On the official Anime Expo website, Square Enix (SQEX) will be announcing their plans to release more of their manga outside of Japan!

There’s a new manga publisher in town! You may know SQUARE ENIX as one of the world’s top game companies, but in Japan, we’re also one of the top comic and book publishers. At AX this year, we’re announcing our brand-new English-language imprint, with an exciting Final Fantasy XV novel, a new edition of Soul Eater, Hi Score Girl—the manga that became an anime on Netflix, and more SECRET titles. Get ready: The manga world is about to change forever!



SQUARE ENIX Announcements Panel

Friday, July 05, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Live Programming 4 – LACC 411

Perhaps you remember that it was at Anime Expo 2017 that YenPress announced that they were picking up Yoko Taro’s manga “Kimi Shi ni Tamou Koto Nakare / Thou Shalt Not Die”, but they have failed to follow up on any news regarding this since then.

See Also: Localization Status of Yoko Taro’s manga “Thou Shalt Not Die”

Could it be that SQEX has since rescinded the localization rights for Thou Shalt Not Die from YenPress in order to release it themselves? Especially given the poor treatment they’ve received by other publishers?

It may also be important to note that SQEX’s “Manga UP!” smartphone application makes it easy to find, purchase, and read digital copies of their manga, often presenting the first chapter free to read. This could be a cheap and relatively easy way for SQEX to release more of their manga in the West on this platform.

There are currently three series of Yoko Taro’s manga available on the application: