Yen Press Licenses Nine Titles at Anime North 2026
The inclusion of a prequel novel to a currently-airing anime adaptation and a novelization of a popular shojo manga signals Yen Press's strategy of pairing franchise extensions with fresh, genre-diverse manga debuts.
Key Facts
- Yen Press announced nine new licenses at Anime North 2026 in Toronto on May 22.
- The slate includes two novels: a prequel to 'Wistoria: Wand and Sword' by Fujino Omori and a novel adaptation of 'Honey Lemon Soda' by Anju Goshirakawa.
- The seven manga titles are 'Snowmelt and Agapanthus,' 'Witch and Cat,' 'Sinful Is the Angel Who Loves,' 'Shigahime,' 'Studio Cabana,' 'Gusts and Beats,' and 'Twilight Vessel-Gods.'
- The 'Wistoria' prequel novel arrives as the manga's second anime season began airing on April 12, 2026.
- All titles are scheduled for release between December 2026 and early winter 2027.
Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Trending, The Fandom Post.
Yen Press announced nine new license acquisitions during its industry panel at Anime North 2026 in Toronto on May 22. The slate includes two novel series and seven manga titles, scheduled for release in December 2026 and winter 2027. The novel pickups are a prequel to the manga "Wistoria: Wand and Sword" by Fujino Omori with illustrations by Yunagi, and a novel adaptation of "Honey Lemon Soda" by Anju Goshirakawa based on Mayu Murata's original story. The seven manga are "Snowmelt and Agapanthus" by Nauchi, "Witch and Cat" by Yodaka Kuroi, "Sinful Is the Angel Who Loves" by Yukari Sakai, "Shigahime" by Hirohisa Sato, "Studio Cabana" by Uma Agri, "Gusts and Beats" by Karuho Shiina, and "Twilight Vessel-Gods" by Shin Yamamoto. The genres span supernatural romance, psychological horror, action, and queer romance. The "Wistoria" prequel novel, titled "Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria Grimo Acta: Hajimari no Namida" in Japanese, arrives as the manga's second anime season began airing on April 12, 2026.
Yen Press announced the nine-title slate at its annual Anime North panel, held this year in Toronto. The two novels lead the lineup: the "Wistoria: Wand and Sword" prequel is written by the manga's original author Fujino Omori, and the "Honey Lemon Soda" novel is adapted by Anju Goshirakawa. The seven manga range from the psychological horror of Hirohisa Sato's "Shigahime" to the queer romance of Nauchi's "Snowmelt and Agapanthus" and the supernatural action of Shin Yamamoto's "Twilight Vessel-Gods." Karuho Shiina, known for "Kimi ni Todoke," contributes "Gusts and Beats," a supernatural school story. All titles are set for release between December 2026 and early winter 2027.
- Wistoria: Wand and Sword (novel): Prequel novel by Fujino Omori, illustrated by Yunagi
- Honey Lemon Soda (novel): Novel adaptation by Anju Goshirakawa, based on Mayu Murata's manga
- Snowmelt and Agapanthus: Manga by Nauchi, queer romance
- Witch and Cat: Manga by Yodaka Kuroi, supernatural romance
- Sinful Is the Angel Who Loves: Manga by Yukari Sakai, dark fantasy
- Shigahime: Manga by Hirohisa Sato, psychological horror
- Studio Cabana: Manga by Uma Agri, music-themed romance
- Gusts and Beats: Manga by Karuho Shiina, supernatural school story
- Twilight Vessel-Gods: Manga by Shin Yamamoto, action fantasy
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.