Manga Licensing Panel at Anime Expo 2026 Emphasizes Empathy and Instinct
The panel reveals that manga licensing decisions are driven by a combination of emotional resonance and commercial analysis, with publishers taking calculated risks on titles they personally believe in.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
At Anime Expo 2026, a panel of manga publishing executives discussed the balance between emotional instinct and hard data when licensing titles. Panelists from Square Enix, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Inklore described the process as an exercise in empathy, where personal passion and analytical sales projections both play a role in deciding which manga to bring to English readers.
At Anime Expo 2026, a panel titled "Japan to the US: How Manga is Acquired and What Breaks Through?" brought together executives from Square Enix Manga & Books, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Inklore to discuss the realities of manga licensing. Leyla Aker of Square Enix described the field as requiring a "gentle madness," while Ben Applegate of Kodansha called the selection process "an exercise in empathy." Panelists agreed that while sales data and market trends are important, a publisher's instinctual emotional response to a title often guides the final decision. Hope Donovan of Viz Media noted that being moved by a work personally is a strong signal that others will be moved too. The panel acknowledged that not every licensed title becomes a best-seller, but each receives the same careful consideration backed by passion.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.