{"rewrite":{"id":"r_eb654a7408effb53e6d465ad","clusterId":"c_9891ee8222b11a7b66fa6600","slug":"manga-licensing-panel-at-anime-expo-2026-emphasizes-empathy-and-instinct","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Manga Licensing Panel at Anime Expo 2026 Emphasizes Empathy and Instinct","summary":"At Anime Expo 2026, a panel of manga publishing executives discussed the balance between emotional instinct and hard data when licensing titles. Panelists from Square Enix, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Inklore described the process as an exercise in empathy, where personal passion and analytical sales projections both play a role in deciding which manga to bring to English readers.","whyItMatters":"The panel reveals that manga licensing decisions are driven by a combination of emotional resonance and commercial analysis, with publishers taking calculated risks on titles they personally believe in.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eAt Anime Expo 2026, a panel titled \u0026#34;Japan to the US: How Manga is Acquired and What Breaks Through?\u0026#34; brought together executives from Square Enix Manga \u0026amp; Books, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Inklore to discuss the realities of manga licensing. Leyla Aker of Square Enix described the field as requiring a \u0026#34;gentle madness,\u0026#34; while Ben Applegate of Kodansha called the selection process \u0026#34;an exercise in empathy.\u0026#34; Panelists agreed that while sales data and market trends are important, a publisher\u0026#39;s instinctual emotional response to a title often guides the final decision. Hope Donovan of Viz Media noted that being moved by a work personally is a strong signal that others will be moved too. The panel acknowledged that not every licensed title becomes a best-seller, but each receives the same careful consideration backed by passion.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Manga licensing is an exercise in empathy, said panelists at Anime Expo 2026. Publishers balance instinct and data when choosing titles to bring to English readers.","twitterPost":"Manga licensing is an exercise in empathy, said panelists at Anime Expo 2026. Publishers balance instinct and data when choosing titles to bring to English readers.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"At Anime Expo 2026, a panel of manga publishing executives discussed the balance between emotional instinct and hard data when licensing titles. Panelists from Square Enix, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Inklore described the process as an exercise in empathy, where personal passion and analytical sales projections both play a role in deciding which manga to bring to English readers.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/manga-licensing-is-an-exercise-in-empathy/.239269\",\"title\":\"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026: Manga Licensing Is An Exercise In Empathy\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4539,"outputTokens":596,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783170272,"createdAt":"2026-07-04T12:53:46.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-04T12:58:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-04T12:53:46.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_9891ee8222b11a7b66fa6600","canonicalTitle":"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026\nManga Licensing Is An Exercise In Empathy","representativeArticleId":"a_08f1a96fd4376e0847d7f4b5","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"other\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-04T12:15:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-04T12:15:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-04T12:58:32.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/manga-licensing-is-an-exercise-in-empathy/.239269","title":"All the News and Reviews from Anime Expo 2026\nManga Licensing Is An Exercise In Empathy"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"other","domain":"industry","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":null}