As an American manga reader, I can say with confidence that many others here in the US love and prefer print manga. With the majority of digital purchases of media only granting a license rather than ownership, there are a few concerns. Access to digital media can be easily revoked from platforms when a license expires, and platforms themselves can disappear. Manga and comics in general have been no exception to this.
But even with BL’s popularity, it would be impossible to license and print all the titles out there! There are some digital-only titles have been licensed for print release by American publishers. But some digital publishers have also joined in print publishing! Today, I will introduce two different Japan-based manga publishers who have a handful of titles now in print. I briefly mentioned them in my post Who is Publishing BL in English? but am excited to talk about them a little more.
First off is Animate International (not to be confused with the online store with the same name). The company is a part of the Animate Group and primarily works in importing overseas goods and film distribution. But in 2021, they began to publish titles digitally in English with their first announcements being Kabukicho Bad Trip and Lala’s Married Life. They partner with a few different publishers, especially those within the Animate Group, such as libre and Frontier Works. Their digital titles are available across multiple Japan-based and US-based platforms, giving readers flexibility to choose. While they have no official website, their linktree lists all their available titles. They have a great selection of titles, and I highly recommend checking their works out! Some of my favorite digital titles from them include Breathless Momentum by Zeniko Sumiya, Dear My Killer Tune by Iyada, and Kimi no Sumire: Your Spring Flower by Arashi Arima.
At Anime Expo 2023, they announced their first print release. Since then, they have released 6 titles in print, with their most recent being the first volume of the popular Tashiro-kun, Why’re You Like This? For multi-volume titles, so far only the first volumes have been released at this time. Animate International’s titles are primarily available to purchase through Animate’s international and US stores, Kinokuniya USA, the Crunchyroll Store, and Amazon. Outside the US, some of their titles are available in Canada through the shop The Beguiling.
Here are their list of titles available in print:
β‘ Living with Him by Toworu Miyata
β‘ Mask Danshi: This Shouldn’t Lead to Love Vol. 1 by Mitsuru Sangou
β‘ Love and the Highly Sensitive Person by Chimi Sarukawa
β‘ Countdown to Yes by Roji
β‘ Kabukicho Bad Trip Vol. 1 by Eiji Nagisa
β‘ Tashiro-kun, Why’re You Like This? Vol 1. by Yamada
Next is Manga Planet/Futekiya, a digital publisher and platform owned by FANTASISTA. Futekiya is the BL branch of Manga Planet, which used to be a separate site and subscription until it merged with Manga Planet’s main site in 2023. Now it has both a subscription plan (Manga Planet Pass) and points to purchase works. Some titles are available in full through the subscription, while others are point purchase only. Some are available through both the subscription (either in full or in part) and point purchase.
I’ve personally really enjoyed the selection of Futekiya titles on Manga Planet since I heard about it last year. It’s a service I recommend for new BL fans, as the Pass gives access to a great amount of titles at an affordable rate. Midnight Bookstore by Tacocasi, the Pornographer (along with its prequel and sequel) by Maki Marukido, Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame, and City Lights Birthday by Chika Hongo (available in print!) are some titles I’ve enjoyed. While most of the Futekiya titles available with the Pass are from 2023 and earlier, there have been some additions in the last year and a half, such as Color Collection by Tomo Serizawa. I’ve only used the current Manga Planet site, but I’ve heard great things about the old Futekiya one. I even heard there was a blog with some author interviews and posts on BL information, which I would have loved to see!
In 2023, Manga Planet announced they would begin printing some titles. Since then, they have released 14 titles in print, all but 1 being Futekiya titles. While some of the Manga Planet/Futekiya titles are currently exclusively available to purchase from Kinokuniya USA, they have been expanding distribution to other stores, including international ones. Their list of printed books is available here, along with a form for booksellers interested in carrying their books and a form for print requests.
As I mentioned on Twitter (X), I feel like they are not as well-known outside those who are already fans of BL, so I wanted to highlight them in this post today! Both publishers had their books available at Anime Expo this past weekend and have attended the convention in past years, so happy to see they have a presence there. I look forward to seeing what new titles they will bring digitally and to print. I also hope to see them have greater distribution for their print books. I know I’m fortunate to live in the US and have a local Kinokuniya, but I feel for international fans who wish to support them but cannot as easily.
And since they aren’t distributed in the same way as larger publishers, I’m not sure how libraries can acquire some of these books! Regardless, I filled a patron purchase request form and we’ll see if it goes through in the coming weeks. I also wonder what the feasibility is to have their digital works on platforms such as Hoopla or Libby (though this is more for Animate International rather than Manga Planet, since those titles are mainly locked to the platform.)
Regardless, I’m glad these publishers took the chance to print their titles and wish for their continued success! I own a few books from both publishers and am waiting for some to come in as I write this. (I plan to write about some of these in the future too!)
Thanks for reading, I hope this was informative. If you’re a BL fan and haven’t checked out the publishers yet, I definitely recommend it. Both have a range of sweet to spicy works so there’s something for everyone.
See you next time!
Stacks of BL 