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Yen Press Licenses Asterisk War, Re:Zero Manga, Light Novels

Yen Press announced on Wednesday that it has licensed the Asterisk War and Re:Zero manga and light novel series, as well as the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Sword Oratoria light novel series.

Yen Press will begin releasing the manga and the light novel for The Asterisk War (Gakusen Toshi Asterisk) in summer 2016. Yuu Miyazaki launched the original light novel series with illustrations by okiura in 2012, and Media Factory published the ninth volume in September. The manga by Ningen currently has three compiled volumes in print.

The series inspired a currently-airing anime adaptation and the Gakusen Toshi Asterisk Gaiden: Queenveil no Tsubasa spinoff manga by Shō Akane. Aniplex of America licensed the anime, and the series is streaming on Crunchyroll, Daisuki, and Funimation.

Funimation describes the story:

Less than a century ago a meteor collided with the planet's surface and the resulting disaster caused the next generation of humanity to develop a wide variety of amazing abilities. In the center of the meteor's crater lies Rikka, a system of six academies known as the Asterisk. Ayato Amagiri enters the Asterisk as a transfer student hoping to compete in a special battle event known as the Festa. However, he quickly finds himself on the bad side of one of the strongest fighters around—the beautiful but fiery Julis-Alexa von Riessfeld. To stand against her he'll have to rely on his own sword-wielding ability, but when the tables turn, will they be able to team up to take down the competition?

Yen Press will release the Re:Zero ((Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) manga and light novels beginning in summer 2016. Tappei Nagatsuki writes the original light novel series with illustrations by Shinichirou Otsuka, and Kadokawa shipped the seventh light novel volume in Japan on October 25.

The series has inspired three manga adaptations. Kadokawa published Daichi Matsue's manga Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Dai-Ichi-Shō: Ōto no Ichinichi-hen (Chapter 1: Day at the King's Capital Edition) in Monthly Comic Alive and shipped the second and final compiled volume on March 23. Square Enix publishes Makoto Fugetsu's manga Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Dai-Ni-Shō: Yashiki no Ishūkan-hen (Chapter 2: Week at a Mansion Edition) in its Big Gangan magazine. The second compiled volume will ship on December 22. Kadokawa also publishes Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Dai-San-Shō: Truth of Zero (Chapter 3) in Monthly Comic Alive and will release the first compiled volume on December 22.

In the story, Subaru Natsuki is an ordinary high school student who is lost in an alternate world, where he is rescued by a beautiful, silver-haired girl. He stays near her to return the favor, but the destiny she is burdened with is more than Subaru can imagine. Enemies attack one by one, and both of them are killed. He then finds out he has the power to rewind death, back to the time he first came to this world. But only he remembers what has happened since.

An anime adaptation for the series has been green-lit.

Yen Press will begin publishing the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Sword Oratoria light novels in 2016. Fujino Ōmori, author of the original light novels, writes the side-story focusing on sword princess Aiz Wallenstein. Kiyotaka Haimura (A Certain Magical Index) provides the illustrations and Suzuhito Yasuda is credited with original character design.

SB Creative published the fifth volume of the light novel series in October. The side story inspired an ongoing manga adaption by Takashi Yagi on Square Enix's web magazine Gangan Online.

Yen Press has also licensed Ōmori's original Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and its manga adaptation. The anime adaptation premiered in April, and Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for North America.