TITLE: Newtype Magazine Issue #9
YEAR: September 1990
COMPANY: Kadokawa Shoten
Since 1985, Newtype Magazine, a magazine which covers anime and manga, have been entertaining readers.
The name is derived from the “Newtypes” featured in the Universal Century Gundam series and it was my first foray into Japanese anime magazines.
Back in the day, “Newtype Magazine” was offered at Tower Records shops in the United States (along with other Japanese publications) and it was the kind of magazine that you wish was released in America, but it wasn’t going to happen (until 2002, when Newtype USA was released albeit only through 2008).
The first magazine I got was this issue featuring “Nadia: The Secret of the Blue Water” and featured manga chapters of “Dark Angel” and “Yotoden”.
The manga had furigana, so if you couldn’t read kanji, if you read kana, it was no problem to read. Problem was translation and that is where going to Barnes n’ Noble right after to pick up a good Japanese to English dictionary was important at the time.
This issue, features a special on “Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water”, “Ultraman Legend”, “Puss n’ Boots”, “Patlabor”, “Hakkenden” OVA’s and the US American movie coming out “Die Hard 2”.
The back cover featured promotion of “Mobile Suit Gundam F90” Gunpla. That’s how far back this issue was!
It’s been a long while since I have read “Newtype” and I’m sure one can pick it up easily from a Japanese bookstore or order it from Amazon Japan. But back in the day, “Newtype” was no doubt a magazine that American fans wanting to know what was happening with anime and manga in Japan, would (try to) read or just look at the pictures.