Yen Press, Kodansha and ABLAZE Publishing are just a few of the companies fans should look to beyond Shonen Jump for great manga.
Weekly Shonen Jump And its various sister publications are, in many people’s minds, the face of the manga and even anime industry. However, despite how ubiquitous the publisher and its books may be, it’s definitely not the only name in town. Several other manga publishers in the West are bringing titles of all different types and genres to international readers.
Yen Press, Kodansha and the more recent ABLAZE Publishing are just a few of the many companies widening the scope of the manga industry beyond the typical battle shonen title. Here’s a look at some of the biggest names besides Shonen Jump in the West and some of their works.
Shojo Beat
Though the magazine itself is now long defunct, English publisher Viz Media still uses the name as an imprint for its shojo titles, alongside the shonen-oriented Shonen Jump. Shojo Beat was instrumental in bringing romance and other female-oriented manga titles to the West. The magazine had chapters from six different books at a time, eventually running a total of 14 different titles. These include books such as Nanawhich follows the lives of two women named Nana as they try to make a new life for themselves in Tokyo.
Other books published through Shojo Beat included Honey and Clover, Sand Chronicles and the classic Gothic series Vampire Knight. While the publisher may be somewhat unknown in contemporary circles, its titles were some of the first to be prominent in the West that didn’t involve battles and adventure.
Kodansha USA
Kodansha USA is the New York-based subsidiary of Kodansha, forming in 2008 when manga was really ramping up in international popularity. Some of its titles were once published through Dark Horse Comics, such as iconic cyberpunk classics like Ghost in the Shell and Akira.
Its current lineup includes titles such as Air Gear, Battle Angel Alita, Cells at Work! And the still incredibly popular Attack on Titan. These books can be purchased through Kodansha’s website or wherever manga are sold for most of the titles.
Yen Press
Yen Press is another prolific publisher, the bibliography of which includes numerous manga well known to even those who just dabble in manga. Starting 15 years ago, Yen Press handles both manga as well as manga adaptations of Western material. The latter includes manga versions of books like the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson as well as original English “manga” such as Nightschool.
Akame ga Kill!, Sekirei, Soul Eater and In Another World With My Smartphone are just some of the manga that it carries, along with several manwha, manhua and light novels.
Tokyopop
One of the most well-known English manga publishers, sometimes for the wrong reasons, is Tokyopop. It was among the most popular manga publishers in the early 2000s, but quickly drew the ire of die-hard fans who noted the many changes and elements of censorship and Americanization made to the material.
Since then, Tokyopop has returned from a brief hiatus and ensured readers that its translated materials are now accurate to the original Japanese stories. Its most well-known titles include Initial D, Battle Vixens/Ikki Tousen and numerous Gundam manga Many of its older titles have since had their licenses been taken by other publishers such as Kodansha, Yen Press and Comixology.
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment was also once devoted primarily to original English manga, but has since expanded into the official manga and light novel market. Its initial focus reflected company head Jason DeAngelis, who coined the term “world manga” to describe books that weren’t Japanese in origin.
Its current stable of manga includes several isekai works with ridiculous titles such as My Next Life as a Villainessas well as Orange and various books based around the Hatsune Miku character.
ABLAZE
ABLAZE Publishing focuses mainly on Western and other non-Japanese comics that are sometimes made in a manga style or format, such as the Filipino comic book Tress or a comic about the infamous internet meme Grumpy Cat. However, it also has some actual Japanese manga among its titles such as an adaptation of the Netflix anime Cagasteras well as Crueller Than Dead and the new manga Versus Fighting Story.
The latter is based around real-life e-sports, with the Capcom title Street Fighter V getting focus and an official license. The series releases this month, expanding the publisher’s reach in the world of manga publishing in the West.
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