Shojo Beat

Shojo Beat

First cover of Shojo Beat featuring a young woman looking over her shoulder with one hand on her neck and the other in her pocket. The magazine name is written in a scripted, wide-lettered font with Shojo in pink and Beat in a larger, red font. A swoosh comes from the Beat with the magazine motto "Manga from the Heart" in white on the same pink background. Headlines from the magazine stories are noted on the left side, and on the right the magazine's URL, issue date, series list, and barcode are given.

Shojo Beat Volume 1, Issue 1, cover dated July 2005
Editor-in-Chief Hyoe Narita
Former editors Yumi Hoashi
Marc Weidenbaum
Categories shōjo manga
Frequency Monthly
Circulation 38,000 (2007)
Publisher Hyoe Narita
First issue July 2005
Final issue
— Number		 July 2009
Volume 5, Issue 7
Company Viz Media
Country United States
Based in San Francisco, California
Language English
Website http://shojobeat.com/
ISSN 1932-1600

Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty. After its initial launch, Shojo Beat underwent two redesigns, becoming the first English anthology to use the cyan and magenta ink tones common to Japanese manga anthologies. Viz launched related "Shojo Beat" imprints in its manga, Japanese light novel, and anime divisions to coordinate with the magazine's contents.

Targeted at women ages 16–18, the first issue of Shojo Beat launched with a circulation of 20,000. By 2007, the average circulation was approximately 38,000 copies, with half coming from subscriptions rather than store sales. It was well received by critics, who praised its mix of manga series and the inclusion of articles on Japanese culture, though some critics found the early issues boring and poorly written. In May 2009, Viz announced that it was discontinuing the magazine; the July 2009 issue was the last released. Fans were disappointed at the sudden news. Industry experts felt its loss would leave female comic fans without a magazine of their own, but praised Viz for its choice to continue using the "Shojo Beat" imprint and branding for its shōjo manga and anime releases.

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.[1][2] Of the six titles, two each came from Japanese publishers Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha. The first issue, released in June 2005, featured Nana Komatsu of Nana on its July 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.[3][4] Weidenbaum remained the magazine's editor until February 13, 2009, when Viz announced that he had left the company, though the magazine continued to list his name in the role through the May 2009 issue.[5][6] Starting with the June 2009 issue, publisher Hyoe Narita was listed as the editor-in-chief.[7]

The magazine's panda mascot, Moko, was first introduced in the October 2005 issue,[8] though he remained nameless until the July 2006 issue.[9] He later was given his own MySpace account run by Viz.[10] With the July 2007 issue, a new mascot, Beat Girl, was introduced. Included in each issue on the "Editor's Letter" page as the magazine's "illustrated spokesperson," she was drawn by different artists each time.[11][12] A third mascot, a star-shaped figure named Hoshiko, was introduced with the March 2008 issue as a friend for Moko.[13]

With the magazine's first anniversary issue, dated July 2006, Shojo Beat switched to using cyan and magenta ink tones for the manga pages rather than black-and-white. Though this mirrors the format of Japanese manga anthologies, it was a first for manga anthologies published in North America.[14] Shojo Beat launched another redesign with the January 2007 issue. The new design included more vivid color schemes and fonts and introduced a new "Girl Hero" column to spotlight women Viz felt were charitable and selfless and who would inspire readers. The existing columns were also expanded.[11][12]

In May 2009, the magazine stopped accepting new subscriptions and ceased publication with the release of the July issue.[15] Existing Shojo Beat subscriptions were transferred to Viz's Shonen Jump magazine.[16] With the first copy of Shonen Jump sent to former subscribers, a letter informed them of the transfer and how to request a refund for the unfilled portion of their subscriptions if they would prefer.[16] In a press release, Viz stated that the "difficult economic climate" was behind the magazine's cancellation.[16]

Features

As a manga anthology, the bulk of Shojo Beat's content was its manga chapters. Additional features included a letter from the editor, manga related news, a preview chapter from another Viz manga title being published under the "Shojo Beat" imprint, and articles on Japanese culture, current trends in Japan, and fashion and beauty. Sections toward the back of the magazine featured fan-related material, including fan art, letters from readers, manga drawing lessons, and cosplay how-to guides and highlights.[2][17] The magazine's official website included additional articles, downloads of templates for dressing up the magazine's panda mascot "Moko", and online previews of many of the manga series being published under the "Shojo Beat" label.[18]

Series

Shojo Beat contained chapters from six Japanese manga series licensed and translated to English by Viz.[2][19] During its run, the magazine featured fourteen series, of which seven ended their runs and were replaced by other series. Only four of those replacements remained in the magazine until all of their chapters had been published. Each title serialized in the magazine was also published in tankōbon volumes under Viz's "Shojo Beat" label. Viz noted that it periodically removed incomplete series from the magazine to help "keep the magazine fresh" and to allow it to speed up publication of the individual volumes.[20]

This is a complete list of all titles that were serialized in Shojo Beat. It does not include preview chapters. The titles that were running in the magazine when it was discontinued are highlighted.

Title Creator(s) Genre First issue Last issue Fully serialized?
Absolute Boyfriend Watase, YuuYuu Watase Science Fiction, Romantic comedy July 2005 March 2008 Yes 
Baby and Me Ragawa, MarimoMarimo Ragawa Slice of life July 2005 September 2007 Yes 
Backstage Prince Sakurakoji, KanokoKanoko Sakurakoji Romance October 2006 March 2007 Yes 
Crimson Hero Takanashi, MitsubaMitsuba Takanashi Sports, Romance July 2005 July 2009 Yes 
Gaba Kawa Takada, RieRie Takada Magical girl, Romance April 2008 August 2008 Yes 
Godchild Yuki, KaoriKaori Yuki Horror, Mystery July 2005 June 2006 Yes 
Haruka ~Beyond the Stream of Time~ Mizuno, TohkoTohko Mizuno Fantasy, Romance October 2007 July 2009 No 
Honey and Clover Umino, ChikaChika Umino Comedy-drama, Romance September 2007 July 2009 No 
Honey Hunt Aihara, MikiMiki Aihara Romance, Drama September 2008 July 2009 No 
Kaze Hikaru Watanabe, TaekoTaeko Watanabe Action, Historical July 2005 September 2006 No 
Nana Yazawa, AiAi Yazawa Drama, Romance July 2005 August 2007 No 
Sand Chronicles Ashihara, HinakoHinako Ashihara Drama, Coming-of-age August 2007 July 2009 No 
Vampire Knight Hino, MatsuriMatsuri Hino Supernatural Romance July 2006 July 2009 Yes 
Yume-Kira: Dream Shoppe Mizuto, AquaAqua Mizuto Fantasy April 2007 July 2007 Yes 

Imprints

With the launch of the Shojo Beat magazine, Viz Media created new imprints for its manga and fiction lines. The "Shojo Beat" imprint included series featured in the magazine as well as other shōjo manga titles licensed by Viz after the magazine's conception. Viz began releasing a few Japanese light novels under a "Shojo Beat Fiction" imprint that were related to its "Shojo Beat" manga titles.[21][22] In February 2006, Viz launched the "Shojo Beat Home Video" line for releasing anime titles primarily designed for female viewers. The first title under the new imprint was Full Moon o Sagashite, the anime adaptation of the same titled manga that was also released by Viz. 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.[23] Though the magazine itself has been canceled, Viz stated in May 2009 that it will continue releasing both existing and new series under the "Shojo Beat" manga and anime imprints.[16]

Circulation and audience

When Shojo Beat launched, it had a circulation of 20,000.[2] In 2006, its average circulation had increased to 35,000, of which 41% were distributed through subscriptions, and the rest sold in newsstands and stores.[24] In 2007, the circulation grew to 38,000, and subscriptions increased to 51%.[25] The magazine's audience was overwhelmingly female, comprising 91% of its readers. Targeted towards "young women", Shojo Beat's "core audience" was between the ages of 13 and 19 and made up 61% of its readers; 47% of readers were 12–17 and 45% were 18–34.[25]

Reception

Shojo Beat was nominated for a 2008 Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Award in the category of "Best Publication", but lost to Japan's NewType.[26][27]

In reviewing the premiere release of Shojo Beat, IGN's Jessica Chobot sharply criticized the magazine. She felt it looked and read "like a teenie-bopper magazine" and referred to the issue's cover as a "bright, hot-pink, migraine-inducing, bubble-lettered spectacle". She considered the contents boring, and disagreed with Viz's selection of series, noting, "it's as if Viz had taken everything from their backed-up reject pile and tried to pull one over on the female populace. 90% of what I was reading was either poorly drawn or poorly written (more often than not, it was both)."[28] Comic World News' David Welsh disagreed, as he felt that the magazine had several good series, and he praised Nana, Absolute Boyfriend and Crimson Hero as the top three series of the initial issue.[29] Greg McElhatton, co-founder of Wizard: The Guide to Comics and former reviewer for iComics.com, praised the magazine's mainstream appearance, calling it a "smart" decision, as it would draw in its target audience by visually showing them that it's a magazine for teenage girls. While he felt that two of the manga titles in the premiere issue had weak openings, he found that the magazine was "off to a good, if not great start".[30]

After its cancellation, Publishers Weekly's Heidi MacDonald reported that the common response she saw from fans was that "everyone liked it but nobody paid for it". She noted that many fans expressed sorrow over the magazine's demise while indicating that they did not subscribe to it.[31] Katherine Dacey, the former senior manga editor for PopCultureShock, remarked that the magazine had offered "just the right mixture of new stories, continuing series, and articles" and praised it for having a "funky, DIY vibe".[32] The staff of the School Library Journal called the magazine "one of a kind" and felt that its loss would leave a void for female fans, a generally under-acknowledged group of comic and manga readers.[33] Staff member Brigid Alverson felt Shojo Beat was a great overall package that "featured intelligent articles that allowed the reader to be enthusiastic about Japanese pop culture without being geeky" making it distinct from other magazines for girls that were normally "filled with brainless celebrity stories or service articles tied to commercial products".[33] Other participants praised the magazine's fashion articles for its educational articles on Japanese culture and for featuring girls of a variety of body types wearing affordable fashions. Two staffers questioned Viz's decision to drop the magazine and wondered if the company had unrealistically expected the magazine to have the same circulation numbers as Shonen Jump.[33]

References

  1. ↑ "Shojo Beat Details". Anime News Network. February 8, 2005. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Viz Media Happy Birthday Shojo Beat Magazine". Anime News Network. May 14, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Viz Names New Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat Editor-in-Chief". Anime News Network. November 15, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Marc Weidenbaum Named V.P. Magazines". ICv2 News. November 16, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  5. ↑ "VP/Shonen Jump EIC Weidenbaum Leaves Viz (Updated)". Anime News Network. February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
  6. ↑ "The Beat". Shojo Beat 5 (5): 006. May 2009. ISSN 1932-1600.
  7. ↑ "The Beat". Shojo Beat 5 (6): 006. June 2009. ISSN 1932-1600.
  8. ↑ "Contest: Panda Prêt-à-Porter". Shojo Beat 1 (4): 268. October 2005. ISSN 1932-1600.
  9. ↑ "Editor's Letter". Shojo Beat 2 (7): 006. July 2006. ISSN 1932-1600.
  10. ↑ "Moko World". Viz Media. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  11. 1 2 "Viz Media Announces New Look and Expanded Coverage for Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. December 19, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Editor's Letter: Art, Girl". Shojo Beat 4 (3): 006. March 2008. ISSN 1932-1600.
  13. ↑ "Editor's Letter: Art, Girl". Shojo Beat 4 (3): 319. March 2008. ISSN 1932-1600.
  14. ↑ "First Anniversary Issue of Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. May 15, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Shojo Beat Magazine No Longer Accepting Subscriptions". Anime News Network. May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Viz Confirms Shojo Beat Manga Magazine's End in June (Updated)". Anime News Network. May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  17. ↑ "In the Magazine". Shojo Beat Online. Viz Media. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Downloads". Shojo Beat Online. Viz Media. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Shojo Beat-Expanded content for January 2006". Anime News Network. December 15, 2005. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Godchild Not Returning to Shojo Beat". Anime News Network. August 19, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Viz to Publish Novels". Anime News Network. June 4, 2005. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Viz Launches New Fiction Imprints". ICv2 News. June 6, 2005. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  23. ↑ "Viz Launches Shojo Beat Home Video Line". ICv2 News. February 20, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  24. ↑ "Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2007)" (pdf) (Press release). Viz Media. January 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  25. 1 2 "Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2008)" (PDF) (Press release). Viz Media. January 2008. Archived from the original (pdf) on April 1, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  26. ↑ "Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Announces SPJA Industry Award Finalists at Tokyo International Anime Fair". Anime News Network. March 27, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Anime Expo 2008 Announces the 2008 SPJA Award Winners". Anime News Network. July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  28. ↑ Chabot, Jessica (July 5, 2005). "Shojo Beat: The Verdict". IGN. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  29. ↑ Welsh, David (February 14, 2008). "Title Pun Shortage Strikes Manga Columnist". Comic World News. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  30. ↑ McElhatton, Greg (June 15, 2005). "Shojo Beat Vol. 1, Issue 1". Read About Comics. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  31. ↑ MacDonald, Heidi (May 20, 2009). "Shojo Beat cancellation reax". Publishers Weekly: The Beat. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
  32. ↑ Dacey, Katherine (May 19, 2009). "R.I.P. Shojo Beat". The Manga Critic. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  33. 1 2 3 Alverson, Brigid (May 26, 2009). "Rountable: Farewell to Shojo Beat". School Library Journal. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.

External links

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