A surprise announcement from Yen Press has appeared: The Empty Box and the Zeroth Maria (AKA Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria [AKA Hakomari]) has been licensed for official English release.
The synopsis:
Kazuki Hoshino leads the easy-going life of a typical high school student -- until the appearance of a new girl in his class turns his world upside down! Introducing herself with a promise to “break†Kazuki is abnormal enough to make an impression, sure, but why does she seem so familiar…?
This completed seven-volume series was written by Eiji Mikage, with illustrations by Tetsuo. According to a tweet, it sounds like the first volume is planned to arrive in the fall next year.
I certainly can’t say I expected this one to get picked up. I imagine Yen Press must have received enough requests for it that they decided it was worth bringing over. So congratulations to all the Hakomari fans out there! And congratulations to the English light novel community in general, for reaching this point? This is a well-regarded series, but a rather niche one too (i.e. there are no anime or manga adaptations, and as far as I can tell it was never a big deal in Japan). With that in mind, I think that seeing something like this get licensed is an interesting development.
I think you’re right, that this is an example of a series getting licensed because of fan interest. It’s the highest rated LN series on MyAnimeList and has been for a long time. Could be we’re seeing the beginning of LNs getting the foothold in the community which manga and anime have enjoyed.
I already own the first 4 Volumes in polish but since I like the series, I’m probably gotta catch’em all :D
Also it is pretty unexpected since fans have been waiting for this series for years, and now its finally here!