KAZÉ US Sets Fall 2027 Debut, Names SOL Sistah as First Manga
HarperCollins also plans to expand KAZÉ into Brazil and Spain in 2027.
KAZÉ US plans to debut with 3–5 titles in fall 2027 and reach 25–30 annual releases in 2029. Its first announced title is Saxton Moore and Phillip Johnson's SOL Sistah.
HarperCollins' new KAZÉ US manga imprint outlined its fall 2027 launch plans at an Anime NYC panel on Saturday. It expects to debut with 3–5 titles.
The imprint's planned annual release totals are:
- 2027: 5–8 titles.
- 2028: 20–25 titles.
- 2029: 25–30 titles.
KAZÉ also plans to enter Brazil and Spain in 2027, alongside its expansion into the United States.
Its first announced title is SOL Sistah, an original English manga by Saxton Moore and Phillip Johnson. The story combines Ultraman and Power Rangers elements with a Pan-African setting, kaiju battles and teenage everyday life.
It follows Atomika, a goddess who becomes a high schooler and must balance two very different lives.
KAZÉ said at the panel that it will not use AI translations.
HarperCollins is the only Western publisher with a presence in Japan, and KAZÉ plans to publish original intellectual properties from HarperCollins Japan. Its publishing plans also include:
- Manhwa.
- Manhua.
- Original English “manga.”
The imprint intends to cover a broad range of genres. It will seek properties from leading manga creators whose work has never been published in the U.S.
KAZÉ also plans to release works by manga creators published through KAZÉ in France and Germany.
Sister imprint HarperAlley publishes the print edition of Plus-sized Misadventures in Love! KAZÉ plans to draw on that team's experience.
The KAZÉ team includes:
- Andrew Arnold, vice-president and publisher.
- Emilia Sowersby, editor.
- Josh Sippie, editor.
- Christina Quintero, art director.
- Mikhail Fernandes, assistant designer.
HarperCollins acquired Crunchyroll's manga publishing operations in France and Germany in July 2025. The acquisition restored the Crunchyroll Manga brand's original KAZÉ name.
All ongoing Crunchyroll Manga series have continued without interruption or changes to their existing designs. Releases began carrying KAZÉ branding in April 2026.
Founded in France in 1994, KAZÉ was jointly acquired by Shogakukan and Shueisha in 2009 and integrated into Viz Media Europe.
Crunchyroll and Viz Media Europe announced an agreement in September 2019 for Crunchyroll to become Viz Media Europe Group's majority owner. They completed the deal in December 2019.
Viz Media Europe Group comprised:
- Viz Media Europe Group.
- AV Visionen.
- Anime Versand.
- VIZ Media Switzerland.
- KAZÉ.
- KAZÉ Manga.
- Anime on Demand.
- Anime Digital Network, in partnership with Média-Participations subsidiary Citel and Eye See Movies.
HarperCollins' HarperVia imprint published Shion Miura's Run with the Wind (Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru) novel in English in October 2024. Its earlier English novel releases include:
- The Tatami Galaxy.
- The Tatami Time Machine Blues.
- Park Seolyeon's A Magical Girl Retires.
HarperCollins will also publish the late Saeko Himuro's Ocean Waves novel in English in March 2027.
Yen Press sponsors ANN's Anime NYC 2026 coverage. Its offerings include light novels, manga and manhwa, with more information available at Booth #1701 or YenPress.com.
Source: ANN
