Ahhh, things are finally warming up outside! And I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a long, lazy summer afternoon than with a copy of the latest Yen Plus! This month’s cover features the girls of Sumomomo, Momomo and the equally amorous star of Pig Bride! In addition to our usual lineup of fantastic, this month’s mag also features a special short story from Queenie Chan called “Forget-Me-Not,” as well as the first installment of a three-part preview of the upcoming Kieli novel. This month also marks our first full year of publication at Yen Plus, so next month will be our big anniversary issue with all kinds of great new stuff for you readers! Enjoy!

From now till June 11, RightStuf.com is having a sale on all Yen Press titles! Just enter coupon code yensave when you place your order and save at least 33% off everything from Yen Press! It’s worth noting that this sale includes back issues of YEN PLUS, so if you’re looking to fill in any gaps in your collection, you’re might just find it here! RightStuf.com! Go check it out!

At last it’s here! The first chapter of Pandora Hearts!!! And who better to grace the cover than Oz Vessalius himself, ready to tackle the terrors of Abyss! We’re so proud to be bringing it to you in the pages of YEN PLUS! (Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for all those Alice in Wonderland references in Pandora! ^_^ ) As we welcome this newcomer, we bid a fond farewell to Sarasah, which is making its final appearance in YEN PLUS. Ji-Hae and Ja-Yun will be missed, but don’t worry, Volume 1 of Sarasah will be in stores in July: click here to see the release schedule! As an added bonus, we have a special interview with Darren Shan discussing the manga adaptation of his bestselling series, Cirque du Freak, coming this month from Yen Press! And thank you for reading!

The word is out — and Amazon Canada and Lissa over at Kuriousity beat us to the punch! D’OH!

Ah well, you’d have read about it in the May issue of YEN PLUS (hitting bookstores right around now!) in JuYoun’s Editor’s Letter anyway. Yes, I can indeed confirm with great pride and enthusiasm that PANDORA HEARTS has been “rescued” by Yen Press. Still more, we have Jun Mochizuki’s previous title, CRIMSON SHELL, added to our list as well. Now what you won’t have heard elsewhere — unless you already snagged your copy of the magazine and studiously read JuYoun’s letter in which case more power to you *gasp* — is that you won’t have to wait until December to read PANDORA HEARTS. Nossir! That’s because starting with the June issue, we’re going to begin serializing the series in the pages of our beloved YEN PLUS!We are super-excited to be adding PANDORA HEARTS to the mix of the magazine, and we sincerely hope you’ll be similarly enthused!

That’s it for now except to say that if you haven’t already stopped by our EXTRAS tab on the site be sure you do to get your latest dose of the funny from our webcomic preview of this fall’s TOXIC PLANET. It may not be manga, but it is pure goodness. New strips every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so enjoy!

I can’t believe it’s time for the May issue of YEN PLUS already! But the calendar says it is so, and so it must be. We’ve got an awesome new YEN PLUS for you this month, featuring the dark and deadly Jack Frost and the girls of the Muroe High kendo team! Sadly this is the last month you’ll see Bamboo Blade in the anthology, because we’re making room for a brand-new series starting next month . . . Pandora Hearts! (Read more about it here!) But don’t worry, you can still get your hands on the collected book editions of Bamboo Blade! In fact, in April and May we’re releasing several volumes of the series you know from YEN PLUS: Nightschool, Pig Bride, Nabari no Ou, Sumomomo Momomo, Jack Frost, and Bamboo Blade! Be sure to check them out! And as always, thanks for reading!

It seems everyone’s “going green” these days, and Yen Press is no exception!

Starting today, click on over to the EXTRAS tab to enjoy a sampling of Toxic Planet by David Ratte. This dry, witty satire takes place in a world where pollution has become so out of control that people have to wear gas masks at all times. But far from showing concern for the state of the world in which they live, most people are content to adapt to the dangers of pollution rather than try to correct the problem. Make sure you stop by www.yenpress.com every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for another hilarious, thought-provoking strip from Toxic Planet! And be sure to look for the complete, collected edition in bookstores August 2009!

The new Yen Plus is here! The new Yen Plus is here! We’ve got a whole new chapter of all your favorites, with cover and color pages from Svetlana Chmakova’s Nightschool. And on the flip side, Maka has a super-cool bonus for you, our loyal readers—this awesome poster featuring the whole cast of Soul Eater! It’s the first of many bonuses to come, so proudly display your poster and keep looking for more great comics and extras in Yen Plus! Let us know what you think and thanks for reading!

Gather your comrades and come on down to Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York City for ANIME DAY this Sunday, March 15th!

They’ve planned a full day of events, kicking off with a big giveaway from yours truly, Yen Press! The first thirty fans in the door will get this very cool limited-edition Soul Eater key holder! The store opens at 11 a.m., so set your alarms and get there early!

It’s hard to beat a start like that, but Kinokuniya’s got a great lineup of presentations all day long!
12 p.m. - Introduction to Cosplay with India Dave, Renee Gloger, and Elizabeth Licata
1 p.m. - Get a preview of KRAZY!, an exhibit celebrating Japanese pop culture presented by the Japan Society
2 p.m. - Demonstration and art lesson from Misako Rocks!
3 p.m. - Keio Academy Summer Camp will present a great opportunity for those eager to learn the basics of anime and digital media
4 p.m. - SamuraiBeatRadio.com introduces Ai Kawashima, a J-Pop star making her US debut later this spring
5 p.m. - NYC band echostream shows you how they make music in their home studio and how you can make music at home too
6 p.m. - Stick around till six for the big raffle drawing. One lucky winner will get a whole bunch of Del Ray manga…but we all know you really came for the Soul Eater key holder.

For a detailed list of events, CLICK HERE!

Make sure you visit Kinkuniya Bookstore THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 15!
Kinokuniya is located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas (between 40th and 41st) in Manhattan.
Doors open at 11 a.m., first thirty get our fantastic giveaway!
We hope to see you there!

13th BOY Volume 1 | by SangEun Lee
978-0-7595-2994-6 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

CIRQUE DU FREAK Volume 1 | story by Darren Shan, art by Takahiro Arai
978-0-7595-3041-6 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 224 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Teen

WELCOME TO WAKABA-SOH Volume 1 | by Chako Abeno
978-0-7595-3035-5 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 112 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Older Teen

BLACK GOD Volume 6 | story by Dall-Young Lim, art by Sung-Woo Park
978-0-7595-3091-1 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 208 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Mature

GOONG Volume 5 | by SoHee Park
978-0-7595-3123-9 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 192 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA Volume 3 | story by Nagaru Tanigawa, art by Gaku Tsugano, character design by Noizi Ito
978-0-7595-2946-5 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Older Teen

ZOMBIE-LOAN Volume 6 | by PEACH-PIT
978-0-7595-2840-6 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Older Teen

KIELI Volume 1: The Dead Sleep in the Wilderness | by Yukako Kabei
978-0-7595-2929-8 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 240 pages | 5.125″x 7.5″

SARASAH Volume 1 | by Ryang Ruy
978-0-7595-3015-7 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 192 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

ANGEL DIARY Volume 9 | story by YunHee Lee, art by Kara
978-0-7595-3132-1 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

ANTIQUE GIFT SHOP Volume 8 | by Eun Lee
978-0-7595-3143-7 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

CROQUIS POP Volume 5 | story by KwangHyun Seo, art by JinHo Ko
978-0-7595-2966-3 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 192 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Teen

LEGEND Volume 5 | by SangEun Lee
978-0-7595-3136-9 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

MR. FLOWER GROOM | by Lily Hoshino
978-0-7595-2950-2 | $12.99 (14.50) | 192 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Mature

SPIRAL Volume 8 | story by Kyo Shirodaira, art by Eita Mizuno
978-0-7595-2915-1 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 192 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Teen

SUNDOME Volume 5 | by Kazuto Okada
978-0-7595-3133-8 | $12.99 (14.50) | 208 pages | 5″x 7.5″ | Mature

VERY! VERY! SWEET Volume 4 | by JiSang Shin and Geo
978-0-7595-3146-8 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 176 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen

YOU’RE SO COOL Volume 4 | by YoungHee Lee
978-0-7595-3131-4 | $10.99 ($11.99) | 192 pages | 5.75″x 8.25″ | Teen