Manga Mavericks Books revealed two new English-language manga licenses during its Anime NYC 2026 panel: Yohei Sajita’s sci-fi action manga MIDNIGHT ROBOT and Akahachi’s boys’ love series ARAI-KUN & HARUMA-SENPAI. The publisher also provided an update on its forthcoming English release of The Sword of Paros.
MIDNIGHT ROBOT Volume 1 is set for a simultaneous print and digital release in May 2027. The 236-page volume will be priced at $19.99 in print and $6.99 digitally, suitable for readers aged 13 and older.
Sajita initially started MIDNIGHT ROBOT as a self-published manga in 2015. Hayakawa Publishing later began serializing it on its Hayacomi web manga platform in 2024. The manga features a red-and-black two-color palette, which Manga Mavericks Books intends to maintain in its A5-sized English edition. According to the publisher, this release will also be the first print edition of the series worldwide.
Boys and girls, it’s time to get in the robot!
Fumiko Daidouji has adapted to her dad’s absence in her life, until he unexpectedly returns home with a gift: a screw lodged in her cranium! He claims it’s to shield her from a secret, nameless organization, and it’s no surprise that she suspects her Dad has lost his mind.
However, the organization is very real – and they desire Fumiko’s screw to summon a giant robot! Forced into a battle to save the world, Fumiko soon realizes her once normal life is over. Now, she confronts world destruction, a parallel cosmos, and the midnight robot that links them all.
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The second license, ARAI-KUN & HARUMA-SENPAI, will debut digitally in December 2026, followed by its print edition in June 2027. The 152-page release will be priced at $6.99 digitally and $14.99 in print.
Haruma Ohara is the charming, athletic upperclassman. Ao Arai is the adorably shy, chubby underclassman. Simply a match made…in an elevator?
A chance meeting in an elevator between a hurried introvert and a charismatic jock evolves into a sweet, slow-burn love story. The introverted Arai finds himself drawn in by the charm of the extroverted Haruma, and before he knows it, they’ve exchanged contact information and continuously bump into each other around campus. It’s evident to everyone that Haruma has an immediate crush, but how long will it take for Arai to recognize his own feelings?
Akahachi has also created other works including A BUSINESSMAN AND A DRIVER, COUPLES, and TONARI NO LUNCH.
The Sword of Paros Color Pages Being Restored
Manga Mavericks Books also shared an update on its English edition of The Sword of Paros. With the consent of Fairbell Inc. and artist Yumiko Igarashi, the publisher is recovering and restoring color artwork from the manga’s original serialization in Monthly Asuka from 1986 to 1987.
Several pages have already been retrieved, but the publisher is still in need of copies of the June, August, and November 1986 issues, along with the January and February 1987 issues of Monthly Asuka.
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Anyone who provides a lead that directly helps Manga Mavericks Books obtain one of the missing issues by September 15, 2026 will receive a name credit in the English edition of The Sword of Paros and a complimentary copy upon release.
Print pre-orders for MIDNIGHT ROBOT, ARAI-KUN & HARUMA-SENPAI, and The Sword of Paros are currently available through the publisher’s store.
Source: Press Release
