Aa Megami Magazine
Megami Magazine is really interresting for its beautiful illustrations. And it becomes even more interresting with the Deluxe serie, which is a nice compilation of pictures, indeed already viewed in previous issues (for most of them), but all gathered in a image-only paper : Megami Magazine Deluxe.
I am sure most of fellow Megami Mag readers already know about this less frequent version, but since I notice more and more folks interrested in anime illustration books but restrained by their budget, here a simple presentation of this good full-of-pictures magazine.
I started with volume 6 more than one year ago. Latest is the volume 9. Each issue is released on April (May issue) and September (October issue) every year, so I guess it is bi-annual ^^;
Anyway, let’s have a little inspection of what a Megami Magazine Deluxe is made of. (pass your mouse cursor over a photo to have a tooltip saying which issue the pictures come from)
Featured characters
Each issue is split into five main thematic parts. One theme changes in every publication, depending of the main subject. For instance, vol.9 is featuring Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrickerS, whereas vol.6 presents Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s.
Vol.7 has a special “Noizi Ito festival” first part with Haruhi and Shana, very gorgeous.
Doesn’t this illustration above remind you some huge 1/4 figures?
Vol.8 on its side is only featuring Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. Cannot be bored by those girls, definitely.
Those two illustrations on last picture are my favorite from SHnY. Haruhi and Tsuruya-san are so charming ^^;
Then, the four other parts are quite the sames in every magazine.
Swim Ware Girl
The inevitable mizugi (æ°´ç€) section is always full of beautiful things. Can be NSFW, even if there is no nudity.
Rimu-chan is fantastic. Have never seen SHUFFLE! that undressed ^^;
Here is why I’ve always prefered Siesta to Louise.
Yoko and Eri, two girls voiced by Yui Horie on the same two pages. I like this kind of setting which looks like a tribute, even if I can’t really say whether it was voluntary.
Relax Girl
If you didn’t get a box of tissues yet, now it’s time to, since the following section features girls wearing very simple “outfits”.
Wellber no Monogatari (Sisters of Wellber) looks great. Need to start watching this show.
Nosebleeds in Nagasarete Airantou are very frequent. Suzu’s fault.
Costume Play Girl
Because what makes anime characters looking great is mainly their outfits and costumes, a special part is dedicated to cosplay.
IKKI TOUSEN girls playing nurses… mmhh it can be very dangerous to be hospitalised. And Shana as a waitress? Will she really going to serve those melon pan or keep them for herself?
Neo-Venezia’s undines, as sublime as ever. Finally watched ARIA OVA, Arietta. Have only one work to say : suteki (ç´ æ•µ).
Oups… I should have put a nice boat picture or food pictures instead of those Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni lovely girls. Ala ala… That really sucks.
That was quite inevitable to see real goddesses in a magazine called Megami. Aaaaa megami-sama ^^;
I also really like this Uma illustration. That’s the kind of figure I would have prefer for her, but the one I have is still very good.
SHUFFLE! again, but I really appreaciate this show. Can’t be helped ^^;
This one in wedding dresses is far my favorite. Rimu-chan is wonderful. What? ho yeah I’ve already said that above…
Uniform Girl
Anyway, as you can see on the previous picture, the next and final part is devoted to uniforms, like seifuku (制æœÂ, school uniforms) or work uniforms.
Since it is not present in every issue, I guess there is sometime an extra sixth part. Like in vol.8, there are at the end few illustrations from Kanon, and in vol.6 an additional Sports Ware Girl category.
To end with, each magazine comes with a nice double-side poster, so does the monthly Megami magazine.
So, in conclusion, Megami Magazine Deluxe is great when paper full of gorgeous anime illustrations and (almost) no text is what you are looking for. Moreover, all images stand on a single page, and are not fold
9 Responses to “Aa Megami Magazine”
September 21st, 2007 at 5:08 pm
volume 7-9 is definitely my kind of mag, with Nanoha, Haruhi and Shana in there, too bad my local Kino doesn’t have them in stock. Asking them if I could order them and they’ll say “we don’t encourage ppl to order this magazine, it might get held at custom”, which really sucks
September 21st, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Nooooo…. More magazines……. :3 I have to resist somehow. Luckily so far the magazines have no really nice freebies with it. I enjoy the posters and pinups, but after some thinking, I never put them up (can’t bear to cut out the posters -_-) so I should just stick to artbooks…… I think… -_-”
September 21st, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Magazines were one of my frequent purchases a few years ago, but eventually I stopped buying them as magazines take up so much space, plus my money can be spent elsewhere. Only reason I would buy a magazine now is that if I want the extras that come with it, or it covers a particular article.
But yeah, a good alternative for those who can’t afford the price of illustration books.
September 22nd, 2007 at 12:29 am
I would like you to explain this poll, Yes, Yes but only for illustrations? What do you suppose people buy these (lololol)? So it was you that got the haruhi magazine one that I wanted to get and you stole it (just kidding).
Lol comparing Megami to FHM and Dengeki to Playboy was brilliant hahahahahaha. I would like to get more of these magazines but somehow I never manage to get one due to out of stock or discontinued :( , thankfully this month I managed to get that vol 9. of Megami, I’ll try to get a Dengeki Hime next time.
September 22nd, 2007 at 3:14 am
Megami seems to be very popular amongst guys. As for me I just prefer to get Newtype, Animage or Animedia. If I want magazines similar to FHM, I’m rather go for gravure magazines =P
September 22nd, 2007 at 3:38 am
Nosebleed!
September 22nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
valho : erf that really sucks indeed. To bad your local shop don’t want to help you getting what you want ;_;
shinohai : Hard to know in advance what freebies there will be. And when you finally know, it’s too late (in my case at least)!
So… the only solution is buy, buy and buy xD
Adun : I am now trying to limit my magazine selection, and only choose those with appealling cover and nice pictures in it. Like this megami deluxe version, and also Comp H’s.
Belela-san : hehe well, I guess some people really buy magazine to read the articles, like NewType mag etc… So the distinction is necessary ^^;
Sorry to hear you couldn’t grab the one you wanted :(
This is sure not easy to purchase (especially on HLJ), and I’ve missed some too. The last solution is still Amazon.co.jp, but freight charges are huges X_x
alafista : sure NewType, Animage & Animedia are much more complet I guess, with tones of articles. But I can’t read Japanese and only stare at the pictures, so Megami is still the best for people like me. And I think that’s why it is so popular among otaku community.
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I still prefer to keep an eye out on HLJ, Hobby Japan and Dengeki Hobby are the same, its nearly impossible to get one of those, thankfully I managed to pre-order November issue of Dengeki Hobby and will keep and eye out for more Megami and Hime
September 23rd, 2007 at 2:33 am
I never knew about a deluxe version, very interesting. When I saw the Shuffle girls in their swimsuits it was a nosebleed moment ;p. I have a Megami Hime and Dengenki Hime from when I went to Japan, I rather have Megami lol…maybe because I actually know where they come from. Though Dengenki girls have such nice “eyes” ;p. I just watched the episode of ARIA where the poster picture came from, makes me want to watch it again lol.