Remember a couple weeks ago when we told you about the announcement of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (Death Note)'s newest manga series, Bakuman? Well, Shueisha announced yesterday that they have posted a fully translated version of the first chapter of Bakuman online for free. You can check it out at their official website, where you can also find totally legal versions of Death Note, Bleach, and D.Gray-man. The manga (all four titles) will be accessible until August 31st, and they require a Windows PC to view. (Sucks for my Mac-using self...)

As the text of the promotional image to the right implies, this new manga is about... manga? Seemingly a sort of Comic Party minus the "Party," this series looks like it's taking a big turn from the authors' last work - Or perhaps not. Something about this whole pen and paper motif rings a bell...

Interestingly, this seems like a direct challenge to the complaints made by many champions of scanlations, who claim that manga isn't licensed fast enough in America. This manga wasn't even licensed; it was simply republished by the original publisher online only a week after its August 11th release date. Yeah, a WEEK. Graphic novels are sure to follow this online release, but make sure you get the (free, legal) taste test in before the 31st.

[via Anime News Network]

Tsugumi Ohba (writer) and Takeshi Obata (artist), creators of critically acclaimed and intensely popular manga series Death Note, have confirmed through Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump that they are working together on a new manga series titled Bakuman, to be premiered in the same magazine on August 11th.

The only information that has been given is a cryptic statement that the new series will be "explosive." (A clear play on words, since "bakuhatsu" is Japanese for "explosion") While this series will only be premiered in Japan on Augest 11th, Viz's Shonen Jump magazine is sure to pick it up, considering the massive popularity of Ohba and Obata's Death Note. Make sure you give it a look when it legally comes out in America, because we know nobody here will be reading any scanlations...

[via Anime News Network]