Otaku USA Magazine

[Roy Mustang]

This news come by e-mail that I got today.

Sovereign Media Inc., an active interest niche magazine publishing
company that publishes SCI FI -- the official magazine of the SCI FI
Channel, is launching Otaku USA Magazine in June. Patrick Macias, a
correspondent for the NHK World Television show Tokyo Eye and author
of Cruising the Anime City: an Otaku Guide to Neo-Tokyo, and
Tokyoscope: The Japanese Cult film companion, will be editing the new
magazine, which he described as follows: "Each issue of OtakuUSA will
be oversized 9 x 10 7/8, with a poster bound in the center spread,
and a DVD inserted onto the front cover, with full- length Anime
features and game demos. In addition, each issue of Otaku USA will
include a full manga feature, printed as a pull-out section. My aim
is to make Otaku USA the best, most comprehensive Japanese pop
culture magazine in the marketplace."

The typical issue of Otaku USA, which will have a cover price of
$9.99 ($11.99 in Canada), will be at least 150 pages long and printed
in full color on glossy paper. The bimonthly magazine will cover
manga, anime, computer games and J-Pop, and it will be written by an
American staff from an American point of view.

Col. Roy Mustang

[Fish and Chips]

...I am intrigued, candyman.

I've been on the lookout for a good Anime magazine subscription, and NewType didn't really catch my eye. This could be what I've been looking for.

[ranma8]

This magazine sounds great! Wheres the official website? I want to subscribe.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

WHOA! This sounds great! This will really help stretch my anime budget--no more $14 NewType USA!

[KeybladeWarrior]

Hooray!

[Roy Mustang]

I forgot put this, that was in the e-mail too.

Curtis Circulation Company, a division of Hachette, will be handling
all national and international newsstand distribution of the
magazine. Using Curtis' connections Sovereign Media has purchased
checkout display pockets at every Borders, Barnes & Noble, Walden
Books, Hastings and Books-a-Million in the U.S. According to
Sovereign Media's CEO Mark Hintz, "Our targeted first issue
distribution is well in excess of 125,000 copies."

Col. Roy Mustang

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Wow, that sounds... exactly like Newtype, but only arriving once every OTHER month.

...but of course I'm gonna check it out anyway.

[Roy Mustang]

Web site for Otaku USA magazine

Otaku USA Magazine

From ANN.

A new English-language magazine on anime, manga, and other aspects of Japanese pop culture will be hitting bookstore shelves in the coming weeks. The first issue of Otaku USA Magazine, which includes among its staff the veteran anime/manga journalist Patrick Macias, is set for release on June 5. Otaku USA is published by Sovereign Media and distributed by Curtis Circulation Company, a division of Hachette Book Group (which itself recently launched a manga label). At launch, issues will be available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, Target, and the top 700 Blockbuster locations, as well as various other outlets.

Col. Roy Mustang

[Tenshi no Ai]

I've been on the lookout for a good Anime magazine subscription, and NewType didn't really catch my eye.

I remember when my friend bought Newtypes (both the Japanese and North American types) and although bright and colourful with nice inserts, EVER issue just HAD to have a new coverage of Gundam Seed this and Gundam Seed that :/ Oy...

I wonder if Anime Insider still makes stuff anymore? I used to buy their issues a while back, until I discovered up-to-date-without-waiting-bi-monthly-for-the-news websites, such as ANN.

[ChristianKitsune]

Tenshi no Ai, I think Anime Insider is now publishing monthly ^^ I see it a lot at Walmart at least...


sounds like a Newtype clone...but possibly cheaper. Might have to check it out.

[mechana2015]

I'll believe it when I see it. Their website looks like the design from a high school web programming class and (so far) none of the links work, even the on-site links. The also have no linked connections to the publishing company or ANY oversight company (which there should be if they're connected to a multiple magazine production company). Most major professional production companies wouldn't release a website in an "under construction" state anyhow, so I doubt the veracity of this very much, since it screams unprofessional. They also misspelled Chief on the site... which doesn’t bode well for the quality of production since they can't spell check your only page on the website. (MS word auto corrects that error)

I am also concerned about the cost of the magazine. One of the reasons Newtype is so costly is LISCENCING the media (anime, manga inserts, posters etc.) that they use in their DVDs and magazines. I believe that the price hike for Newtype a few years ago was due to the cost of licensing episodes for the DVD insert and a few other issues with working with (probably) around a hundred licensed (in one country or another) products.

[Roy Mustang]

I remember when my friend bought Newtypes (both the Japanese and North American types) and although bright and colourful with nice inserts, EVER issue just HAD to have a new coverage of Gundam Seed this and Gundam Seed that :/ Oy...

That was a major reason, why I stop buying Newtype USA.

I wonder if Anime Insider still makes stuff anymore?.

Yes, Anime Insider is a monthly mag now.

I'll believe it when I see it. Their website looks like the design from a high school web programming class and (so far) none of the links work, even the on-site links.

Yeah, site looks bad. I hate the background color and it looks like they just threw things together for the start page.

I believe that the price hike for Newtype a few years ago was due to the cost of licensing episodes for the DVD insert and a few other issues with working with (probably) around a hundred licensed (in one country or another) products.

It was. At one point, they took the dvd insert out of the newsstand copies and only subscribers would get the dvd insert.

Which it failed and they went back to putting the dvd inserts in the newsstand copies at higher price.





Col. Roy Mustang

[ilikegir33]

I'll check it out. I mean I only get $7.50 a week for my allowance, so Newtype is outta the question. Besides, I HATE THE GUNDAM SEED COVERAGE TOO!! I really need an anime magazine that doesn't cost $14. So Otaku USA will be great. Can't wait to get the first issue.

[ilikegir33]

I got the first issue at my local B&N and all I could say is WOW. This is really good for a US anime magazine. It cost $9.99 and it came with a DVD and a centerfold poster, just like Newtype. However the DVD menu is pretty uncolorful compared to Newtype. But this is still a good magazine.

[Sheol777]

I need to find it.

Like half the Anime Podcasts out there have a few reviews in it.

[Roy Mustang]

Right now, the only bad thing about the magazine is that they misspelled a word on a cover. Other then that, most people are happy with the magazine.


Col. Roy Mustang

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I got the first issue at my local B&N and all I could say is WOW. This is really good for a US anime magazine. It cost $9.99 and it came with a DVD and a centerfold poster, just like Newtype. However the DVD menu is pretty uncolorful compared to Newtype. But this is still a good magazine.

To me the Newtype USA DVD menu is almost blinding! A contrast would probably be appreciated!

Does anyone know if it can be found at Waldenbooks and how many episodes come on the DVD?

[mechana2015]

I'll look for it at a local bookstore sometime soon, though 9.99 is getting up there for a non trade magazine.

Anyone seen if the website's been improved?

[tokiklok]

^^ thats cool

[Roy Mustang]

Anyone seen if the website's been improved?

It has big time. I was looking at the web site this morning and it has change alot.

http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/

Does anyone know if it can be found at Waldenbooks and how many episodes come on the DVD?

They use to have a list on the web site of the bookstores that will have it.

Since the web site has change, I can't find it.


Col. Roy Mustang

[mitsuki lover]

IMO from the original description it sounds like they're trying to copy NEWTYPE.

[ADXC]

Umm did anyone else notice this about their dvds? On my dvd it said in print on the dvd there were THREE game trailers but I only saw ONE on the dvd menu. And one of those that weren't on the dvd menu was Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney-Trials and Tribulations. I was so sad that it wasn't on there. I got my hopes up and then crash; they fall to pieces. But other than that I thought that the dvd was a huge success for their first time.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

I finally got around to buying the first issue of Otaku USA, and now I feel compelled to wax eloquent on the subject. I'm actually impressed by this fledging magazine, especially where the reviews are concerned. After reading so much of Newtype's efforts to any given anime in the most positive, exuberant light possible, seeing real, intelligent criticism in print was slightly disorienting (in a good way). The live action reviews are nice too, and I was very impressed by the feature on The Girl Who Leaped Through Time as well. I'm also VERY excited by the music reviews. Anything that brings attention to the garage bands of Japan is okay by me!

I do have a few negative thoughts, though. While I can personally enjoy the numerous retro bits, I hope they don't start to overshadow the current news. Speaking of which, Newtype is so far ahead of the curb on in-development anime that poor Otaku USA can't help but seem a little behind the times in a lot of this coverage (and I bet the bi-monthly release schedule won't help that any). Also, what's up with all the toy coverage? I mean, I can get enjoy a certain amount of action figure and collectible stuff, but good Lord, it felt like half the magazine was about Gundam figures. Other than that, the only bad thoughts I've got are minor quibbles (who exactly though it would be LESS obtrusive to to put the manga insert in upside down?)

Anyone else have any observations?

[Roy Mustang]

I pick up Otaku USA last week and finish reading it yestersday. I don't dislike this mag, but I'm not all that happy with it at the sametime.

I just feel that Otaku USA is nothing more then a water down version of Newtype USA.

I think the only time that I would buy Otaku USA and Newtype USA is, when they have something that I want to read and maybe some art work that I would like to cut out of it.

I have a feeling that if Otaku USA keeps all of their pages in a glossy format, they will have to rise the cost of the mag later down the road.


Col. Roy Mustang

[ilikegir33]

Me too. I can't believe that the DVD had only one game preview instead of three, but Ninja Nonsense looks interesting. The DVD was rated TV-15. FTW?

[ADXC]

Finaly, someone else noticed that there was only one game preview on the dvd. You get especially ticked off if you see a game preview on the disk in bold print but then you load up the dvd and find out they lied to you! Man I really wanted to see that Pheonix Wright preview as well. I thought the mag was good for a first magazine in anime bussiness. They have good coverage on manga, and yeah I read that artical on the man who read too much manga. It said he has read all manga known to man and now hes doing that manga section in the book. I don't like seeing all these yaoi and yuri topics. Geez they even put a subsection about yaoi terminalogy which really sucks. But the rest of the mag was good, also for the manga section they did two mangas instead of one! Wow that outdid newtype for manga reading is concerned, but yeah as Roy has said its a watered-down newtype magazine. But I am suprised to see they did an artical on Tranformers though, even though the movie didn't focus at all on Japan in any way. Its where tranformers originated by the way, but some people forget that and call it American. (Don't know who does, but after seeing the movie though I think that that may influence people into thinking it was.)

[Blitzkrieg1701]

I don't think it's all that fair to call it "watered down" Newtype. If anything, I've always though Newtype itself is pretty watered down. I thought the Otaku USA writers took a much meatier, less fluff-oriented approach than their more established counterparts. I think the bigger problem is, no matter what Otaku USA says about anything, it will necessarily be a couple MONTHS after Newtype has had a chance to say something about it. No matter what, they're going to come off as johnny-come-lately and thus taken less seriously.

Speaking of which, I have a different beef with the DVD. I confess that I didn't actually watch the trailers, but I question the anime selection. I mean, two of them were already on Newtype DVDs! That sort of thing isn't going to help them shake the Newtype comparisons.

[ADXC]

I don't think it's all that fair to call it "watered down" Newtype. If anything, I've always though Newtype itself is pretty watered down. I thought the Otaku USA writers took a much meatier, less fluff-oriented approach than their more established counterparts. I think the bigger problem is, no matter what Otaku USA says about anything, it will necessarily be a couple MONTHS after Newtype has had a chance to say something about it. No matter what, they're going to come off as johnny-come-lately and thus taken less seriously.

Speaking of which, I have a different beef with the DVD. I confess that I didn't actually watch the trailers, but I question the anime selection. I mean, two of them were already on Newtype DVDs! That sort of thing isn't going to help them shake the Newtype comparisons.

Well yeah because their magazines are bimonthly; they won't be able to get some of the new stuff out because they try to do a full two months in one magazine. (I know thats not really the case because they probably don't have the money to do an issue every month like Newtype does. So because of this they try to make due with the little they can do by at least getting the information out sooner or later.) But really I don't care if they are or not. All I want is information. I could care less when I get it as long as its not a year old hopefully. Well at least they got The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya column up early. They also got other stuff in there as well. Remember not all of their information is old, maybe not even half. Id say about 30%. But thats my take, which is probably wrong. Remember people there is room for criticizm because I didn't read ever word in the mag. (But I would like to see the person who did.)

And about the dvds having old shows on them. Well maybe they were just putting those shows up there simply because they either didn't have any good new ones to play or they wanted to let people know about these other anime, that after a while people may or may not forget. I dunno what else to say about them, because I thought they were good choices. I usually don't watch Newtypes dvds, but with Otaku's I did because the anime was a good choice. Although Boogiepop was a little wierd. But I thought School Rumble was hillarious.

[mitsuki lover]

I think if I buy any more anime mags it will be Anime Insider.From what I saw at
Barnes & Nobles Otaku USA is just too much of a clone of Newtype USA to really
matter or make any difference.

[ilikegir33]

Finaly, someone else noticed that there was only one game preview on the dvd. You get especially ticked off if you see a game preview on the disk in bold print but then you load up the dvd and find out they lied to you! Man I really wanted to see that Pheonix Wright preview as well. I thought the mag was good for a first magazine in anime bussiness. They have good coverage on manga, and yeah I read that artical on the man who read too much manga. It said he has read all manga known to man and now hes doing that manga section in the book. I don't like seeing all these yaoi and yuri topics. Geez they even put a subsection about yaoi terminalogy which really sucks. But the rest of the mag was good, also for the manga section they did two mangas instead of one! Wow that outdid newtype for manga reading is concerned, but yeah as Roy has said its a watered-down newtype magazine. But I am suprised to see they did an artical on Tranformers though, even though the movie didn't focus at all on Japan in any way. Its where tranformers originated by the way, but some people forget that and call it American. (Don't know who does, but after seeing the movie though I think that that may influence people into thinking it was.)

Yeah, an entire section on yuri and yaoi is a little much.