Midnight Robot, Arai-kun & Haruma-senpai Manga Coming from Manga Mavericks

North American publisher Manga Mavericks Books announced two new licenses during its Anime NYC panel today. The latest titles on the way include Yohei Sajita’s Midnight Robot, due out in May 2027, and Akahachi’s Arai-kun & Haruma-senpai, which launches digitally this December and in print in June 2027.Check out more info on both below, including author comments.

Midnight Robot

by Yohei Sajita

**Print: $19.99 / Digital: $6.99 ****236 pages ∙ 13+  ****May 2027  **

Synopsis:

Fumiko Daidouji has become used to her dad not being in her life, until he suddenly returns home with a gift: a screw lodged into her cranium! He claims it’s to protect her from a secret, nameless organization, and not surprisingly, she figures her Dad has a screw loose himself.

However, the organization is very real - and they want Fumiko’s screw to summon a giant robot! Dragged against her will into a battle to save the world, Fumiko quickly realizes that her once ordinary life is gone. Now, she faces world destruction, a parallel cosmos, and the midnight robot that connects them all.

Yohei Sajita comments:

“I’m Yohei Sajita, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.

The notion that people will be able to read Midnight Robot in English has me overcome with emotion. When reading this manga, you might think the style is reminiscent of a certain type of absurdist sci-fi manga from the 60s and 70s, and thus, it’s the type of work that likely wouldn’t catch on nowadays.

It’s for that reason that I’ve been drawing this manga on my own for some time now. I drew this manga with the mindset of creating something I’d want to read myself. A manga that, as a child, I would have been excited to experience, while simultaneously standing up to adult scrutiny as well. Striving for both of those ideals was my goal.

If readers were to experience that same feeling, then I’d experience a high like no other.

So please read and enjoy.”

Arai-kun and Haruma-senpai*** ***

by Akahachi

**Print: $14.99 / Digital: $6.99 ***152 pages ∙ 13+  Digital: December 2026Print: June 2027*

Synopsis:

Haruma Ohara is the charming, athletic upperclassman. Ao Arai is the adorably shy, chubby underclassman. Simply a match made…in an elevator?

A chance encounter in an elevator between a rushed introvert and a charismatic jock grows into a fluffy, slow-burn love story. The introverted Arai is swept up in the charm of the extroverted Haruma, and before he knows it, they’ve exchanged contact information and keep running into each other all over campus. It’s clear to everyone that Haruma’s crush is immediate, but how long will it take for Arai to notice his own feelings?

Akahachi comments:

“Hello, manga lovers!

Arai-kun & Haruma-senpai is finally coming out in English! Releasing my manga in other languages has always been something I've deeply wished for, but making that happen has never been easy, and there were many times it left me feeling disheartened. For Arai-kun & Haruma-senpai, I've been getting requests for an English edition for years.

And now, at last, Manga Mavericks Books has made this dream come true. I couldn't be happier, and I can't wait for the release date! Whether you've read my manga before or are just discovering it for the first time, I'd love for you to grab a copy!”

Manga Mavericks is also hard at work recovering previously lost color pages for its upcoming release of The Sword of Paros. The team has been restoring these from the original serialization with the permission of Fairbell Inc. and Yumiko Igarashi, and sent out an open call for anyone who might have access to issues of *Monthly Asuka *magazine from June 1986, August 1986, November 1986, January 1987 and February 1987. Here’s a sample of one of the recovered pages that will be included in the English release:

**Source: **Manga Mavericks Books press release