2015, in my book, was the Year of Manga. Summer con season really blew the doors open; we got things we thought we would never see stateside — josei titles old and new, more 4-koma, and long-running sports manga. Every time I turned around there seemed to be a new license worth celebrating!
Thankfully, while my head was spinning all year Reverse Thieves continually kept a very through list of “All The Titles Fit to License, 2015 Edition” making this year-end look back far easier than it should be. Though it was tough to whittle it down, below you’ll find my top five manga licenses for 2015.
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5. Planetes | Makoto Yukimura | Dark Horse | Volume 1: December 22, 2015
This one hit store shelves within the last week, but its initial announcement back in April of this year made me glad I’d get to see this missed gem. Initially licensed by Tokyopop back in the day, the series fell into purgatory after the company shut it doors a few years ago. And while I just so happened to stumble across the first two volumes second-hand for cheap earlier this year, one flip through the large trim, spruced up Dark Horse version let’s me know this is where my Christmas Barnes and Noble gift card is going.
4. Princess Jellyfish | Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha | Volume 1: February 23, 2016
It verged on ridiculous as far as how often this title was requested on Kodansha’s tumblr. I love and wanted this josei series too, but I’d long given on this ever making it stateside. If there’s one thing 2015 taught me as a manga fan though, it is to never give up. Not only did we get digital releases on Crunchyroll, which I reviewed here, but we also got a print omnibus license due next year. Josei manga lives!
3. Haikyu!! | Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media | Volume 1: July 5, 2016
I’m here to tell you that Haikyu!! is the best thing ever. It just is. I should also tell you that I had absolutely no real interest in the Haikyu!! manga until Deb Aoki hyped the summer license in my Twitter feed. From there I gave the anime a whirl, and a season and a half and five anime figures in my living room later, I can’t stop thinking about this series. The only thing I’m angry about is that Viz couldn’t just print off copies the day of the license announcement, and that we actually have to wait until July. July!
2. The Rose of Versailles | Riyoko Ikeda | Udon Entertainment | Volume 1: TBA
This license still blows my mind and simultaneously confuses me in a variety of ways. I can’t quite wrap my head around it. The Rose of Versailles, the manga? When Rightstuf nabbed the anime a few years back that was scream-worthy enough (that, and it is a really good series), but this? And Udon? Like, this is still actually happening? Is someone trolling all classic manga fans? Because clearly the rumor for years was that Ikeda either said, “NO.” or she wanted a hell of a lot of money for the license. That, and Udon puts out pretty artbooks. I like them. But manga? The “license that made me curse in sheer joy” award single-handedly goes to Udon, for The Rose of Versailles.
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1. Goodnight Punpun | Asano Inio | Viz Media | Volume 1: March 15, 2016
This license almost made me cry, and I kind of want Viz to know that. I have wanted this series for so, so long. I even mentioned it over at OASG when we looked back over all the license goodies over the summer; I still wanted this one. I was alreadu pleased enough to hear another 2015 honorable mention license of his from Vertical, A Girl on the Shore, but this was almost too much. We need more Asano, any Asano, and the fact that we got his biggest work makes me so happy. I wish I could think of more coherent things to say for my number one license of the year, but I just can’t. Just buy it in March!
Honorable Mentions: Giganto Maxia, A Girl on the Shore, I am Hero, QQ Sweeper, Yowamushi Pedal
Ya’ll, 2015 was a blast in terms of licenses. What a year. That said, what are your top licenses for 2015? What do you hope to see in 2016?
The post My Top Five 2015 Manga Licenses appeared first on Manga Connection.
