS: A Tale of Destiny by Ichiro Sakaki; illustrated by Yukinobo Azumi (Volume 1 in a series of 13 titles; trade paperback; October 2006)
The dark and devastating 5111th Grendel Prophecy revealed that the queen would usher in the apocalypse by her sixteenth birthday. Consequently, the Kingdom of Linevan decreed that she be killed at birth in order to save the world at large. But despite all attempts to blight out her existence, the myth of the "Scrapped Princess" lingers on. Fifteen years have passed—-and the Scrapped Princess, Pacifica Casull, is still alive and well. Now, entire kingdoms are after her head. Will she be the destroyer the prophecy claims... or are the gods mistaken? (Fantasy --- inspired by the successful anime series)
KINO NO TABI: Book One of The Beautiful World by Keiichi Sigsawa; illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi (Volume 1 in a series of 8 titles; trade paperback; October 2006)
In this sensational bestseller from Japan, Young Kino roams the world on the back of Hermes, her unusual, anthropomorphic motorcycle, only staying in each country for three days. Throughout their adventures, they find happiness and pain, decadence and violence, and beauty and wisdom--all in a strange and beautiful world. The more Kino tries to escape from each country, her past, and her gruesome reality, the more she must question the people she meets, herself, and her own behavior. This eight-volume series, a critique on the inherent beauty of imperfection, oscillates between philosophical and winsome, while remaining consistently and overwhelmingly imaginative. (Science fiction/adventure)
WITCHES' FOREST: The Adventures of Duan Surk by Mishio Fukazawa (Volume 1 in a series of 4 titles; illustrated; trade paperback; October 2006)
Duan Surk is a 16-year-old Level 2 fighter who gets lost in the spooky Witches’ Forest, along with two other adventurers: Agnis, a beautiful 16-year-old witch, and Olba, an older, highly skilled fighter. The trio embarks on the quest of a lifetime—battling mythical creatures, outwitting evil sorceresses, and attempting to rescue Agnis’ mother from an evil spell! (Fantasy --- based on the RPG hit Fortune Quest, a popular franchise that includes comics, video games, tabletop RPGs and a TV series)
MAGIC MOON by Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein (Volume 1 in a series of 3 titles; trade paperback; October 2006)
Kim is a dreamer who would much rather read his latest copy of Starfighters than worry about his math homework. When his parents inform him that his little sister has fallen into a mysterious coma, Kim is frustrated and heartbroken that he can't do anything to help her. A mysterious visitor from another world pulls Kim into the realm of the Magic Moon, where he must fly a spaceship, disguise himself as a knight, fight monsters and fantastical creatures, and journey ever-onward through the perilous forests and mountains, in order to unlock the secrets of the enchantment that keeps his sister locked in sleep. Created by Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein, two of Europe’s most renowned fantasy writers, MAGIC MOON ranks as one of the hottest international teen novels, having sold more than two million copies worldwide and translated into more than 20 languages. (Fantasy)
The new line launches in October 2006, but in the meantime you can check out the cover art and sign up for the e-newsletter at http://www.tokyopop.com/popfiction. And of course, I'll have some detailed reviews coming in the next couple of months so keep your eyes peeled :)
