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Anime Expo 2017 License Announcements – Shoujo and Josei

July 5, 2017

This past weekend was one of the most popular anime conventions in Los Angeles, California. Tons of industry professionals and fans gathered at Anime Expo to enjoy a weekend of anime fun and announcements. I’m here to share with you the license announcements that were made at the convention this past weekend.

Yen Press won the shoujo manga lover award hands down at this convention. They announced 5 titles that the shoujo and josei audience will be excited to get to read in English. Here’s what came out of their panel that you should keep an eye out for next year:

Mermaid Boys – Yomi Sarachi

Synopsis: The curious prince of the mermaid kingdom, Naru, sees a human girl, Nami, and falls in love with her at first sight. Yearning for her love, he seeks a witch to turn himself into a human! But to gain this form, he has to exchange “something” in return…

This has been highly recommended by my manga pal on twitter. So I’m for sure going to be reading this series.

Hatsu * Haru – Shizuki Fujisawa

Synopsis: Too far, it’s hard to be seen. Too close, it’s also hard to be seen. It hurts and makes you feel like crying. Too sad, until it makes you laugh. That’s right, this is what you call first love…the most popular guy in school falls in love for the first time in his life!

Hatsu Haru was on my wish list, but I thought it would never be announced. Definitely a buy for next year. This title gives me hope for future high school love stories like “A Hedgehog in Love” that’s also on my wishlist.

Lovecome no Baka (Stupid Love Comedy) – Shushushu Sakurai

Synopsis: Sakura Suzu is a rookie shoujo mangaka who doesn’t seem to meet success. One day, her editor who has worked with her since her debut is transferred. The new editor in charge is a handsome guy who used to work in the seinen departement. It’s love at first sight for Sakura but he doesn’t think the same.

Yep, I’ll read this this one too. Unrequited becomes requited love. This is another cute three volume series that ran in Aria.

Niehime to Kemono no Ou (The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts) – Yu Tomofuji

Synopsis: Saliphie, the 99th sacrifice to the terrifying demon king, learns two secrets about the king: The first, that he has been letting the sacrifices go in secret. The second, that half of his blood is that of a human. She gets to know the king’s kindness and sorrow, and then it’s announced that the king has taken Saliphie, who wishes to become a source of energy for the king, as his queen, and…?

This is such a fantastic acquisition! I know a lot of girls who have been wanting to read this series. Another one checked off of my wish list.

Silver Spoon – Hiromu Arakawa

Synopsis: A young boy named Yugo Hachiken aspires to live apart from his family. He enrolls in an agriculture school, one which requires its students to live in dormitories. He thinks that with his talent for studying, no problems will arise no matter what kind of school he goes to. But he is soon forced to discover the inconvenient truth about agricultural life. Enjoy the story of Hachiken as he tries to keep up with his friends, farmers’ heirs who are already accustomed to a hardworking farm life.

Silver Spoon won the 5th Manga Taishō Award’s Grand Prize and the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award (Shōnen category) in 2012. It also won the first Japan Food Culture Contents Award in 2013 and was nominated for the 19th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2015.

I realize this is technically a shounen manga, but it’s by the writer of Full Metal Alchemist and The Heroic Legend of Arslan, so you might be interested to see that this has been licensed if you are a fan of hers.

At AX2017 Seven Seas announced a new yuri title they will be releasing next year:

Nameless Asterism (Nanashi no Asterism) – Kina Kobayashi

Synopsis: Tsukasa Shiratori, Nadeshiko Washio and Mikage Kotooka are three close-knit friends in junior high school. For almost a year, Tsukasa has been harboring a secret she can’t tell anyone: she has a crush on Nadeshiko. She resigns to keep it locked away forever, but then discovers that Nadeshiko has a crush on Mikage. Not wanting to mess up their current relationship, Tsukasa decides to support Nadeshiko in any way she can. However, Mikage has a secret of her own that she can’t share with anyone.

Always good to see a new yuri title come out, and Seven Seas has been the one to bring them to fans lately.

They also announced the single volume continuation to Ichigo Takano’s Orange manga.

Orange vol. 6 – Ichigo Takano

Synopsis: The sixth volume compiles Takano’s adaptation of the Orange -Mirai- (Orange: Future) anime film, and also features the Orange -Suwa Hiroto- two-part spinoff manga, which focused on Suwa in an alternate future. (from ANN)

Alright, last but not least I’ll add on the announcement by Shojo Beat over twitter this weekend as well:

Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys – Chie Shimada

☆☆☆NEW SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT☆☆☆

KENKA BANCHO OTOME: Girl Beats Boys

More: https://t.co/aal4wIr2ZZ pic.twitter.com/TFZMXxzbRl

— Shojo Beat (@shojobeat) July 1, 2017

Synopsis:

Beautiful Boy Rebels Using Their Fists to Fall in Love!

Hinako thought she didn’t have any family, but on the day she starts high school her twin brother Hikaru suddenly appears and tricks her into taking his place. But the new school Hinako attends in his stead is beyond unusual. Now she must fight her way to the top of Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school of delinquents!

Coming in April 2018

Hey look, another manga matching an anime! I’d say Viz has finally taken a clue in the shoujo manga department, but sadly, their license announcements have been few. But, they promised more later this summer, so maybe there’s still some hope!

Sources: Special thanks to @debaoki for live-tweeting announcements from AX2017.

3 Comments

Did it show exactly what dates these titles would be released?

Katrina Jul 06, 2017
- Not the Yen Press or Seven Seas ones. Those were just announced as 2018.
  
  Laura Jul 08, 2017
YASSSSSS Mermaid Boys and Hatsu Haru are fantastic titles! I hope with the license of Kenka, Spike Chunsoft will finally follow through.

Leafさんの夢が。。。 Jul 06, 2017