Shojo Beat

Infobox Magazine
title = Shojo Beat


image_size = 200px
image_caption = "Shojo Beat" Volume 1, Issue 1, cover dated July 2005
editor = Marc Weidenbaum
editor_title = Editor-in-Chief
previous_editor = Yumi Hoashi
staff_writer =
frequency = Monthly
circulation = 38,000 (2007)
category = manga, shōjo
company = Viz Media
publisher = Hyoe Narita
firstdate = July 2005
based = San Francisco, California
country = Flag|USA, Flag|Canada
language = English
website = http://shojobeat.com/
issn = 1932-1600

"Shojo Beat" is a shōjo manga magazine published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine for "Shonen Jump", the magazine features serialized chapters from six manga series as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty. Since its initial launch, the magazine has undergone two redesigns, becoming the first English anthology to use the two-color tone pages common in Japanese manga anthologies. Viz launched related "Shojo Beat" imprints in its manga, 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 copies. By 2007, average circulation was approximately 38,000 copies. Half of its circulation comes from subscriptions rather than store sales.

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".cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-02-08/shojo-beat-details |title=Shojo Beat Details |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2005-02-08 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] Of the six titles, two each came from Japanese publishers Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha. The first issue was released in June 2005, featuring Nana Komatsu of "NANA" on its July-dated 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.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-11-15/viz-names-new-shonen-jump-shojo-beat-editor-in-chief |title=Viz Names New Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat Editor-in-Chief |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2006-11-15 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] cite web |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9632.html |title=Marc Weidenbaum Named V.P. Magazines |publisher=ICv2 News |date=2006-11-16 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ]

The magazine's panda mascot, Moko, was first introduced in the October 2005 issue, [cite journal | year=2005 |month=October |title=Contest: Panda Prêt-à-Porter |journal=Shojo Beat |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=p. 268 |issn=1932-1600 ] though he remained nameless until the July 2006 issue. [cite journal | year=2006 |month=July |title=Editor's Letter |journal=Shojo Beat |volume=2 |issue=7 |pages=p. 006 |issn=1932-1600 ] He later was given his own MySpace account run by Viz. [cite web |url=http://www.myspace.com/mokoworld |title=Moko World |publisher=Viz Media |accessdate=2008-08-28 ] With the magazine's first anniversary issue, dated July 2006, "Shojo Beat" switched to using cyan and magenta ink tones for the manga pages. Though this mirrors the format of Japanese manga anthologies, it was a first for manga anthologies published in North America.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2006-05-15/first-anniversary-issue-of-shojo-beat |title=First Anniversary Issue of Shojo Beat |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2006-05-15 |accessdate=2008-06-13 ]

"Shojo Beat" launched another redesign with the January 2007 issue. The new design included more vivid color schemes and fonts and a new "Girl Hero" column to spotlight women Viz felt were charitable and selfless to inspire the readers. The existing columns were also expanded. The issue introduced a new mascot for the magazine, Beat Girl, who was included in each issue on the "Editor's Letter" page as the magazine's "illustrated spokesperson," drawn by different artists each time. [cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2006-12-19/viz-media-announces-new-look-and-expanded-coverage-for-shojo-beat |title=Viz Media Announces New Look and Expanded Coverage for Shojo Beat |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2006-12-19 |accessdate=2008-06-13 ] [cite journal | year=2008 |month=March |title=Editor's Letter: Art, Girl |journal=Shojo Beat |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=p. 006 |issn=1932-1600 ] In the March 2008 issue, a third mascot, a star named Hoshiko, was introduced as a friend for Moko. [cite journal | year=2008 |month=March |title=Editor's Letter: Art, Girl |journal=Shojo Beat |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=p. 319 |issn=1932-1600 ]

Features

As a manga anthology, the bulk of "Shojo Beat's" content is its manga chapters. Additional features include a letter from the editor, manga related news, a preview chapter from another Viz manga title being published under their "Shojo Beat" label, and articles on Japanese culture, current trends in Japan, and fashion and beauty. The end of the magazine has fan related sections, including fan art, letters from readers, manga drawing lessons, and cosplay how-to guides and highlights. [cite web |url=http://www.shojobeat.com/inthemagazine/33.php |publisher=Viz Media |work=Shojo Beat Online |title=In the Magazine |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] The magazine's official website includes 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. [cite web |url=http://www.shojobeat.com/downloads/ |publisher=Viz Media |work=Shojo Beat Online |title=Downloads |accessdate=2008-03-07 ]

eries

"Shojo Beat" contains chapters from six different manga series.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2005-12-15/shojo-beat-expanded-content-for-january-2006 |title=Shojo Beat-Expanded content for January 2006 |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2005-12-15 |accessdate=2008-06-13 ] Fourteen series have been featured so far, with seven having ended their runs to be replaced with other series. Only four of those remained in the magazine until all of their chapters had been published. Each title serialized in the magazine is also published in "tankōbon" volumes under Viz's "Shojo Beat" label. Viz notes that they periodically remove series from the magazine that have not been completed yet to help "keep the magazine fresh" and to allow them to speed up publication of the individual volumes. [cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-08-19/godchild-not-returning-to-shojo-beat |title=Godchild Not Returning to Shojo Beat |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2006-08-19 |accessdate=2008-06-13 ]

This is a complete list of all titles to be serialized in "Shojo Beat". It does not include single chapter previews of titles. The titles currently running in the magazine are highlighted.

Imprints

With the launch of the "Shojo Beat" magazine, Viz Media also created new imprints for its manga and fiction lines, with the "Shojo Beat" label including both series featured in the magazine and other shōjo manga titles licensed by Viz since the magazine's conception. Published under the "Shojo Beat Fiction" imprint, Viz began releasing a few Japanese light novels that relate to its "Shojo Beat" manga titles.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-06-04/viz-to-publish-novels |title=Viz to Publish Novels |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2005-06-04 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] cite web |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/6985.html |title=Viz Launches New Fiction Imprints |publisher=ICv2 News |date=2005-06-06 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] In February 2006, Viz launched the "Shojo Beat Home Video" line to release anime titles targeted towards the female audience. The first title under the new imprint was "Full Moon o Sagashite", the anime adaptation of the same titled manga already being released by Viz Media. 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".cite web |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8244.html |title=Viz Launches Shojo Beat Home Video Line |publisher=ICv2 News |date=2006-02-20 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ]

Circulation and audience

When "Shojo Beat" launched, it had a circulation of 20,000.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2007-05-14/viz-media-happy-birthday-shojo-beat-magazine |title=Viz Media Happy Birthday Shojo Beat Magazine |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2007-05-14 |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] In 2006, its average circulation had increased to 35,000, with 41% of copies distributed through subscriptions, and the rest sold in newsstands and stores.cite news |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6434448.html |firstname=Brigid |lastname=Alverson |date=2007-04-17 |work=PW Comics Week |publisher=Publishers Weekly |title=Shojo Beat Marks Second Year |accessdate=2008-02-11 ] cite press release |url=http://www.shojobeat.com/mediakit/SB_Media_Kit_200701.pdf |format=pdf |publisher=Viz Media |title=Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2007) |publisher=Viz Media |year=2007 |month=January |accessdate=2008-03-07 ] In 2007, the circulation grew to 38,000, with subscription distribution growing to 51% of copies.cite press release |url=http://www.shojobeat.com/mediakit/SB_Media_Kit_2008.pdf |format=pdf |publisher=Viz Media |title=Shojo Beat Media Kit (January 2008) |publisher=Viz Media |year=2008 |month=January |accessdate=2008-03-07 ]

The magazine's audience is overwhelmingly female, comprising 91% of its readers. Targeted towards "young women", over half of the "Shojo Beat" audience is between the ages of 13 and 19, and over 84% of readers are at least 16 years old.

Reception

In reviewing the premiere release of "Shojo Beat", IGN's Jessica Chabot 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)." [cite web |url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/632/632083p1.html |title=Shojo Beat: The Verdict |first=Jessica |last=Chabot |publisher=IGN |date=2005-07-05 |accessdate=2008-09-30 ] "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. [cite web |url=http://www.comicworldnews.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?column=flipped&page=26 |title=Title Pun Shortage Strikes Manga Columnist |first=David |last=Welsh |work=Comic World News |date=2008-02-14 |accessdate=2008-09-30 ] Greg McElhatton, co-founder of ' 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 its a magazine for teenage girls. While he felt 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". [cite web |url=http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2005/06/15/shojo-beat-vol-1-issue-1/ |title=Shojo Beat Vol. 1, Issue 1 |first=Greg |last=McElhatton |publisher=Read About Comics |date=2005-06-15 |accessdate=2008-10-01 ]

References

External links

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