| Rurouni Kenshin Kanzenban |
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| Sunday, 31 December 2006 | ||||||
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Starting in July of 2006, the Japanese publishers of Kenshin released the long-awaited kanzenban edition. What's a kanzenban? It's basically a new edition, and a premium one - they're usually printed on nicer paper, and use more color. Many manga series, when they're originally run in the manga magazines (or phonebooks, as some US fans call them), they may feature color intro pages, or sometimes even an entire chapter! Often kanzenban will also feature new cover art, and perhaps interior art - it really varies from series to series. But RK and Watsuki-sensei didn't disappoint - each volume featuers a new cover, and there's also a color panel inside the book that is new art as well. Underneath the dustjacket is something that at this time I can only attribute to some sort of concept sketches. The RK kanzenban is slated to run 22 volumes (as opposed to the original 28, each book will contain more chapters than the basic editions), with two coming out monthly. As a bonus, Japanese fans will be thrilled that 28 will include the short story, "Yahiko no Sabakoto", an extra story that ran in Jump and was never collected into a book. Please click on "Read More" to see images and get some specifics. ^__^ Here's a look at how each volume is laid out: The spines will combine to create one large image across the entire set.
Each volume also comes with an "obi", promoting another Kenshin or Watsuki product. In 2006, Japan will see a deluxe DVD release, a PS2 game, and another one of Watsuki's works animated! Opening up the book, the frontspiece is a close up of the cover image, but in red on black. It's a very stricking effect. :)
Then on the title page is the other new piece of art, and then it goes into the books themselves. Please not that one thing is missing - Watsuki's freetalks are gone, along with the "secret lives" of the characters pages. Where to buy? In the US, Japanese bookstores that carry manga might be carrying these. YesAsia has some volumes, and of course there's always Amazon Japan. Read on for more information on each volume and more images! :D Volume 1
ISBN: 4-08-874150-1, Released July 2006, 244 pages Chapters 1-8 + Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story Color pages: The first 21 pages of chapter 1, First 1 page of chapter 3 + extra color image, and the front page of the extra story Sketches:
Volume 2
ISBN: 408874151X , Released July 2006, 240 pages Chapters 9-20 Color pages: None. Sketches:
Volume 3
ISBN: 4088741528 , Released August 2006, 226 pages Chapters 21-28 + Meiji Swordsman Color pages: Splash page before chapter 28 Sketches:
Volume 4
ISBN: 4088741536, Released August 2006, 224 pages Chapters 29-39 Color pages: Splash page pluso one story page in chapter 34. All of chapter 39 Sketches:
Volume 5
ISBN: 4088741544, Released September 2006, 220 pages Chapters 40-50 Color pages: ALL of chapter 48 (note: this is where Saitou enters the story!), including two-page splash Sketches:
Volume 6
ISBN: 4088741552, Released September 2006, 236 pages Chapters 51-62 Color pages: All of 62 (introduction of Misao), including two-page splash Sketches:
Volume 7
ISBN: 4088741560, Released October 2006, 242 pages Chapters 63-74 Color pages: All of 74 (introduction of Misao), including two-page splash Sketches:
Volume 8
ISBN: 4088741579, Released October 2006, 243 pages Chapters 75-86 Color pages: First 4 pages of 74, plus a splash page Sketches:
Volume 9
ISBN: 4088741587, Released November 2006, 246 pages Chapters 87-98 Color pages: Chapter 88 plus a two-page splash; chapter 95 splash Sketches:
Volume 10
ISBN: 4088741595, Released November 2006, 245 pages Chapters 99-108, the short story "Crescent Moon of the Warring States" that originally was at the end of volume 6 is placed between chapters 99 and 100 Color pages: All of 103 plus a two-page splash Sketches:
Volume 11
ISBN: 4088741609, Released December 2006, 241 pages Chapters: 109-120 Color pages: All of 114 (the Saitou/Usui fight!) Sketches:
Volume 12
ISBN: 4088741617, Released December 2006, 227 pages Chapters: 121-132 Color pages: 123 - splash page; 131 - first page and splash Sketches:
Volume 13
ISBN 4088741625, Released January 2007, 242 pages Chapters: 133-144 Color pages: 142 - 1st page, splash Sketches:
Volume 14
ISBN 4088741633, Released January 2007, 250 pages Chapters: 145-157 Color pages: 152 - first page and splash; 154 - splash Sketches:
Volume 15
ISBN 4088741641, Released Feb. 2007 Chapters: 158-169 Color pages: Splash page before ch 158. Volume 16
ISBN 408874165X, Released Feb. 2007 Chapters: 170-181 Color pages: Splash page + first for 174.
Volume 17
ISBN 4088741668, Released March 2007 Chapters: 182-193 Color pages: 1st page + splash on ch 188 + bonus freetalk book (32 pages)
Volume 18
ISBN 4088741676, Released March 2007 Chapters: 194-204 Color pages: None! :( But Saitou's back! :D Freetalk bonus book
Volume 19
ISBN 4088741684, Released April 2007 Chapters: 205-218 Color pages: 2-page slpash + 1st page, chapter 205; Freetalk bonus book
ISBN: 4088741692, released April 2007 Chapters: 219-231 Color pages: splash page, ch 227; freetalk bonus book
Volume 21
ISBN: 4088741706, released May 2007 Chapters, color pages TBA
Volume 22
ISBN 4088741714, released May 2007 Chapters, color pages TBA
And at the end, there is a freetalk section with a nice bonus image.
And that's it! I've enjoyed getting this set, each month was always fun waiting to see who the cover boys/girls would be for the next two volumes. We here at HNK hope you've been enjoying it too!
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