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Anime NYC 2025: Yen Press Announces Twelve New Licenses

At Anime NYC 2025, Yen Press announced twelve new title acquisitions spanning genres like bittersweet romance, nail-biting thrillers, sensational mysteries, and more!

Releasing in March 2026, the lineup includes seven novels (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ~Prelude~Legend of the Far East’s SaviorLycoris Recoil: Recovery DaysAssociate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture EXCasebook of Kurumi Tokisaki, Magic DetectiveThe Bubble Love of the Mermaid; and To the Monster I Love), and five manga (Bad GirlSailor Zombie: Complete OmnibusBattlefront of the Great Powers; How to Love a Loser; and A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage).

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ~Prelude~

By Mei Hachimoku
Illustrated by Tsukasa Abe

After the legendary elf mage Frieren is forced to confront the cruel passage of time, she sets out on a journey to fulfill the last wishes of her friends and get to know the world a little better. Under the supervision of Kanehito Yamada, writer of the original manga, comes five original short stories! Join Frieren, Fern, Stark, Lawine, Kanne, and Aura in brand new adventures! 

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ~Prelude~

Legend of the Far East’s Savior

By hotokeyomo
Illustrated by Kurogin

At the end of World War II, a demon-summoning ritual drastically altered the face of the earth. Now, a hundred years later, demons rule the world, and humanity fights back using magicite-powered armored mechs. In the year 2055, a boy named Keita Kawakami enrolls in Japan’s military academy. Possessing memories of an alternate modern era, he successfully pilots a prototype mech that no one else has even been able to activate. When Keita is suddenly deployed to the battlefield, he uses the knowledge from his previous life to achieve results that defy all established norms. Thus begins humanity’s battle to reclaim the world.

Legend of the Far East’s Savior

Lycoris Recoil: Recovery Days

By Asaura
Original Story by Spider Lily         

While these cute schoolgirls may protect Japan as agents of Lycoris, they’re also coffee shop employees. Chisato embarks on even more thrilling adventures at Café LycoReco. Meanwhile, Takina awakens in a cabin in the woods with a murderer?! And what do Fuki and Sakura have going on, besides protecting the city without anyone knowing? The everyday lives of these girls are anything but normal! 

Lycoris Recoil: Recovery Days

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture EX

By Mikage Sawamura

Professor Mitani, a specialist of Japanese history, comes to Professor Takatsuki with a mysterious doll. After Mitani posts a photo of the doll on his blog, someone claiming to be the grandchild of the doll’s original owner reaches out. According to them, the doll moves around on its own and has naturally growing hair. Takatsuki smells something fishy and pulls in the reluctant Naoya to begin investigating! What answers will the pair uncover…? 

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture EX

Casebook of Kurumi Tokisaki, Magic Detective

By Koushi Tachibana
Illustrated by Tsunako

Kurumi Tokisaki, a college student with a dark past, works as a detective specializing in crimes involving magical artifacts. A magic bullet fired from an impossible angle, a living doll mixed up in a series of comas, an absurdly expensive meal said to restore one’s youth, and a doppelgänger spotted at an all-girls school after an attempted suicide. Magical artifacts make the impossible possible, but Kurumi won’t let that stop her from solving the case! 

Casebook of Kurumi Tokisaki, Magic Detective

The Bubble Love of the Mermaid

By Akumi Agitogi

Asana Amamizu’s family has treated her like a monster ever since a mysterious red mark appeared on her wrist. Now sixteen years old, she attends the Yotsura Girls Academy, and all the students are chattering excitedly about the new language arts teacher, the handsome Sakuya Shigure. Asana, however, keeps her distance. That is until one day, when an unexpected marriage proposal falls right in her lap. Thus begins a romantic fantasy in the imperial city! 

The Bubble Love of the Mermaid

To the Monster I Love

By ryunosuke
Illustrated by Gesoking

Bardium is a tightly guarded city where magic, miracles, and illusions aren’t allowed. Here, in a dimly lit room, a young boy named Norman is being interrogated. He’s asked about Unlaw—supernatural monsters who gain abilities from unstable emotion. Four of these beings, all beautiful women, are now hunting each other down, and Norman must sate their desires while dealing with other oddities cropping up all over Bardium. The city is in chaos, and yet, there is hope. Everything will come down to a single boy’s words.

To the Monster I Love

Bad Girl

By Nikumaru

What does one do when you have a crush on the president of the public morals club? Well, if you’re first-year high school student Yuu, the answer is turning to a life of delinquency! In a bid for the president’s heart, Yuu becomes a self-described “bad girl” hoping to thrill and excite her crush. But Yuu’s adorableness (despite her best efforts) outshines any attempts to come off otherwise—and the president can’t see past that tiny, adorable exterior. What’s a girl got to do to get in trouble around here?!

Bad Girl

Sailor Zombie: Complete Omnibus

By Jiji & Pinch
Original Story by Isshin Inudo

Two months prior, hordes of zombies took over the world and ended it all in the blink of an eye. In the face of such despair, high schooler Maiko Inui and her peers are determined to survive. Armed only with scavenged supplies and the clothes on their back, they wage war against the zombies who have taken everything from them. But an even greater danger stands before them—not the zombies, but the cruel humans shaped by this new world! Will Maiko and her friends ever reclaim their happy adolescent lives? 

Sailor Zombie: Complete Omnibus

Battlefront of the Great Powers

By Natsuko Uruma

In the year 2206, planet Earth is on the brink of destruction. Due to pollution and a shortage of resources, scientists estimate that the planet will become unable to sustain life within the next hundred years. To resolve the issue of scarcity, the world’s leaders have come together and decided on a desperate solution—the National Extinction Tournament. Gathering those with powers beyond human comprehension, these boys and girls will compete for the sake of their nations…and their own survival! Win and become a hero. Lose and death awaits not only you but everyone you love… 

Battlefront of the Great Powers

How to Love a Loser

By Iwaba

Shinba has no talent, no job, no money—in short, he’s got nothing going for him. But despite the odds, this good-for-nothing guy has a girlfriend. Hizumi is beautiful, smart, and extremely competent. Some might wonder how she could love such a loser. Well, it might have something to do with the way he tries his best but still fails pathetically, or the way he quivers with tears in his eyes as he begs for another chance…but who’s to say? 

How to Love a Loser

A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage

By Tank Gasuyama
Art by Shinichi Sawaragi

Forty-year-old detective Eiji Kirisame has found maybe the strangest witness of his life: a silent high school girl named Tsugumi Kuchinashi who was at the scene of the crime. Her statements mostly consist of shoddy doodles on a drawing pad, but Eiji is no stranger to piecing together the truth from limited evidence. He’ll take every page seriously if it might help solve the case. But why does the last page say… “Will you marry me!” 

A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage

Yen Press Wraps Up 2024 with Fourteen New Licenses

Wrapping up 2024, Yen Press has announced fourteen new title acquisitions, filled with romance, brave heroes, magical schools, and more.

Releasing in June 2025, this lineup includes eight manga (Sword Art Online Unital RingAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in RussianI Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My ClassIsekai SamuraiConvenient Semi-FriendThe Heroic Tale of the Villainous PrinceThe Hitman StansDara-san of Reiwa), four light novels (Who Killed the Hero?The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a HeroThis Is the Wizard’s Secret WeaponSecrets of the Silent Witch (spin-off) -another- Part 1, and one digital exclusive manga (SAILOR ZOMBIE). Additionally, Yen Press announced the release of Lord of Mysteries, a popular Chinese webnovel that will soon be adapted into an animated show.

Sword Art Online Unital Ring, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Reki Kawahara
Art by Masato Kanetsuki
Original Character Design by abec

Orchestrated by genius scientist Akihiko Kayaba, the SAO Incident created a game you couldn’t leave until you beat it. One where death in the game meant death in the real world… Kirito is a survivor of SAO who now spends his time playing the new VRMMORPG Alfheim Online with his old SAO friends, Asuna and Alice. But Kirito soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious game he never expected… 

Sword Art Online Unital Ring, Vol. 1

Secrets of the Silent Witch (spin-off) -another- Part 1 (light novel) 

By Matsuri Isora
Illustration by Nanna Fujimi

After memorizing his magecraft textbook in a single week, Louis is accepted as a scholarship student at Minerva’s Mage Training Institution. But surrounded by nobles, the rough and rowdy boy from a poor, remote village is treated as a problem child and feared for the way he trounces his opponents in magic battles. And yet Louis still finds teachers he respects and friends he can rely on as he grows into the man who will become a Sage. Learn all about the notorious deeds of the Barrier Mage’s youth in this two-part prequel to Secrets of the Silent Witch. 

Secrets of the Silent Witch (spin-off) -another- Part 1

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Sunsunsun
Art by Saho Tenamachi
Original Character Design by Momoko

Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou, nicknamed Alya, is a half-Russian beauty with silver hair, at the top of her class, student council accountant, and completely unapproachable. She’s taken to reprimanding the slacker who sits next to her in class, Masachika Kuze—a geeky, unmotivated, and unexemplary student who couldn’t care less about keeping up his grades. Secretly, Alisa holds a certain fondness for Masachika, only revealed by the occasional Russian muttered under her breath that no one in her class can understand…except Masachika! He eavesdrops on these embarrassing revelations, pretending to be clueless, all the while wondering what her flirtatious comments actually mean! 

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Vol. 1

I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Rin Ono
Original Story by Takata
Art by Azuri Hyuga

Maki Maehara is always on his own at school. He has no friends or hobbies others share, and he doesn’t expect the upcoming academic year to be any different, even surrounded by new faces. And six months later, it seems like he was right—until he runs into his popular classmate Umi Asanagi at a video store! Always at the center of attention and called the “second prettiest in class” by the boys, Asanagi’s from a totally different world. But it turns out the two have more overlapping interests than just the B-grade movies they came to check out…and Asanagi asks Maehara to be her friend! 

I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, Vol. 1

Isekai Samurai, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Keigo Saito

As the final years of the Sengoku period dwindle away, Ginko, the strongest swordsman of the era, has yet to find a worthy opponent to slake her thirst for a fight to the death. Just when she’s finally lost hope that anyone stronger than her exists, she gets transported to another world! And the first thing Ginko sees there is—a dragon?! 

Isekai Samurai, Vol. 1

Convenient Semi-Friend, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Minori Chigusa

“What if we became friends with benefits…?” Suuna, a gloomy high school student, leaves home to live in a dorm. But when she nervously enters her room, she finds her roommate, Ruka, feeling up another girl! She finds out Ruka needs a “friend with benefits,” so Suuna takes charge and proposes they form a “(semi) friends with benefits” contract…?

Convenient Semi-Friend, Vol. 1

The Heroic Tale of the Villainous Prince, Vol. 1 (manga)

By Hirosaki
Original Story by Ryu Hidari
Art by Hana Amano

As the only royal with pitch-black hair and eyes, Prince Alfred is the literal black sheep of his family. But one day, he happens to see his older brother Leor, the crown prince, publicly breaking off his engagement to his fiancée, Charlotte. To rescue Charlotte from the false accusations being hurled at her, Alfred puts himself in harm’s way instead. With that, everything is resolved…or is it? 

The Heroic Tale of the Villainous Prince, Vol. 1

The Hitman Stans, Vol. 1 (manga) 

By Rintarou Ohshima

Meet “the Killing Machine” Owaru Endou: the cold-blooded and strongest hitman of a massive underworld organization, who has decided to retire out of the blue. His reason? To stan his favorite underground idol with his head held high! But old habits die hard, especially for a man whose hands are stained with blood. Can Owaru truly shed his identity to live the ultimate fan life of concerts, meet and greets, and picture lotteries—even when his past comes knocking? 

The Hitman Stans, Vol. 1

Dara-san of Reiwa, Vol. 1 (manga)

By Haruomi Tomotsuka

Clouds blacken the sky and sheets of rain turn the mountain forest into a treacherous maze… A landslide crushes a razor wire fence, and buries a “NO TRESPASSING” sign… Two young siblings wander into a dark world where they do not belong, and a long, horrid shadow rears up to meet them— Anyway, so that’s how we met Dara-san! She might look kinda scary, but just wait until you get to know her! 

“Look, I’m a god of misfortune, okay!? Aren’t you kids gonna freak out about my grotesque visage!?” 

Dara-san of Reiwa, Vol. 1

Who Killed the Hero?, Vol. 1 (light novel)

By Daken
Illustrated by toi8

Four years have passed since the Demon Lord was defeated. The kingdom, now at peace, has undertaken the task of compiling the many great deeds of the fallen Hero, interviewing the members of his former party: Leon the Sword Saint, Maria the Holy Maiden, and Solon the Sage. Yet in between their tales of the Hero’s past and their adventures together, the truth about his death slowly comes to light. Who killed the Hero? The Demon Lord? …Or his comrades? 

Who Killed the Hero?, Vol. 1

The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero, Vol. 1 (light novel)

By Inori
Illustrated by Akamoku

After the Great Human-Demon War comes to a close, humans use a magical device known as the Gear to found the Hero Institute, a school for raising a new kind of hero. Ruchika, a wild and reckless demon girl, travels to the city in the hopes of joining the institute. There she meets Leonie, the serious-minded daughter of the Almighty Hero who defeated the Demon Lord. Taking a liking to her immediately, Ruchika proposes—right in the middle of their entrance exam! Do these two girls have what it takes to become heroes? And can love bloom between a human and a demon? 

The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero, Vol. 1

This Is the Wizard’s Secret Weapon, Vol. 1 (light novel)

By Taro Hitsuji
Illustrated by Kurone Mishima

On a bloody battlefield, the master swordsman Rix finally gives in to his deep-seated dislike for warfare. So he fakes his own death to go into retirement! He starts fresh by entering a magic school…despite his magical aptitude being zero. However, alongside the scholarship student Shino, he’s ready to work hard. Even her cold attitude doesn’t discourage him! Using his swordsmanship prowess, he overpowers his magic-wielding peers—inadvertently smashing through anything that’s common practice at magic school. In the process, his skills catch the eye of the Imperial princess. She tries to recruit him into the army, but he shoots her down. He doesn’t want to be the strongest—all he wants is to live a peaceful and enjoyable life! 

This Is the Wizard’s Secret Weapon, Vol. 1

SAILOR ZOMBIE, Vol. 1 (digital manga)

By Jiji & Pinch
Art by Isshin Inudo

Two months have passed since the world was overrun by zombies. High schooler Maiko Inui, a girl who longs to become an idol, finds refuge in Fujimi Girls’ High School, where the surviving students reside. When hordes of zombies mercilessly attack the girls, how will Maiko and her friends fight back?! Horror meets harmony in this vibrant tale where heroes don’t wear capes…but sailor suits instead! 

SAILOR ZOMBIE, Vol. 1

Lord of Mysteries, Vol. 1 (novel)

By Yuan Ye

Through the storm of steam and machinery, who can achieve the extraordinary? In the mist of history and darkness, who whispers to me? When I woke up from the haze of mystery, I found myself in a world of guns, cannons, giant ships, airships, difference engines, potions, divination, curses, hanged men, and sealed artifacts.

But the light still shines between it all, and the mystery is never more than two steps away. This is the legend of the Fool.

Lord of Mysteries, Vol. 1