Secondly, Shôjo Beat only exists as sister publication to Shônen Jump in North America – unlike that, it’s an original creation of the US publisher and not a domestic version of a Japanese original (though, saying that, almost all the series in it are from ‘Hana to Yume’ – I’ve wondered once or twice why they didn’t just call it that; I suppose it’s a combination of a catchier name and a bit of flexibility).

Lastly, there doesn’t seem to be anything much in the way of big-eye fetish series currently being serialised in it. If that’s what you wanted, then surely you’d be spending your money on some moe franchise like ‘Kanon’ or ‘Clannad’ or, in terms of shôjo, ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ or ‘Pichi Pichi Pitch.’ You don’t know what “BIG” eyes are until you’ve seen Pichi Pichi Pitch. ;-)

(I also apologise to fellow Cardcaptor Sakura fans for mentioning its name amongst those other, less reputable series. But it does it does have – justifiably – pretty big eyes for its main protagonists, at least when compared to nose size.)

I may have to get an issue of it now. :P