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Yen Press Licenses Yowamushi Pedal, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, 11 More Manga
posted on by Karen Ressler
North American manga publisher Yen Press announced at its panel at Sakura-Con on Friday that it has licensed Wataru Watanabe's Yowamushi Pedal, Izumi Tsubaki's Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Akira Hagio's Sakura no Himegoto, Tsuyoshi Watanabe's Dragon's Rioting, and Olympus Knights and Pinakes' Aldnoah.Zero Season One. These series wil be available in print.
In addition, the company announced that it will release the following titles digitally: Satsuki Yoshino's Handa-kun (a spinoff of Yoshino's Barakamon, which Yen Press also licensed), Ato Sakurai's Today’s Kerberos, Dan Ichikawa's Shut-In Shoutarou Kominami Takes on the World, Karino Takatsu's Servant X Service, Tsumuji Yoshimura's Unknown, Chisaki Kanai's When a Magician's Pupil Smiles, Higasa Akai's The Royal Tutor, and Hanjirō Tsukioka and Hikaru Tanaka's Scarlet Empire.
Yen Press will relese Yowamushi Pedal in two-volume omnibus editions. Watanabe launched the manga in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion in 2008, and Akita Shoten will publish the 39th compiled book volume on April 8. Crunchyroll streamed the anime adaptation and its sequel as it aired in Japan and Discotek Media licensed both.
The story centers around Sakamichi Onoda, a high school otaku who loves figures from anime and games so much that he would ride his commuter bicycle to and from Tokyo's Akihabara shopping district in a 90-kilometer (about 60-mile) round trip over steep slopes. Onoda ends up joining the competitive sport of bicycle racing.
Square Enix publishes Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (Gekkan Shōjo Nozaki-kun) manga in its Gangan Online free web magazine, and shipped the sixth compiled volume in February. Crunchyroll streamed the anime adaptation as it aired in Japan, and Sentai Filmwork's licensed the series.
The romantic comedy story begins when high school student Sakura Chiyo confesses her feelings to her classmate Nozaki. Due to a misunderstanding, Nozaki thinks Sakura is just a fan of his shōjo manga work. Sakura has to convey her true feelings while her relationship with Nozaki develops.
Hagio's Sakura no Himegoto ran in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine, and Hakusensha shipped the second and final compiled volume in 2013.
The story follows Aoi, who comes from a prestigious family, and Kei, who has a mysterious backstory. Thanks to a debt Aoi's grandfather has to Kei the two have a master-pet relationship.
Dragon's Rioting runs in Fujimi Shobo's Comic Dragon Age and Fujimi Shobo shipped the fifth compiled volume in January.
The story follows Rintarō, a boy who enters a girls' school because of an accident, even though he has a disease that could kill him if he gets too sexually aroused. When he's there, he must contend with the three "dragons," the girls who rule the school.
The Aldnoah.Zero manga adapts the anime of the same name. The series ran in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Forward, and Houbunsha published the third compiled volume in March. Aniplex of America licensed the anime series.
