J-Novel Club Reveals New Print and Digital Releases at Anime NYC 2026

Publisher J-Novel Club announced a new slate of light novels and manga for digital and print releases at their Anime NYC 2026 panel today. The new titles announced include:

New Light Novel Series

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

By Daizu Konaka with illustrations by Ryou Mizukane

Former child actor turned struggling idol Eiri is on the verge of being fired from his agency when he’s handpicked by Shoui, a perfectionist photographer whose model is treated as nothing less—and nothing more—than his muse. As this generation’s muse, Eiri knows that Shoui will sleep with him if he asks, but that won’t melt the icy walls around the notoriously distant genius’s heart. Determined not to fall too deeply in love, Eiri suppresses his feelings for over a decade...until the day a new muse appears. Now Eiri must choose which fear he’s willing to face: potentially being rejected, or losing his only shot before he even has a chance.

Fraudulent Fiancés

By SHINOBU KURIKI with illustrations by HIROI TAKAO

*Twenty-year-old Ebato Aoi has hit rock bottom. Out of school since his early teens, unable to keep a job or a girlfriend, and scraping by on crash-for-cash scams, he’s headed nowhere fast.**Then he picks the wrong mark: the absurdly handsome CEO riding in an absurdly expensive car, Inami Takane.*Given the choice between jail time and becoming Inami’s fake boyfriend, Aoi takes the obvious option. But he soon realizes that serving time might have been easier to handle than playing boyfriend to a prickly, arrogant CEO...

An Otaku Prince Finds Love in Akiba

By Kaori Shu with illustrations by Kyo Kitazawa

*A love story that crosses nations and status between the otaku prince and the game developer who stole his heart.**Charmed by the poignant simplicity of an indie game called Hanabi, Alphonse Eklund, fifth prince of Edihara, knows he has to meet the Japanese developer behind his favorite game. It has no quests or battles, only a small sparkler that burns down to nothing. Against his father’s better judgment, he moves to Japan to do exactly that. But Akito, the game’s sole creator, turns out to be an anxious university student who has no faith in his work.*Bewildered at first, Alphonse soon becomes determined to make Akito see his creations’ true worth. Concealing his royal identity, Alphonse starts visiting the café where Akito works, closing the distance between them little by little. The closer they grow, the harder it is to keep his heart—and his hands—to himself.

Keep Me Close: Finding My Home in You

By Morrinmomo with illustrations by wimbledon

*When Claudia’s father passes away, she’s convinced she’ll never find happiness again. Forced to work as a servant in her own home rather than inherit the family business, she’s ridiculed and tormented by her stepmother and sister day in and day out. To make matters worse, she’s falsely accused of a crime she didn’t commit, stripped of her noble status, and banished to the farthest reaches of the kingdom.**There, she’s prepared for a life of hardship living with Duke Julius Graz—a man so cruel that it earned him the moniker of the “unmelting ice sculpture.” But the cold and heartless man Claudia expected to meet is nowhere to be found. Instead, he welcomes her with warmth in food, new clothes, and kindness she thought she’d never again receive.*With Julius on her side, Claudia works to overcome the wounds of her past and find the confidence to clear her name. And maybe, just maybe, find a new home where she can truly belong.

Elegance in Exile: From Alchemy to Luxury with My Ardent Knight

By Asa Asazuki with illustrations by Kyozip

*Raised to be the perfect consort to the crown prince, Anrietta Augustia’s careful plans for the future come crashing down when her fiancé publicly breaks off their engagement, calling her a foul witch and exiling her from the kingdom. For a sheltered daughter of a duke like Anrietta, it’s essentially a death sentence...but fate has one more twist in store.*The crown prince’s dramatics awaken something buried deep within her: memories of her past life as a mighty sorceress, along with a powerful gift waiting to be used. With her newfound knowledge and power, Anrietta decides to set out and start anew. First, though, she'll need a servant—one who will never betray her the way those she trusted did in this life...or the last.

Fleet-Footed Dungeon Delver: Tune in for Magical Girls and Motion Blur!

By Ameko Kaeruda with illustrations by U35

*On an alternative Earth fi lled with fantasy dungeons, Nonomura Nodoka dreams of making it as a dungeon streamer. As one of the world’s superpowered delvers, she braves the dungeons’ depths in search of treasure, glory, and internet fame...whenever she can get her streams to stop crashing. Her luck changes when she saves up-and-coming streamer Hachisuka Subaru from a mutant cerberus, and Subaru discovers that Nodoka moves too fast for cameras to capture.*With Subaru's savvy showmanship and Nodoka's ridiculous speed, the two form an unlikely team. Now these two girls are racing to the big leagues hand in hand—and leaving their competition in the dust!

Middle-Aged and Mid No More: Rising in Ranks over Drinks with an Elite Priest

By Takatsugu Awaki with illustrations by Benio

*At thirty-two, veteran tank Rondo Glass is known as Forever Silver, a worn-down adventurer with a tarnished badge, patched-up gear, and no party left to call his own. But after one night of drunken misery leads him to Lydia Claystia, a legendary Adamantite Rank priest buckling under impossible expectations, Rondo finds himself dragged back toward the dream he’d all but abandoned.**Between monster hordes and assassins, new friends and old, and the Guild’s dreams of dragon slaying, Rondo will have every lesson from his fifteen years in the fi eld put to the test. He may not be the strongest adventurer around, but he knows one thing better than anyone: how to protect the people who count on him.*Silver Rank or not, Rondo’s second chance starts now!

Being Famous is NEET! Going Sister-Rank on Livestream

By Ryuta Kijima with illustrations by motto

*Suzuta Maya is a bright and cheery high school girl who also happens to be a streamer signed with a talent agency. But she’s not the protagonist of this story. That honor belongs to her older brother, Jin—an unemployed loafer who may love his little sister a little too much, but whose heart is always in the right place. So when Maya goes to the dungeon to stream her battles, Jin happily serves as both cameraman and security guard.*Everything changes when a trap sends Maya straight into an encounter with a deadly S-rank monster. Jin steps in without a second thought, unaware that his incredible feat has just been broadcast live to the world. Suddenly on the fast track to becoming a streaming sensation, Jin is about to discover what surprises await him in a modern world with a magical twist.

Déjà Vute: Betrayal Begets New Beginnings

By Minami Kashiwa with illustrations by Suzunosuke

“*Did you really think he loved you?”**On the verge of death, Freesia learns the soul-crushing truth: her fiancé, Vute, has betrayed her. Her beloved younger sister, Kalmia, has yet again taken something precious from her.**Then Freesia opens her eyes and finds herself two years in the past.**With a second chance at life, she resolves to cast aside everything Kalmia once stole from her—her engagement, the people who abandoned her, and the life that led to her ruin. This time, she’ll live on her own terms.*There is just one problem. For some reason, Vute refuses to let go of their betrothal, and little by little, Freesia finds herself backed into a corner...

Grinding My Way to a Happy Ending: If Only My OP Big Bro Didn't Make Things So (Sister) Complex!

By Kotoko with illustrations by Tsukasa Satsuki

*Former office worker Reine is delighted to be reincarnated into an otome game as the beautiful protagonist Renee Wainwright. Or she was, until she realizes the game was notorious for hiding its romance routes behind a grueling grind. Worse still, she’s at the very bottom of the academy’s social ladder and on the verge of expulsion, all while she doesn’t even have the protagonist’s memories as aid.*Fortunately, Renee’s tough previous life has sharpened her resolve. Armed with an iron will, she’s determined to climb the ranks, win over one of the love interests, and rewrite her fate. If only her elite and estranged older brother would stop inserting himself into every corner of his “amnesiac” sister’s life! Can Renee beat the odds and claw her way to the top? And what is that her brother seems to be hiding?

New Manga Series

Crybaby Love Song

By Romeda Ando

*For high school saxophonist Kodai, music was always his escape. Or it was, until a devastating anxiety attack onstage cost his band a competition.**Now forced to confront his mother’s remarriage with no way out, he finds himself with a new family and a new stepbrother, the gloomy and withdrawn Fuyuki. Yet beneath that intimidating exterior lies a gentle, guitar-loving soul.*As Fuyuki helps Kodai overcome his fear of performing, gratitude deepens into something far deeper—and far more complicated. But when it comes time for Kodai to help Fuyuki face the trauma that silenced his own music, will their bond strike a powerful new chord or will it collapse beneath the pressure?

New Print Announcements

Beautiful Daydream

By Quadrilian with illustrations by Ixy

*A little sister, distraught by her big brother's suicide, is asked one question: What do you want? This story is about a girl who gets a chance to avert her brother’s fate. And that brother gets a chance to find his truth before it’s too late.*A First Prize winner in the first-ever J-Novel Club Original Light Novel (OLN) Contest with Volume 1 Available March 2027

Private Tutor to the Duke's Daugher (Manga)

By Tamura Muto, Original Work by Riku Nanano

*Exams can be life-changing. Failing one just ended Allen’s promising career at the royal court before it began. Now, to make ends meet, the lowborn sorcerer must help one of the kingdom’s highest-born young ladies pass hers.Releasing as Single VolumesVolume 1 Available March 2027*

Now I'm a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon (Light Novel)

By Ryuyu with illustrations by Daburyu

*Yuki wakes up in another world. Now a demon lord in charge of a dungeon, he’ll have to learn to live with a legendary dragon, a pet slime, a vampire girl, and a wolf creature. It’s a lot of work, but watch Yuki juggle it all!Releasing as 2-in-1 Omnibus VolumesOmnibus 1 Available March 2027*

Pen's Down, Swords Up: Throw Your Studies to the Wind

By Mao Nishiura with illustrations by Maro

*Reborn into a fantasy world, former studyholic Allen Rovene is determined to live a carefree life—but first, he’s going to have to graduate from the renowned Royal Academy. The entrance exams are a killer, but Allen’s got a few tricks up his sleeve!Releasing as Single VolumesVolume 1 available April 2027*

Chivalry of a Failed Knight

By Riku Misora with illustrations by Won

*Kurogane Ikki is a Blazer, who can manifest his soul as a weapon. He dreams of becoming a Mage-Knight but lacks the talent for it—so no one sees it coming when he beats Stella Vermillion, a Rank a Blazer, in a duel! So begins his fight to the top!Releasing as 3-in-1 Hardback Collector’s Edition Omnibus VolumesCollector’s Edition 1 (Volumes 1-3) available April 2027*

Source: Press Release