Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Sword Art Online are two anime series whose popularity has skyrocketed in the West, so it really shouldn’t be surprising that we’re seeing more and more of their manga and novel counterparts being released in English. Publisher Yen Press has announced some new acquisitions tied to both franchises and more at this year’s Japan Expo USA.
Sword Art Online
Yen Press will be releasing two Sword Art Online manga arcs: Sword Art Online Aincrad and Sword Art Online Fairy Dance. Perhaps more exciting than news about the manga is their other SAO announcement: the publisher will also be releasing the Sword Art Online light novels. Written by Reki Kawahara, the light novels are what inspired the popular anime and manga series. Both the manga and light novels are scheduled to release sometime in early 2014.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Yen Press already has several Madoka Magica manga series under their belt. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story is the newest addition to their magical girl lineup. Unlike Oriko Magica and Kazumi Magica, two spinoffs that focus mainly on new characters, The Different Story is an alternate telling of the main story’s plot, and features Kyouko and Mami from the Madoka Magica cast as central characters. Volume one of the manga is due out in March 2014.
Accel World
Accel World might not be a huge name outside of Japan yet, but the light novels that Yen Press has acquired the license for have inspired several manga series, an anime series, and two video games in Japan. Haru, the series’ protagonist, is a loner who suffers from low self esteem and is the target of bullying at school. After an encounter with a beautiful girl named Kuroyukihime, he is introduced to a mysterious VRMMO that begins to have some interesting side effects on him in the real world. No release date was mentioned for the light novel series, but the anime is currently available to stream at Neon Alley.
Which series are you most excited to see printed in English? Let us know in the comments!
