Our Anime NYC Recap Part 1: VOFAN!

This year at Anime NYC, Vertical was proud to welcome renowned Taiwanese artist VOFAN for his first trip to the largest city in America—New York City!  Know as the “Magician of Light from Taiwan,” VOFAN has drawn characters for game magazines, light novels, and is best known as the star illustrator of the MONOGATARI series novels written by NISIOISIN. To celebrate the launch of his newly remastered art book, Colorful Dreams, VOFAN participated in panels, autograph sessions, press interviews and more though out the weekend. 

Check out some highlights from VOFAN’s appearance at Anime NYC November 15-17! 

Team VOFAN preps before the events, pre-signing and stamping 200 copies of his new art book, Colorful Dreams. These were sold at the Kinokuniya booth and SOLD OUT by Saturday night!

All pre-signed books also came with the Anime NYC exclusive stamp featuring the cover girl of Colorful Dreams.

Booth prep started at the Javits Center from Thursday. We had an art gallery, product display, photo booth, autograph sessions and freebies all weekend.

Over 200 fans came to the live drawing panel on Saturday, November 16.  Post-panel photo with everyone … can you find VOFAN?

VOFAN commemorates his Anime NYC appearance by drawing  golden birds on an EVA Airlines model plane … maybe we will see this in the sky some day!

VOFAN drew detailed sketches for all fans who participated in the autograph session.

Press interviews with some interesting questions … “If you had to personify bubble tea, what would she look like?” Look forward to the answer to this question and more very soon!

The characters were off the page on Sunday for the MONOGATARI cosplay contest … we had 15 participants and many fans in the crowd cheering for their favorite character. VOFAN takes a photo with all the participants in our photo booth.

Congratulations to the winners of the contest!  VOFAN acted as an honorary judge!

And that’s the end!  Thank you to all who visited our booth and panels during Anime NYC!

Special thanks to all  of our partners and sponsors: Animate, EVA Airlines, Kinokuniya, XP-PEN, and Anime NYC!

Our Anime NYC Recap Part 2: Panel announcements!

At our November 17 Sunday morning industry panel, Kodansha Comics and Vertical made some exciting announcements about upcoming titles and events for 2019 and 2020—check out the complete list below! We also had a special guest from Japan, Megumi Kitahara, editor of Kodansha’s Dessert magazine, join us to talk about the behind-the-scene process of making shojo manga! 

Announcements from Vertical!

 
 

OWARIMONOGATARI Part 2 NISIOISIN During October of his third year in high school, Koyomi Araragi is introduced to a transfer student named Ougi Oshino by his underclassman Kanbaru Suruga. Ougi tells Koyomi that she has something she wishes to consult with him. When she draws the map of Naoestu High School, she finds something peculiar on what she draws. This discovery reveals a tale that wasn’t meant to be told, and changes Koyomi’s high school life entirely. This is the story that brings to light “what” makes Koyomi Araragi. This is the story that reveals the “beginning” of everything. On sale February 2020!

ZOKU OWARIMONOGATARI by NISIOISIN Welcome to the end of the final season of the MONOGATARI novel series! On sale July 2020 with new artwork from VOFAN!

Bishōnen Tanteidan (Pretty Boy Detective Club) by NISIOISIN and Suzuka Oda Mayumi Doujima, a second-year student at Yubiwa Private Academy, is a girl on the hunt for a star that can only be seen once in every ten years. But it turns out that the “Pretty Boy Detectives Club”—a mysterious, non-profit organization that is rumored to secretly solve trouble on campus—has decided to help Mayumi search for the star. These five vivacious pretty boys send her reeling, and set the stage for days of risky adventure! Manga on sale Fall 2020!

Chi’s Sweet Home Complete Manga Box Set by Konami Kanata New York Times Best-Seller Chi’s Sweet Home is now compiled into a cute, collectible box set! Includes: 4 volumes + box set case + a cute Chi bonus item. On sale June 2020!

 

WEATHERING WITH YOU by Makoto Shinkai  and Wataru Kubota The summer of freshman year of high school. A boy named Hodaka runs away from his island home and goes to Tokyo, where he spends every day in loneness. Then, in a corner of the bustling city he meets a girl named Hina. But he soon finds out that she possesses a mysterious power. Manga on sale summer 2020! 
 

Digital-First Announcements!

To Write Your Words (Kuchiutsusu) by Aki Amasawa A pure-romance novelist is asked to try her hand at ghost-writing a popular steamy series. But when she injures said hand in a literal run in with her handsome dentist, she fears she’ll lose the job … until he offers to be her hands, as long as she needs … On sale December 3, 2019!

Ex-Enthusiasts: Motokare Mania by Yukari Takinami Yurika Nanba doesn’t need hobbies … not when she spends all of her free time thinking about her ex-boyfriend! Notwithstanding that they’ve been broken up for 5 years (and she hasn’t heard from him at all), Yurika proudly describes herself as a “Motokare Mania”—an Ex-Boyfriend Enthusiast. But just when a new love seems on the horizon, the company she works at makes a new hire … her ex! On sale December 10 (live-action drama announced in Japan)! 

Watari-kun’s ***** Is about to Collapse by Naru Narumi Naoto Watari has had his share of struggles: His parents died two years ago, and now he and his sister live at his aunt’s house. There, his desire to protect his sister earned him notoriety as “the guy with the sister complex,”—which never mattered to him, as his sister always came first. But when Satsuki, a childhood friend-turned-enemy, becomes his school mate, Naoto’s ordinary life is thrown into chaos … and Satsuki may just be the beginning. On sale December 17!

Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns by Akiko Higashimura Rinko, Kaori and Koyuki swore they would get married by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics … Now they’re about to step into a new chapter of romance … but will they, should they, finally get married? On sale December 24!

To Be Next to You by Atsuko Nanba Nina is in love with her kind, handsome neighbor Kyosuke, and though he’s off to high school, she doesn’t see their friendly relationship changing much at all. But soon enough, Nina finds Kyosuke kissing another girl, his classmate. Will the one-year difference change them after all? Or can she work up the courage to confess and win him over once and for all? A sweet story of the joys and pains of first love. On sale December 31!

That Blue Summer by Atsuko Nanba Rio was looking forward to spending her summer vacation in Tokyo, meeting boys and going out with friends. But after a change of plans forces her to stay the (whole!!) summer with her grandmother in the countryside, she’s devastated … until she meets Ginzo, a handsome, mysterious guy with incredible talent and a hidden past … On sale January 7, 2020!

GE—Good Ending by Kei Sasuga High school student Eiji is in love with Aki, the head of the tennis team, but he is unable to ask her out. Another student, Yuki, discovers his obsession with Aki, and promises to help him get closer to her … but Yuki’s help comes at a cost, and soon, the analytical, strategic Eiji finds himself deep in the messy turmoil of emotion … By the author of Domestic Girlfriend! On sale January 14!

MabuSasa by Nanase Akira Sasagawa is a typical high school girl: cute, bubbly … and completely obsessed with BL. One day, she spots her fellow classmate, Mabuchi-kun, at her favorite bookstore, in her favorite aisle, and her fervor is ignited: Could a rough-and-tumble, mean-eyed guy like him possibly love BL too? Her quest to find out leads her to a conclusion even she can’t believe, and their otaku romantic comedy of errors begins! On sale January 21!

And more romance titles are coming as digital-firsts in the month of February!

Let’s Kiss in Secret Tomorrow by Uri Sagata On sale February 4!

The Dorm of Love and Secrets by Nikki Asada On sale February 11!

I’ll Win You Over, Senpai! by Shin Shinmoto On sale February 18!

I Fell in Love after School by Haruki Mitsui On sale February 25!

Print Announcements!

Whisper Me a Love Song by Eku Takeshima Bubbly, energetic first-year high school student Himari falls head over heels for her senpai Yori after hearing her band perform on the first day of school. Himari tells Yori she just loves her, and, to Himari’s surprise, Yori says she loves Himari back! But when Himari realizes that she and her senpai are feeling two different kinds of love, she begins to ask herself what “love” really means … On sale Fall 2020!

Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi Yatora is the perfect high school student, with good grades and lots of friends. It’s an effortless performance, and, ultimately … a dull one. But he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. Compelled and consumed, he dives in headfirst—and he’s about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be! On sale Fall 2020!

Life Lessons of Uramichi-Oniisan by Gaku Kuze Uramichi is 31. Uramichi appears on children’s TV alongside two grown men dressed as forest creatures and a singing woman with a very short fuse. Uramichi leads little kids in exercises and answers their questions about life. But Uramichi’s life is pain. Uramichi just wants to be miserable in peace. But, in his words,“There are games that don’t end even after you forfeit. Like life, for example … ” On sale Fall 2020 (anime previously announced)!

Heaven’s Design Team by Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki, and TARAKO On the seventh day, God rested. But it turns out He started getting tired long before … In fact, when it came time to design the animals, God outsourced the whole thing to an agency … Heaven’s Design Team! They love their work—the giraffe, the koala, the ping-pong tree sponge(?!)—but their divine client’s demands are often vague, and the results are sometimes wild in more ways than one! Print edition on sale Fall 2020—digital editions on sale now!

Wow, that’s a whole lot of upcoming titles! Stay tuned for more news!