Awhile back, there were news that Kodansha USA will be taking over the publishing of their titles from Del Rey but new news tell it a little bit differently. Apparently, Del Rey will continue to publish series until their license expires in a year or two. Such series include CLAMP’s xxxHOLIC, Tsubasa, and RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE to name a few.
Kodansha USA, in the meantime, is already planning their release schedule and new website ready for their debut as English language publishers. New titles they have announced include Monster Hunter Orage, The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Animal Land (from creator of Zatch Bell), Cage of Eden, Bloody Monday, and Gon. Del Rey will remain the distributor for Kodansha’s manga which was their agreement.
All in all, I hope this is a start of a good thing as I believe having the publisher involved in the localization directly is a massive plus. Fans can now directly contact Kodansha and give them their views, opinions, and support. In turn, I hope Kodansha doesn’t let their fans down and bring out excellent releases translation-wise. I don’t know about you but I’m really looking forward to next year!
