Straight from the Seven Seas Shares the Love Social Media Event of Feb 19-21 come four new light novel announcements (three of which revolve around LGBT+ themes)!
License Announcements
Sarazanmai by Kunihiko Ikuhara and Teruko Utsumi
“Based on the hit LGBT+ anime about friendship, secrets, and growing up! After accidentally breaking a statue of a mythical kappa, junior high students Kazuki, Toi, and Enta are transformed into kappa themselves as punishment by Keppi, prince of the Kappa Kingdom. Keppi has a task for the boys if they want their bodies back: work for him to hunt down zombie kappa born of twisted human desires. Even scarier, though? They're going to have to expose their own deepest fears and desires to each other to do so! This surrealist modern folktale, which was a fan-favorite anime in 2019, is now a 2-volume novel series by the original writers of the show!”
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter by Meguru Seto, Takehana Note, and Tomoyuki Hino
“A fantasy light novel and manga series about a new hero exploring a secret labyrinth! Noir is the son of a minor noble with very little to his name other than a job offer–which is canceled before he can even start his first day. He does possess one rare trait, though: the magical ability to consult with a great sage, even if using the skill gives him terrible headaches! Unsure of what his future holds, he accesses the sage for advice on how to move forward and is directed to a secret dungeon filled with rare beasts and magical items. It is here that Noir will train, compiling experience and wealth, until he's powerful enough to change his fate.”
ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! by kiki and Kinta
“A dark and bloody light novel series about two women fighting fate and finding love in each other. Flamme Apricot would've been content to live her entire life in her little village in peace. Unfortunately for her, a god prophesied she would be the one to defeat the Demon King–and Flamme, with her terrible stats and useless abilities, has known nothing but misery ever since. Her life hits rock bottom when the hero's party, fed up with dragging her dead weight along, decides to sell her off into slavery to get rid of her. But a brush with death finally awakens something in Flamme–rather than ending, her story might just be getting started. And this time, instead of a traitorous party, she has a woman she loves by her side.”
Yes, No, or Maybe? by Michi Ichiho and Lala Takemiya
“The fan-favorite Boys' Love light novel about the secret lives of men who work in television–soon to be an anime! Kunieda Kei is a popular TV announcer known for being a cool and flawless professional. But on the inside, he's the opposite: brash, hot-tempered, and as prickly as can be. Still, Kei juggles his private and professional personas successfully until one day, the unthinkable happens: stop-motion animator Tsuzuki Ushio from work sees him at the grocery store with his real personality on display! Now Kei has to figure out how to navigate a relationship he didn't expect. But is that really as scary as the possibility that someone might love both sides of him?”
Yuri and Yaoi and everything inbetween seem to be Seven Seas’s bae these days – it was even the top category in their survey of reader recommendations last year, ahead of all other genres! It’ll be interesting to see what else they find to bring over in the future.
News Stories
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Novel Series Surpasses One Million Copies in Print
A Sister’s All You Need Author Teases Surprise Project With Final Novel Volume – This series is currently licensed by Yen Press and is on its 6th volume in English.
Oreshura Light Novel Series Gets 1st New Volume in 3 Years – “Eita Kidou is a high school freshman with excellent grades and a disdain for love. Along with his childhood friend Chiwa Harusaki, a girl who’s nearly a sister to him, Eita lived an ordinary school life concentrating on his studies. This was all until the school’s most beautiful girl, Masuzu Natsukawa, surprisingly confesses her love to Eita. However, her true desire is only to fool the eyes of others and pretend to be a couple. With a “certain secret†of his in Masuzu’s hands, Eita is forced to play along. Moreover, a fierce battle over Eita begins as his ex-girlfriend, Himeka, and his virtual fiancé, Ai, join the fray! Will Eita be able to continue his ordinary school life while maintaining a pretend relationship and dealing with all of his admirers?”
By the Grace of the Gods Fantasy Light Novel Series Gets Anime – The first English volume of this series from J-Novel Club debuted this month.
Kindaichi Case Files Gaiden Spinoff Manga Ends Within Next Month – The first four light novels in this long-running series actually did receive an English translation back in 1996, though they were only released in Japan as part of the Kodansha English Library.
Detective Conan Novel About Akai Family Debuts in Newspaper – “In the story, Japan is celebrating the upcoming World Sports Games (WSG), the world’s largest sporting event, in Tokyo. The “Japanese Bullet,” the world’s first vacuum-tube super-conducting linear train, is built with the latest Japanese technology and timed to coincide with the WSG opening ceremonies. The train is set to run from Shin Nagoya Station to Tokyo Station at up to 1,000 kilometers per hour (about 600 miles per hour). However, a bizarre incident occurs during a party held by famous major sponsors, leading to a string of kidnappings of top executives. Conan deduces a possible link to serial abductions in the WSG 15 years earlier in Boston.”
New Mashin EiyÅ«den Wataru Anime Project Reveals Cast, April 10 Premiere – “A novel adaptation will serialize on the Yatate Bunko website, Sunrise’s novel imprint, beginning in April. The project’s story follows series protagonist Wataru, who goes to the world SÅkaizan in response to a call about an incident there. An evil presence shrouds the area, and the robot RyÅ«jinmaru’s power has been sealed. Together with his friends Shibaraku, ToraÅ, and Himiko, Wataru begins a new journey.”
Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average Becomes Earth Star Novel’s First One Million Seller – This series is currently being published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment and is on its 8th volume.
Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash Novels Get Manga by Beltorchika’s Children Manga Artist – “The novel series is set in the year UC0105 and centers around Hathaway Noa, who appeared in the 1988 film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack as the son of the influential Federation ship captain Bright Noa. The novel series deals with the aftermath of Char’s Counterattack’s climatic finale.”