Publisher Tokyopop invites anime fans and attendees heading to Anime NYC, one of the East Coast’s biggest dedicated anime conventions, to catch a special off-site panel event highlighting 8 Manga You Should Add to Your Collection taking place Friday, November 17^th at the New York Public Library branch located at 18 West 53^rd St in Manhattan.

Join Tokyopop editor, Becca Chen, as she joins editors from other prominent manga publishers including VIZ Media, Yen Press, Dark Horse, Kodansha, DENPA, and Inklore for an insightful session to be moderated by the NYPL’s Children’s Librarian, Douglas Varney. Each participant will highlight notable manga titles they love that need to be known, read, and cherished. Fans and other industry professionals are cordially invited.

The details are listed below:

• Event: 8 Manga You Should Add To Your Collection (Reservation Required, Open to Professionals) 
• Date: Friday, November 17
• Time: 11:15AM to 12:15PM
• Location: New York Public Library, 18 West 53^rd St.
• Free Registration At: https://animenyc.com/nypl-8-manga-you-should-add-to-your-collection-registration/

During the panel, Becca Chen will highlight two manga with particular focus on LGBTQ issues –  Why I Adopted My Husband, by Yuta Yagi, and At 30 I Realized I Had No Gender: Life Lessons From a 50-YEar-Old After Two Decades of Self Discovery, by Shou Arai. Both titles are published under Tokyopop’s “Comics That Matter” initiative that utilizes the graphic novel medium to raise awareness about important causes and social issues.

Why I Adopted My Husband is part memoir, part informational literature that highlights the importance of legally recognized unions when it comes to matters of hospital rights, inheritance, and the everyday privileges many people in Japan may take for granted. This nonfiction work is told in an approachable tone with plenty of humor; ultimately, it’s an inspiring story of the triumph of love.

At 30 I Realized I Had No Gender is an autobiographical manga that explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues and the daily challenges faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic approach.