This week’s deals are all from Yahoo! Auctions Japan. So, if you don’t have an account with Japamart or Rinkya. Get on it! So, for the sake of me not repeating myself, Shipping in Japan and International shipping will need to be added to the starting price. All $ are USD, and savings are an estimate and don’t include shipping costs. Make sure to check out Deal $9, as it’s a special one! If you buy it, let me know!

Deal #1:
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) Volumes 1-10
Get the entire collection, up to date! No pin order forms included.
Starting Price: 6,000yen ($56.30)
http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g63308108
Savings: $40

Deal #2:
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) Volumes 1-5
Get the first of the collection released, to date! No pin order forms included.
Starting Price 3,000yen ($28.14)
http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k59806791
Savings: $30

Deal #3:
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) Volumes 1-8
Get the volumes as of last month! Includes pin order forms.
Starting Price: 4,500yen ($42.22)
http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e78765478
Savings: $32

Deal #4:
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) Volumes 1-4
Just a small selection now, of the reprint volumes. Comes with pin order forms.
Starting price: 1,100yen($10.32)
http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h65393215
Savings: $27

Deal #5:
Inflatable Matamune
A nice little inflateable Matamune, which was a Weekly Jump special promotion. Never sold in stores!
Starting Price: 430yen ($4.03)
http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b87617112
Savings: Unknown (never released)

Deal #6, #7, #8:
Shaman King Handkerchiefs
These were some of the first products released when the SK anime was being made. Not alot of people bought them, so they are very rare to find!
Starting Price: 300yen ($2.81), 400yen($3.75), 500yen($4.69)
http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b87748998
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m58569427
http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/108990826
Savings: Unknown (original price not known)

Deal #9:
Shaman King Character Cels
When making the Shaman King anime, they needed some drawings to know what each character is suppose to look like. As there is alot of people working on each episode of a 64 episode series, there was alot of extra copies. From time to time, you can purchase these cels used in the creation of the SK anime. These are not reprints, these were used in the actual production. You get 175 sheets, but you won’t know what they are until you get them. These appear to be from the 2nd season of the anime (but may have season 1 cels as well).
Starting Price: 6,000yen ($56.30)
http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b87764532
Savings: Unknown (never were released with a price)

As a special edition of Manta’ Bargain Bin, I’d just like to highlight this deal which is on eBay right now:

Deal Special:
Shaman King Grab Bag
From the image, I can see the following:

•  17 Japanese TCG cards (Including a Horohoro shaman card and a Kororo spirit card)
• 3 DVD cards
• Large keychains of Ryu, Ren, Yoh, Manta, and Anna
• A medium sized Ren figure (with background)
• And various other keychain widgets

So, if you want to bump up your keychain collection, or happen to be a fan of Ren, here’s a nice little collection
Starting Price: $1.00 + $4.80 Shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shaman-King-Grab-Bag-Collectibles-from-Japan_W0QQitemZ280246409449QQihZ018QQcategoryZ1345QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Savings: Of at least $35 or more

Also, deal #4 is still active from last Monday. A new Manta’s Bargain Bin will be up next Monday!

Back around for a second week! If you want to know what this feature is all about, check out last week’s selection! Now onto this weeks!

Deal #1
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) volumes 1-6
If you were looking to start your KZB collection, here’s a place to start! Note, that the order form for the KZB pins is NOT included (and those only ship to within Japan anyways).
Starting Price: 3,100 yen ($29.25) + Japan Shipping + International shipping
http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f64364294
Savings (not including shipping): $30

Deal #2
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) volumes 1-10
This puts you right up to the current volumes, 9 & 10, and it does appear to have the pins order form. Also, there is a “buyout” price for 8,000 yen. Which still covers the costs of those last 2 volumes in savings.
Starting price: 7,500yen($70.77) + Japan Shipping + International shipping
http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k54427010
Savings: $20

Deal #3
Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) volumes 1-4
A smaller start up for your KZB collection, with just the first 4 volumes. However, the starting price is also smaller. So that means more savings!
Starting Price: 500yen ($4.71)
http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g63095704
Savings: $33

Deal #4
500+ Japanese Shaman King TCG cards
If you ever wanted to play the Japanese Shaman King TCG (not related to the US game), and wanted some cards here’s your chance! Or maybe you just want some of the cards from your favorite character! You’ll probably find something in here.  If you are looking for translations for any of these cards, contact me (andysislands), and I can point you in the right direction (hopefully).
Starting Price: $9.95 + $19.92 USA shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/500-japanese-shaman-king-trading-cards-CCG-very-rare_W0QQitemZ260262274501QQihZ016QQcategoryZ219QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Savings: Unknown (because card list isn’t there)

Deal #5
Unreleased SK figures Yoh and Hao (Zeke) by Mattel
I’m not sure if this is a deal or not, but these two characters were never mass released. So, these are hard to find. The quality doesn’t look great, and the price is a bit on the high side. But, if you want a matching Yoh and Hao (Zeke) set, here’s your chance!
Starting Price: $15.90 + International Shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shaman-King-YOH-ASAKURA-figure-moc-Dragonball_W0QQitemZ330249848324QQihZ014QQcategoryZ16462QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Shaman-King-ZEKE-ASAKURA-figure-moc-Dragonball_W0QQitemZ330249848312QQihZ014QQcategoryZ16462QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Savings: Unknown (not released)

Check to see when these deals are ending! Some of them will only be up for 2 days! A new Manta’s Bargain Bin will be back next Monday, so make sure you check it out then!

News was discovered and scanned by Jezzy. Thanks!

With Shaman King in “reprint mode,” in terms of both manga and anime in Japan, there are some great deals out there to be found. Now is the time to clean up your collection and show how much of a fan you truely are! Of course, we won’t limit the deals to just Japanese products!

The deals will normally be posted on Mondays, unless there is a deal that is limited time only. So, it’s just best to subscribe to our RSS feed, or check back daily! If you think there is a deal that I missed, feel free to e-mail me, andysislands, at andysislands @ yahoo.com with “Manta’s Bargain Bin” in the title! Also, all deals are not connected to Shaman King Nation in terms of profit. If a staff member of The Great Spirit network does have a deal (such as this week), this will be noted. There are no refferal codes, so we won’t make money off of this. We just want to let you know of the good deals, since I can’t possibly buy it all!

Some of the deals require you to bid on Yahoo Auctions Japan. Normally to do this you will need a Japanese Credit card and a Japanese shipping address. However, if you use http://japamart.com or http://rinkya.com you can use their bidding system to purchase items! They do add additional fees and shipping costs to the items, so it’s best to bundle up a couple of these deals to even out the shipping cost! But, you will need to have an account set up with them, and may require you to place a deposit before using their services. So, this will require you to have an account ready if you are planning on getting some of these deals. If you think you may be bidding on Yahoo Auctions Japan via Japamart or Rikya, I’d advise you set up an account now, even if you won’t bid on one of these deals this week.

Also, yen conversion is based on the day of the posting and all $ prices are USD.

Deal #1:

Japanese Shaman King DVDs!
These are the original Japanese Region 2 DVDs of the Shaman King Anime. Jezzy, who is part of our The Great Spirit network, is running the auction, since she wants to clean out some room for the new DVD-Box that will be released next month. These DVDs don’t have English subs, and are Japanese only. You also need a DVD player which can Region 2 DVDs. However, there is some software which will be able to unlock most DVD drives which can be found online! Plus she will toss in some extra goodies. And mention if you saw this deal on SKN! She will ship internationally, if you ask nicely, probably. She has some more DVDs other than the ones listed, so if you want some more, just ask!
Starting Price: $5.00USD + $3.00 Shipping
DVD1
DVD2 
Amount of Savings: $64!

Deal #2:

Viz’s English Shaman King Manga 1-17!
Right Stuf is holding a sale on all in-stock items, which means you can save 20% on all of the Shaman King manga volume released! That’s volumes 1-17! The deal ends on July 9th, and you need to enter the coupon code: “summer2008″. Plus, if your order is over $50, you get free shipping.
Starting Price: $5.96 + shipping (per book)
Right Stuf
Amount of Saving: $1.99 per book

Deal #3:

Limited Edition Weekly Jump Inflatable Matamune!
As a special give-away, you could win a special Limited Edition Matamune inflatable! When fully inflated, it stands about 8 inches tall. They are very cool. I should know, I got one! So, if you are buying another one of these deals, I recommend you add this one. Matamune’s cape is a seperate piece, but can’t be removed.
Starting Price: 100yen ($0.94) + Japan shipping ($1.35)  + International shipping
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r48498997
Amount of Savings: n/a (Never had a retail price)

Deal #4:

Kang Zeng Bang (reprint) manga Volume 1
This isn’t too much of a deal, but, if you want to save 300yen, you can get vol 1 of the SK KZB for a starting price of 700 yen. Shipping within Japan is unknown.
Starting Price: 700 yen ($6.56) + Japan shipping + International shipping
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r45123822 
Amount of Savings: 300yen ($2.81)

Deal #5:

Original Japanese Shaman King manga volumes 1-32
If you don’t care for the reprint volumes and just want to get all of the original manga in Japanese, here’s the deals for you.  There are two listings. International shipping will be a bit more expensive on these, since they are heavy (but lighter than KZB comparitively).
Starting Price: 510yen ($4.76) + Japan shipping ($7.51-$13.13) + International Shipping
http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w26262556
Staring Price: 1400yen ($14.07) + Japan shipping ($5.63) + International Shipping
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m58113537
Amount of Savings: $112.45 / $103.05

The initial print of the Shaman King anime DVDs and VHS have long been out of print in Japan. The Shaman King anime still airs in re-broadcasts on cable channels in Japan. These DVDs are targeted at collectors of anime series, who are often older males with larger incomes. However, Amazon.co.jp is listing the first box set for $190USD, about $50 cheaper than standard price.

Clearly these DVDs are being released to be cross-promoted with the recent publishing of the Kang Zeng Bang manga reprints. These episodes do not appear to be altered in anyway from it’s initial Japanese DVD release. The audio will be Japanese only (Dobly Digital / Stereo), on Region 2 DVDs, with no subtitle tracks.

The only similar release, was in France during 2006 when all 64 episodes of the Shaman King anime were released in 3 DVD box sets. However, these contained only the French dub, and did not have the SFOV PVs nor the OVAs (which were never dubbed into any language outside of Japan).

Continue reading this news post for the complete break down of all contents on these DVDs.

(more…)

シャーマンキング　完全版 7-8
Shaman King Kang Zeng Bang 7-8

Volume 7: 
ISBN: 9784088742090
Format Size: A5
Pages: 236
Price: 1,000yen

Volume 8:
ISBN: 9784088742106
Format Size: A5
Pages: 236
Price: 1,000yen

With the annoucement of Volumes 7 and 8, a pattern is begining to develop among the characters featured on the covers. It has become a trend that a male will be on the odd numbered covers and female on the even numbered covers. Volume 8 does have Faust (male), but it also features Eliza on the cover (female). There is also more male characters than female characters, so this trend will most likely not continue through out the entire 27 volumes. However, it is safe to predict that the next two volumes will feature these shamans:

Volume 9: Chocolove (with Mic)
Volume 10: Lyserg (with Morphine, who is female)

With both of these shamans, team The Ren would be completed, and would cover the primary cast. For volumes 11 and 12, Marco and Jeanne appear to be likely candidates. But neither Volumes 9 & 10, nor 11 & 12 have been proven to be correct, but judging on the current pattern, this seems likely.

There has been no updates on the USA release of Ultimo at this time.

Note from Admin:
Sorry for the lack of updates. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be sure to get back up to speed with faster updates! Some personal stuff got in the way, but that should all be taken care of in the next week. Coming up soon:

- Takei’s interview with Stan Lee
- Volume 16 Review
- Kang Zeng Bang comparisons
- Any and all the latest news from Japan and around the world!

On April 18th “Ultimo” the joint created manga by Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei will be released in Japan. However, in a press release sent out by Viz today, some new information has been annouced.

On April 18th, the same day as the release in Japan, Stan Lee will be at New York Comic Con along with Takanori Asada (Editor, Jump SQ.), and USA’s Shonen Jump Editor-in-Chief Marc Weidenbaum to give some new information about the series. The annoucement at the time, will be that Viz has plans to release this manga series in the USA via their monthly Shonen Jump manga magazine. As an exact time of release has not been set, but it may only be a few short months after it’s release.

In the press release, Stan Lee states, “I am deeply honored for this great opportunity to collaborate with an award-winning artist/writer of the stature of Hiroyuki Takei.  I enthusiastically expect that the combination of an American story-telling style merged with Takei-san’s acclaimed Japanese style will result in our joint creation ‘ULTIMO’ presenting an original, exciting type of manga that will appeal to comicbook fans around the world”.

Along with this press release, several new facts and a summery of the story has been revealed:

• This is a prologue chapter (meaning there will be more chapters)
• 32 pages in the starting chapter
• 3 color pages (a single color page, followed by a double color page spread)

Summery of the story:

High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? A new mystery begins with the fate of the world possibly hanging in the balance!

It is interesting to note, that “Vice” is the name of one of Takei’s characters in “Jyuki Ningen Jumbor” and “Ultimo” was original created by Stan Lee. However, neither of these characters appear to be connected to the Ultimo storyline. It’s fairly ironic that “Takei’s character” (Vice) will be playing the part of the antagonist, since Takei dislikes making characters that are “pure evil.” While Stan Lee has a tradition of creating characters with a more “dark side” and his “Utimo” is playing the line of the “good character.”

Along with this press release, the Japanese JumpSQ website also updated with some new Ultimo information. These come in the form of new images featuring the 2 main character. Please click the “Read rest of this entry” to view all the High Quality resolution image from the Ultimo section on the JumpSQ website.

With it’s not-yet-annouced US release, Ultimo will released in Jump SQII on April 18th in JumpSQ. You can have a chance to win a hand signed copy (by both Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei) of this issue by going to the following website, provided by Viz’s Shonen Jump website: www.shonenjump.com/ultimosweeps. Future chapters will most likely be in future JumpSQ issues. A set date has not been annouced yet or confirmed.

Shaman King Nation will continue to monitor this news story for both Japanese and English releases.

Updated on 4-06 and 4-07 for fixing dates.

(more…)