Yen Press has announced the audiobook adaptation for three current licenses: My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected; Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside; and Monsterholic. From slice-of-life comedy to fantasy romance to dystopian sci-fi respectively, Yen Audio is excited to be able to continue expanding its collection and bringing fan-favorite novel series to the audiobook medium.
Yen Audio will debut the audiobooks in April 2026, with the voice casts to be announced at a later date.
My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected
Story by Wataru Watari, Illustrated by Ponkan8
Hachiman Hikigaya is a cynic. “Youth” is a crock, he believes—a sucker’s game, an illusion woven from failure and hypocrisy. But when he turns in an essay for a school assignment espousing this view, he’s sentenced to work in the Service Club, an organization dedicated to helping students with problems in their lives! How will Hachiman the Cynic cope with a job that requires—gasp!—optimism?
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
Story by Zappon, Illustrated by Yasumo
A heroic and mighty adventurer dreams of…opening a pharmacy?
Red was once a member of the Hero’s party, a powerful group destined to save the world from the evil forces of Taraxon, the Raging Demon Lord. That is, until one of his comrades kicked him out. Hoping to live the easy life on the frontier, Red’s new goal is to open an apothecary. However, keeping the secret of his former life may not be as simple as he thinks. Especially when the beautiful Rit, an adventurer from his past, shows up and asks to move in with him!
Monsterholic
Story by Ghost Mikawa, Illustrated by Rag Miwano
Darkness hides behind the clean, safe, and orderly facade of society in Akitsushima. In the slum known as the Masquerade, people indulge in a drug called Monster Tonic, which transforms them into animal-human hybrids. There are no laws or restrictions in this government-designated area, and it’s rife with immorality, obscenity, and murder. When bodies turn up in the streets, the police don’t investigate, so it’s up to Reiji and Getsu to track down the killer. The two young men are just the pair for the job. Who better to hunt down a monstrous beast than a vampire and werewolf?
Yen Press has announced the acquisition of ten new titles, including seven manga (The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess Short Story Collection; Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside; Riviere and the Land of Prayer; In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name; Strategic Lovers; The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love; The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies) and three light novels (Sword Art Online Alternative Clover’s Regret; Hell Is Dark with No Flowers; My First Love’s Kiss).
The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess Short Story Collection
By Akiharu Touka
In a world of her own creation, the lives of Konoha’s many characters are filled with the kind of cringey doom and gloom that only an adolescent mind can produce. But where’s the fun in that? Throwing in a pinch of crossdressing, a dabble of sickfics, and oh—a date with a fellow bookworm—really spices up the story! From ninjas to assassin butlers and yanderes, there’s never a dull moment in the many alternate universes Konoha Satou lives through as the most despicable villainess, Iana Magnolia!
Sword Art Online Alternative Clover’s Regret
Story by Soitiro Watase Illustration by Ginta Supervised by Reki Kawahara
Sword Art Online, as reimagined by famed fantasy author Soitiro Watase!
Asuka Empire. A Japanese-style VRMMO created by Akihiko Kayaba from a VR engine entitled “The Seed”—a game once played by Yuuki, Ran, and Merida of the Sleeping Knights that hides many stories. Two young women—warrior priestess Nayuta and ninja Koyomi, who became friends in-game—come across a mysterious priest named Yanagi. The elderly man tells them that he’s looking for a detective to solve a riddle with a one-million-yen reward. The girls are shocked by the outlandish sum for this peculiar request, and then they meet an equally peculiar young man, who claims to be able to do this job as well as any other detective. With all his stat points invested in Luck, the man is useless in battle, but he does still seem to have some tricks up his sleeve, like that unbeatable drop rate for rare items… The mystery unfolds as two young girls and their dubious detective partner try to solve the case in this cutting-edge VRMMO world!
Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
Story by Zappon Art by Mutsuki Higashioji Character Design by Yasumo
Before she reunited with Red in the frontier town of Zoltan, Rit was renowned as the brave warrior who helped the Hero’s party save her country from the demon king’s forces and the second princess of the Duchy of Loggervia, Rizlet. But after being suddenly exiled, Rit must embrace her new, untethered life as an adventurer traveling wherever the wind blows…though who knows where that journey will take her?! This is the story of Rit’s exploits across the continent of Avalon prior to finding Red!!
Riviere and the Land of Prayer
Story by Jougi Shiraishi Art by Neriume Character Design by Azure
After Riviere saved her from dying on the street, MacMillia chose to start working as her new assistant! The enigmatic Riviere runs an antique shop, where she specializes in dispelling troublesome (and sometimes dangerous) curses. Magic, witches, prayers (and the curses they turn into) mean there’s never a dull day for these two!
In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name
Story by Kotoko Art by NiKrome
Through a handheld mirror connected to another world, college student Ichika befriends a boy named Cecil. But when the mirror disappears one day along with her older sister, Karen, Ichika thinks she’ll never see the two of them again…until a year later, when the mirror suddenly turns up and sends Ichika to the world on the other side! There, she finds a grown-up Cecil and her sister, who, for some reason, has become a saint named Ichika—?! After Karen has stolen her name and life, Ichika must forge her own destiny in this otherworldly, doting fantasy!
Strategic Lovers
By Sanshokuamido
Kouta Higashiyama’s father is the enormously wealthy founder of a corporate behemoth—but his mother was the man’s twenty-third mistress! He thought the issue of succession and inheritance had nothing to do with him. And it didn’t—until he was suddenly kidnapped as a candidate to be the next chairman and dropped in front of five beautiful girls, who are all in contention to become his lover…But is his whole life really about choosing whatever and whoever he wants? Or will Kouta himself be the one to be chosen…?
The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love
By Tomo Nanao
Upon his return to his hometown near Mt. Takao, the lonely youth Kotarou reunites with a tengu girl he used to know, Hime. To his shock, Hime decrees that they must wed! Intent on marrying Kotarou, will Hime be able to break down his walls and build a happily-ever-after with him?!
Hell Is Dark with No Flowers
Story by Yoru Michio Illustration by Ruka Todo
Seiji Tohno sometimes sees the people around him as monsters. It is a curse that had driven him to a life of despair, living out of internet cafés with nowhere to call home…but all that changes one twilit evening when he stumbles across a huge European mansion. There, Seiji meets a bewitchingly beautiful boy dressed in a kimono with a white peony motif on the shoulder, who introduces himself as Shiroshi Saijou. This mysterious young man seems to know more about Seiji than he does himself, and before he knows it, Seiji has agreed to become Shiroshi’s assistant in exchange for room and board. Little does he know, however, this “proxy service,”’ as Shiroshi puts it, is none other than outsourced death! Sending monster-possessed sinners to Hell, will bring Seiji face-to-face with terrifying new creatures each and every day!
The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies
By Cocoa Fujiwara
She’s a magical girl, sworn to fight for peace, love, and justice. He’s a lieutenant, born into a military family that serves an evil empire. And yet, it was love at first sight…From Inu x Boku SS creator Cocoa Fujiwara comes a four-panel comic about hostile enemies who won’t kill (and love) each other!
My First Love’s Kiss
Story by Hitoma Iruma Illustration by Fly
Takasora Hoshi’s life is upended when a girl from her class named Umi Mizuike and her mother temporarily move into her family’s cramped apartment. From the outset of this arrangement, Takasora finds herself annoyed by Umi’s behavior…and her good looks. And though the two girls initially agree to avoid interfering with each other’s lives, Takasora can’t help but start to wonder where Umi keeps wandering off to at night…
From the author of Adachi and Shimamura comes the bittersweet tale of two high school girls whose lives are thrust together under the same roof.
Red is kicked out of the Hero’s party. He decides to retire to a quiet region to open up an Apothecary shop. Things get interesting when his former party member Rit comes to visit. Did I mention Rit is a princess?
Original story: Zappon Art: Masahiro Ikeno Character design: Yasumo Translation: Dale Delucia Letterer: Dayeun Kim
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Yen Press, LLC announced a slate of upcoming releases that includes manga (Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside and From the Red Fog) and light novels (Demon Lord 2099 and Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle). All announced titles are scheduled for January 2022 release.
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (manga)
Original Story by Zappon Art by Masahiro Ikeno Character Design by Yasumo
Despite being the bearer of the powerful Divine Blessing of the Guide, Red has been banished from the Hero’s party. Listless, he decides to head to the frontier and hatches a plan to spend his days working an easy apothecary job. Thus begins his new life!
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside is a manga adaptation of the slice-of-life fantasy light novel, one of the latest fan favorites in a growing genre. An anime adaptation of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside has been announced for an October 2021 release.
From the Red Fog
Story & Art by Mosae Nohara
England at the end of the nineteenth century. A string of gruesome incidents all lead back to a single boy who was born into a world where chaos, order, wealth, and poverty are all deeply intertwined. Guided by a deep solitude, what fate awaits him in the end?
From the Red Fog is a dark and compelling manga series with an art style that is as beautiful as it is unsettling. As a story that takes place in nineteenth-century England, From the Red Fog appeals to fans of historical fiction as well as those who have a taste for psychological horror manga, such as recent hits like Can’t Stop Cursing You and Your Turn to Die.
Demon Lord 2099 (light novel)
Story by Daigo Murasaki Illustration by Kureta
Fused Era Year 2099—Shinjuku. The dazzling prosperity of this massive city-state conceals a lurid darkness just beneath its surface. It is here—in this megalopolis that represents the pinnacle of human development—where the legendary Demon Lord Veltol makes his second coming. To rule this brave new world, he will have to take hold of the future for himself!
Demon Lord 2099 is a riveting light novel series, filled with cyberpunk action and imaginative illustrations, that combines fantasy and science fiction. It stands out as a rising star in the world of light novels, having already won the prestigious Fantasia Grand Prize in its short time in circulation.
Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle
Story by Hiromu Illustration by raemz
As far as normies go, it’s hard to beat Saku Chitose. The most popular kid in his high school? Check. An ironclad reputation that can even weather vicious online attacks? Check. A group of friends who are as attractive on the outside as they are on the inside? Check. But when a teacher asks Saku to help a student who has been shut away in his room for months reacclimate to school life, his perfect world will never be the same. What is this, some kinda normie harem story?
Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle is one of the most frequently requested and highly anticipated light novel releases of the year. This romantic comedy series won the Shogakukan Light Novel Award for Excellence in Japan and appeals to fans of school-life stories, such as My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected.