Danielle Leigh explains why she likes CMX in her latest Manga Before Flowers column, and I’m with her—I love their classic shoujo titles and the newer stuff as well.

OK, all you who have been complaining about the Tokyopop website, time to do something about it: the beta version of their new site is up. Go, look, make suggestions.

NPR discovers Americans’ love of graphic novels, with plenty of nods to manga.

Back in the day (i.e., last year), YaoiSuki was the best yaoi blog out there. Now it’s gone, but ComiPress talks to bloggers Jen Parker and Jordan Marks about their site and why they called it quits.

Tiamat’s Disciple has some thoughts on light novels, including what we should be calling them.

Reversing the usual order of things, Kodansha will be publishing Dan Pink’s Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need in Japan.

At Okazu, Erica Friedman rounds up the yuri news of the week.

Jason Thompson discusses possible reasons why most global manga is influenced by shoujo rather than shonen manga. Readers respond in the comments section.

John Jakala discovers the original omake, and it’s not what you think.

Youka Nitta is out, but the new Yaoi-Con guest will be Pet on Duty creator Nase Yamato.

Rejected Olympics manga coming soon! No, I don’t know what it is either, but I’ll probably check it out on Monday.

Here’s the PR on an “American-style manga series”—did you ever think you would see that phrase?—which is conceived by an American, written by a Scot, produced in the Philippines and “programmed,” whatever that means, in China. Actually, this looks suspiciously like one of those companies that uses comics as a means to an end, in this case, creating a virtual world. But they’re savvy: They have a DeviantART page and a blog.

The Wareham, MA, Courier looks at a Borders concept store that features manga and other comics—and hired a former comics retailer as well.

UK writer David Rasmussen has put together an e-book of older interviews he did with Tokyopop folks for the Anime Boredom website. It’s 99 cents at Lulu.com. And here’s his interview with Kat and Mouse creator Alex de Campi at Pop Syndicate.

OT, but of interest to many of us: Time Magazine interviews moot, the founder of 4chan.

Reviews: Tom Baker takes a look at Sakura Taisen for the Daily Yomiuri. Nerdtron enjoys 100% Perfect Girl at Nerd Fellowship. Connie reads vol. 13 of Swan at Slightly Biased Manga. Kransom at Welcome Datacomp reviews two of Frederick Schodt’s books, Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan. Eric Turner checks out vol. 2 of Black God at Manga Jouhou. Leroy Douresseaux looks at vol. 12 of xxxHOLiC, vol. 2 of Fairy Cube, and vol. 1 of Kasumi for The Comic Book Bin. Malcontentcontent isn’t made any happier by the light novel Missing. Emily checks out two more unlicensed manga, Otomegokoro and Kimi ga Suki, at Emily’s Random Shoujo Manga Page. Ferdinand enjoys vol. 1 of Kasumi and vol. 1 of Silver Diamond at Prospero’s Manga. At Comics Worth Reading, Johanna Draper Carlson deems vol. 1 of Two Flowers for the Dragon to be best suited to those with short attention spans. Julie reviews vol. 2 of Dororo and vol. 9 of D.Gray-Man at the Manga Maniac Cafe. Lissa Pattillo enjoyed Fallen Moon despite the fact that it’s barely BL at Kuriousity. Sesho posts text reviews of vol. 2 of Psycho Busters and vol. 6 of GTO and a podcast review of vol. 1 of Yggdrasil. Tiamat’s Disciple looks at vol. 2 of Rurouni Kenshin, the VizBig edition, and vol. 3 of Vampire Hunter D: Demon Deathchase. Fashionista Piranha discovers The Four Immigrants manga. Simplicity enjoys vol. 1 of Strawberry Panic, the light novel. Bill Sherman reads vol. 5 of The Drifting Classroom at Blogcritics.