Licensing Really Old Completed Manga Series
-
There are a lot of good and interesting completed Manga Series in Japan, which never got officially localized or licensed for international readers (and are still available in Japan, at the least in Digital format).
What is J-Novel's stand on trying to get license for such old series, even if it's for Digital release only.
One such series that comes to my mind for now, is the 1991-1999 Series "Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Great Paradise Battle!! (GS美神 極楽大作戦!!; Gōsuto Suīpā Mikami Gokuraku Daisakusen!!)", which even got a 45 Episodes Anime adaptation in 1993-1994. It even won the 1993 "Shogakukan Manga Award" for the Shōnen category.
It is a Series by "Takashi Shiina", whose recent work would be the Manga adaptation of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" (which is licensed by Viz).
-
Not impossible but it is a hard sell. Old titles in general do not do well unless there's a lot of nostalgia involved, and the fact that Ghost Sweeper is relatively long makes it an even larger risk. Generally speaking, titles that have gone unlicensed for long periods of time have reasons for being unlicensed.
Discommunication is an old manga that was licensed by JNC and bombed so badly I think it's the only title they've voluntarily abandoned. I'm not sure it's fair to use that as a gauge (it's weird) but it does reinforce the fact that it needs to be something they think will sell.
