Manga License Announcements: February 2025

Manga fans kick off February with several publishers including Yen Press, Viz Media, and even Dark Horse announcing new licenses. As always with these kinds of events, we get excited and hope that we’ll see something that we want to add to our reading list. 

Here are the titles that caught my interest from the announcements.

Yen Press

Neighborhood Craftsmen: Stories from Kanda’s Gokura-chou by Akihito Sakaue

An anthology of stories consisting of creating different kinds of crafts immediately stands out as something different than we see amidst the usual titles of big booba girls that look like children and Isekai. Stories that depict history through craftsmanship in a cozy slice-of-life style certainly brings me onboard. This title also won the New Creator Prize at the 28th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards last year. I hope this title sells well considering it’s stepping outside the mold and doing something unique. 

Suzuki-kun’s Mindful Life by Yuuki Fujimoto

You had me at tall and awkward boy who makes friends with a short outgoing king. This title looks like it will be a lot of fun. I love a good unlikely friendship story.

Almark by Hiyoto Yunoki

This manga is based on a Light Novel of the same name by Noboru Yamada. The promise of a boy trying to follow in his father’s footsteps of being a mercenary but being completely out of his depth piqued my interest. As well as, gasp, a father wanting better for his child?! The cover also sets a tone of a rough lifestyle. It sounds as though this young man will have a lot to live up to on his journey to become a (non Kirin-Tor) mage.

Viz Media

Kingdom by Yasuhisa Hara

This was apparently the most fan-requested title Viz has received. A little disappointing this release was spoiled ahead of time, but it’s here nonetheless. I hope everyone who requested this title puts their money where their mouth is. I would be curious to see the breakdown of top requested titles and how large the gap is between them. With over 70+ volumes, this sets a precedent for the company that they are willing to pick up titles with large volume counts. Especially if they release single volumes, which I hope they do. We need to see less of Omnibus and expensive, overly large hardbacks that are uncomfortable to read.

While I’ve never read the series, given the outcry I will most likely read the first volume to see what it's all about.

The ball is in your court Kodansha. Lets see those prints of Hajime no Ippo, Baby Steps, and Capeta! 

While Viz drummed up a lot of hype, they only announced a box set, a cookbook, and Kingdom. I feel as though they could have easily just added these three titles to their last announcement event and saved a lot of time (and hope from fans).  

Dark Horse

Adabana by NON

Judging from the summary and art, this story doesn’t feel like it will be for the faint of heart. The picture frame set up story has me intrigued. Plus I’m always interested in murder mysteries.

While there’s not a lot to add to my radar, there will still be plenty for me to read in 2025. I will still keep my hopes up that someday we’ll see my own wish list titles like Aoashi, The Days of Diamond, and 7SEEDS.