Seven Seas has announced that the classic Boogiepop light novel series (written by Kouhei Kadono, illustrated by Kouji Ogata) will be making a comeback in English this year. Previous volumes that the publisher released back in 2006-2008 will be reprinted in omnibus format, with three volumes per book. The first six volumes of the series are planned for release, so that means two of the volumes will constitute new material for the long-time English fans who have stuck around for 10+ years. Seven Seas will also be releasing the series digitally as ebooks, which they started doing a few months ago.
To help keep track of things, here’s a list of the Boogiepop novels Seven Seas has licensed (along with their original release windows in Japanese and English):
- Volume 1 — Boogiepop and Others
JPN: February 1998 — ENG: February 2006 - Volume 2 — Boogiepop Returns (Pt 1)
JPN: August 1998 — ENG: June 2006 - Volume 3 — Boogiepop Returns (Pt 2)
JPN: August 1998 — ENG: October 2006 - Volume 4 — Boogiepop in the Mirror
JPN: December 1998 - Volume 5 — Boogiepop Overdrive
JPN: February 1999 - Volume 6 — Boogiepop at Dawn
JPN: May 1999 — ENG: August 2008
Note: Volume 6 is a prequel novel, so it could also be considered “volume 0” for the series. There were also many more Boogiepop volumes released in Japan over the years to follow, including various spinoffs. (According to lndb.info, there are 21 volumes for the Boogiepop main series so far, and it is ongoing.)
From what I gather, Seven Seas will release volumes 1-3 as omnibus #1 on October 9, 2018. Then a second omnibus containing volumes 4-6 (with 4 and 5 being new material for English readers) will release some time after that.
Seven Seas will also release the Boogiepop novels as single volumes digitally. The first three are already available, so you can start reading now if you don’t want to wait.
Seven Seas describes the story:
There's an urban legend that children tell about a shinigami that can release people from the pain they are suffering. This “Angel of Death†has a name: Boogiepop. And the legends are true. Boogiepop is real. Told in a non-linear fashion that asks the reader to piece together the sequence of events to solve the mysteries alongside the characters, Kouhei Kadono's first Boogiepop novel took First Place in Media Works' Dengeki Game Novel Contest in 1997 and ignited the Japanese “light novel†trend. Today, there are millions of Boogiepop novels in print, a live-action feature film and manga adaptation based on the first book entitled Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh, an original manga called Boogiepop Dual, and the unforgettable original anime series Boogiepop Phantom.
“Boogiepop was the first Japanese series we licensed, and bringing it back has always been on my wishlist since it's such an engaging series with iconic characters,†says Seven Seas editor-in-chief Adam Arnold. “The added bonus is we finally have the chance to bring two new novels out in English for the first time, as fans have been asking us for more Boogiepop for years. It took some time, but we're making good on those requests!â€
There was a 12-episode anime series titled Boogiepop Phantom (AKA “Boogiepop Doesn’t Laugh”), which aired in 2000. A new Boogiepop anime series was recently announced, and is planned for release in 2018 by Madhouse Studio.
