Friday was a relaxed, fluffy bunny day. I had three panels, all far apart, all fan-run and calm. Today I had five industry panels, running from 12 to 8pm, with only a break from 4-5:30 for a meal. I am wiped.
Helping me be wiped is Yen Press, who actually started their Saturday on Friday by announcing a bunch of titles on Twitter and not telling me. I’ll Become a Villainess Who Will Go Down in History! (Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo) is a Yen On title that’s one of those “I’m trying to be evil, why is everyone saying I’m so sweet?” books. Victoria of Many Faces (Tefuda ga Oume no Victoria) is a manga from Flos Comic about an ex-spy who is having difficulty staying an ex-spy. Liar, Liar is the manga version of the light novel that Yen already releases, and it runs in my nemesis, Monthly Comic Alive. Whoever Steals This Book (Kono Hon wo Nusumu Mono wa) is the light novel version of a manga that Yen already releases about a girl who has to travel through stories to catch a book thief.
Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Minor Myths and Legends is a short story volume with stories spanning the entire series to date. Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale is the latest SAO manga adaptation, based on the movie. It ran in Comic Walker. Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Heir: White Rabbit and Prince of Beasts is another sequel, as you may have guessed. It features Sariphi and Leonhart’s son Richard, and also ran in Hana to Yume.
Then we got the stuff actually announced at the panel itself, which featured their marketing director and three of the editors. They pointed out a new manga store at the Turnstile underground at Columbus Circle, talked about Delicious in Dungeon winning an American Manga Award on Thursday for Best Continuing Series, and also gave away copies of Tougen Anki, a Momotaro takeoff from the oni perspective, and Finding Camilla, a “I must disguise myself as a boy” manwha.
Then it was time for new announcements. Helena and Mr. Big Bad Wolf was originally a Chinese doujin, and was then picked up by Kadokawa Taiwan. A tragically orphaned girl meets her favorite author and they bond. In the Heavenly Prison, the Devil Enchants Me (Tengoku de Akuma ga Boku wo Miwaku Suru) is a series from Dra-Dra-Dra-Sharp#, about a boy who wants to be seen as manly who ends up at a school on an island of succubi. It’s definitely ecchi. The Failure at God School (Kami-sama Gakkou no Ochikobore) is a Hana to Yume manga based on a light novel by the author of The Apothecary Diaries about a girl who gets an invitation to join a school for gods?! But she’s now the bottom of her class! If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love (Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo) is a BL series from Manga Park. A high schooler has given up on serious relationships after getting burned in the past, and won’t open his heart again. THEN… he meets this other guy. Nomi x Shiba is also BL, and runs in Shueisha’s Kimikoi. It was described as ‘Sasaki and Miyano, but thirstier’.
We the moved to Yen On licenses. The Only Thing I’m Allowed to Do in a No-Boys-Allowed Gaming World (Danshi Kinsei Game Sekai de Ore ga Yarubeki Yuitsu no Koto) is sort of an anti-yuri series. A yuri fan is truck-kun’d and ends up in a world where only women can do anything and men are second-class. Fortunately, he can change sex. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last forever. Even more unfortunately, all these yuri characgters are now falling for him! YMMV. Miri Lives in the Cat’s Eyes (Miri wa Neko no Hitomi no Naka ni Sundeiru) is a Dengeki title about a boy who can relive the past by looking into someone’s eyes meeting a girl who can see the future through the eyes of a cat. Described as magical realism.
Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch? (Watashi no Yuri mo, Eigyou da to Omotta?) is a one-shot yuri light novel about a struggling voice actress depressed over her favorite idol retiring being stunned when the same idol shows up at their agency as a newbie voice actress… and is coming on to her? Recommendations for Bad Children (Warui Ko no Susume) is a revenge fantasy light novel about two students at a terrible abusive school who decide to drop out… and destroy it before they do. Lastly, they have Maboroshi, by Mari Okada herself, a novelization of her film from 2023.
The Anemone Feels the Heat (Anemone wa Netsu o Obiru) is a Manga Time Kirara Forward yuri series. A girl who failed her exam for an elite school because she saved someone finds, at her new school, the same girl she saved! Can she get past this girl accidentally ruining her life? Also from Kirara Forward is meth-e-meth, a one-shot omnibus about a girl learning how to control golems. It’s All Your Fault (Zenbu Kimi no Seida) is a comedic cosplay yuri title that runs in Ultra Jump. The Boy Who Ruled the Monsters (Kaibutsu-tachi wo Suberu Mono) is a seinen title from Isekai Comic, and J-Novel Club already has the light novel it’s based on. It’s a Banished from the Party genre story. Finally, easily the silliest announcement: Super Ball Girls is a Big Comic Superior title from the creators of Blue Lock and Prison School, about a boy who finds naked girls inside super balls one day. Yeah.
Directly after their panel we had … Seven Seas! It’s rare that they appear at conventions at all, and this is not only their first Anime NYC but their 20th anniversary! Appearing were publisher Lianne Sentar, Marketing Director Lauren Hill, and Managing Editor Alyssa Scavetta. They started by defining all their various imprints – Ghost Ship, Steamship, etc. – as well as which titles get the marker of Boys’ Love or Girls’ Love. They then did a recap of some of their other more recent announcements, before turning to new titles.
I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class (Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta) is about a boy and a girl who are bitter rivals in school… and are now forced into marriage? Can they learn to love each other? This is based on an unlicensed light novel, and runs in Shonen Ace Plus. They’re also doing an omnibus rescue of the old series Pet Shop of Horrors, with a new translation and in bigger volumes, so it will be 7 rather than 10. This josei horror series was put out by Tokyopop back in the day. And speaking of old series, Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya 1) is a seinen title from Young Sunday about a supposed wimp who turns into a killing machine when he cries. It was made into a live action movie and an OVA.
The new Ghost Ship license was Betrayed by the Hero, I formed a MILF Party with His Mom (Yuusha ni Zenbu Ubawareta Ore wa Yuusha no Hahaoya to Party wo Kumimashita!), which I had actually heard of before its license, as it has, well a reputation. It runs in Isekai Comic, and the title is the plot. For the Steamship line, a long-running series called Loving Moon Dog (Koi Suru Moon Dog) about a dog groomer who meets a young man who can turn into a dog? This runs in Hana to Yume Ai, can can get steamy but “not in a furry way”. And, in possibly the biggest surprise of the night, we get a Chinese non-danmei novel. Love Between Fairy and Devil (Cāng Lán Jué) is a fantasy drama with a Netflx series, and honestly sounds like a typical danmei series only one of the leads is a woman.
There’s a new webtoon series, What It Means to Be You, coming out, where a husband and wife who are miserable together swap bodies, and now must try to understand each other more. It’s tearjerking, apparently. For new BL we get I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love -double-, a sequel series. Bowing to Love: The Noble and the Gladiator is a BL novel by the author of S, and apparently has ancient Roman BL. EAT, from Nagabe, author of The Girl from the Other Side, is a … vore fetish BL. Okay. It ran in Be x Boy Gold. No new yuri series per se, but they are finishing two series that sort of got left by the wayside after being licensed a while back. Tough Love at the office and SHWD will both get omnibuses that will complete the series. Lastly, we get a danmei title, Joyful Reunion, a serious story about politics and power.
Right after that was Kodansha Manga, another powerhouse, though they did not have quite as much to announce as usual (the moving of the con to August, right after other major cons, means this is a common thread. See below as well). Ben Applegate and Tomo Tran were the panelists, and they were quick to promote the AMA awards that Witch Hat Atelier picked up on Thursday for translation and lettering! The digital license for September is Manchuria Opium Squad (Manshuu Ahen Squad), a young magazine title about a man who is down on his luck and decides to make opium. “Very Breaking Bad.”
They then revealed the design for the Twilight Out of Focus box set, which looks very pretty, and showed off Takehiko Inoue’s new cover art for an updated version of the famous novel bestseller Musashi. They did have a few new print titles for summer 2025. Last Samurai Standing (Ikusagami) is a Weekly Morning title about samurai at the end of the shogunate (in other words, out of work samurai) who end up competing in a death game. Two BL titles from the same author. You’re All Mine Tonight (Konya Kimi to Nemuritai) about a salaryman who can’t get a one-night stand with a male sex worker out of his head, and Light of My Life, about two high school friends who found their dreams shattered and now try to reconnect as adults. Both titles ran in Gateau.
Lastly, there’s another deluxe Attack on Titan volume coming with art, an interview with the author, various special things, and a new chapter that focuses on Levi after the events of the series. I had assumed that we were in a post-Attack on Titan world, so I was very amused that Kodansha proved me wrong. Lastly, there’s a new… something coming to Soho in October, called Kodansha House. I assume it’s a manga shop.
I then had a break to eat and vaguely relax, before the last two panels of the night. SuBLime went through all of their most recent titles as well as some of their upcoming works, such as The Metalhead Next Door (sweet BL) and Worst Soulmate Ever (a “fuckfest”), both of which are out in December. They also talked about licensed they announced earlier in the month on 801 day (yaoi), the funniest of which turned out to be A Man Who Defies the World of BL (Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko), a josei series that isn’t BL, mostly as the guy (who realizes he’s in a BL world) does his level best to avoid being in a gay relationship. It runs in Manga Jam. Unfortunately, they did not have new to the convention announcements.
The final panel of the day was Denpa and KUMA. They too showed off all their recent titles, and mentioned some of the upcoming ones. They Were 11 is coming, they just need to get Moto Hagio to sign off on the cover. By the end of 2024. Ed also talked about how grateful he is that March Comes in Like a Lion is selling so well for them, and I was too – it’s nice to see a small publisher take a big risk on a series and have it pay off. They had a panel at AX, so announced those series, including the oddball Little Nuns, which has ducks, dogs, and cute nuns. Unfortunately, they too did not have new to the convention announcements.
In news that happened while I was at other panels, Dark Horse announced the first new volume of Berserk since the author’s death (it’s being taken over by another artist), and the publisher PEOW2 announced the legendary manga Stop! Hibari-kun!, a Weekly Shonen Jump series from the early 80s about a boy who meets a yakuza family’s four beautiful daughters… one of whom is really a boy who crossdresses. This may actually be the biggest title of the day, to be honest.
And now I am exhausted. Fortunately, tomorrow will have fewer things.
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