Moyoco Anno 2019 Calendar

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This is my first year purchasing a calendar by manga artist Moyoco Anno (Sakuran, Sugar Sugar Rune), so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share! I don’t know how long Moyoco Anno has been selling limited run calendars in Japan, but I’ve been pining for one for a couple of years.

For 2019, I decided to get the wall-mounted calendar design featuring characters in kimono, which was 3,500 yen (approximately $35) with free shipping within Japan and limited to only 1000 units. At the time of this post, there are still some available, but keep in mind that you’ll need a forwarding service if you don’t live in Japan.

The calendar is a traditional style where you rip the pages off every month instead of flipping it, which is a bit daunting, so all the more reason to take a few pictures beforehand!

Cardcaptor Sakura Flower Garden Cafe (+ Giveaway!)

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The new Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card anime means there’s a ton of new Cardcaptor Sakura events and merchandise, and I’m all for it! Currently there’s a Sakura and Tomoyo Flower Garden Cafe being held at Sweets Paradise locations throughout Japan through the end of July. Cardcaptor Sakura art is always gorgeous, but the flower garden and sweets theme makes this collaboration extra adorable!

Swooning Over: Cardcaptor Sakura Star Key Necklace

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I can’t stress enough how much I am loving the current 90s shōjo revival! Of course there’s the always-popular Sailor Moon, but over the past year or two, we’ve also been seeing classics such as Magic Knight Rayearth, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Cardcaptor Sakura receive a slew of all new merchandise and fun promotional items. And when a new line of affordable Cardcaptor Sakura necklaces popped up for preorder on Ami Ami, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. If it were up to me, I’d probably own necklaces of every magical girl trinket I could get my hands on!

Boys Over Flowers Season 2 Manga to Launch on Valentine’s Day

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In a surprise announcement from Viz Media, acclaimed manga artist Yoko Kamio is returning to her seminal Boys Over Flowers manga with a sequel titled Boys Over Flowers Season 2 that will debut in North America this Valentine’s Day!

The original Boys Over Flowers, or Hana Yori Dango, was published over 10 years and finished with a whopping 37 volumes, making this sequel announcement even more of a shocker. Twelve years after the final volume was published, the series is back with a new set of faces at Eitoku Academy, two years after the F4 have graduated.

What’s particularly exciting about this announcement is the fact that the series will be released bi-weekly simultaneously in Japan and North America, and on top of that, Viz Media is offering current chapters for free on VIZManga and the Viz iOS and Android apps. The first three chapters will also be featured in Weekly Shonen Jump as part of the Jump Start Initiative, so if you’re already subscribed, you’ll be able to read them on February 16th (or you can subscribe online for only $19.99 for 12 months!).

I’m one of the many who is more familiar with the Boys Over Flowers drama than the actual manga, but since Boys Over Flowers Season 2 debuts with a whole new cast, I don’t believe you need to have much knowledge of the original series to enjoy it. I know I’m excited to see how Yoko Kamio will update the 90’s classic for a modern audience!