New York based Yen Press is a publisher of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese graphic novels and light novels, as well as original English series. They release over a dozen titles every month in both digital and print formats. Some of their most well-known titles include Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Akame ga Kill!, Sword Art Online, KonoSuba, and more. At their panel at Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2020, they announced several new manga and light novel titles and answered questions about the comics publishing industry.
Previous Press
Before diving into the brand new announcements, the panel of editors talked about a few titles that they had recently revealed in August.
First is Adamachi and Shimamura. This yuri story is about two high school girls who gradually become friends after a chance encounter skipping class in the gym. As they spend more time together, Adachi starts thinking about Shimamura more and more, a new and confusing feeling for her. An anime adaptation is coming soon, but those interested in reading further will be able start doing so in January 2021.
Sasaki and Miyano is the yaoi equivalent of the above. When a fight breaks out at school, girly faced Miyano catches the eye of his upperclassman, a delinquent named Sasaki. Afterward, the two become friends, with Sasaki expressing an interest in both Miyano and his underclassman’s hobby of reading boys’ love manga. How meta. This will also be available in January 2021.
Solo Leveling was one of their biggest announcements of the year. This popular Korean webcomic tells the tale of E-class hunter Jinwoo Sung, a man with no money, abilities, or talent. When a dungeon exploration with him and others goes horribly wrong, he’s given the chance to become a “player.” The first volume will also be available in January 2021 as both a light novel and a manga.
New Announcements
The panel then moved onto revealing a slew of new titles, all of which will be available starting in February 2021.
Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse?
In this romantic comedy, Nijiko Momoyama is a young and beautiful school nurse who just happens to be a giant otaku. A student finds out her secret, and their lives are never the same.
Love and Heart
Two childhood friends meet up again, or do they? Yagisawa doesn’t remember Haruma at all. Moreover, weird and troubling events start occurring. Something is very wrong here. This one is recommended for fans of mystery, horror, romance, and suspense.
Days on Fes
Two high school friends go to their first rock concert and have an incredible time. From then on, going to concerts becomes their life in this teen drama. The panelists noted that this manga is cool and mature and realistically depicts a story about everyday life. It also captures the feeling of being at a rock festival, from the lovingly drawn food to the throngs of people, which used to be a thing before the pandemic hit. The concert experience is truly universal.
The Girl Without a Face
Fans of off-kilter romances will enjoy this title set in a world where monsters and yokai exist. A boy thinks his girlfriend is absolutely the cutest, even if he can’t see her smile, the way her eyes light up, or anything for that matter. Love transcends species, but be prepared for some adult situations.
I Can’t Reach You
In this yaoi manga, Kakeru is an average guy who’s in love with his tall and popular best friend from childhood. Are his feelings a lost cause?
Virgin Road
This light novel takes on the overcrowded isekai genre with a twist. People who are transported to another world usually go on a grand adventure or make a living somehow. In this title, those already living in that faraway world consider these strange newcomers harbingers of disaster and kill them immediately. Unfortunately for Executioner Menou, the girl she needs to kill is immortal. What now? And if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, it’s also a yuri title. Surprise!
Play It Cool, Guys
The guys in this manga may look cool, but in reality, they’re cute dorks who play off their awkwardness as cool. According to the guys and girls on the panel, this may become required reading for all guys aged five to fifty or for any socially awkward person in general.
Penguin Gentlemen
They’re penguins who became super suave guys in order to work in a bar. If that’s not enough to get you reading, would it help to say that the artwork is utterly gorgeous? Or that readers of this slice-of-life manga will also learn facts about penguins? Penguins!
Date A Live
This was the surprise announcement of the panel. You’ve seen the anime series about a guy named Shidou who has to date girls with incredible destructive powers in order to save the world. Now, the twenty plus volume manga will be available to read. Never say never when it comes to titles that fans want brought over.
Pressed for Answers
Aside from the announcements, the panel of editors also provided a bit of insight into the translation and publishing industry. When it comes to how translators work or how to get your foot in the door, they offered interested folks some advice.
Be flexible, and find out what the client wants and deliver it. You might be translating lists of ingredients on a package or conveying what’s being said in a dialogue. You might have some leeway or you might not; it depends on what’s needed. Plus, we’re all people with lives outside of work, and people need time to relax in order to produce their best work. Next up, now your target languages well, both the original and whatever it’s being translated into. It seems obvious, but it needs to be said. Finally, make it pretty. This can be one of the best parts of the job, one of the editors confessed. Specifically, that means turning it into something you would want to read yourself. That includes not only making the words sound good but also using the right fonts so that the text is aesthetically pleasing. Finally, the panelists talked about which upcoming titles they were looking forward to the most. Many of the day’s announcements made the list. Two of them, Rascal Does Not Dream of Petite Devil Kohai and My Broken Mariko, had not been mentioned in the panel until now. Either way, Yen Press has something for everyone.
I know what I’m going to read. Do you?
You can visit Yen Press’s official website to learn more about their products and business.
