Viz Confirms Shojo Beat's End in June

[RobinSena]

I just figured I'd revive a bit of the gloom and doom about anime and manga's future in the US.

The North American publisher Viz Media has released the following statement on its Shojo Beat manga magazine on Tuesday:

Yes, the final issue of Shojo Beat magazine will be the July 2009 issue which is on newsstands June 16th.

We are very proud of the past issues of Shojo Beat magazine and the efforts of the entire team. The magazine developed quite a fan base but unfortunately in today's difficult economic climate we felt the need to place our resources elsewhere at this time.

Of course all of our great shojo manga titles previously serialized in Shojo Beat magazine will still be published and available as graphic novels under the Shojo Beat imprint from Viz Media.

Each Shojo Beat Subscriber will be receiving a free copy of the August issue of Shonen Jump magazine with the pertinent information on what their subscription/refund options will be.

Subscribers and fans of shojo manga can get the latest information on all new Shojo Beat titles and news by visiting http://www.shojobeat.com.

Shojo Beat debuted on newsstands in June of 2005, after an "Issue 0" had shipped two months earlier. The magazine's initial manga lineup was Baby & Me, Crimson Hero, God Child, Kaze Hikaru, NANA, and Absolute Boyfriend. Viz Media soon expanded the Shojo Beat brand to graphic novels, text novels (Socrates in Love, Kamikaze Girls), and videos (Full Moon, Lovely Complex). The May 2009 issue featured Rasetsu, Honey Hunt, Crimson Hero, Vampire Knight, Sand Chronicles, Honey and Clover, and Haruka -Beyond the Stream of Time-. Other titles in the magazine included Backstage Prince, a Tail of the Moon preview, the Yume Kira Dream Shoppe short stories, and a special appearance of Osamu Tezuka's original Princess Knight manga (which was arguably the first shōjo manga in Japan). The July issue will be the magazine's 49th and final issue.

Yumi Hoashi served as Editor-in-Chief until she left Viz in 2006. Marc Weidenbaum became the second Editor-in-Chief, although he left Viz this past February.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-05-19/viz-confirms-shojo-beat-manga-magazine-end-in-june

[minakichan]

YE-- I mean, NOOOOO!

I used to actually quite like Shojo Beat, but I think they got a little too LOOK RANDOM STREET FASHION/girly to me.

Is that Gothic Lolita magazine still going? If that's going and Shojo Beat's getting cancelled, I think I'll go jump off a cliff.

[LadyRushia]

I had a subscription a couple years ago (I think it ended last year?) and I still haven't read all of the issues I have, XD. Still, it kind of sucks that yet another anime related magazine publication is dead.

[blkmage]

Going off of my assumptions, I don't see how a shoujo manga magazine could survive in North America. I think a shounen magazine might be able to or something that has both, but I don't see any shoujo title having the same draw as a popular shounen title.

[ShiroiHikari]

I don't think this says anything about the anime/manga market, rather the print media market. Magazines have been in danger for years now. Why would people want to pay for a magazine subscription to get information when they can just get it on the internet for free? And if someone wants to read the manga that are in it, they can just go buy the manga. You can even flip through them first most of the time. There just isn't really a place for niche interest magazines anymore.

[Ashley]

I don't think this says anything about the anime/manga market, rather the print media market. Magazines have been in danger for years now. Why would people want to pay for a magazine subscription to get information when they can just get it on the internet for free? And if someone wants to read the manga that are in it, they can just go buy the manga. You can even flip through them first most of the time. There just isn't really a place for niche interest magazines anymore.

Quoted for truth. I bought one issue of Shojo Beat for a Tanemura one-shot they published once, but I couldn't imagine paying for it. The non-manga portions just seemed...amatuerish to me, and the manga portions...well I'd rather just wait for the compilation anyway.

[S.M.O.G.]

Meh, I've only actually seen it once, and didn't have any mony at the time. Meaning I've never actually read it. As long as SJ stays, I'm happy.

[yukoxholic]

That is so sad considering those series they compiled within the magazine were in my "I don't really want to collect the mangas so I'll just get a Shojo Beat subscription and read them for free," list. So horrible!

;__;

[yukoxholic]

YE-- I mean, NOOOOO!


Is that Gothic Lolita magazine still going? If that's going and Shojo Beat's getting cancelled, I think I'll go jump off a cliff.

Are you talking about The Gothic and Lolita Bible? Or is there actually a Lolita-based magazine? O__O

If you are talking about the Gothic and Lolita Bible I believe it is still running! ^_^

[EricTheFred]

Are you talking about The Gothic and Lolita Bible? Or is there actually a Lolita-based magazine? O__O

If you are talking about the Gothic and Lolita Bible I believe it is still running! ^_^

Gothic & Lolita Bible, in both the Japanese and US incarnations, is still going. At first glance, the title looks like it just says 'GOTHIC LOLITA', which is why I used to think that was its name too. The next volume of the English language version is due out next month.

My niece (plus three other girls in cosplay whom I don't know) was on the back of of the US volume 4, by the way!

[Mimiru14]

I think I will cry now

[jim_wijit]

Wow. That's too bad. I had a subscription to it when one of my other magazines went under and I bought the occasional issue. It made me feel like a girl though. Not that that's a bad thing. My desktop has the same effect.

[animechica]

Aw, when I heard about this I was sad T_T
I remember getting the free preview mini-issue from Barnes and Noble. Still got it... I must've read it a gazillion times over back when I was trying to glean ideas for art. I never subscribed or bought any copies, though, because:

1. If I like a series enough, I'll buy the nice, portable, lendable tankoubons, and if I don't like it enough to buy tankoubons, why am I paying for it in the first place? XD

2. I don't like reading teensy portions of a huge story at a time

3. I am not a solid shojo manga fan, I think I actually like more shonen titles, even if the shelf of manga I'm staring at above my computer only has like... one shonen series that belongs to me XD Maybe it's just that the titles in Shojo Beat weren't my style of shojo. Or something.

4. THE ATROCIOUS COLORS THEY PRINTED THEIR MAGAZINE IN! Okay, so the colors weren't bad, they were actually pretty colors... but, I think they really ruined the contrast, especially in manga that seemed like they should've been "darker" and stuff. I think that would have been my number one reason aside from price not to subscribe.

I still think it's sad they're stopping it though, just because just about any publicity for manga and anime in the US is helpful for us fans in terms of getting merchandise and series-specific goodies imported or made. Also, doesn't it sound like "place our resources elsewhere at this time" means "We're selling a crapload of Naruto manga! We need to cash in on this big fad, so all hands on deck! That means you too, shojo department!"

That's just what I thought when I first heard about it.
At any rate, though, I can't complain too much, especially if Viz will still put out Shojo Beat tankoubons. I shudder to think of the alternative (read: TOKYOPOP)!

[Shao Feng-Li]

Well, I haven't wanted to read Shojo Beat since they started publishing in pink and blue. Ick.

As long as I can get my Baby and Me, I'm good

I shudder to think of the alternative (read: TOKYOPOP)!

What's wrong with Tokyopop? (Just curious, since I'm a bit out of the loop these days XD)

[Davidizer13]

What's wrong with Tokyopop? (Just curious, since I'm a bit out of the loop these days XD)

Maybe it's just the stories I tried, but out of the Tokyopop-published manga I've read, I haven't finished one full series. The Cowboy Bebop was some sort of omake/extra stories (for a series I haven't watched), Escaflowne was too simplistic and had too much blatant fanservice, The Last Outpost (related to Gundam Wing) was far too childish, and L'ecole du Ciel (also Gundam-related) was too shojo for my liking (C'mon, it's Gundam! More robot fights, less romance!), and the art style made it hard to follow.

And all of these series had signs of getting worse as they went on. So either I'm picky about what I read, or one of us (me or Tokyopop) keeps picking stinkers. (Luckily, I get all my manga from the library, so none of my money gets wasted when I pick a bad one.)

[Shao Feng-Li]

They have Aria and +Anima which are pretty good. .hack//LOTTB (which is the only TP title I own right now) was alright and fun, even if Rei Izumi doesn't draw very well, but yeah, 99% of my comics aren't Tokyopop.

[sharien chan]

I never really liked the magazine. Personally it was way too expensive and not that great. Totally not worth it. However it is kinda sad that it's ending. It was exciting when it first debuted.

[Yamamaya]

Tokyo Pop made King of Thorn, so I'm not going to complain about the company.

Honestally, it doesn't surprise me that SB has ended.

[Steffyn Desu]

YES THANK YOU. That magazine continually published false information about Japanese musicians and clothing trends. Of course it was amatuerish. They had no idea what they were talking about.

[GwenneZ]

I actually had a subscribtion and i got sooo mad when i got the letter and shonen jump but *shrugs* what can we do?

[Yamamaya]

It's a loss to the manga industry in the U.S. but all of that manga in SB you could find in your local bookstore anyway.