HarperCollins is set to make a significant entry into the North American manga market with the launch of its KAZÉ imprint. Revealed during a panel at Anime NYC, the publisher plans to roll out between five and eight titles in late 2027, with an aggressive expansion strategy that aims to reach an output of 25 to 30 titles per year by 2029. Alongside the U.S. expansion, the brand is also establishing a presence in Spain and Brazil.
Leveraging its unique position as a Western publisher with direct ties to Japan, KAZÉ intends to cultivate a diverse catalog. The imprint plans to publish original IPs from HarperCollins Japan, alongside works from its existing French and German catalogs. Furthermore, the publisher is looking to diversify its offerings by including manhwa, manhua, and original English-language manga, with a specific focus on prominent creators who have yet to see their work translated for U.S. readers.
The imprint’s inaugural title will be SOL Sistah, an original English manga by Saxton Moore and Phillip Johnson. The series is described as a teen slice-of-life story featuring a goddess living as a high school student, blending kaiju-crushing action with a Pan-African aesthetic. The team behind the imprint, led by VP and publisher Andrew Arnold, has confirmed that all translations will be handled by humans, explicitly rejecting the use of AI.
KAZÉ’s U.S. entry follows HarperCollins' 2025 acquisition of Crunchyroll’s manga operations in France and Germany. By drawing on the expertise of its sister imprint, HarperAlley, the team aims to navigate the competitive U.S. landscape. This launch complements HarperCollins' existing efforts in Japanese literature, which include recent English releases of novels like Run with the Wind and the upcoming Ocean Waves.
