Kodansha has revealed multiple new licenses during Anime NYC 2026, most of which will release in fall 2027. The other licenses are part of the Kodansha Print Club.
The new licenses are as follows:
How to Grill Our Love
By Shiori Hanatsuka
JP Title: 焼いてるふたり
Debut Date: September 2026
Dating can be tough when you nerd out over barbecue. Kenta, a practical pitmaster, looks for a grill-friend in Chihiro, an aloof and faultless business babe…or is she? Scared of being rejected for who they really are, the two of them find comfort in food and each other…and all is well until Kenta must transfer away. With their developing relationship at steak, Chihiro proposes they tie the knot and they marry for better or wurst. Winging a long-distance marriage is one thing, but here’s the rub—they barely know each other! It’s a rare marriage where all the awkwardness of dating meets a sizzling passion for grilling!
Rated: 13+
Abe-kun’s Got Me Now
By Aki Iwai
JP Title: 阿部くんに狙われてます
Debut Date: December 2026
The upbeat Akari couldn’t care less about her school’s pride and joy, Abe-kun, despite him qualifying for the national karate championship. He’s giant and uncouth, and he couldn’t be further from her angelic childhood friend, Takuto. One day, when Abe-kun injures his arm protecting Akari, she rushes to his aid…and learns his secret. Now, Akari has met her match—parrying with a jock who’s raring to go!
Turn up the steam in this sporty, high-school romcom between a sharp-tongued girl who swears she hates jocks and the single-minded, loyal karate champ who loves her. A little spicy, a little protective, Abe-kun will get you, too!
Rated: 13+
I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die
By Umi Shiina
JP Title: 青野くんに触りたいから死にたい
Debut Date: December 2026
Yuri-chan may be an airheaded high school girl, but her late love Aono-kun is a specter in the wind… How can a relationship void of touch be felt so deeply? From obsession to possession, the two stumble through how to truly be together—by any means necessary. Soon, the people around them are pulled into their all-consuming, matter-defying romance.
Horror, absurdity, and passionate romance abound in this life-or-death hit manga about love between a high schooler and her ghostly boyfriend.
Rated: 16+
Matcha Made in Heaven
By Umebachi Yamanaka
JP Title: この恋、茶番につき！？
Debut Date: January 2027
After years away, Chako Hananoki returns to her family’s tea farm to escape her stalker ex-fiancé and rebuild her life. But much has changed in her absence: she now has an adorable little niece she’s never met, her widowed brother has seemingly become a recluse, and a gruff young farmer named Isshin lives in their house, running the struggling operation in her brother’s stead. Determined to be useful, Chako quickly finds herself at odds with the dismissive Isshin, who’s convinced she’ll leave again before long. But when her past comes calling—and a desperate lie forces Chako and Isshin to pose as husband and wife—their bitter first impressions of each other gradually give way to something sweeter.
The prodigal daughter returns to a tempest in the tea fields in this fake-marriage, found-family love story for the ages! By the illustrator of the Ossan’s Love manga adaptation!
Rated: 16+
Changes of Heart
By KUJIRA
JP Title: ホンノウスイッチ
Debut Date: January 2027
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Koyori went to her longtime friend Hijiri’s house to drink away her sorrow…and ended up spending the night with him! Not only that, he tells her he loves her—and she’s not sure how to reconcile the new development with someone she’s known since they were kids. After all, the stakes are high—if things don’t work out, she could risk losing it all. And to make matters worse, her ex wants to reconcile…? Koyori needs to figure out what she wants, before she loses it all.
Rated: 18+
Trapped on Tape!
By TNSK
JP Title: とりまとります
Debut Date: Fall 2027
Jun Makino is a brassy city girl with boundless energy and a thirst for adventure—so when her father takes up a post as doctor in a rural area, the first thing she does is go looking for hidden treasure! But she gets more than she bargained for when she unearths a pile of old VHS tapes and…a sentient camcorder?!
This “ancient” technology sets Jun on a quest to dispel the ghosts haunting the countryside, but is this too much for one little girl, even with her new pal and trusty pup by her side? And why did her father move them to the country in the first place? New friends, old secrets, and ghostly terror combine for a languid summer horror unlike any other…!
TNSK depicts Jun’s slow, quiet rural life in gorgeous detail, blending sweetness, humor, terror, and the joy of discovery with unique character designs and rich characterization. The cute art/dark content combo evokes series like Made in Abyss, and thanks to movies like The Ring and V/H/S, the very image of a video cassette conjures terrifying associations! Throw in a dash of Spirited Away, and Trapped on Tape! might just be the eerie, adorable new series you’ve been looking for!
Rated: 16+
Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit! Omnibus
By Joji Morikawa
JP Title: はじめの一歩
Debut Date: Fall 2027
What does it feel like to be strong? That’s the question on the mind of Ippo Makunouchi, a clumsy high school kid who gets bullied a lot. But when he runs into pro boxer Mamoru Takamura, it isn’t long before the dynamite in his fists is unleashed! Dreaming of the pro ranks, Ippo joins Mamoru at the Kamogawa Boxing Gym—and there his quest for true strength begins, in and out of the ring!
For the first time in print in English, experience the beginning of the epic sports manga that defined a generation and has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, inspiring multiple hit anime series! Each premium paperback will include the content of 3 Japanese volumes.
Rated: 13+
