{"rewrite":{"id":"r_9a8f084bee90ee5ac16c3016","clusterId":"c_e3b51574ee3cbea0d84ab04b","slug":"ize-press-adds-whale-star-solo-leveling-releases-at-anime-nyc","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Ize Press Adds Whale Star, Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC","summary":"Ize Press announced four new titles during the Yen Press industry panel at Anime NYC on August 22, 2026. The slate leads with Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid, a six-volume historical romance webtoon by Yoonhee Na set in Korea under Japanese colonial rule in 1926. The story follows Sooah, a young maid who discovers Uihyeon, a wounded independence fighter fleeing Japanese authorities. The series has surpassed 13 million readers on WEBTOON and won the 2021 Korea Content Grand Prize Presidential Award. A live-action adaptation is in development. The publisher also revealed a Spanish-language edition of Solo Leveling covering the comic, novel, and audiobook formats. The comic and novel editions will be available in the United States and Canada, while the audiobook gets a worldwide release. Ize Press is adding the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok sequel novel by Daul, which centers on Sooho Sung, son of original protagonist Jinwoo Sung, as he enters the world of hunters and monsters. The company began releasing the Ragnarok comic in print in July. Finally, Ize Press announced Solo Leveling: The Board Game, a cooperative tactical tabletop title for one to four players, launching in Standard and Ultimate editions. The Ultimate edition includes collectibles such as a Beru plushie. Release dates and pricing were not announced.","whyItMatters":"The announcement marks Ize Press's first move into Spanish-language publishing and tabletop gaming, expanding Solo Leveling beyond comics and novels into new formats and new audiences.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eIze Press\u0026#39;s Anime NYC panel focused on broadening the Solo Leveling franchise while adding a distinct new story to its catalog. Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid reimagines Hans Christian Andersen\u0026#39;s The Little Mermaid against the backdrop of Korea\u0026#39;s colonial era, a departure from the action-heavy Solo Leveling line. The webtoon\u0026#39;s live-action adaptation, already in development, adds a cross-media layer to the acquisition. For Solo Leveling, the Spanish-language edition splits availability by format: comic and novel versions stay in the United States and Canada, while the audiobook ships worldwide. The Solo Leveling: Ragnarok novel follows Sooho Sung, a college student whose life changes after a monster outbreak on campus, picking up where the original story left off. The board game, designed for one to four players, includes dungeon boards, boss encounters, dice, cards, tokens, health and mana dials, and 3D miniature figures of hunters and monsters. The Ultimate edition adds a Colossus figure, placemats, and acrylic boss standees alongside the Beru plushie. Ize Press has not yet set release dates or pricing for any of the four announcements, saying those details will come later.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid, a 13-million-reader webtoon about a maid and a wounded independence fighter in 1926 Korea, is coming to Ize Press.","twitterPost":"Ize Press is taking Solo Leveling into Spanish comics, novels, and audiobooks, plus a tabletop board game with a Beru plushie in the Ultimate edition.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Ize Press unveiled four titles at Anime NYC, headlined by the acclaimed historical webtoon Whale Star and a Spanish-language Solo Leveling rollout. The publisher also confirmed a Solo Leveling board game and the Ragnarok sequel novel.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-22/ize-press-announces-whale-star-solo-leveling-releases-at-anime-nyc/.240830\",\"title\":\"Ize Press Announces Whale Star, Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC\"},{\"source\":\"OtakuKart Anime\",\"url\":\"https://otakukart.com/ize-press-announces-whale-star-and-new-solo-leveling-releases-at-anime-nyc-2026/\",\"title\":\"Ize Press Announces Whale Star and New Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC 2026\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":6289,"outputTokens":1138,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787891879,"createdAt":"2026-08-28T04:35:17.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T04:36:45.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T04:35:17.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e3b51574ee3cbea0d84ab04b","canonicalTitle":"News\nIze Press Announces Whale Star, Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC","representativeArticleId":"a_4d3a86ccc137ec3c82f77e0d","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[\"Solo Leveling\",\"Whale Star\"],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"Ize Press\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"license\",\"domain\":\"manga\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-22T15:45:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-22T17:52:22.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T04:36:47.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-22/ize-press-announces-whale-star-solo-leveling-releases-at-anime-nyc/.240830","title":"News\nIze Press Announces Whale Star, Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC"},{"source":"OtakuKart Anime","url":"https://otakukart.com/ize-press-announces-whale-star-and-new-solo-leveling-releases-at-anime-nyc-2026/","title":"Ize Press Announces Whale Star and New Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC 2026"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":["Solo Leveling","Whale Star"],"work_titles":[],"studios":["Ize Press"],"people":[],"type":"license","domain":"manga","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Ize Press announced four new titles at the Yen Press industry panel at Anime NYC on August 22, 2026.","Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid is a six-volume webtoon by Yoonhee Na set in 1926 Korea under Japanese colonial rule, with over 13 million readers on WEBTOON.","The Spanish-language Solo Leveling comic and novel editions will be available in the United States and Canada, while the audiobook receives a worldwide release.","Ize Press began releasing the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok comic in print in July 2026 and is now adding the sequel novel by Daul.","Solo Leveling: The Board Game is a cooperative tactical tabletop game for one to four players, launching in Standard and Ultimate editions with the Ultimate adding a Beru plushie."]}