During their panel at Anime Expo 2023, Yen On announced a slew of new light novel licenses, audiobook adaptations, and the release of a Korean Webnovel. They also announced the print release of a title previously licensed by J-Novel Club, Blade and Bastard by the author of Goblin Slayer.

Light Novels

Durarara!! Side Stories?!

Story by Ryohgo Narita

Illustration by Suzuhito Yasuda

This collection of short stories and vignettes provides nine tales of not-so-ordinary life in Ikebukuro, including some reminiscing at Celty and Shinra's big hot-pot party, the coming-of-age ceremony of the older Raira gang, and another supernatural visitor to Tokyo!

Re:ZERO Short Story Collection

Story by Tappei Nagatsuki

Illustration by Shinichirou Otsuka

The world of Re:Zero continues to grow with every new tale and this collection of short stories is the perfect place to learn more about everyone's favorite characters! What will Rem and Ram have to deal with today? Where will Emilia's new adventures take her? And how will Subaru land himself in yet another scrape?

The Contract of the Phantom and His Servant

By Michiru Sawarano

Masamichi Adachi has been having the worst luck. He failed his college entrance exams, locking him into a second year of spinning his wheels; he lost his part-time job; and then he nearly died in a hit-and-run. But while he's bracing for the end, a frighteningly handsome man appears and invites Masamichi to be his servant in exchange for his life. When Masamichi agrees to the terms, he finds himself bound to an antique-shop owner who only appears to be human…

Blade & Bastard

Story by Kumo Kagyu

Illustration by so-bin

Deep in the unexplored reaches of the dungeon, a corpse is discovered--one that shouldn't exist. After Iarumas is resurrected, his memories of life before death are gone, and he spends his days delving into the dungeon to retrieve the bodies of dead adventurers. Can they be revived as well? Or will God reduce them to piles of ash on the altar? Either way, Iarumas collects his finder's fee. And though his skills earn him some grudging respect, he's also scorned for his cold, utilitarian attitude. The living keep their distance--Iarumas consorts primarily with the dead. That is, until he meets Garbage, a feral young swordswoman who's the sole survivor of a massacred party. With Garbage by his side, Iarumas ventures deeper to scour the dungeon for clues to his past, all while avoiding monsters, traps, and the inevitability of a permanent ashen demise.

Babel

By Kuji Furumiya

The sequel series to Unnamed Memory!

One day, college student Shizuku Minase stumbles from modern-day Japan into a fantasy world. While wandering through a backwater region of this world of sword and sorcery, she meets Eric, an eccentric young man studying a magical script. The pair strike a deal: He'll help Shizuku return home if she teaches him Japanese. Thus the pair set off across the magical continent of Farsas in search of a way back to Earth.  

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table

Story by Yuji Ukai

Illustration by Nekometal

Yuuki wakes up to find herself wearing a maid's uniform in a strange manor. After wandering into the dining room, she comes across five other girls, each in the exact same outfit. Soon, the girls learn that the manor is brimming with lethal weapons and an array of deadly traps…and that they can only escape by playing the most gruesome of games. As the terrifying truth sets in, each girl's face goes pale--except Yuuki's. Why? Because this isn't her first go-round. That's right--Yuuki is a professional death game player who lives off the prize money she collects from winning brutal killing competitions, and she's not about to let this chance pass her by. 

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Astrarea Record 

Story by Fujino Omori

Illustration by Kakage

Seven years before a certain boy will arrive in the Labyrinth City, an era of chaos and strife reigns supreme. Ryu Leon spends her days serving the goddess Astrea while searching for a brand of justice she can believe in. She's not alone, for the rest of Astrea Familia are a rare source of light in these dark times. In the shadows, however, something evil is stirring--a threat that will shake Orario to its very foundations…!

The Kept Man of the Princess Knight

By Toru Shirogane

Matthew is just another parasite in the chaotic dungeon city of Gray Neighbor. People say he's a lazy weakling who gambles and drinks away all the money he gets from his keeper, princess knight Arwin. But the truth is, no one in this town knows what he's really like--a ruthless protector who works in the shadows and will do whatever it takes for the sake of his mistress.

These titles are set to release in December 2023 and January 2024.

AudioBooks

Yami-hara

The strange kid at school, the odd woman in the apartment building, the troublesome man at work. Such people exist everywhere, in everyone's lives. All it takes is a word for it to start. An unsettling question, a bizarre remark, or even a kind apology. Once their hooks sink in, the cracks form. Darkness floods into the recesses until nothing else remains, and then…Sirens, screaming, dull thuds on the pavement. They have always existed. They just are. And when they show up, people die.

Yami-hara is a horror mystery novel by famed author Mizuki Tsujimura, the creator of Lonely Castle in the Mirror and the writer of the manga series A School Frozen in Time. This audiobook is set to release November 2023, and it will be the first horror audiobook released under Yen Audio.

Goblin Slayer

A young Priestess joins her first adventuring party, but blind to the dangers, they almost immediately find themselves in trouble. It's Goblin Slayer who comes to their rescue--a man who has dedicated his life to the extermination of all goblins by any means necessary. A dangerous, dirty, and thankless job, but he does it better than anyone. And when rumors of his feats begin to circulate, there's no telling who might come calling next…

Filled with brutal action and a heavy dose of RPG references, Goblin Slayer is one of today's most popular fantasy light novel, manga, and anime franchises. The anime debuted in fall 2018 and airs on Crunchyroll. The audiobook edition is set to release November 2023.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

In Orario, fearless adventurers band together in search of fame and fortune within the monstrous underground labyrinth known as Dungeon. But while riches and renown are incentive enough for most, Bell Cranel, would-be hero extraordinaire, has bigger plans. He wants to pick up girls. Is it wrong to face the perils of Dungeon alone, in a single-member guild blessed by a failed goddess? Maybe. Is it wrong to dream of playing hero to hapless maidens in Dungeon? Maybe not. After one misguided adventure, Bell quickly discovers that anything can happen in the labyrinth--even chance encounters with beautiful women. The only problem? He's the one who winds up the damsel in distress!

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is an iconic comedy adventure story with manga, light novels, and spin-offs being published by Yen Press. It also has an anime adaptation with four seasons available to stream on HIDIVE. The audiobook series is set to release November 2023.

I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level

After living a painful life as an office worker, Azusa ended her short life by dying from overworking. So when she found herself reincarnated as an undying, unaging witch in a new world, she vows to spend her days stress free and as pleasantly as possible. She ekes out a living by hunting down the easiest targets--the slimes! But after centuries of doing this simple job, she has ended up with insane powers… How will she maintain her low-key life now?!

I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level is a comedic fantasy featuring a female protagonist. The original light novel, manga adaptations, and spin-off series are being published by Yen Press, and the 2021 anime series is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The audiobook series is set to release December 2023.

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

The “lost ones” are wanderers who stumble onto this planet from “Japan,” a country in some distant world, seemingly bringing disaster and calamity in their wake. The role of exterminating Otherworlders falls to Menou, a young Executioner always on the prowl for these forbidden interlopers. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job…until she discovers the girl is impossible to kill. Menou schemes to lure her target out of the city, and Akari is more than happy to tag along! So beings a journey that will change Menou’s life forever…

The Executioner and Her Way of Life is a popular light novel series published by Yen Press, featuring expansive world-building and a compelling storyline. An anime adaptation of this girls' love title debuted in April 2022 on HIDIVE. The audiobook series is set to release December 2023.

Korean Webnovel

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (comic and novel)

Comic Art by Sleepy-C

Comic Adapted by UMI

Original Story by singNsong

As a struggling office worker, Dokja Kim's sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure he's the only reader. Then one day, the story comes to an end…and so does the world. As humanity suddenly finds itself being massacred by deadly monsters straight out of the novel, or by each other in the sadistic scenarios only Dokja recognizes, he must do what he has never done before--write his own destiny!