…It involves what was the biggest announcement that happened at Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con.
What was your ultimate takeaway from what happened at Anime Expo/SDCC?
Manjiorin (Manga Managing Editor at Organization Anti-Social Geniuses): There was a lot going on at both conventions, but as a manga fan my biggest takeaway is that the US manga market is far from dead. Both conventions resulted in licenses of things fans had been begging for or had otherwise been told were impossible so… maybe someone is listening out there!
Tony Yao (Founder of Manga Therapy): I think it’s the fact that Anime Expo has become a manga publisher hotspot. Yen Press actually traveling to AX (and SDCC for that matter), when they stuck to NYCC and Sakura-Con, says a lot. AX is THE anime con for industry-related events, so it makes sense for the US manga industry (which probably has to rely on anime popularity more so than Japan) to have more of a heavy presence there. But honestly, this may not have happened if the Attack on Titan anime didn’t take off here and basically gave the US manga industry even more life than before. Anime adaptations have always had a good effect on manga sales and I just wondered why US publishers didn’t see this sooner when the recession happened.
Also, we’re really starting to see that any license is open to any US publisher who wants to take it. I mean, Dark Horse got I Am a Hero (Shokakugan), Yen Press has Prison School (Kodansha) and Oregairu (Shokakugan), UDON has Rose of Versailles, Sugar Sugar Rune, etc. Obviously every Shonen Jump title is going to be under Viz no matter what, but this feels like we’re in some pseudo stock market for manga licenses or a wacky episode of Oprah where she preaches the joys of manga and decides to give everything away to the audience.
Deb Aoki (Founder of Manga Comics Manga, freelance at Publishers Weekly): That SDCC is becoming less appealing for manga publishers/Japanese rights holders to exhibit at and do business at because it’s so difficult for casual fans to attend.
Yen Press and Kodansha both opted to skip having booths at SDCC. Digital Manga never exhibits at SDCC. Crunchyroll does a lot of shows year-round, but not Comic-Con. The bulk of new title announcements happened at AX vs SDCC. Who was there? Vertical, Udon, Dark Horse, Viz Media, and indies who publish some manga like Last Gasp, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagaphics.
That said, there were some interesting guests and announcements at SDCC. Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! was there for his first US appearance. So were Eiichi Shimizu & Tomohiro Shimoguchi, the creators of Linebarrels of Iron and the creative team behind the New Ultraman manga.
Udon surprised everyone by announcing Rose of Versailles and new editions of Sugar Sugar Rune by Moyoco Anno.
Kodansha saved two new announcements for SDCC – their pickup of Kosuke Fujishima’s new manga Paradise Residence and special editions of Attack on Titan — the artist announcement of Tony Moore (Walking Dead) doing a variant cover for vol. 16, and a limited edition DVD for vol. 17.
Serdar Yegulalp (Founder of Ganriki): There’s clearly been a sea change in the way Japanese license holders deal with foreign companies. I don’t think it’s an all-at-once thing, but the importance of non-Japanese companies is clearly unignorable to them now. This includes not just the recent rush of titles, but also things like the restoration and reissue of titles long out of the public eye, like “Kanashimi no Belladonna“.
Krystallina (Founder of Daiyamanga): I think the licensing boom (for both manga and anime) continues. The companies are really rushing to nab the latest hits or soon-to-be hits, and they are pushing to provide legal ways to view titles before people invest in the series on illegal sites. Kodansha USA speeding up Noragami publication is a good example of this, but Netflix and The Seven Deadly Sins anime seems to be one modern exception.
That being said, I also saw signs of the companies taking a few risks. While Attack on Titan is Kodansha USA’s juggernaut, they didn’t just announce the next omnibus but two Japanese-style special editions as well. In addition, the company hasn’t had a josei title since the Del Rey days. Meanwhile, Yen Press just continues to license up a range of titles to appeal to different demographics.
Ash Brown (Founder of Experiments of Manga, Manga Bookshelf contributor): It was a great year for some major (and unexpected) announcements, leaving me with the feeling that companies are doing better than ever and are in a position where they can start taking some calculated risks that would have been unthinkable even a year or so ago.
Sarah Hayes (Founder of Nagareboshi Reviews): The ultimate takeaway I got from these two conventions is that anime/manga companies seem to really get what we as consumers want to see. They know we want new titles from old favorites, like Shojo Beat’s handful of new titles from famous manga-ka such as Bisco Hatori and Maki Minami. They know we want the classics, like LOGH, that have never been available before. They know we want to support niche titles of all kinds, which is where pubs like Seven Seas and Vertical step in (people love their monster girls, don’t they?). And they definitely know what’s popular in current fandom, which is why Viz went so hard with the Sailor Moon material. For what feels like the first time in a while, I as a anime/manga fan felt catered to in a really great way during these two conventions and feel a lot more comfortable spending my money on these new titles.
Sorry to do this to you, but what was the one biggest announcement to you at Anime Expo/SDCC?
Manjiorin: You know, had Rose of Versailles not dropped at SDCC I would have easily said Princess Jellyfish. Kodansha’s Tumblr page was constantly being blown up with requests for that series, but personally I sort of figured it would remain a fan wish like Chihayafuru. Like, I’m really surprised that got picked up, in both digital and print, especially because the anime’s time has passed.
But then you know, Udon had to go completely and utterly blow my mind by licensing Rose of Versailles. It just… was completely out of left field. Not only was the series a huge “Oh my God,” but Udon? They haven’t been on my manga publishing radar for awhile (I can’t even remember the last thing they’ve published), but you can bet there are now.
Tony: For AX, I think it’s most likely Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Although I never paid attention to the series, the lengths Viz and Sentai went through to get the rights for the novels and anime is amazing since I know its fans were hungry for a North American release of both.
On the SDCC side of things, hands down, UDON saying, “Hey, we got the Rose of Versailles manga!” I normally don’t think of them as a major manga publisher, but damn, they’re really trying to get into the game as of late.
Deb: Rose of Versailles, hands down. The one that caught everyone off guard, and got the most buzz online.
Serdar: Someone else is almost certainly going to cite “Legend of the Galactic Heroes“, but I think that’s big news for less obvious reasons. For one, this was one of the biggest announcements of its kind in anime history, and not nearly enough of the reportage about it made it clear *why* this was important. I dropped that ball myself, and I wasn’t thrilled to realize that. For another, its reissue is going to pose a challenge to everyone who chooses to write or talk about it: how do you make a case for it without just being hagiographic, or talking about its “influence” (something most casual readers/viewers aren’t really all that interested in)? That’s going to be tough, and as more of this “unseen classic” material comes out, it’s going to be a problem to tangle with again and again.
Krystallina: Without a doubt, the biggest surprise for me came during Udon Entertainment’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con: The Rose of Versailles. Firstly, Udon Entertainment is not known for licensing manga, let alone classic manga. Even more so when that manga is one of the biggest, most iconic shoujo ever. Except for Tezuka works, classic manga are pretty much ignored for fear of a financial loss. Even works from the 90s are starting to dry up in the U.S., so for a company–especially a company not specializing in manga–to take a chance on a manga from the 70s was quite the bombshell. The Rose of Versailles was also on my wishlist, so I was very excited.
Ash: Honestly, I didn’t think anything was going to be able to top Haikasoru and Sentai picking up the Legend of the Galactic Heroes novels and anime, but then Udon Entertainment comes along and announces Riyoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles manga out of nowhere. It’s an incredibly influential series that has been sought after by publishers for years. It’s finally happening; it’s being released in English!
Sarah: I think I speak for a lot of people when I say Legend of the Galactic Heroes – both the novels and the anime! I have been waiting to see this series since I was a relative newbie in anime fandom. It was one of those titles that people wanted to see get a proper NA release but after so long relegated it to the status of a far flung pipe dream, the kind of title you mention when kidding about possible anime licenses because obviously it will never happen, right? A long, loooong classic space opera/sci-fi series? I’m so glad Anime Expo proved us wrong, although now the big battle will be for LOGH fans to put their wallets on the line and support it monetarily.
What company are you keeping your eye on after the past two weekends?
Manjiorin: Yeah, again, Udon because apparently they are doing secret magical things that no one is aware of. That and I always keep my eye on Viz but I’m pretty interested in the digital manga growth at Crunchyroll and I’m still really thrilled with Kodansha about Jellyfish.
Tony: Probably Kodansha Comics since they seem to have a big surprise with regards to a classic manga for Otakon. If you ask me, Otakon seems to be the relaxation con (if that makes any sense. Cons technically aren’t relaxing with the crowds *laughs*) since it’s not heavily industry-focused as AX and SDCC are. I’m not expecting any super-huge announcements on the manga side since AX seems to cover all of that now. I could be wrong, since we’ve had big announcements on the anime side of things (i.e Cowboy Bebop Blu-Ray collection from FUNimation) there.
Deb: Everyone, really. There’s a lot of interesting things coming down the pike. Kodansha in particular is opening up their new digital publishing office in San Francisco, Kodansha Advanced Media, so there’ll be some interesting developments on that front very soon.
Kodansha also promised a classic manga announcement at Otakon in 2 weeks too.
Serdar: Discotek. Of all the companies bringing out killer announcements this year, they have already had some time in the spotlight with their “Lupin III/Castle of Cagliostro” release, but I’m now waiting to see how they top that.
Krystallina: While I think Yen Press has been having a fabulous year with their licenses, I’m suddenly more interested in Udon. While nobody saw The Rose of Versailles coming, their licenses of Steins;Gate and Sugar Sugar Rune are also good. The Steins;Gate anime was well-received, and Sugar Sugar Rune was written by a popular author. It’s surprising Kodansha USA would rather pass on Sugar Sugar Rune than rescue Del Rey’s old translation for their own omnibus release. I hope Udon’s titles are a hit and encourage the company to expand their manga line.
Ash: Udon, no doubt. In addition to its excellent catalog of artbooks, Udon looks to be stepping up its manga and comics publishing game of late. I’m always happy to see the North American manga industry grow, so I’m hoping that Udon will be successful, especially as it has some really great titles!
Sarah: I never thought I’d pay attention to a company like Udon Entertainment, but SDCC changed everything. They licensed of all manga Rose of Versailles, a title that I know many companies have tried to wrangle the rights to and failed. I don’t know what price Udon had to pay or how many redshirt-wearing interns it had to sacrifice to get the title but now I see that Udon is a company of great influence and taste. Before, I only saw them as mainly a video game/art book kind of company, but after their recent slate of new licenses, I’m excited to see what Udon does next – and what treatment it gives Versailles.
Finally, uh, what title’s left to license now?…there’s surely something left right?!?
Manjiorin: Well, there’s always Chihayafuru! Personally though, I’m hoping that we eventually get Inio Asano’s Oyasumi Punpun, if Vertical’s recent license of A Girl on the Shore helps at all. I have no idea if the sales of the series would have any bearing at all, I just know that I want Punpun super, super bad.
But really, manga companies have been so good to us lately (VERSAILLES!) that I don’t have much of list to ask for anymore!
Tony: Well, there’s tons of stuff waiting to be licensed still. There’s a huge variety of manga in Japan and titles that look to be worth a shot in North America, even if that number seems small. I want to see something like Shinichi Sakamoto’s Innocent licensed here, even though it’s probably being discussed right now as we speak. *laughs* If Yowamushi Pedal (beloved by fangirls) does well over here, then maybe we’ll see something like Haikyuu!! (which is totally beloved by fangirls) in the U.S.
Deb: There’s a LOT. We only get the very tippy-top of the iceberg, as far as content from Japan.
Titles that are mentioned in the “why don’t they…?” list:
Billy Bat by Naoki Urasawa
Boku Wa Beatles by Kawaguchi Kaiji / Tetsuo Fuji
Lupin III by Monkey Punch
Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) by Tetsuo Chiba
Song of the Wind and Trees by Keiko Takemiya
Steve Jobs biography by Mari Okazaki (Thermae Romae artist)
Sherlock manga by Jay (serialized in Young Ace)
Oyasumi Punpun by Asano Inio
Many many more. so never a lack of content out there. The market is getting stronger, so publishers are taking more risks than they did a few years ago. All in all, good news for manga readers, and there’s more to come.
Serdar: There’s *always* something left.
Satoshi Kon’s back catalog, for instance, is still mostly out of print — what wouldn’t we give for Blu-ray editions of “Perfect Blue” or “Millennium Actress“, for instance? Or “Yawara!“? Or “Kimagure Orange Road“? Or many of Mitsuru Adachi’s titles? Or even just a streaming version of “Urusei Yatsura“, so people can see what the screaming has been about with that series (even if they can’t own a prohibitively expensive copy of it)? The list does go on.
Krystallina: The one manga I would have bet money on being licensed was Blue Spring Ride (Ao Haru Ride), a shoujo slice-of-life romance by the author of Strobe Edge. Blue Spring Ride seems to have all the requirements for a license: pretty popular, recently completed, not too long, and has an anime adaptation. Its predecessor Strobe Edge was also a heavily demanded series, so I figured it was logical Viz Media would grab the author’s next manga. In addition, the Shojo Beat brand was heavily promoting its 10th Anniversary, so I thought this would be the perfect time for the line to announce some big hits. I was very disappointed they only announced two short series. While the authors penned two of Shojo Beat’s biggest hits (Vampire Knight and Ouran High School Host Club), there’s a lot of shoujo with recent anime adaptations like Yona of the Dawn (Akatsuki no Yona) and The World is Still Beautiful (Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii) that would seem to be very good licenses. I’m guessing the lengths of the two series are probably a big factor in their decisions not to acquire them, but there’s always omnibuses.
Ash: As long as we’re talking about things that are likely impossible, I would still love to see Hikaru Nakamura’s manga series Saint Young Men licensed one day. Alas, there is reluctance from the creator due to the possible backlash from Americans who might not take too kindly to an irreverent comedy featuring Jesus and Buddha.
Sarah: There’s always something to license! I mean, we really haven’t tapped into the Year 24 group beyond two or three manga-ka, have we? That’s a lot of classic shoujo to ignore! I also feel like there are a lot of titles from the vaults of companies like CMX, ADV and TOKYOPOP which could be saved by current companies. Personally, my favorite ADV Manga title to go without a rescue has been Tengai Retrogical, a charming and humorous supernatural tale in the vein of Natsume Yuujinchou/Tactics/Kamisama Kiss. I managed to buy the first volume from a used book vendor at a yaoi convention; I wish I could join it with the other volumes. Finally, more horror manga that isn’t Junji Ito! Not to diss Ito – I love Uzumaki – but it feels like the only group really bringing a diverse plate of Japanese horror stories is Haikasoru, and they release mainly novels/light novels.
So what was the biggest announcement for all of you? And no, I’m serious, what do you hope gets licensed at some point? Feel free to share below!