NYCC ’23: YEN PRESS manga license roundup!

Following a short round of teasers posted to social media, Yen Press announced nine additional manga and novel licenses at its New York Comic Con panel on Sunday. Like the titles released Saturday, Yen Press hasn’t announced the following titles’ formats, pricing, or release dates. Hopefully, those will be available soon so fans can pre-order ASAP.

Without further ado, here are manga licensing announcements from Yen Press.

Riviere and the Land of Prayer (Novel)

Set in the universe of Wandering Witch: Journey of Elaina by Jougi Shiraishi, Riviere and the Land of Prayer (story by Jougi Shiraishi, art by Azure) is set in a land where prayers become curses. Riviere and her assistant, Makmilia, run a shop in a strange little town in an island nation where they work with dangerous items created from people’s prayers. follows the titular Riviere as she seeks to deal with dangerous items born by the people’s prayers.

“We’ve got a fate-changing perfume, a talking vase, and a bag containing strange creatures, just to name a few. Yes, indeed, the deeds of the marvelous duo, Makmilia and Riviere, will overshadow even the Ashen Witch Elaina!” according to the official synopsis from Yen Press.

Once Upon a Witch’s Death: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy (Novel)

On her 17th birthday, Meg, a witch’s apprentice, learns she has been cursed to die in exactly one year. In Once Upon a Witch’s Death: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy (story by Saka, art by Chorefuji), Meg’s teacher Faust explains that the only way to break the curse is to collect enough tears of joy to grow the seed of life. This will require Meg to leave her sheltered comfort zone and venture into the wild world, where she’ll meet lots of people with a variety of intentions and learn “bright, sweet, and somewhat heart-wrenching” lessons.

Classroom for Heroes (Novel)

Classroom for Heroes written by Shin Araki and illustrated by Haruyuki Morisawa follows former hero, Blade, who has finally lost all his power. This means he can finally live the life of an average student, right? That might not be the case when he finds out the school he joined is for training the next generation of heroes!

Amalgam Hound (Novel)

In Amalgam Hound, written by Midori Komai and illustrated by Domino Ozaki, Theo, a young investigator looking for amalgams, crosses paths with a young amalgam named Eleven who can perfectly mimic the form of a young girl. In a twist of fate, they begin working together post-war to track down other amalgams who are on the run.

Unfortunately for them both, Eleven is actually a living weapon who doesn’t understand humanity or how to be a human. This throws a wrench in the works for Theo, who doesn’t care much for the amalgams but has to deal with it because someone needs to uncover the truth behind a recent, devastating terrorist attack.

My Gemini (Manga)

My Gemini by Yuu Morikawa is a manga retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson Louis—except the characters are twins and the story is told through the point of view of their best friend, John. A glasses-wearing, freckled, pale-skinned redhead, John defines himself by his relationship with the twins, who like to switch places. After a horrible accident, only one twin survives… and John has to figure out which one it is. 

All Or Nothing (Manga)

All Or Nothing is a romance story by Shikke. One day Kadoi and Hatsumoto reveal to their friends Oka and Sawada that they are now dating. This sudden change causes Oka and Sawada to become more conscious of each other, and their thoughts begin to wander… What would it be like if they were to be together too?

Fox-Colored Jealousy (Manga)

On the way to school, Akiha is groped by a stranger but immediately saved by a kind college guy to whom he immediately clings. As they go their separate ways, the college guy makes a passing comment about Akiha’s fox ears—which appear when he’s worked up—being “cute.” Surely, they will never see each other again… You’ll have to read Fox-Colored Jealousy by Machi Suehiro to find out.

I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me (Manga)

I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me by Geshumaro follows Raito, an avid gamer and high school shut-in, who decides to hire a gaming coach to help him with his lacking FPS skills. Shockingly, the beautiful and fashionable Rion Suzuki shows up at his door announcing she is going to be his new coach! Not only are they the same age, but Rion is supportive and charming as she cheers Raito on. The question is, can he handle her presence and improve his skills, or will he end up throwing everything from the pressure?

The Tiger Hasn’t Eaten the Dragon Yet (Manga)

In The Tiger Hasn’t Eaten the Dragon Yet by Hachi Inaba, a tiger catches its prey: a rare lone dragon. The tiger doesn’t seem to know that eating the dragon would provide the ultimate flavor; drinking its blood would heal any injury; and eating its heart would give the tiger immortality. Unfortunately, this dragon is way too undersized for the tiger to make a satisfying meal… There seems to be something tying them together beyond their natural hunting instincts, but what is it?

Stay tuned for more details. You can also read our coverage of VIZ Media’s announcements and Kodansha’s announcements from NYCC ’23.