Just added to the AAUGH.com Reference Library is this volume that my daughter and wife (two separate people, let me be clear) found at Kinokuniya, a chain selling Japanese books at eighteen US locations. This paperback, which bears no English title as some Japanese books do, has a title that translates to Not Just Mean Lucy.

This is a Lucy-themed strip collection built around the color pink. Black-and-white daily strips are now black-and-white-and-pink. Color Sunday strips? Also now black-and-white-and-pink! The strips are each printed with their original dialogue intact, and a Japanese translation printed below the image.

The design makes for a visually lovely volume — not the sort of “correct” look you’d want for something like a Complete Peanuts collection, but a look that gives a certain attitude toward a themed book.

Much as American volumes of translated manga are published in Japanese format, with the spine on the right of the cover, this book is published in English-language format, with the spine on the left.

Kinokuniya does sell some books through their website, but it looks like it’s primarily English language books of Japanese material. I don’t find any Peanuts books there, alas. While they price their books fairly high (this one was $28.99; the price in Japan is 1700 yen, or about $11), it would be nice to get such volumes without the difficulties of shipping from Japan.

Share the news!