U.S.-based manga publisher Viz Media is partnering with Japanese anime/manga retailer Animate and Yaoi publisher Libre Publishing, to launch SuBLime, a new manga graphic novel line specializing in Yaoi that will release titles in digital and print formats beginning in December. Yaoi, also known as Boys’ Love, is a genre of manga that focuses on romantic relationships between two men.
SuBLime will begin releasing digital manga in December with Love Pistols vol. 1 by Tarako Kotobuki and the North American debut of Dannasama To Mitsugetsuchu vol. 1 by Haruka Minami. In January and Feburary SuBLime will follow with seven digital releases. SuBLime will begin releasing print titles in the Spring 2012, launching with Three Wolves Mountain by Naona Bohra.
Viz Media v-p of publishing Leyla Aker said SuBLime is a not a Viz Media imprint, but a line of books created through a partnership with Libre Publishing, the largest publisher of Yaoi in Japan, and Animate, Libre’s parent company and one of the largest retailers of anime, manga and pop culture merchandise in Japan. Some SuBLime titles, Aker said, have previously been released via the Kindle by Animate USA (animate-world.com). Except for Love Pistols, which was previously released in print by Tokyopop’s BLU imprint (now defunct), Aker said “all titles are English language debuts.” SuBLime titles will not be available through the Viz app or Vizmanga.com.
All titles offered in print will be published simultaneously with a digital edition, Aker said, noting that not all digital releases will offer a print edition. Akers said "we'll evaluate all titles on a case-by-case basis, but generally digital titles in demand most by fans will get a print edition." Print editions will retail for $12.99 per volume; digital formats will be less than half of print retail price at $5.99 each.
Digital titles will be available worldwide through the SuBLimeManga.com website, Aker said, while print editions will be available “through outlets that choose to carry them.” English language print editions will also be available worldwide. While Yaoi is an unusual niche genre that focuses on romantic relationships between two men, the category has found an enthusiastic fan base among women here in the U.S. In Japan Yaoi is created overwhelmingly by female manga-ka for female readers. Yaoi fans are passionate about the category and Yaoi sales have managed to hold steady despite loses in other manga genres. Yaoi is a form of Shoujo manga—Japanese manga aimed at young women—and in its contemporary form can be sexually explicit. However, there are a wide variety of Yaoi titles and the genre can range from completely chaste to explicitly erotic.
Shingo Kunieda, director of Animate's Overseas Division, said, “There are many wonderful yaoi manga titles released every month in Japan, and we know that fans want to read them as soon as possible. We are always moving forward to find new ways of doing business, and by partnering with Viz Media, we can make yaoi fans happy and release boys’ love titles as quickly as possible.”
Asked if she expected any problems with physical retailers over the sometimes sexually explicit content of Yaoi, Aker said, “it will be up to each retailer to decide whether or not the explicitness of each title is something they feel they can carry in their store.” Aker acknowledged that “the more explicit titles could pose a problem for some retailers.” She emphasized that Viz would do its part to “alert purchasers to the content by including age ratings on the cover as well as explicit content warnings and/or shrink wrapping as appropriate for each title.”
Aker said, “The yaoi manga genre enjoys a sizeable and very passionate following, and the launch of SuBLime will give fans around the world an entirely new outlet that will deliver an exciting range of titles. We invite fans to join us as we prepare to bring some of the best new boys’ love manga titles to North America and beyond.”
