On Saturday at Anime NYC, IZE Press, an imprint of manga publisher Yen Press focused on Korean manhwa and webtoons, hosted their very first solo industry panel. Up until now, IZE Press licenses have been announced in conjunction with licenses from Yen Press‘ standard industry panels. The publisher’s decision to do so has come as a result of the major success the label has achieved in the short year that it has been active so far.
Of note, this year’s AnimeNYC was also the first American convention to invite a Korean webtoon creator as a guest of honor–Sleepy-C, artist of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Sleepy-C held autograph signings at the convention and at venues like Kinokuniya and the new Manga Spot found in Columbus Circle’s MTA station’s Underground Turnstile Market. It was also the artist’s first time attending a fan event both internationally and domestically. The industry panel was moderated by Mark De Vera, and featured three editors: Won Seo, Stephen Kim, and Liz Marbach.
History of Yen and IZE Press
Yen Press has been publishing Korean comics since they entered the market back in 2007, after absorbing ICEKunion, a Korean publisher that had been bringing manhwa to the United States. Although they are primarily known as a manga and light novel publisher these days, many are not aware that their origins did in fact include manhwa. Now that webtoons and manhwa have become as ubiquitous as manga in the digital landscape, they believed there needed to be a dedicated print publisher to provide fans with physical books, hence the formation of IZE Press, originating from the word materialize. Those same fans being catered to have helped make their venture a resounding success, with works such as Solo Leveling making it into the NY Times Bestsellers charts in both comic and novel form. This is significant because the native digital sales of these comics are not tracked the same, and therefore might not be as clear to those unaware of how the market works. Although total views, subscribers/followers, and favorites might be shown on services such as Webtoon, Tapas, and Tappytoon, their subscription and publishing models do not publicly release information about total purchases/sales or readership that could otherwise be used by that publisher to decide what to license next or expand as a multimedia franchise.
Message from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Author singNsong:
Greetings, this is singNsong. It’s a great honor to be able to send our regards to the fans at Anime NYC 2023. Who could’ve known that the sorry that began in 2018 would come this far. We’re sure DoKJA and Junghyeok are quite pleased as well. We’d like to express our gratitude to Sleepy-C for being Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint to the global audience of this timeline by breathing life into its characters, and RIVERSE and Ize Press for putting the story to print. And last but not least, we sincerely thank all of you, the readers. Each one of you is the Dokja Kim that allowed this story to continue. It’s thanks to you that ORV has come this far.
To celebrate Sleepy-C’s foray into the international manhwa sphere, collaborator and original author of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, singNsong, released a statement thanking the fans for helping make this event happen.
Surprise Appearance by Sleepy-C, Lead Artist of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
After the message was shared, a raffle was held for three lucky winners who received free signings from Sleepy-C, who was stealthily attending the panel in the front row. They received free Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint posters and a signed copy of Volume 1 of the comic. Of note, friend of The Beat, Jillian Rudes–school librarian and author of Manga in Libraries: A Guide for Teen Librarians–was one of the lucky winners!
Sleepy-C stated that she was very nervous to be here, but expressed her thanks to everyone for coming. She’s aware that some have come from far away abroad, and for that she is very appreciative. She says that although she may not be as well spoken as original author singNsong, she will continue to do her best to continue the story as a fan and artist.
Shortly after the giveaway, a trailer for 7Fates: Chakho was screened for the audience.
Introducing Ize Press editor Won Young Seo
The editor for Solo Leveling, Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom, and The Villainess Turns the Hourglass, Won Seo originally started as an editorial assistant at Yen Press. She was recommended to edit Solo Leveling, and her work was good enough to land her the position. Originally, she didn’t know and wasn’t expecting to see how big Korean comics had gotten, but it was really exciting for her to experience. Solo Leveling was her first foray into editing novels, and she was grateful it was only 8 volumes long. She states that the most difficult thing was all the terminology and names to keep track of. Ultimately, however, it was a fun action series for her–she states she has worked on action manga before, but seeing the action described in prose was a new experience.
Won will be the editor of two new licensed titles.
The Villainess is a Marionette
Art by: manggle
Original Story by: hanirim
The story revolves around Kayena Hill, a princess easily manipulated in politics and ultimately betrayed by her younger brother. The story is about regression, as originally Kayena died and became a woman who read the events that happened to her in a novel, before reincarnating once more in her original timeline. It’s a romance fantasy with political and mature undertones for those who want more bite in their stories.
It’s a story known for its captivating art style, cunning female lead, and a dangerously close sibling relationship. It has two completed seasons on Tapas, and boasts over 5 million views, and 593 thousand likes, proving it to be one of the more successful “reincarnated as a villainess” stories recently available.
Marriage of Convenience
Art by: Antstudio
Adapted by: Hanheun
Original Story by: KEN
The story revolves around an infamously extravagant noblewoman named Bianca de Arno, who travels back in time to when she was 19 years old, after reaching the lowest point her life. Determined to survive and live a better life, Bianca begins her quest by mending her relationship with the man she calls her husband, Zachary de Arno.
A completed series in Korea with 95 chapters plus side stories, Marriage of Convenience is a drama perfect for fans of stories like The Remarried Empress. The series has garnered over 3 million follows and 388 thousand likes on Tapas. At the end of the panel, fans asked if the print version will be the censored version, or the mature uncensored version, which recently was also released on Tapas with the advent of Season 2. Won declined to comment, stating that information will be disclosed at a later time.
After these two announcements, the audience was shown a trailer for The Star Seekers.
Introducing Ize Press editor Stephen Kim
Introduced as the greenhorn of the crew, Stephen has been working at Yen and Ize Press for about a year and a half. Originally, his experience stemmed from translating and interpreting from Korean to English. He stated that it has been a great honor to be part of the movement currently spreading Korean culture. He has worked on The World After the Fall, My Gently Raised Beast, A Business Proposal, The Horizon, and most recently Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint! He feels honored and tons of pressure to be working on both TWATF and ORV, as the author is one of his favorites. His goal is to take care of the western audience, and present these stories in a way so that audience can enjoy it as much as he did when he originally read them in Korean.
Stephen will be editing two new licensed titles.
SSS-Class Revival Hunter
Art by: Bill K
Adapted by: Neida
Original Story by: Sinnoa
Confucius Kim is unlucky. He’s an F-Class Hunter with zero skills, jealously following the careers of star hunters such as the Flame Emperor as he bemoans his own inability. Opportunity comes knocking at his doorstep however, when one day he receives the ability to copy other people’s skills–with the catch that he must be killed by them first!
SSS-Class Revival Hunter is an action fantasy series that will delight fans of series like Solo Leveling, thanks to its engaging action, clever protagonist, and a cheat skill that allows for exponential growth. The series is still ongoing, but currently has earned almost 4 million views and 328 thousand likes on Tapas. As someone who has read it, I would say it’s a story closest to the Japanese series Re:Zero – Starting Life In Another World, due to its unique use of time, its varied range of emotional tones, and focus on the growth of a “loser” main character who reconciles and matures over time due to the nature of his power and how he goes about achieving his goals.
My Secretly Hot Husband
Art by Harara
Adapted by Gabi Nam
Original Story by Jungyeon
Wearing its title on its sleeve, My Secretly Hot Husband is a romance fantasy. It is centered around Letitia, a woman who was reborn in another world after her untimely death, who is married off to the infamous “Monster Lord” known as Erden Halstead to fulfill an old debt. At her new home, Leticia is greeted with befuddlement rather than fear, as she starts discovering modern objects from her previous life, and that her husband is not so monstrous as his reputation begets.
This budding romance between the clever, optimistic female lead and a sweet yet powerful male lead will enrapture readers with its mix of sweet moments and gut-busting comedy. It is a completed story in Korea with 109 chapters–the webtoon has recieved over 7 million views and 722 thousand likes on Tapas.
After these two announcements, the audience was treated to a trailer for the series Dark Moon.
Introducing Ize Press editor Liz Marbach
Liz Marbach is the editor for Villains are Destined to Die, The Remarried Empress, Unholy Blood. She was always in the scene of Korean pop culture, enjoying things like kpop and kdramas as well as manhwa. During college, she learned Korean and eventually had the opportunity to combine her love for webtoons with her degree through writing and editing.
Liz will be editing two newly licensed titles.
Beware the Villainess!
Art by Blue Canna
Original Story by Soda Ice
Adapted by Berry
This comedic romance fantasy has taken the world by storm! A modern-day college student one day wakes up as Melissa Foddebrat, the villainess of a cliche reverse-harem novel, but all of the men in it are trash! In her pursuit of a quiet life , Melissa becomes a go-getter who stands up to these scummy love interests as she rewrites this story to save herself and the female lead from these overbearingly possessive and toxic men!
Completed at 127 chapters, the series has earned itself over 8 million views and a whopping 873 thousand likes on Tapas. With tons of meme-able reaction faces and tongue-in-cheek humor from its charismatic protagonist, this romance fantasy is a must-have for passionate fans of the genre.
Tied To You
Art by WHAT
Original Story by Chelliace
Tied To You is Ize Press’s first BL title. One day, Wooseo Shin finds out that his destined partner is actually his crush’s older brother, due to a ring of red thread that appears around his finger. The ring marks a person’s first encounter with their soulmate, and with it, neither can fall asleep if the other is absent. Haunted by insomnia and reluctance at accepting these circumstances, Wooseo and Jigeon Kang have little choice but to start sharing a bed in order to continue living normal lives. As they spend more time together, feelings get messy and the future seems unclear.
Tied To You is a dramatic but heartwarming manhwa featuring a love triangle between brother, an obsessive male lead, and a pinch of fantasy in an otherwise modern world. The story is originally inspired by the East Asian belief of the red thread of fate. This romance follows a college-aged protagonist as he struggles between his unrequited feelings for his close friend and the brother who turns out to be his fated partner.
For more on Ize Press current and upcoming releases, follow them on X/Twitter at @izepress or visit their website at izepress.com.
