J-Novel Club announced the acquisition of the licenses of many new series following their latest industry livestream held online on Twitch on April 5, 2024. Five new light novels and Four new manga series will join J-Novel Club's digital catalog, with all of them receiving a digital launch on J-Novel Club's website and app within hours after the end of the message stream.
Here are the details on the latest light novel and manga acquisitions:
Light Novels
From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!
© Masamune Okazaki, Hayase Jyun
Story: Masamune Okazaki
Illustration: Hayase Jyun
The J-Novel Heart title launches today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1.
Summary:
The world is unfair and Elizabeth Burton knows that better than anyone. Reincarnated into an otome game as a two-bit villain, she has endured the tropes of the genre to lead a miserable life.
What's a girl to do… but dress to penetrate the heart of the main character and of course a happy ending is guaranteed! After years of blood, sweat and tears to become the perfect beauty, all she has to do is wait for her first fateful encounter with the main character… or so she thinks!
As it turns out, her boyish charm has come back to bite her in the ass. The other lovers also start disguising themselves, and they don't want the protagonist's heart—they want Elizabeth's heart!
A surprisingly happy engagement between the Slime Duke and the Fallen Lady
© Mashimesa Emoto, Kasumi Nagi
Story: Mashimesa Emoto
Illustration: Kasumi Nagi
The J-Novel Heart title launches today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1.
Summary:
After her sister's engagement to the crown prince was suddenly canceled, tragedy struck, and Lady Francette and her family lost all their property and status. With nothing left but her name and determination, Francette moves to the slums and makes a living selling homemade cakes.
That's when she meets a strange new friend named Wibble, a talking slime, who introduces her to him. and only the slime duke: Gabriel! To her surprise, the unusually stoic Gabriel quickly proposed to Francette – and she accepted. Now she must adapt to Triste and its eccentric people, and she soon finds herself breathing life into the strange but lovable backwater.
What was once a marriage of convenience will turn into something bigger over time…and—of course—expect a lot of slime!
Goodbye, overtime! This reincarnated villain is living for his new big brother
© Chidori Hama, Wan Hachipisu
Story: Chidori Hama
Illustration: Wan Hachipisu
The J-Novel Heart title launches today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1.
Summary content:
Yukimura Rina is an overworked twenty-something systems engineer who is dangerously close to breaking point. Her only solace is an otome game with a charming side character, the villain's brother, who soothes her weary heart. She gets so engrossed that she forgets to sleep and ends up passing out…only to wake up in the game as the villain, Ekaterina.
She is now the younger sister of her favorite character! Her new brother, Alexei, is handsome, kind and responsible. Rina, now Ekaterina, would be happy to be by his side, except for one small problem. If she lets the game take its course, she and her brother will be headed straight for a terrible future! Can Ekaterina overcome the flags of doom that threaten her new family and empire, and stop Alexei from working himself to death?
Invincible Summoner has crawled up from level 1: Destroy the reincarnated with my Hidden Dungeon h3> © Shiraishi Arata, yuunagi
Story: Shiraishi Arata
Illustration: yuunagi
Premiering today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1.
Summary:
Things couldn't be worse for Shinobu Iijima. After a terrible house fire takes his life and leaves his sister, Megumi, in a hospital bed, Shinobu wakes up in his favorite MMO: La Vita Online. With all of his data erased and reset to level 1, the only solace Shinobu has is that his scum foster father, Ayumu, died with him…only to find out He's also reincarnated in the game?!
A reincarnated nightmare, Ayumu pledges revenge on the brothers, biding his time until Megumi dies and is reborn in La Vita. While Megumi struggles with her final breaths in the real world, Shinobu tries her best to ascend again before her reincarnation. Armed with a hidden dungeon, hard-earned legendary summons, and an invincible will, Shinobu must reach maximum level to protect her sister from their adoptive father and his followers. Another student is threatening to stop him at all costs.
Death of the Skeleton Swordsman: Rule as a cursed saint
© Hozumi Mitaka, kudos
Story: Hozumi Mitaka
Illustration: reputation
Premiering today with Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 1.
Summary:
Al is a holy knight, a warrior tasked with protecting the innocent from the rampaging monsters terrorizing the lands. Anyway, he… After being bitten by an undead creature, Al dies – but not for long. Al wakes up as a zombie! However, unlike regular zombies, for some mysterious reason he still retains his mind and sanity.
Three hundred years later, the flesh rotting to reveal a living skeleton, Al meets Astrantia. As the descendant of a witch, Astrantia offers to restore his body on one condition: he must agree to become her knight and help her end the evil curse once and for all. Along with Astrantia, Al joins the academy for the training of saints—a team of holy knights and holy maidens who fight to rid the world of the undead. Al must hide his zombie identity—which everyone at the school seeks to destroy—in order for Astrantia to succeed and keep its word. Keeping his secret is proving as difficult as hiding his lack of flesh, but if there's one thing he can't hide, it's the strength he's honed for three hundred years. via!
Manga
I'm a noble on the verge of decline, so I can try to master magic
© Rio Akisaki, Nazuna Miki
Art: Rio Akisaki
Original work: Nazuna Miki
Based on the light novel series of the same name, released today with Chapter 1 of Volume 1.
Summary:
Liam Hamilton is not who you think he is. On the outside Liam is the son of a failed noble family, but on the inside… he's actually a lowly farmer?! One night he's a miserable middle-aged commoner drinking cold beer at the local pub and the next day he suddenly wakes up as the youngest son of a noble earl?! Make it meaningful! Liam Hamilton doesn't know how he ended up like this, but he knows one thing for sure: as a noble, he can finally try learning magic like he's always dreamed of!
It's too bad he gets to live in a big reborn noble house that's on the brink of collapse – that is – unless they prove themselves worthy of high society. When Liam discovers he has a natural gift for magic, can he save his doomed home or will he return to being another lowly commoner?
Wise words of the Eternal Fool A surprisingly exciting adventure
© Fuh Araki, Hifumi
Art: Fuh Araki
Original work: Hifumi
Out today with Chapter 1 of Volume 1.
Summary:
A few thousand years of loneliness would wear down any young man—that is, anyone except Ashley, the eternally young and eternally foolish wizard. After all, he has man's best friend…er, acquaintance, always by his side. When the level 100 dog Pochi asks him to breathe fresh air for the first time in two centuries, Asley sets out to reintegrate into society and test his magical mettle. His mission? Remove some unappealing titles from his repertoire and restore his good (fine, decent) name.
A whole new world and fresh adventures await Ashley after many years of living in seclusion. Maybe he'll give Pochi a hand in getting first place in the mysterious Familiar Feud. Or maybe he will lose all dignity and hang his tail. Whichever comes first! Whatever the case, Asley has great evil to fight, a vast world to save, and even a little growing up to do…that is, if he can endure the “friendly advice Pochi's goodness on the go!
My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World
© Yoshino Himori, Tamamaru
Art: Yoshino Himori
Original work: Tamamaru
Based on the novel series of the same name, released today with Chapter 1 of Volume 1.
Summary:
After Eizo Tanya is a middle-aged, very exhausted software engineer. One night after working late, he threw himself in front of a speeding truck to save a cat. Although the cat survived, Eizo was not so lucky. In a flash of divine fate, the cat turned out to be a divine creature who gave him a second chance in another world! Is he a legendary warrior? A noble king? Are not! All Eizo wants is a peaceful life, doing things for others, and what better way to do that than to become a blacksmith? He also has another wish: to live next to a cute cat. His request is granted but there's a twist—Eizo's blacksmithing skills are so strong that they're practically cheating abilities. Best of all, the cat friend he wished for turned out to be a half-tiger girl! With so much upheaval in this world, can Eizo create a new, quiet life?
Go to another world… with Land Mines!
© Relucy, Itsuki Mizuho
Art: Relucy
Original work: Itsuki Mizuho
Based on the light novel series of the same name, it launches today with Chapter 1 of Volume 1.
Summary:
When an entire class of high school students die in a tragic bus accident, an evil god sends them to another world with supernatural skills that help them survive. However, they don't realize that some of those skills are landmines—powers that seem good but have deadly drawbacks!
Among those students are childhood friends Haruka, Nao, and Touya, who work together to establish a safe and stable life in this new world. None of them want to be heroes, and that realistic perspective is exactly what they need to survive. After all, the world they are in is not a game. It's the truth.
Source: press release