At Katsucon today, Vertical Comics announced a couple new light novel licenses: KizuMonogatari, and Seraph of the End. According to screenshots taken at the event, KizuMonogatari will release in November 2015, while the Seraph of the End novel will arrive in December 2015. This news has been confirmed on Vertical’s Tumblr blog, which adds that Seraph of the End will be an omnibus.
Kizumonogatari is the third volume of Nisio Isin’s Monogatari franchise, acting as a prequel to Bakemonogatari (which comprises the first two volumes).
Seraph of the End (AKA Owari no Seraph) is a manga series, and will soon receive an anime adaptation. The light novel prequel series is titled 終ã‚ã‚Šã®ã‚»ãƒ©ãƒ• 一瀬グレンã€16æ³ã®ç ´æ»… — or Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose’s Catastrophe at 16. The light novel series has continued to run alongside the manga series in Japan, and both are written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.
About Bakemonogatari:
Koyomi Araragi, a third year high school student who is almost human again after briefly becoming a vampire. One day, a classmate named Hitagi SenjÅgahara, who infamously never talks to anyone, falls down the stairs into Koyomi’s arms. He discovers that Hitagi weighs next to nothing, in defiance of physics. Despite being threatened by her, Koyomi offers his help, and introduces her to Meme Oshino, a middle-aged homeless man who helped him stop being a vampire.
Kizumonogatari:
I think it’s about time I talked about Kiss-Shot-Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. I believe it’s something I have to do. I met her in the spring break between my second and third years of high school. That meeting had such impact, and was also quite devastating.
About Seraph of the End:
One day, a mysterious virus appeared on Earth which killed every infected human over the age of 13. At the same time, vampires emerged from the world’s dark recesses and enslaved mankind. Enter Hyakuya Yuuichirou, a young boy, who along with the rest of the children from his orphanage, are treated as livestock by the vampires. Even in captivity, Yuuichirou dreams big. He dreams of killing vampires. He dreams of killing them all.
Seraph of the End light novels:
“Hey, Guren? Do you think… when we grow up, we can still be together like always?” Just before the world fell to ruin because of mysterious virus that appeared on Earth which killed every infected human over the age of 13. Vampires conquered the surface – in that one last spring. Ichinose Guren had entered a Sorcery Training School in Shibuya. This school was full of elites from famous families in the world of sorcerers. As he himself was of modest origin, Guren held a great ambition in his heart, even despite being labelled as trash. But among his classmates, a girl appeared who introduced herself by the name of the fiancée he had traded vows with a really long time ago… In that world slated for ruin, the boy sought power; and the girl sought power as well. A magic academy fantasy story begins!
All in all I have to call this a very interesting development! It’s great to see another English publisher licensing more light novels, and I imagine these particular titles will please a lot of readers.