Yen Press Announces Licenses 14 Manga, 8 Novels for February, March 2025 Release

ANN's coverage of Anime NYC 2024 sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!

Yen Press announced during its industry panel at Anime NYC on Saturday that it has licensed the following manga and light novels for release in February and March 2025:

Title: I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History (Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo) novels
Creators: Izumi Ōkido (story), Jyun Hayase (illustration)
Summary: I've never been able to stand the typical heroine's “goody-two-shoes” routine. Thankfully, all my dreams come true when I'm reincarnated as a villainess! Determined to become a woman no one can criticize, I do my best to train my body, improve my intellect, and hone my magical skills. But for some reason, the harder I try, the more everyone seems to like me! No matter—I'll betray their every expectation and become the greatest villainess the world has ever known!

Title: Victoria of Many Faces (Tefuda ga Ōme no Victoria) manga
Creators: Syuu (original story), Komo Ushino (art), Nanna Fujimi (character design)
Summary: Victoria's peaceful, everyday existence has begun! Ever since she retired from the espionage world, she's been living as a civilian, just like she always dreamed. But her past as a spy is hard to run from—even though she turned her back on danger, it can't stop finding her! So when she meets Nonna, a young girl totally on her own in the world, Victoria has to decide what's truly important to her...peace or her new friend?

Title: Liar Liar manga
Creators: Haruki Kuō (original story), Funa Yukina (art)
Summary: The duel to determine the ranks among students is underway at the Academy. Shortly after transferring schools, Hiroto Shinohara unseats the previous year's undisputed champion Sarasa Saionji and soon becomes the fastest student in Academy history to rise to Seven Star status—but all of this is a lie?!

Title: Whoever Steals This Book novel
Creator: Nowaki Fukamidori
Summary: Mifuyu is a high school student living with a large collection of books left by her great-grandfather—the vast library known as Mikura Hall. Although her father is the current caretaker, Mifuyu herself doesn't share her family's passion for literature. But when several books are stolen from the library, triggering an ancient curse, the town is transformed according to the stories within them—and the only way to put things right is for Mifuyu to catch the thief. With the help of a mysterious girl named Mashiro, Mifuyu sets out on an adventure through the different stories!

Title: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Minor Myths and Legends novels
Creators: Fujino Ōmori (story), nilitsu (illustration), Suzuhito Yasuda (character design)
Summary: The city of Orario is a vast metropolis with an underground labyrinth known as the Dungeon. There, adventurers put everything on the line to keep monsters at bay and explore the unknown! This is where heroes are made and legends are born. Smaller stories can also be found here, and a surprising number of them revolve around a young boy who came to the Labyrinth City chasing his dreams—until he met a certain goddess...

Title: Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale manga
Creators: Reki Kawahara (original story), IsII (art), abec (character design)
Summary: Two years after ten thousand players were trapped in the VR world and forced to participate in the impossible death game known as Sword Art Online, technology has only continued to evolve. A state-of-the-art AR device called the Augma has risen to prominence, becoming a near-essential part of everyday life as well as the exclusive home of an MMORPG called Ordinal Scale. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, Ordinal Scale quickly captures the attention of Kirito and his friends, who decide to start playing. But things take a turn when Kirito gets word of SAO bosses appearing inside this new world...

Title: Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts Heir: White Rabbit and the Prince of Beasts manga
Creator: Yu Tomofuji
Summary: Happily ever afters only truly happen in fairy tales—so while Leonhart and Sariphi's story has come to a close, their son, Richard's, has only just begun. With a foot in both the Yoana and Ozmargo, and an important coming-of-age ceremony on the horizon, he sets off on a journey to prepare himself physically and spiritually...

Title: The Anemone Feels the Heat manga
Creator: Ren Sakuragi
Summary: After failing to get into her desired high school, studious Nagisa is resolved to keep her chin up and move on. That is, until she meets a sickly girl named Mashiro at her new school, who throws a wrench into her plans—as she's the very reason Nagisa flunked her exams in the first place. But Nagisa decides she won't let it get her down, and to upend her negative feelings, she vows to warm up to Mashiro...Delve into this clever but clumsy girl's captivating love story.

Title: Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch? novels
Creator: Neru Asakura (story), Minori Chigusa (illustration)
Summary: Suzune Senmiya, a young voice actress, has been struggling for six months to get over the retirement of her favorite idol, Karin Kanezuki. One day, Karin shows up as a new voice actress in Suzune's agency! While Suzune tries to play it cool and keep her distance, Karin aggressively closes the gap between them. And as Suzune starts to see unexpected sides of Karin, she begins to perceive her not just as an idol but as a woman.

Title: Helena and Mr. Big Bad Wolf manga
Creator: BliSS
Summary: Helena has always found her strength through stories. When her father left one night and didn't come home—and when Arthur, her only brother, got into an accident—reading and creating stories kept Helena going. By a stroke of luck, she attends an autograph signing of her favorite author, Mr. Big Bad Wolf, and the two grow closer, bonding over their shared love for storybooks. The cold, reserved man with a wolf's head is shrouded in mystery, but perhaps he has a gentler side only Helena can see...

Title: If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love (Kimi to Nara Koi o Shitemite mo) manga
Creator: Maru Kubota
Summary: Amane hadn't seriously liked anyone since middle school. He learned how painful it was to be laughed at for sharing your feelings and had sworn off ever since. Now, he's just transferred to a new high school in Enoshima, where he meets Ryuuji, a boy in his class. Fast friends, the jaded Amane quickly warms up to the eager Ryuuji—but that warmth continues to grow into feelings much deeper than friendship. Follow the boys as they navigate a frustratingly authentic journey through high school romance.

Title: maboroshi novel
Creator: Mari Okada
Summary: Masamune, a third-year middle school student, lives in a town where time has halted for him following an explosion at a steel mill. As he spends his days depressed and forbidden to change, he is suddenly guided by his mysterious classmate, Mutsumi, into the fifth blast furnace of the steelworks. There, they encounter a wild, wolflike girl who cannot speak. The meeting between Masamune and the two girls marks the beginning of the disruption of the world's balance. What future awaits the unstoppable impulse of love?

Title: meth-e-meth manga
Creator: Kenji Tsurubuchi
Summary: Long ago, humanity discovered weapons later known as Autoscrolls—and the Oath- Making technology that allows command of them. In modern-day Japan, not only have Autoscrolls become a part of everyday life, but Oath-Making is now a systematized science. When high school student and scroll enthusiast of the Oath Club, Kyouta Yuzuki, gets into an accident after finding a mysterious scroll, his freshly transplanted Oath-Heart turns him into a new being!

Title: Miri Lives in the Cat's Eyes novels
Creators: Taiga Shiki (story), Isshiki (art)
Summary: Youichi Kamisuki is a college student with the special ability to view past experiences by gazing into someone's eyes. During another tedious day at school, he looks into the eyes of a stray cat and encounters a girl named Misato Yuzuhara—Miri—who can see into the future. After Youichi's initial shock at being able to communicate across time via a cat, Miri offers him a startling revelation: There will soon be a series of murders among Youichi's peers, and it's up to him to change their fate. As the pair deepen their bond, Youichi wants to meet Miri...But where is she in the present day? The line between fact and fiction may be blurrier than it appears...

Title: Nomi × Shiba manga
Creator: Tohru Tagura
Summary: They first met at boarding school. After two whole years of living in the dorms, Nomiya can't truthfully say he's ever been in love. Sure, he thinks Mikoshiba's face is kinda cute and girlie, and yeah, his heart skips a beat every time he sees him, but that doesn't mean he's in love with Shiba, all right?! He's into chicks, not dicks, okay?!

Title: Recommendations for Bad Children novels
Creators: Setsuka Narumi (story), Arumikku (illustration)
Summary: In this prestigious school warped by verbal abuse, dehumanization, and academic discrimination, an underclassman suddenly reaches out to me. With highlights in her black hair and a mischievous smile, she introduces herself as Kurumi Hoshimiya and forces me to take her hand. Kurumi involves me in her schemes, making me join her two-person resistance movement to tear down the school. Alone in an empty clubroom after class, we plot terrorism and commit sins, exchange kisses, and descend into depravity. Abandon right and wrong. Stop chasing grades. Rebel against the grown-ups. These are our recommendations for bad children.

Title: It’s All Your Fault manga
Creator: merryhachi
Summary: Shiho is a troublemaking otaku aiming to create the most perfectly accurate costumes. Yotogi is a popular cosplayer with over 200,000 followers who is known for her revealing outfits. These girls are like fire and ice, clashing as they strive to become superstars in the world of cosplay!!

Title: The Boy Who Ruled the Monsters: Before I Knew It, the Ultimate Specialized Support Skill Led to the World's Ultimate Party! manga
Creators: Guilty Sin (original story), ketsuyuki tamon (art), Eight Nakamura (character design)
Summary: Black Tiger is a party of five up-and-coming prodigy adventurers known as the Miracle Children. Among these big names, Sol Rock was the only black sheep— mocked as a useless support mage, treated like a grunt, and eventually even kicked out...But the truth is, he has the strongest talent of all: Player! This godlike power allows him to buff his allies and control the flow of battle. And now, with no party to call his own, he begins to assemble the strongest group the world has ever seen...

Title: In the Heavenly Prison, the Devil Enchants Me manga
Creator: Meteor Gingami
Summary: Kaoru Shabana's been coddled his whole life and yearns to remake himself into a splendid grown-up—a true man among men. Seeking a fresh start at achieving independence, he enrolls in a prestigious academy on a remote island. There, he meets Kanra, a tantalizingly tall young woman, who reveals that the school of his dreams is actually a nest of succubi! Reduced to little more than a devil's plaything, can Kaoru escape from this heavenly prison before he's sucked dry?!

Title: The Only Thing I'd Do in a No-Boys-Allowed Gaming World novels
Creators: Ryo Hazakura (story), hai (illustration)
Summary: A dream-come-true scenario quickly becomes a nightmare when a yuri fanboy discovers that he's been reincarnated into one of his favorite yuri games—as Hiiro, an annoying male character whose only purpose is to get between the heroines. Realizing he's destined for ruin in a world where men are at the bottom of the pecking order, Hiiro scrambles to get stronger and avert his fate. But his desperate efforts end up making the game's heroines—Princess Lapis, Snow the maid, and the protagonist Sakura—fall for him instead of one another! At this rate, he'll be killed for coming between them! Can Hiiro get the girls interested in one another before it's too late?

Title: Super Ball Girls manga
Creators: Muneyuki Kaneshiro (story), Akira Hiramoto (art)
Summary: A new genre-defying story from the writer of Blue Lock and the creator of Prison School! Ichiyoshi is tired of his boring life working at the chocolate factory and keeping his greatest desires close to his chest. While walking home on Christmas night, he catches a mysterious Super Ball bouncing out of the darkness. He throws it as hard as he can...and an impossibly beautiful woman appears before him?!

Title: The Failure at God School manga
Creators: Natsu Hyūga (story), Modomu Akagawara (art), SEIKAISHA (supervision)
Summary: Modern life means modern solutions—even to supernatural problems. So of course the government would have a classification system, special schools, and licenses for people with mysterious powers. Any manifestation of a miracle is enough to be called a Himiko, but only those with full certification may use the title of god. And high schooler Nagi is in serious need of a god! The death of her grandmother has left her family shrine devoid of the necessary divinity, and her hopelessly shut-in Himiko brother isn't looking promising. But if Nagi isn't careful, her search for a god might end with her finding more than she bargained for...

Sources: Press release, Yen Press panel at Anime NYC (Marion Peña)

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.