ACF 1074: VIZ to release Natsume Ono's La Quinta Camera on July 19th

LA QUINTA CAMERA © 2006 Natsume ONO/Shogakukan

NATSUME ONO CAPTURES A SNAPSHOT OF LIFE IN NEW
MANGA RELEASE LA QUINTA CAMERA FROM VIZ MEDIA

Fast-Rising Manga Star Offers A Collection Of Slice-Of-Life Short
Stories About The Unique Tenants Of An Italian Apartment

VIZ Media has announced the release of Natsume Ono’s single-volume manga (graphic novel), LA QUINTA CAMERA, on July 19th. The title is highly anticipated as accolades for Ono’s works continues to grow across North America. LA QUINTA CAMERA will be published under VIZ Media’s Signature imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

LA QUINTA CAMERA revolves around the tenants of an apartment in Italy. In four of the rooms live four single men with singular personalities. Into this peculiar ménage steps an exchange student, the new tenant of the fifth room. Brought together by chance, friends by choice, they pursue their dreams together as the days drift gently by.

“Natsume Ono first drew acclaim in Japan in 2003 with LA QUINTA CAMERA, which marked her professional debut,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “Ono thrilled North American audiences with her recent live appearances in New York City and also at the 2011 Toronto Comics Art Festival, and her fame continues to grow among domestic readers. LA QUINTA CAMERA wonderfully exhibits Ono’s unconventional artistic style and skillful storytelling abilities, and we hope that her fan base will expand even more with the release of this inspiring manga.”

Natsume Ono’s work is characterized by a minimalist yet sensual art style and composed psychological portraits that explore the relationships and dramas of everyday life. Ono made her professional debut in 2003, and her subsequent works including not simple, RISTORANTE PARADISO, GENTE and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES (all published under VIZ Media’s Signature imprint) have pushed the manga genre in intriguing new directions. RISTORANTE PARADISO and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES have also been adapted into animated TV series.

Ono’s HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, a many-sided tale of drama and intrigue set in the world of old Edo, was also recently nominated for a 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia.

For more information on Natsume Ono or to check out other VIZ Signature titles, please visit www.SigIKKI.com.

ACF 999: Manga artist Natsume Ono appearing in NYC on May 10th

VIZ Media and Kinokuniya Bookstore present manga artist
Natsume Ono for a rare live appearance in New York City

Special Event Celebrates The Creator Of
Ristorante Paradiso And House of Five Leaves;
Raffle Contest To Award Grand Prize Original Artwork

VIZ Media, together with Japanese licensor Ohta Shuppan, welcomes renowned manga (graphic novel) artist Natsume Ono for a personal appearance and special event celebrating her work, hosted by the Kinokuniya Bookstores of America Company (Kinokuniya Bookstore) in New York City on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 7:00pm.

Kinokuniya Bookstore is located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas, between 40th St. & 41st St., New York City.

The event will feature commentary from Ono on her past and present works and her continued evolution as one of the foremost manga artists and graphic novel storytellers, hosted by Megumi Sato of Samurai Beat Radio. An audience Q&A session will follow. A raffle contest (open to all attendees, one raffle ticket per person) also will award one lucky Grand Prize winner an original Natsume Ono artwork, signed in-person by the artist; 2 additional runner-up winners will get a Natsume Ono print. Each winner will also have the opportunity to have Ono sign one personal item at the event.

“We’re extremely honored to partner with Kinokuniya Bookstore to present fans with a rare opportunity to meet one of manga’s most talented creators,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Director. “Ono has deservedly earned a wide range of international accolades for her intelligent, genre-defying stories, and we look forward to introducing her work to new readers.”

Natsume Ono’s work is characterized by a minimalist yet sensual art style and composed psychological portraits that explore the relationships and dramas of everyday life. Ono made her professional debut in 2003 with the web comic, LA QUINTA CAMERA, and subsequent works such as not simple, RISTORANTE PARADISO, GENTE and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES (all published VIZ Media’s Signature imprint) have pushed the manga genre in intriguing new directions and shown the creative breadth of this unique manga talent. RISTORANTE PARADISO and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES have both been adapted into animated TV series.

Natsume Ono’s RISTORANTE PARADISO weaves a story around the lives of the staff of a restaurant in Rome and continues to follow the character’s romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams in the follow-up manga, GENTE. Complex, powerful, and emotionally wrenching, not simple is a novel told in visual form about the search for family and an emotional home. HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, a many-sided tale of drama and intrigue set in the world of old Edo, was recently nominated for a 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia.

[ACF note: I've read Ristorante Paradiso and the first volume of House of Five Leaves and give unqualified highest ratings to both - Dr. G]

Megumi Sato is one of the most unique bilingual show hosts in New York. Sato's Samurai Beat Radio is a multimedia project that promotes today’s best Japanese music and other cultural happenings to a worldwide audience. Sato has extensive experience as a radio producer, on-air personality and writer, producing and hosting shows for Japan’s premier commercial FM radio stations and writing about Japanese and American culture for various publications. For more information, go to www.SamuraiBeatRadio.com and http://ameblo.jp/meguminy.

For more information on Natsume Ono or to check out other VIZ Signature titles, visit www.SigIKKI.com.

ACF 979: VIZ titles garner Eisner noms

VIZ MEDIA NOMINATED IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES
FOR THE 2011 WILL EISNER COMIC INDUSTRY AWARDS

Naoki Urasawa, NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS
and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES Nominated

VIZ Media has announced that two of its manga titles and one creator have been nominated in several categories for the 2011 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards for a total of 4 nominations, as announced by Comic-Con International on April 7, 2011.

Named for pioneering writer and comic artist Will Eisner, the awards recognize exemplary comics, graphic novels and other pop writings, and are given each year as part of the annual Comic-Con International convention. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 22nd during Comic-Con, at which VIZ Media will be a major exhibitor and participant in the programs offered. VIZ Media titles are consistently nominated for the Eisner Awards, and in 2008, took home the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan for TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, by acclaimed creator Taiyo Matsumoto.

The nominated titles from VIZ Media are:

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, by Natsume Ono
• Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia

NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS, by Naoki Urasawa
• Best Continuing Series
• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

In addition, Naoki Urasawa is nominated for Best Writer/Artist, for his work on NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS.

“We are thrilled that VIZ Media has several nominees for the prestigious Eisner Awards,” states Alvin Lu, SVP and General Manager, VIZ Media. "The Eisners highlight the best in the comics industry each year, and we are honored to be considered among such a diverse group of nominees.”

ACF 879: Natsume Ono coming to The Toronto Comic Arts Festival in May!!!

not simple © 2006 Natsume ONO/Shogakukan

Toronto Public Library and The Beguiling Present

NATSUME ONO AT TCAF 2011
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival welcomes
the world renowned manga creator to Canada!

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival
At the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.
Saturday May 7th 2011, 9am-5pm
Sunday May 8th 2011, 11am-5pm
FREE ADMISSION!!!

WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

I know its a bit early, but I wanted to put out this exciting news as soon as I could. I'm a big fan of Ms Ono's work, having read the first volumes of Ristorante Paradiso (for my review of it, click here) and House of Five Leaves. I plan to put up a "reminder" post in late April or early May.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is excited to announce that internationally renowned manga creator Natsume Ono will make her first-ever North American public appearance as a Featured Guest at TCAF 2011. Hailing from Japan, Ono is one of the most exciting and unique women working in the medium today, and she will appear on panels and sign books in support of her English language works at Toronto Reference Library, May 7 and 8 2011. Ono appears with the support of her English-language publisher VIZ Media.

“Ono’s fantastic work fits squarely into the ‘art comix’ idiom that’s at the core of the Festival,” enthuses Festival Director Christopher Butcher. “It’s the type of work we try to encourage. She’s a true auteur, working in a variety of styles and on different subjects, and her work is sure to find favour with fans of our other Featured Guests including Chris Ware, Jillian Tamaki, Mawil, and Adrian Tomine.”

With a loose, gestural and even melancholic style that is at odds with most fans’ view of contemporary manga, since VIZ Media began publishing Ono’s work in English two years ago she has quickly become a favourite of North American readers. Touching on themes of family bonds, abuse and neglect, and responsibility, her works have a surprising weight, and the types of characters and settings she employs are rarely seen in comics on either side of the Pacific.

“This is an exceptionally rare event,” said Butcher. “It’s the first time Ms. Ono has made a North American appearance, and for someone of her stature and popularity in Japan to choose to visit TCAF? It’s a real coup for us, we’re absolutely thrilled.

Natsume Ono will appear at TCAF on Saturday May 7 and Sunday May 8, for a panel discussion and signing period each day at Toronto Reference Library. Because of Ms. Ono’s popularity and the expected swell of interest in her public appearance, admission to both the panels and signings will require pre-registration. Pre-registration details will be announced in April, 2011.

ABOUT NATSUME ONO:

Short Biography:

Natsume Ono made her professional debut in 2003 with the webcomic La Quinta Camera. Her subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, Gente, and House of Five Leaves have continued to draw critical and popular acclaim, and their publication in English and French have opened up a new world of fans for her.

Natsume Ono has published over 20 volumes of manga to date. Her series Ristorante Paradiso and House of Five Leaves have both been adapted into TV anime series that have aired on Hulu.com, Funimation.com, and Crunchroll.com, in North America.

Key Works:

not simple: Ian, a young man with a fractured and abusive family history, travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his lost sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian's experiences in what will be his final novel. A heartbreaking tale of the injustices we inflict upon one another. (Graphic novel)
Preview: http://www.sigikki.com/series/notsimple/index.shtml

Ristorante Paradiso: At the age of 21, Nicoletta travels to Rome to find her mother, Olga, who abandoned her long ago. She finds Olga the wife of a restaurateur, and the restaurant Casetta dell'Orso is filled to the brim with attractive, bespectacled waiters (in keeping with Olga’s tastes!). Her mother allows Nicoletta to stay, on the condition that she keeps their familial bond a secret from her new husband, and offers her apprenticeship at the restaurant, a place to live, a shot at love, and a chance to understand why her mother left. (Graphic novel.)

Gente: Welcome to Casetta dell'Orso, a quaint little restaurant in the heart of Rome. The food's delicious, but the handsome staff is the real draw. Follow these dashing men home and witness their romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams in this delightfully whimsical continuation of Natsume Ono's beloved Ristorante Paradiso. (3 volumes.)

House of Five Leaves: Naïve, diffident samurai Akitsu Masanosuke has been cast out of his master’s employ. Hungry and desperate, he agrees to become a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a group calling itself "Five Leaves." Although disturbed by the gang's sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi's motives are not what they seem… (Ongoing series with 3 volumes published in English.)
Preview: http://sigikki.com/series/houseoffiveleaves/index.shtml

All books published by VIZ Media, http://www.VIZ.com.

ACF 683: "House of Five Leaves" manga debuts September 21st from VIZ

SARAIYA GOYOU (C) 2006 Natsume ONO

INTRIGUE AND DRAMA AWAIT READERS INSIDE
THE HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES

New Manga Tale Of A Masterless Samurai Debuts In September
From Acclaimed Creator Natsume Ono

VIZ Media has announced the release of Natsume Ono’s samurai drama, HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, this coming Tuesday, September 21st. The new series, rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint and carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES is a dramatic tale of intrigue and action. Masterless samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve, diffident nature has time and again caused him to be let go by the lords who have employed him. Hungry and desperate, he becomes a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a gang called "Five Leaves." Although disturbed by the gang's sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi's motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he's drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.

Natsume Ono is one of today's top creators of seinen manga – designed for adult readers of mature and more sophisticated stories. She made her professional debut in 2003 with the web comic La Quinta Camera, and her subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente (a continuation of Ristorante Paradiso) have met with both critical and popular acclaim. In 2009, Ristorante Paradiso was adapted into an animated TV series. Her current series, House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou), also adapted into a TV anime series in 2010, is currently published in Japan in IKKI magazine.

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES is one of the innovative series featured on SigIKKI.com, VIZ Media’s premiere website for presenting some of the most inventive, bold, and compelling titles in the world of contemporary manga. More information can be found at www.SigIKKI.com.

ACF 638: ristorante Paradiso reviewed

ristorante Paradiso © 2006 NATSUME ONO

Recently published in America by VIZ Media as part of its Signature line of manga, ristorante Paradiso is the story of 21 year old Nicoletta, whose mother had divorced her father and left her in the care of her grandfather fifteen years earlier. Mom felt she was "destined" to be with a restaurateur who would never marry a divorced woman, let alone one with a child. Angered and resentful at essentially being abandoned, Nicoletta travels to Rome to expose her mother's secret and ruin the relationship.

Instead, Nicoletta winds up working at the restaurant, the Casetta dell'Orso, where the staff is otherwise male. Handsome, somewhat older males, all of whom wear wire-rim glasses. A prospective romance develops, and suspense is maintained as to whether or not Nicoletta will reveal the truth about her mother.

For me this was most unusual manga, in that it is completely set in Italy and none of the characters are Japanese. It is beautifully drawn in a very linear style. The panels are primarily black and white, with a bit of mid-tone greys thrown in from time-to-time.

ristorant Paradiso is a "T+" rated title (for older teens).

ACF Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars, very highly recommended. A great story-line depicted in lovely images.

Also be aware that Ono has also written a "prequel" manga series entitled Gente: The People Of Ristortante Paradiso. The first volume takes readers back to the opening of Casetta dell'Orso. Both it and volume 2 can be pre-ordered from amazon.com.

ACF 436: Natsume Ono's manga "not simple" from VIZ Media

NOT SIMPLE © 2006 Natsume ONO/Shogakukan)

Emotional Slice-of-Life Story About A Man’s Search For Family, Love And His Place In The World Engages Fans Of Both Manga And U.S. Indie Comics

Preview On SigIKKI.com after December 17th, 2009

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) kicks off 2010 with the release on January 19th of Natsume Ono’s manga, not simple. The story, contained in a single volume, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, will be published by the VIZ Signature imprint and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN.

To celebrate this launch, a preview of the prologue of not simple will be available on SigIKKI.com, VIZ Media’s premiere website for presenting a diverse collection of titles which include the most inventive, bold, and compelling titles in the world of contemporary manga.

not simple follows Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, as he travels from Australia to England and on to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian's experiences in a novel titled not simple.

“This new release will captivate readers with its unconventional story and artwork,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Natsume Ono’s art blends manga aesthetics with a graphic style reminiscent of many western indie and alternative comics, and fans of both genres will enjoy this title. We also welcome not simple as the newest addition to SigIKKI.com, the hottest outlet for online manga. Fans can check out the prologue chapter after December 17th at www.SigIKKI.com!”

Another of Ono’s manga series, HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, is an action drama about samurai during the height of the shogun's rule in Edo-era Japan and is also currently serialized on SigIKKI.com.

Natsume Ono is one of today's top creators of seinen manga – designed for adult readers of mature and more sophisticated stories. She made her professional debut in 2003 with the web comic LA QUINTA CAMERA and subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, and GENTE (a continuation of Ristorante Paradiso) have met with both critical and popular acclaim. In 2009 Ristorante Paradiso was adapted into an animated TV series. Her manga drama HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES (Saraiya Goyou) is currently published in Japan in IKKI magazine.

For more information on this title please visit http://www.sigikki.com/. For information on all other VIZ Media titles please visit http://www.viz.com/.