Yen Press unveil new manga and light novel announcements

After promising some new announcements earlier in the week, Yen Press duly delivered last night by dropping news of a bundle of new licenses onto their web site, offering up some exciting additions to their new light novel imprint as well as some big manga acquistions. Here's what they lifted the lid on:

- Sword Art Online: Progressive - Reki Kawahara's light novel retelling and expansion upon the series' original Aincrad story arc will be arriving some time in 2015. The publisher has also licensed this story's manga adaptation from Kiseki Himura for a release in a similar timeframe.

- Absolute Solitude - Yen Press have also bagged author Reki Kawahara's latest light novel series, which is yet to see its first volume published in Japan but will likely see an English release soon after its Japanese debut.

- Kagerou Daze - This light novel, which forms the basis of the currently airing Mekakucity Actors anime (available in streaming form to the UK via Animax), tells the story of a NEET who stumbles into some decidedly strange events when forced to leave his home one day. Again, Yen Press have also licensed the manga adaptation of the original light novel, and both editions will see a release in early 2015.

- Akame ga Kill! - With a much-anticipated anime adaptation airing in Japan this summer, Yen Press have also snapped up Akame ga Kill's original manga, the story of a down on his luck fighter who, after some traumatic events, finds himself on the verge of joining a team of assassins who seek to remove the world's corrupt individuals and fight against the Empire which rules over all. The first volume of the series is slated for a release in early 2015.

- Secret - Following their previous releases of Doubt and JUDGE, Yen Press have now also picked up Yoshiki Tonogai's manga series Secret, the tale of six survivors of a bus accident of which some are murderers who need to repent for their crimes lest they be handed over to the police. Yen Press will be releasing new chapters of the series digitally alongside their Japanese releases, with the first full volume to be released in print early in 2015.

- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days / Kingdom Hearts II - New volumes of both of these releases have now been confirmed by the publisher, with the former's final two volumes arriving late in 2014 while the latter's next omnibus volume should also arrive in the winter.

Are you excited about any of these acquisitions? Let us know in the comments!