Tokyopop, which is planning to publish more than 500 titles in 2004, has announced the addition of five new (to the US) titles from Clamp, the all-female collective that is clearly the most popular team of manga creators in the world.  In addition to the already announced May release of the Clamp masterwork Tokyo Babylon (see 'New Clamp Title To Be Released in US'), Tokyopop will also introduce US audiences to a variety of old and new series from the prolific group of creators, including RG Veda, Suki, Legal Drug, The Legend Of Chun Hyang, and The One I Love.

 

RG Veda, which is loosely based on Hindu mythology, was Clamp's first professional project.  The 10-volume manga series inspired a popular anime version and demonstrated the group's skill with epic fantasy narratives.  Suki, which is due out in February, is a 3-volume saga of a painfully quiet and shy teenage girl's first crush.  Love is also the theme of The One I Love, a 12-story anthology, which opens with an eight-page color section.  The Legend of Chun Hyang is another one-volume effort, a stand-alone historical fantasy set in ancient Korea featuring a beautiful warrior princess who protects a village from feudal tyrants.  The most recent of Tokyopop's Clamp acquisitions is Legal Drug, which is still running in Japan.  The story of two ordinary pharmacists who turn out special elixirs at night, Legal Drug demonstrates Clamp's ability to mix genres and come up with unique combinations that expand the boundaries of genres like shoujo manga.