SEAN: Bad news, folks, it’s Yen Press week. Can we make it out alive?
ASH: Fingers crossed!
SEAN: We start with Yen On, who have a number of debuts. Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture (Jun Kyōju Takatsuki Akira no Suisatsu) is a BL-adjacent series about a college student who can see if someone has been lying (which has left him ludicrously unpopular) and his folklore studies professor, who takes him under his wing to find out if things are really folklore or simply lies.
ASH: Oh! BL-adjacent and folklore studies? This pertains to my interests.
MICHELLE: Sounds potentially promising!
ANNA: OK, I’m also interested.
SEAN: Even If These Tears Disappear Tonight (Kon’ya, Sekai kara Kono Namida ga Kiete mo) is a sequel to Even If This Love Disappears Tonight, and is for people who like to read books and cry.
How to Win Her Heart on the Nth Try (n Kaime no Koi no Musubikata) is a one-shot. A young woman in her late 20s worries she’ll never have a romance. Then her childhood friend shows up… but she’s only ever seen him AS a friend. Can that change?
Maiden of the Needle (Hariko no Otome) is another one of those “I don’t have a skill, so I’m abused and disowned by my family and friends till I find out that really my skill is amazing” books, only since it stars a young woman it’s her “savior” (read: love interest) who rescues her.
ASH: It has such enchanting cover art! And I do really like the skill in this case.
SEAN: My Summoned Beast Is Dead (Ore no Shōkanjū, Shinderu) is a magic academy series. The poorest student there has to prove himself, and seems to do so by summoning a legendary god beast! There’s just one slight hitch – the title.
ASH: It does seem like that could be a problem.
ANNA: I’m imagining a Weekend at Bernie’s scenario.
SEAN: Also coming out: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian 3, Baccano! 22, Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense 9, Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin 5, High School DxD 11, High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World! 8, I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out on Top 5, Reign of the Seven Spellblades 8, Sasaki and Peeps 4, and Spy Classroom 5.
ASH: So much Yen, and we’re not even done yet!
SEAN: Yen Press also has some debuts. Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree (Elden Ring: Ougonju e no Michi) is based on an obscure video game one or two people may know. It’s from Kadokawa’s Comic Hu, and is apparently a comedy spinoff starring a very odd hero.
Magical Girl Incident (Mahou Shoujo Jihen) is a seinen title from Young Ace. An office worker who wanted to be a hero as a kid… now finds he’s a magical girl? This is supposed to be quite funny.
MICHELLE: Hm.
SEAN: Manner of Death is a BL title from B’s-Lovey. It’s a murder mystery where a coroner suddenly finds himself being told that a death needs to be ruled a suicide… or else.
ASH: Haven’t seen too many coroners in licensed manga.
MICHELLE: You had me at “murder mystery.”
SEAN: Me and My Beast Boss (Kemono Jōshi ni Jitsuwa Mitome Rareteita Hanashi) is a shoujo title from B’s-Log Cheek. An office worker is bullied by her beastfolk colleagues because she’s human. Then the CEO calls her into his office… to make her his personal secretary?
MICHELLE: I say “Hm.” yet again.
ANNA: Haha!
SEAN: My Dear, Curse-Casting Vampiress (Boku no Noroi no Kyuuketsuki) is a Shonen Gangan series about an anti-vampire group who plan to kidnap a vampire known for her beauty that drives men mad.
Puella Magi Suzune Magica: The Complete Omnibus Edition is what it says. 3 volumes in 1.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun: First Stall is a boxed set collecting the first ten volumes of the manga. You can guess what the box looks like, but it’s actually quite cool.
ASH: It really is. And it’s perfect for the series.
SEAN: What This World Is Made Of (Sekai wa Are de Dekiteiru) is a news series from the creator of Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter that runs in Dengeki Maoh. Two brothers try to make money using a game app, but it has a secret…
Yokohama Station SF (Yokohama Eki SF) runs in Young Ace Up, and is a manga adaptation of the novel (also licensed by Yen). It is a science fiction manga about Yokohama Station. (Look, I can’t be funny all the time. Or even most of the time.)
ASH: Oh! I somehow missed that there was a manga adaptation!
MICHELLE: I meant to read the novel but of course never did. Maybe I’ll fare better with the manga.
SEAN: In non-debuts, we get Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense 6, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple 3, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 3, The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess 7, Delicious in Dungeon 12, The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring 4, For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams 10, Gabriel Dropout 12, The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend 3, Hi, I’m a Witch, and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion 2, Honey Lemon Soda 2, Horimiya 16 (the final volume), I Cannot Reach You 6, I’m the Catlords’ Manservant 4 (the final volume), Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler – 16, The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious 5, Murciélago 21, Oshi no Ko 2, The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter 3, Overlord 17, Sasaki and Miyano 8, Sasaki and Peeps 2, Spy Classroom 3, To Save the World, Can You Wake Up the Morning After with a Demi-Human? 6, The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 4, and The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 5.
And that’s just Yen! Christ!
ASH: Phew! Fortunately, I saw Delicious in Dungeon in there before my eyes started glazing over.
MICHELLE: I’m looking forward on getting caught up with The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter.
ANNA: I spotted Honey Lemon Soda in that wall of text!
SEAN: From Viz Media: JoJo 6251 is the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure artbook you know you always wanted.
ASH: It’s true. I’m so glad it’s being released here; I’ve been eyeing the Japanese edition for years.
SEAN: There’s also JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 5–Golden Wind 8, and WITCH WATCH 6 digitally, which is not JoJo’s, but is quite funny.
ASH: I really should check it out at some point.
SEAN: Tokyopop debuts My Dear Agent, which runs in LOVE xxx BOYS pixiv, so you can guess it’s BL. A cool and serious bodyguard finds that the new guy he’s supposed to train won’t stop flirting with him!
Also from Tokyopop: Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry 5 (the final volume).
Square Enix gives us Beauty and the Feast 8 and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 12.
Seven Seas also has some debuts. The Dragon King’s Imperial Wrath: Falling in Love with the Bookish Princess of the Rat Clan (Ryuuou Heika no Gekirin-sama ~Hon Suki Nezumi Himedesuga, Naze ka Ryuuou no Saiai ni Narimashita~) is from Zero-Sum Online, and features a princess who tries to nope out of the “who will be my bride” sweepstakes by going to the library, but to no avail.
ASH: It was worth a try!
MICHELLE: I just want to state for the record here that Ash totally made me LOL.
ANNA: I’m always in favor of going to the library.
SEAN: Even Dogs Go to Other Worlds: Life in Another World with My Beloved Hound (Isekai Teni shitara Aiken ga Saikyou ni narimashita – Silver Fenrir to Ore ga Isekai Kurashi wo Hajimetara) is a Comic Ride adaptation of the light novel (put out here by Cross Infinite World). Man and dog reincarnated. Dog is massive legendary silver wolf. Fun times.
A Story of Seven Lives (Gojussenchi no Isshou) is a done-in-one omnibus from Comic It. A stray cat tries to help some struggling humans.
There’s also CANDY AND CIGARETTES 4, Classroom of the Elite 6, How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift? 11, Hunting in Another World With My Elf Wife 6, Lazy Dungeon Master 4, Monster Guild: The Dark Lord’s (No-Good) Comeback! 5, Reborn as a Barrier Master 4, The Tale of the Outcasts 7, Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii 3, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition 2, and Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games 5.
ASH: Some good stuff in there.
SEAN: One Peace Books has Hinamatsuri 18.
Kodansha Manga has some print titles. The debut is Tsugumi Project, which runs in Young Magazine. Another post-apocalyptic action series, a group of convicts are tasked with retrieving a weapon from a ruined city. But the city is less dead than anyone thought. (I thought this was digital-only, it’s not. The digital was 2 weeks earlier.)
And there’s As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World 5, Miss Miyazen would Love to Get Closer to You 4 (the final volume), A Sign of Affection 6, Toppu GP 11, Wandance 5, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword 4.
MICHELLE: I desperately need to catch up on Wandance or I’ll be too far behind to recover!
SEAN: Digitally we see Boss Bride Days 5, A Couple of Cuckoos 11, DAYS 35, Gamaran: Shura 8, Love, That’s an Understatement 2, My Home Hero 4, and Piano Duo for the Left Hand 7.
MICHELLE: Love, That’s an Understatement isn’t winning any awards for Most Original Shoujo Series Ever, but I did enjoy the first volume. Maybe I’m just inclined to like Fujimomo’s work.
ANNA: Oh, I meant to check this out!
SEAN: Three debuts for J-Novel Club. Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness (Totsuzen Papa ni Natta Saikyou Dragon no Kosodate Nikki: Kawaii Musume, Honobono to Ningenkai Saikyou ni Sodatsu) is the manga adaptation of the light novel J-Novel Club has already released. It runs in Comic Ride. Girl meets dragon, heartwarming ensues.
ASH: Not a bad combination.
SEAN: Make It Stop! I’m Not Strong… It’s Just My Sword! (Yametekure, Tsuyoi no wa Ore Janakute Ken nan da……!) is basically “what if Elric were just some dude who wants an easy life, and his sword only ate bad souls?”.
ANNA: This seems less angsty. Any wanna be Elric needs more angst!
SEAN: A Pale Moon Reverie (Tsuki no Shirosa o Shirite Madoromu) is the new novel from the creator of Unnamed Memory. That alone should make you purchase it sight unseen. A supernatural courtesan meets a shadeslayer in the streets of a very special town.
ASH: I am intrigued.
SEAN: We also get the 9th manga volume of An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, the 2nd Karate Master Isekai, Maddrax 6, and Making Magic: The Sweet Life of a Witch Who Knows an Infinite MP Loophole 3.
Ghost Ship has a 5th volume of Ero Ninja Scrolls.
And Airship has print for The Haunted Bookstore – Gateway to a Parallel Universe 5, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 16, and The World’s Fastest Level Up 3.
And for early digital we see The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent 8 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 10.
Oh man, look! The Manga Bookshelf team all fell asleep trying to get through this list! See what you’ve done, Yen?