As GELATIN enters its third year, this original color comics magazine has prepared a lively collection for its Winter 2011 issue, complete with a bonus calendar and a subtle increase in price. The artists featured are increasingly more familar after the past year, combining older favorites like Usatsuka Eiji (Zero no Tsukaima), toi8, and mebae with the likes of Shihou, Sime, and TNSK.
Moeru iPhone Reader, released December 14th, is the newest in the ever growing series of artist collections featuring girls using some kind of everyday item. Moeru's iPhone Reader is great advertising for Apple---an iPhone is prominently placed with every girl---so the individual aspects of the illustration focus on the app being showcased, and how the girl is using (or not using) it.
Soundgirl DUO is the commercial realization of the previously reviewed doujinshi Soundgirl - Onkyou Shoujo-. There is no illustration overlap between the two books, but several of the artists featured in the original book contribute at least one illustration each to Soundgirl DUO. This second book came out November 30th and retails for ¥1800.
Even though Toranoana's ALL SEASON MIX BEST is really about the music, I had to get it for the accompanying art book full of all new original illustrations from artists like You Shiina, refeia, H2SO4, Tiv, Kuroboshi Kouhaku and many more. There are 39 illustrations in total from 27 artists, so in some cases you may get to see a new illustration from a favorite artist more than once ^^