Kingyo Used Books
Encyclopedia
is an ongoing manga series written and illustrated by
Seimu Yoshizaki
. It follows the happenings which revolve around a small used manga store, specializing
in old and obscure manga. The series is loaded with several references to classic manga, such as Dr. Slump
and Moretsu Ataro
, as well as foreign comics like Jean Giraud
's Blueberry. The series
is serialized in Shogakukan
monthly seinen
Ikki
magazine and as of May 2010 serial chapters are collected in ten tankōbon
. The series is licensed in North America by Viz Media
under the their Viz Signature Ikki label.
-style chapters revolving around different characters,
a la Pet Shop of Horrors
. It extols the value of reading manga in one's life, and is notable for having references to several
well-known, as well as obscure manga, from the smash-hit Dr. Slump
, to the nary heard-of Billy Puck.
monthly seinen
Ikki
magazine. The serial chapters are collected into ten tankōbon
, the first released on December 24, 2004, and the tenth on April 28, 2010.. This series has a two volumes prequel also serialized in Ikki, both volumes were released on December 24, 2004.
In English this series is licensed by Viz Media
under the their Viz Signature Ikki label, and the first volume was released on April 20, 2010
column "Right Turn Only" gave the manga a grade of "B", saying that "if you want to get a non-manga fan into manga, this is probably not the manga to give them." The critic went on to say, "Kingyo is, if anything, too fixated on giving history lessons, trying to drown the reader in footnotes and details rather than letting the series speak for itself."
Seimu Yoshizaki
Seimu Yoshizaki
is a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut with Aka–chan to Tenshi in 1989.She is best known for her series Kingyo Used Books.- Selected works :*2005– Kingyo Used Books*2005– Telekinesis Yamanote TV Cinema*2008- Ugokashiya*2009- Dekagaru-External links:...
. It follows the happenings which revolve around a small used manga store, specializing
in old and obscure manga. The series is loaded with several references to classic manga, such as Dr. Slump
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology comic Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1980 to 1984 which were collected into 18 tankōbon volumes...
and Moretsu Ataro
Mōretsu Atarō
' is a gag manga by Fujio Akatsuka. It was serialized from 1967 to 1970 in Weekly Shōnen Sunday. Two anime adaptations were produced for TV Asahi ....
, as well as foreign comics like Jean Giraud
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
's Blueberry. The series
is serialized in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
monthly seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
Ikki
Ikki (magazine)
is a monthly seinen manga magazine published by Shogakukan. It tends to specialize in underground or alternative manga, but has had its share of major hits as well. Notably, both Bokurano and Ride Back have received anime adaptations....
magazine and as of May 2010 serial chapters are collected in ten tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
. The series is licensed in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
under the their Viz Signature Ikki label.
Plot
The plot is focused around a used manga store, and has a series of vignetteVignette (literature)
In theatrical script writing, sketch stories, and poetry, a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object...
-style chapters revolving around different characters,
a la Pet Shop of Horrors
Pet Shop of Horrors
is a Japanese horror manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop....
. It extols the value of reading manga in one's life, and is notable for having references to several
well-known, as well as obscure manga, from the smash-hit Dr. Slump
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology comic Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1980 to 1984 which were collected into 18 tankōbon volumes...
, to the nary heard-of Billy Puck.
Manga
This series is written by Seimu Yoshizaki and is serialized in ShogakukanShogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
monthly seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
Ikki
Ikki (magazine)
is a monthly seinen manga magazine published by Shogakukan. It tends to specialize in underground or alternative manga, but has had its share of major hits as well. Notably, both Bokurano and Ride Back have received anime adaptations....
magazine. The serial chapters are collected into ten tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
, the first released on December 24, 2004, and the tenth on April 28, 2010.. This series has a two volumes prequel also serialized in Ikki, both volumes were released on December 24, 2004.
In English this series is licensed by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
under the their Viz Signature Ikki label, and the first volume was released on April 20, 2010
Chapters
Reception
Carlo Santos in his Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
column "Right Turn Only" gave the manga a grade of "B", saying that "if you want to get a non-manga fan into manga, this is probably not the manga to give them." The critic went on to say, "Kingyo is, if anything, too fixated on giving history lessons, trying to drown the reader in footnotes and details rather than letting the series speak for itself."