So it’s Anime NYC! And I am… not there this year, taking a year off for various reasons. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have things to say. So this is not so much news as “what does Sean think of the new licenses?”, consider it news lite. And of course it is missing the pithy remarks of the panelists themselves, alas.
Were I going, I likely would have started the con with Viz Media… but I don’t know what happened at their panel, as they had no new announcements. This happens sometimes, especially with New York Comic Con a month earlier. I suspect the panel was mostly about Undead Unluck and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Crunchyroll also had a panel, but it was mostly about streaming dates for upcoming anime and new dub casts, rather than, say, Blu-Ray news for Birdie Wing. There was no news about that. Alas.
The big panel of the day, at least in terms of Sean-related things, was J-Novel Club. They always bust out a lot of new licenses for the con, and this year is no exception. They started off with a few manga titles, beginning with Duchess in the Attic (Yane Urabeya no Kōshaku Fujin). This is based on a light novel of the same name, which did not get licensed but, as we’ll see later on, there’s always hope it might in the future. A duchess with a bad reputation for no real reason is marries off to a duke who also treats her coldly. Heck, there’s a childhood friend of the duke everyone loves far more than our heroine. How can she reverse her fortune? This runs in Flos Comic.
Next we have Through the Viewport: Child of a Ruined World (Shūmatsu Sekai no Hakoiri Musume), a MAGCOMI title about a post-apocalypse girl and her robot. This sounds like a few other “girl and companion travel across desolate post-apocalypse landscape” titles we’ve seen recently.
A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires (Buchigire Reijō wa Hōfuku wo Chikaimashita. Madōsho no Chikara de Sokoku wo Tataki Tsubushimasu) is also based on an as-yet unlicensed light novel, and runs in Comic Fire. You’ve seen this story before. Duke’s daughter, engagement broken, imprisoned, etc. This one, though, decides “to hell with it” and sets off to get her revenge.The artist also did the Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop manga.
Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- (Buta no Liver wa Kanetsu Shiro) is the manga version of the light novels J-NC is already releasing. It runs in Dengeki Maoh.
Now we move on to light novels. Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden (Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku) is one of those rare titles where our “reincarnated into another world as a child” protagonist is not from Japan, but was a great hero in her previous life! Alas, there was a bit of Red Sonja to her, as she kept looking for a warrior to defeat her, but never found one. Now she has a new life… and she’s frail and sick. Well. That simply won’t do. For fans of Reborn to Master the Blade. The author also writes Kunon the Sorcerer Can See Through.
The Exiled Noble Rises as the Holy King: Befriending Fluffy Beasts and a Holy Maiden with My Ultimate Cheat Skill! (Tsuihō Kizoku wa Saikyō Skill “Seiō” de Henkyō kara Nariagaru: Haikyōsha ni Nintei Sareta Ore da kedo Cheat Skill de Mofumofu mo Seijo mo Nakama ni Shichaimashita) is a “the title is the plot” sot of series, as our protagonist is excommunicated (that’s new), but he has a powerful cheat skill (that’s not new), and befriends cute fluffy beasts (also not new) and cute holy maidens who have been sent to kill him (very not new). If you like your light novels with a ratio of 1 new to 3 not new, check this out. It’s from the creator of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer.
The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! (Mujikaku Seijo wa Kyō mo Muishiki ni Chikara o Tare Nagasu: Imadai no Seijo wa Anede wa Naku, Imōto no Watashi Datta Mitai Desu) is the light novel whose manga J-Novel Club licensed previously. The plot? Noble lady looked down on by everyone in favor of her sister is married off, moves to another country, and turns out to be SUPER POWERFUL!
The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival (Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyō Survival) is a TO Books title (Bookworm, Tearmoon), so has my attention. A young orphan runs away, only to find someone trying to kill her. She realizes she’s meant to be an otome game protagonist… but has to fight for survival in this dog-eat-dog world. If you wanted more death game in your villainess books, great news.
The Water Magician (Mizuzokusei no Mahōtsukai) A reincarnated boy is trying to be the protagonist of a Slow Life novel, but – .like many other Slow Life protagonists – deadly attacks and large battles keep getting in the way. He also just keeps getting stronger and stronger. J-Novel Club also licensed the manga for this title, which runs in Comic Corona. So also TO Books, then.
I had been one of the few people watching Management of a Novice Alchemist (Shinmai Renkinjutsushi no Tenpo Keiei) in Fall 2022, and I found the anime very appealing. I am therefore delighted to see J-Novel Club licensed the novels. (The author also writes To Another World… with Land Mines!, and the illustrator also works on The Invincible Little Lady.) Sarasa has just become a state alchemist, and her master gives her the graduation gift of her own shop. But… it’s in the middle of a tiny village. And also pretty dilapidated. This is a Cute Girls Doing Cute Things series, provided you don’t mind some of the cute things are killing bears made entirely of fire.
Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance (Ken Seijo Adel no Yarinaoshi) is a new series from the creator of Reborn to Master the Blade, and in fact has almost the exact same story. Only this powerful warrior who regrets his life choices is not reincarnated in the future but in the past. That said, they’re both reincarnated as gorgeous young women. Anyay, now he can protect the princess. Possibly yuri? Eh. I doubt it.
The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases (Dekisokonai to Yobareta Moto Eiyū wa, Jikka Kara Tsuihōsareta node Suki Katte ni Ikiru Koto ni Shita) is from the creator of I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage. It’s also getting an anime next year. A young man is deemed useless and banished… but in his past life, he was a hero! Now he can do what he likes… except he can’t seem to stop helping people. This one is also TO Books, exciting!
The best title of yesterday’s licenses goes to RVing My Way into Exile with My Beloved Cat: This Villainess Is Trippin’ (Akuyaku Reijō wa Camping Car de Tabi ni Deru). I had seen this on Drecom’s site a few months ago, and was eager to see J-NC pick it yup. Are you a villainess who’s been exiled and shamed? Why not take with you a magic camper van that evolves as you travel!
The big news of the panel, though, was the long-awaited license rescue of Chivalry of a Failed Knight (Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry). This light novel was originally released by Sol Press, but when they went under it seemed to be the only un-rescued title. Now it’s back, and you can enjoy the series beyond the first few volumes. The plot… is very similar to The Asterisk War, something I have made a bit of a running gag, so I’ll just note it here.
J-Novel Club also announced that their light novel contest would be judged by Akiko Fujita, Kadokawa’s head editor, and Carlo Zen, author of The Saga of Tanya the Evil. And Bookworm audiobooks are coming, with the dub actress for Myne doing the narration.
Denpa Books was the next panel, and they had two new announcements. Wolf Pack will come out on their KUMA imprint, and runs in Daria Comics e. Two alphas have to find a way to get along, despite seemingly being opposites.
ODDTAXI got a very popular anime last year, and the manga runs in an offshoot of Big Comic Superior, Superior Darupana. It’s the story of a taxi driver who also happens to be a walrus, and how he gets mixed up in a much bigger plot.
Honestly, after Denpa I likely would have left to go back to The New Yorker hotel and type this up, but there was also a Comikey panel. I don’t follow the new streaming manga services as much as I should, mostly as the micropurchases for chapters are not my bag. They announced a bunch of stuff that is already available on Square Enix’s online platform, as well as a few new manga from a new company which I can’t find a lot of info about.
As for today, we should see titles from Kodansha, Yen Press, and Dark Horse. Hope everyone is having a great time!
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