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Shojo Beat

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Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat Volume 1, Issue 1, cover dated July 2005
Editor-Chief/VP of MagazinesYumi Hoashi
Categoriesmanga, Shōjo
FrequencyMonthly
Circulation38,000 (2007)[1]
PublisherHyoe Narita
First issueJuly 2005
CompanyViz Media
Country USA
LanguageEnglish
Websitehttp://shojobeat.com/
ISSN1932-1600

Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine for Shonen Jump, the magazine features serialized chapters from six manga series, and articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty. Since its initial launch, the magazine has undergone two redesigns, becoming the first English anthology to use the two color tone pages common in Japanese manga anthologies. Viz launched related "Shojo Beat" imprints in its manga, light novel, and anime divisions to coordinate with the magazine's contents.

The initial release of Shojo Beat launched with a circulation of 20,000 copies. Its average circulation has increased to its current level of approximately 38,000 copies, with half of its circulation coming from subscriptions rather than store sales.

History

In February 2005, Viz Media announced the creation of a new manga anthology, Shojo Beat. Marketed as a sister publication of Viz's existing Shonen Jump, the magazine started with six manga titles: Crimson Hero, Kaze Hikaru, Baby & Me, Godchild, NANA, and Absolute Boyfriend.[2][3] Of the six titles, two each came from Japanese publishers Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha. The first issue of Shojo Beat was released in June 2005, featuring Nana Komatsu of NANA on its July-dated cover. Yumi Hoashi was the publication's original editor-in-chief. In November 2006, Hoashi left Viz and Marc Weidenbaum replaced him as the magazine's editor-in-chief.[4][5]

With the magazine's first anniversary issue, dated July 2006, Shojo Beat switched to using cyan and magenta ink tones for the manga pages. Though this mirrors the format of Japanese manga anthologies, it was a first for manga anthologies published in North America.[6]

Shojo Beat launched another redesign with the January 2007 issue. The new design included more vivid color schemes and fonts, a new "Girl Hero" column to spotlight women Viz felt were charitable and selfless people who would inspire its readers, and the existing columns were expanded. The issue also introduced a new mascot for the magazine, Beat Girl. The character was slate to be included in every issue as the magazine's "illustrated spokesperson," drawn by different artists each time.[7]

Features

As a manga anthology, the bulk of Shojo Beat's content is its manga chapters. Additional features include a letter from the editor, manga related news, a preview chapter from another Viz manga title being published under their "Shojo Beat" label, and articles Japanese culture, current trends in Japan, and fashion and beauty. The end of the magazine has fan related sections, including fan art, letters from readers, manga drawing lessons, and cosplay how-to guides and highlights.[3][8] The magazine's official website includes additional articles, downloads of templates for dressing up the magazine's panda mascot "Beat Girl", and online previews of many of the manga series being published under the "Shojo Beat" label.[9]

Series

Shojo Beat contains chapters from six different manga series.[3][10] Thirteen series have been removed so far, with seven having ended their runs to be replaced with other series. Only three of those remained in the magazine until all of their chapters had been published. Each title serialized in the magazine is also published in tankōbon volumes under Viz's "Shojo Beat" label. Viz notes that they periodically remove series from the magazine that have not been completed yet to help "keep the magazine fresh" and to allow them to speed up publication of the individual volumes.[11]

Title Author First Issue Last Issue Completed?
Absolute Boyfriend Yuu Watase July 2005 March 2008[12] Yes
Baby and Me Marimo Ragawa July 2005 September 2007 No
Backstage Prince Kanoko Sakurakoji October 2006[13] March 2007 Yes
Crimson Hero Mitsuba Takanashi July 2005 Ongoing
Gaba Kawa Rie Takada April 2008 Ongoing
Godchild Kaori Yuki July 2005 June 2006 No
Haruka ~Beyond the Stream of Time~ Tohko Mizuno November 2007 Ongoing
Honey and Clover Chika Umino September 2007 Ongoing
Kaze Hikaru Taeko Watanabe July 2005 September 2006[13] No
Nana Ai Yazawa July 2005 August 2007 No
Sand Chronicles Hinako Ashihara August 2007 Ongoing
Vampire Knight Matsuri Hino July 2006 Ongoing
Yume-Kira: Dream Shoppe Aqua Mizuto April 2007 July 2007 Yes

Imprints

With the launch of the Shojo Beat magazine, Viz Media also created new imprints for its manga and fiction lines, with the "Shojo Beat" label including both series featured in the magazine and other shōjo manga titles licensed by Viz since the magazine's conception. Published under the "Shojo Beat Fiction" imprint, Viz began releasing a few Japanese light novels that relate to its "Shojo Beat" manga titles.[14][15] In February 2006, Viz launched the "Shojo Beat Home Video" line, to release anime titles targeted towards the female audience. The first title under the new imprint was Full Moon o Sagashite, the anime adaptation of the same titled manga already being released by Viz Media. To promote the new anime line, Viz included a preview disc of the first volume of Full Moon in the June 2006 issue of Shojo Beat.[16]

Circulation and reception

When Shojo Beat launched, it had a circulation of 20,000.[3] In 2006, its average circulation had increased to 35,000, with 41% of copies distributed through subscriptions, and the rest sold in newsstands and stores.[17][18] In 2007, the circulation grew to 38,000, with subscription distribution growing to 51% of copies.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2008)" (pdf) (Press release). Viz Media. 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Shojo Beat Details". 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d "Viz Media Happy Birthday Shojo Beat Magazine". Anime News Network. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  4. ^ "Viz Names New Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat Editor-in-Chief". 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Marc Weidenbaum Named V.P. Magazines". 2006-11-16. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "First Anniversary Issue of Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  7. ^ "Viz Media Announces New Look and Expanded Coverage for Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  8. ^ "In the Magazine". Shojo Beat Online. Viz Media. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  9. ^ "Downloads". Shojo Beat Online. Viz Media. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  10. ^ "Shojo Beat-Expanded content for January 2006". Anime News Network. 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  11. ^ "Godchild Not Returning to Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. 2006-08-19. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  12. ^ "Absolute Boyfriend". Shojo Beat. 4 (3): p. 72. 2008. ISSN 1932-1600. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  13. ^ a b "Kaze Hikaru out of Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  14. ^ "Viz to Publish Novels". 2005-06-04. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  15. ^ "Viz Launches New Fiction Imprints". 2005-06-06. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Viz Launches Shojo Beat Home Video Line". 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  17. ^ "Shojo Beat Marks Second Year". PW Comics Week. Publishers Weekly. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2008-02-11. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |firstname= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |lastname= ignored (help)
  18. ^ "Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2007)" (pdf) (Press release). Viz Media. 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shojo_Beat&oldid=222622003"