Del Rey Books, a division of Random House, has posted information about two new manga series, slated for release in April, on its Website.  Del Rey launched its highly successful manga line with four titles last spring and added two additional titles for this fall  (see 'Del Rey Announces New Kodansha Titles'). 

At the San Diego Comic-Con this summer, Del Rey V.P. and EIC Betsy Mitchell announced that Del Rey would add six new manga series in 2005 (see 'Del Rey To Add Six Manga Series in 05').  We now know two of them, Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya and Genshiken by Kio Shimoku.  The first volumes in each series will be out in April and will have a cover price of $10.95.

Nodame Cantabile is set in the world of classical music and follows the training of Chiaki Shinichi, a top piano student who wants to become one of the world's great conductors.  The manga series was serialized in Kiss magazine and has reached at least 10 volumes. It deals not just with the relationships between Chiaki and various female students, but also with his often difficult dealings with his teachers.

Genshiken, which like Nodame Cantabile is published by Kodansha in Japan, is a very different sort of manga.  The book's subtitle, The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, might make it appear as dry as Death Valley in August, but this series, which was published in Kodansha's Afternoon anthology, provides a hilarious look into the otaku culture following the exploits of Sasahara Kanji who has a voracious appetite for manga, anime, video games and pornographic doujinshi.  The Genshiken manga has been adapted into an anime, which is set to premier on Japanese TV this month.