Images courtesy of Yen Press.

Yen Press Director of Marketing Mark de Vera hosted a panel along with Editor Carl Li, Editorial Assistant Danielle Niederkorn, Art Director Wendy Chan and associate Editor Ivan Liang from the light novel editorial department. The group talked about the company’s recent acquisitions and the new titles that will be available in both print and digitally in February 2021.

Mark de Vera highlighted four of the acquisitions, “Adachi and Shimamura”, “Sasaki and Miyano” and the “Solo Leveling” novel and manhwa. Check out our announcement post for information on those books.

The panel then moved on to the list of upcoming books. Title information and synopsis were taken from Yen Press’s press release.

“Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse?”
Story and Art by Arata Kawabata

The beauty in the nurse’s office is a secret nerd (who doesn’t hide it very well). Nijiko Momoyama is the newly appointed school nurse. But beneath her gorgeous façade lies an unmistakable love for all things geeky…!

Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse? is a romantic comedy manga that includes many fun otaku references in addition to a very pretty nurse. The Yen Press edition of Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse? completes the entire series in one standalone volume.

 

 

 

 

“Love and Heart”
Story and Art by Chitose Kaido

Sure, university freshman Yagisawa has a lot on her plate, but the last thing she expected to add was a surprise male roommate! Handsome Haruma claims to be a childhood friend, but for some reason, Yagisawa doesn’t remember him at all, and his history isn’t the only oddity—disturbing things begin to happen and Yagisawa may really be in over her head!

Love and Heart is a manga series that falls under the category of shojo horror, a subgenre that has rarely made its way to English. With horror manga enjoying immense popularity in today’s market, Love and Heart is sure to appeal to fans looking for a unique new release.

Niederkorn commented that “Love and Heart” reminded her of “Happy Sugar Life”.

 

 

“Days on Fes”
Story and Art by Kanato Oka

When high schooler Kanade Sora takes her classmate Otoha Yamana to their first rock festival, the experience is greater than they can even imagine. It’s a new life of rocking out!

Already part of the niche genre of music manga, Days on Fes stands out even more by being one of the only manga series released in English that pertains to the music festival experience. With fun characters and beautiful imagery that accurately captures the feeling of attending a music festival, this manga is a welcome addition to fans of slice-of-life manga as well as passionate fans of live music.

Li said that “Days on Fes” had some “Laid-Back Camp” feel. He mentioned that it appeals to both fans of rock music and those who never attended music festivals. Li also said that “the food is lovingly drawn” with “the most gorgeously rendered burger” even though the manga isn’t about food.

 

“The Girl Without a Face”
Story and Art by Tearontaron

Her boyfriend thinks she’s the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read… 

The Girl Without a Face is a cute yet eccentric manga about a boy and his faceless girlfriend. With horror elements, such as the presence of yokai, and a slice-of-life storyline, The Girl Without a Face appeals to fans of both categories of manga.

Carl Li mentioned that there are some adult scenes like sex and nudity so reader’s discretion is advised. He also explained that it is not dark horror but more of a “bizarre romance”.

 

 

 

“I Can’t Reach You”
Story and Art by Mika

The differences between Yamato and Kakeru couldn’t be more obvious. Yamato gets good grades, while Kakeru’s are less than average. And while Yamato is very attractive, Kakeru’s looks are perfectly average. Not a problem—unless you’re in love with your childhood best friend…How in the world can Kakeru make Yamato look at him when Yamato is completely out of his league?!

I Can’t Reach You is a sweet boys’ love series, one that tells the tale of a budding romance between two friends with a well paced slice-of-life story. This manga is a welcome release to fans of boys’ love stories that focus on friendship and emotion.

 

 

 

“Virgin Road”
Story by Mato Sato
Art by Nilitsu

The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as “Japan.” No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job…until she discovers it’s impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever…

In addition to being an intriguing addition to the ever popular isekai genre of light novels, Virgin Road is an intriguing release due to the fact that it includes elements not commonly seen in light novels released in English—a female protagonist and a yuri storyline. With both light novels and yuri rapidly growing in popularity, Virgin Road is sure to be a popular release for both sets of fans.

 

 

“Play it Cool, Guys”
Story and Art by Kokone Nata

Enter: a bunch of cool guys who look like they got that unapproachable swag. But let’s be real—that’s not the true them. They’re just a bunch of dorks who’ve got the act down pat. So sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy watching a bunch of goofy guys try to look cool all day every day.

Play it Cool, Guys is a fun collection of stories featuring guys that are equal parts cool and equal parts adorably awkward. This manga featuring hilarious and relatable stories is not only beautifully illustrated—it is fully colored!

Wendy Chan who introduced the book in the panel said she would read and maybe learn how to “play it cool” when awkward moments arise like the main cast.

 

 

 

”Penguin Gentlemen”
Story and Art by Kishi Ueno 

In a certain secret bar, the “Penguin Gentlemen” work, wearing their long tailed tuxedos. “You say it’s cute how penguins waddle around? Hmph. We’re not just cute! We’re dandy, sexy, and marvelous!”

Penguin Gentlemen is a manga that is sometimes pretty, sometimes cute but always hilarious. A standalone volume that tells the tales of a bar run by penguins (often portrayed as strong and beautiful men), Penguin Gentlemen is a treat for those looking forward to an adorable and quirky manga unlike any other.

Chan also talked about this manga and explained how it teaches readers a lot of facts about penguins.

 

 

 

“Date A Live”
Story by Koushi Tachibana
Illustrations by Tsunako

Shidou Itsuka has a problem. The world has been racked by massive quakes of an unknown source for years now, though life goes on. Then one day, Shidou’s calm life ends forever when in the middle of a quake in his city, he meets a girl  who’s apparently a spirit-and the cause of all the destruction! When a team arrives to eliminate the threat, Shidou becomes embroiled in a war to protect these spirits-by making them fall in love with him?!

Date A Live is the highly-anticipated light novel series that inspired the popular anime adaptation—one that has had three successful seasons since 2013. As one of the most fan-requested light novel series, Date A Live is sure to become a best-seller upon release, especially due to the excitement from the recently announced Season 4 of the anime.

Ivan Liang recommended it to those who liked long fantasy series with romance and comedy.

 

The panel then answered questions fans posted on Twitter.

When asked about which fictional world they would want to stay in using a one-way ticket, Chan immediately said she would go into Ken Koyama’s series in order to “punch Little Miss P.” Li chose “Restaurant to Another World” so he could travel to other places and eat the food. He also said “A Bride’s Story” due to his interest in Mongolian food. Niederkorn responded that she would like to be in the world of “I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level” and eventually max out her levels there. Liang chose Ryoko Kui’s “Delicious in Dungeon” to try eating some of the monsters even though he said he may not last long with all the battles. Host Mark de Vera also chose “Restaurant to Another World” but said he would just stay in the restaurant.

De Vera then asked the panel about the working relationship between them and the team of translators. Liang talked about consistency in both speech and design, cultural difference and scheduling. Li expanded by explaining how they can give a head’s up to the editorial staff before the volume’s release if issues may arise in certain chapters in regards to manga.

The next question presented was if they had any advice for those interested in the publishing and localization industries. Niederkorn answered that people should have flexibility while making sure to take care of their own needs. She also said that those wanting to work in localization should understand both the language the material is of and the one they will be translating into. De Vera said that there will be YouTube videos that will contain the other panelists’ answers soon. He then asked what was Niederkorn’s favorite part of working with Yen Press. She replied that she enjoyed making “something [she] would want to read” when working with manga. She then talked more about how the text is still part of the artwork.

The last question of the panel was if the panelist had a certain upcoming title they are looking forward to reading. Li answered with “Days on Fes”, calling it “mature and cool” without having elements from other popular titles. He also said “Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse?”. Niederkorn replied with “Play It Cool, Guys” with its cast of cute dorks. Chan answered with the October title “My Broken Mariko” and also “Play It Cool, Guys”. De Vera commented that “My Broken Mariko” is for fans of josei stories and “those who like getting stabbed in the feels and the knife twisted”. Liang said he was looking forward to “Rascal Does Not Dream of Petite Devil Kohai” and “Penguin Gentleman”. He spoke how he had the series before Yen Press picked it up and called the art “breathtaking”. De Vera said he also looked forward to “Play It Cool, Guys”, wanting to get some new outfit inspirations and lessons on awkwardness.

Head over to Yen Press for more information on all the titles talked about in this panel and more news and updates.