Triage X Chapter 33 raw

You may think I got this done faster than usual, but the truth is it's just a really short chapter. It doesn't appear to be a side chapter or "32.5" or anything like that; it's just short. Considering all the releases Shouji Sato has next month, I'm sure he needed a semi-break like this.

http://www.mediafire.com/?anmkrfn00cir0n2

I just got a new scanner and am still getting to know it, so my raw chapters will look a little off this month while I figure everything out. Eventually, I should be able to produce higher quality scans than I could before.

I already covered all of the Triage X/HOTD/Shouji Sato news in the last post (Dragon Age February update). Go read it if you haven't already because there is plenty of news. That is to say, more than we've had in a while.

Maken-Ki! will come later today or tomorrow.

Monthly Dragon Age - February (1/9/2013)

The Highschool of the Dead hiatus will not end next month; however, there does appear to be something coming next month.

First of all, the official announcement for Triage X Volume 6 and for HOTD Full Color Editions 5 and 6 appeared in this month's Triage X chapter. TX Volume 6 will be out next month. There does not seem to be a specific date, though I would assume it is the 9th since they almost always come out on the same day as the magazine. The new FCEs are also apparently out next month. There is no date, but after some investigation on Amazon, I found that they will be released February 9. It seems strange that there wasn't more of a buildup.

Now, to elaborate on my cryptic opening sentence, there was a small announcement on the preview of next month's issue. I will include an image here and a full scan of the two-page spread with this month's Triage X raw. The preview focuses on Triage X (meaning it will likely be on the cover), but there is this little corner dedicated to HOTD:

From what I can make of it, it seems there will be a HOTD booklet with next month's issue celebrating (or promoting) the new FCE volumes. I'm not sure if this means there will be a color chapter or just illustrations, but I'm guessing I will be scanning whatever it is. I will update this post when I have more information. I doubt it is a new chapter, but we will see.

There's not much more to say about this issue. Triage X has a shortened chapter this month, which is no surprise considering everything Shouji Sato has coming out next month. I'll have the raws for it and Maken-Ki! posted sometime today or tomorrow. See you soon.

Some News from Shouji Sato

In a very rare update to the Diary section of his personal website, Shouji Sato gave us a bit of news to end what has been a barren stretch of no information. He announced Triage X Volume 6 will be out February 9. I guess this is the first official announcement, though volumes are usually announced earlier. He also announced that Volumes 5 and 6 of the Highschool of the Dead Full Color Edition will be released some time in the future. There is no date, but it appears he has begun working on them. Thus it seems Yen Press wasn't acting alone entirely, which is a good sign. This also means, however, that the ad seeking artists was possibly just looking for people to help color the new Full Color Editions. This wouldn't necessarily be proof he is not also working on new Highschool of the Dead. In fact, he could be hiring extra people to take over the coloring process entirely so that he can focus on drawing for two series again. We will have to wait and see.

I am almost certain he also talks about the HOTD manga itself in the post, but I am waiting on some translation help to see exactly what that is about. I can assure you there are no specific dates or time frames. I will update this post as soon as I have more information.

UPDATE:
I don't really have much more information yet, but I did promise an update. The post by Shouji Sato does not mention HOTD returning. I saw "HOTD" and "thirty" in the post and got excited, but after further investigation, it appears he is simply pointing out how Triage X has passed thirty chapters, thereby surpassing HOTD in number of chapters. He notes his development as an author and artist while working on Triage X.

I hope to have more for you in my monthly Dragon Age update, which should come in a few days. See you then.

Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni Chapter 17

This is technically a combined release with Electro Majutsu, the last scanlator of this series. Before I go any further, I must make it clear that we are NOT picking up this series. Please DO NOT email me or comment asking for the next chapter. Hoshi of Electro Majutsu didn't like the pressure of scanlation and dropped the series, posting a script for Chapter 17 instead of a full release. I had agreed to help him with the series just before he dropped it, and then he gave me permission to use his translation for this chapter. I think an anonymous scanlator posted a version on a reader, but there was no download and the quality was poor. I thought fans of this series (myself included) deserved something better, so here it is.

Higanbana Chapter 17

I got the raws from an anonymous scanner, so the quality isn't quite as high as we usually strive for here. The translations were so literal that I think the meaning gets lost on a few pages. I did my best to revise the script as well as I could without being able to read the Japanese text.

If you haven't read the first sixteen chapters, or if you want to refresh your memory since it's been about seven months since Chapter 16 was released, I'll post links to where you should be able to download all of them. I must warn you, this series deals with severe bullying, sexual assault, and other intense themes in a middle school setting. Some readers may find the content disturbing. Having said that, the series gives an insightful look into human nature and behavior, and it makes some interesting statements on both the dangers of bullying and the importance of forgiveness.

WTDND - Chapters 1-6
Higanblabla - Chapters 7-9
Electro Majutsu - Chapters 10-16

This chapter ends the Nonomiya arc, so I don't have a problem leaving it here. There are no cliffhangers or anything like that since this series is so episodic. I really hope another group will pick this series up and give us more than a handful of chapters before dropping it.

Maken-Ki! Chapter 55 Raw

Life as we know it didn't end, so here's the new Maken-Ki! chapter. Finally! Special thanks to DeathsUncleBob from Oppai Scans for helping me get this one done.

http://www.mediafire.com/?a136li24k0zg1c9

There you have it, the final raw chapter of 2012. I'm not sure if we'll have anything else for you before next year, but I may scrounge something out of the "abandoned projects" folder. I wish everyone the happiest of holidays. If nothing else, enjoy your time off from work or school.

Triage X Chapter 32 Raw

I am very sorry it took this long, and that it will be even longer for Maken-Ki!. I've been so busy over the last few weeks that I have hardly had time to sleep, much less work on this stuff.

http://www.mediafire.com/?okbhusuo9u9xcjz

I have a bit of news for you. I could have announced it earlier, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of what could be nothing. Before I say anything, I want to emphasize that what I'm about to say contains a lot of speculation. Please DO NOT start rumors around the internet using this post as a source. With that being said, there is a request on page 3 of this release (next to the ad for the BD box set) which is asking for artists to help Shouji Sato's studio with drawing. HOTDcups tells me these types of ads are not unusual, but they do not usually appear in the magazine like this. Assuming Shouji doesn't just need help for Triage X, this could mean he is about to start working on something additional and needs the extra help. The date in the ad is January 8, so we'll have to keep an eye on what develops in the next few months.

As of yesterday, Scans of the Dead has been operating for two years. I really can't believe it has been that long. I have very much enjoyed these last two years, thanks mostly to all of you readers. Without you, there's no reason for me to do any of this. I hope the next two years will bring just as much growth and excitement as the last.

Monthly Dragon Age - January (12/9/2012)

No Highschool of the Dead next month.

If you're still reading, good for you, because there is still a bit of HOTD news. There is no new Japanese Full Color Edition coming out, but there is a new Blu-ray box set coming out on December 21 (according to Amazon--the advertisement in the magazine says 12/28). It looks like it will have all 12 regular episodes and the OVA, along with some bonus features like a 32-page booklet with illustrations. The current price on Amazon is around $230 before shipping, so I'm not sure how many of you will be willing to spend that kind of money. I'll try to have more information when I post Triage X raws later in case anyone is interested.

As part of their 40th anniversary celebration, Monthly Dragon Age has had special cover designs and color page tributes for much of this year. This month, they included a booklet that has bath scene color illustrations for some of their most popular series over the years. Triage X seems to have taken the place of HOTD as Shouji Sato's number one series, because the latter isn't in there. I'll include the Triage X and Maken-Ki! illustrations with their respective raw chapters.

I announced a couple of weeks ago that Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni ended, and it looks like maybe I was wrong and it was really just the end of an arc. There was a new chapter this month; however, it doesn't seem like a new arc is starting, and there was no date for the next chapter. It might have just been an omake chapter the artist put in to fill the last volume. I would like to see the series continue, though it would be better if it would get picked up by another group.

There's been a theme in the magazine over the last few months that I've noticed and decided to call the Absurdly Lewd Oneshot of the Month. These oneshots, one of which I told you about in October, appear to be the magazines attempts at blurring the border between shounen manga and hentai. It started with a oneshot featuring characters who fought each other with sex toys, and this month it has grown into the most explicit sex scene (between two girls, no less) I have ever seen in something categorized as shounen. I can't even post pictures because I would have to classify this site as having adult content.

Anyway, this months raws will be much tamer by comparison. I'm really busy, so it could be a few days before I post them. See you then.