Anime Expo 2019: Square Enix Announces New Manga & Books

Square Enix representatives were on hand at Anime Expo this year to detail the company's new Square Enix Manga and Square Enix Books imprints unveiled in May. Lead presenter Masa of the manga/book program was joined by lead editor Tania Biswas (responsible for bringing titles from Japan) and Square Enix America PR representatives Stephanie and Rachel.

Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, by Atsushi Ohkubo, is about Maka, a weapon meister at Death Weapon Meister Academy, who is determined to turn her partner, the living scythe Soul Eater, into the Death Scythe -- the ultimate weapon of Death himself. She just has to find the tainted souls of 99 humans and one witch first. This edition includes new cover illustrations by Ohkubo-sensei, all color pages from the magazine serialization (never available in English before), a larger format and the full 25 volumes of the series now condensed into 17. The manga is coming later this year.

Hi Score Girl, by Rensuke Oshikiri, is set in the early 1990s and follows skilled gamer Haruo who is confronted with a gamer girl who defeats him and halts his winning streak. A rivalry ensues, but so does an unlikely friendship. The manga is expected this year; the anime is on Netflix, with the second season debuting in Japan in October.

A Man and His Cat, by Umi Sakurai, follows the heartwarming and funny story of an elegant man who stops in a pet store one day and leaves for home with a 1-year-old cat named Fukumaru. The series is about how much love an animal can bring into your life and how much better your life can be with a pet. This manga was the No. 1 top launch in Japan in the first half of 2018, and is coming in 2019. Stamps are available for purchase by searching Ojisama to Neko on the LINE messaging app.

Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town (story by Toshio Satou, art by Hajime Fusemachi, character design by Nao Watanuki) is about a young boy with big dreams who heads to the imperial capital to become a soldier in defiance of neighbors who consider him weak. Everyone around him soon discovers that weak is relative when you're descended from heroes. This manga is expected to hit stores in 2020.

Marked for Failure, the World's Strongest Sage Reincarnates for a Do-Over! -- story by Shinkoshoto, art by Kansho and Hyoko (Friendly Land), character design by Huuka Kazabana -- is the tale of the world's strongest sage who reincarnates to become even stronger, only to be born into a world where no one recognizes his potential. Mathias faces an uphill battle to prove everyone wrong. This manga includes new short stories written by the author of the original light novel and is expected to arrive in 2020.

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (story by Jougi Shiraishi, art by Itsuki Nanao, character design by Azuru) is about a full-fledged witch named Elaina who, instead of receiving great fanfare in the Land of Witches, is waylaid by a chance encounter and denied the recognition she deserves. Propelled on an unexpected adventure as a result, she leaves a mark on the creatures and people she meets. This adaptation of the light novel that ranked No. 1 on Amazon Kindle in Japan is anticipated to make its manga debut in 2020.

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?, by Yuu Toyota, is a heartwarming romantic comedy that tells the tale of a 30-year-old virgin named Adachi who has developed the ability to read people's minds by touching them, and what happens when a brush with a handsome colleague reveals that he has a crush on Adachi himself. Ranked No. 1 on Japan's Bookstore Employees' Recommended Boys Love Manga of 2019, this first BL series by Square Enix is a popular series on Pixiv Comics and expected to release in 2020.

My Dress-Up Darling, by Shinichi Fukuda, is about a high school boy with a passion for traditional dolls and a talent for sewing and crafting who finds himself making cosplay outfits for one of the prettiest, most popular girls in his class. This odd couple's interactions get racier as they grow closer. The manga is anticipated in 2020.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy: History's Strongest Demon King Reincarnates and Goes to School with His Descendants (story by SHU, art by Kayaharuka, character design by Yoshinori Shizuma) is the tale of demon king Anoth and what happens when his hoped-for peaceful reincarnation results in attending school with his descendants 2,000 years later. With magic on its last legs in this era, no one can assess or appreciate Anoth's true power and he has to overcome a reputation as a failure. This manga is anticipated in 2020.

To oppose the gods or to follow your destiny? Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future, by Jun Eishima, is a follow-up story about the dawn of the world, a new history of Final Fantasy XV and its characters: Ardyn, Aranea, Lunafreya and Noctis. The novel (~400 pages in the Japanese edition) contains basically four stories following the characters with additional context to their stories that weren't fully seen in the game and also sheds some new light on what happens after the game so kind of provides a new ending to Final Fantasy XV. It is coming this year. (The expanded cover illustration seen below might be included as a poster inside the book exclusively for the English edition.)

For more information and updates about Square Enix titles, visit Square-Enix-Books.com.

More Anime Expo coverage can be found here: Anime Expo 2019: Exhibitors, Artists & Cosplay.

More photos from Anime Expo can be found in the Photography section.