Sol Press is a localization agency and publisher that started translating visual novels in 2017, and has now announced licenses for two light novel series:
- Strongest Gamer: Let's Play in Another World — written by Yuki Shinobu (with art by Itsuwa Katou)
- Battle Divas: The Incorruptible Battle Blossom Princess — written by Kouka Kishine (with art by Nekonabeao)
Sol Press recently hosted an AMA (“ask me anything”) session on Reddit, so you can learn more about the company and their new light novels there. It sounds like titles may receive physical editions once enough digital copies have been sold. For the digital releases, the AMA mentions Kindle, Google Books, and iBooks for online storefronts.
Strongest Gamer — volume 1 to release digitally on April 30th
This series is published by Overlap Bunko in Japan, and so far there are two volumes released there. (Japan website)
Synopsis: “I-Isn't this a little too hardcore!?†Kousaka Aoi is a young, avid gamer well-versed in all types of gaming. Down on his luck, he comes upon a suspicious job offer looking for those “proficient in games.” Things were looking up, but before he knew it… he’s thrown into another world! And now finds himself stuck at the bottom of a ravine with nothing but a pickaxe and shovel. At a loss of what to do, he slowly learns he can make a living in this by trading items he can craft. What other possibilities are there in this new ever-expanding, game-like world our protagonist finds himself in!? “If that’s how it is, then I guess it’s time to use all the knowledge I’ve gained from games, and let my gaming spirit shine!” Let’s get to writing a strategy guide! I may be stuck in another world, but I'll do my best to make the most of it!
Battle Divas — volume 1 to release digitally on April 30th
This series is also published by Overlap Bunko in Japan, and so far there are three volumes released there. (Japan website)
Synopsis: Once upon a time, our world was blessed by the Valkyrie, a goddess of war whose fleeting beauty shone brilliantly on the battlefield. Her campaign against the wretched Demon King proved victorious, with the evil being sealed away by the beautiful warrior. Many years later, the young King Alnoa has just returned home after staving off another invasion of his homeland. Before he can even change out of his battle attire, his sister Cecilia comes to him with startling news: Sharon and Lesfina, both princesses and Divas blessed with the power of the Valkyrie, seek his hand in marriage. Alnoa isn't fond of the idea, but his feelings mean little in the face of politics. He arranges to meet them one month apart and will choose one to be his bride, ushering in a new era for his kingdom. Now it's time for our young king to meet the first candidate. He awaits her at the castle gates… But wait! Both candidates showed up at the same time!?
Sol Press – never heard of them. Checked their site and they seemed to be also planning to release visual novels.
As for the light novels… eh… Premise wise, it’s not that different or unique from what’s in the market and the web. I checked the character profiles of Battle Divas on their microsite of the novel and they are as generic as you imagine them to be by their quote alone.
Nonetheless! I will give the first and second volume a try.
Is there a reason to create physical after digital?
Hey Node.
I suppose they aimed for two titles they could afford and were in their early stages in Japan (2 or 3 volumes). They seem to rely on crowd funding for their Visual Novel development, and don’t strike me as a deep pockets company like Yen for example.
Furthermore, while the more active fans complain about isekai (check the reddit channel), the fact is it sells! The guys at J-Novel run a Q&A on the CuriousCat platform and have been challenged on the amount of isekai titles they’ve licensed… the answer has always been that they sell really well! And if you’re starting up, you really want some easy wins before you go for niche titles.
As for love duel LN, they’ve translated the visual Novel Sakura Sakura which seems to be very similar in genre. Maybe a favorite of theirs? Who knows!? But again, if you’re starting up it’s always better to play it safe with a genre you’re familiar with.
All that said, definitely worth giving them a chance :) Imho, the title selection shows they’ve put some thought behind their strategy!