HarperCollins is acquiring the manga publishing operations in France and Germany of global anime company Crunchyroll. The transaction should close this year, subject to regulatory approval.
The publishing operations team will be led by Hideki Iyama-Desseigne, who will report to Chantal Restivo-Alessi, CEO of international foreign language publishing at HarperCollins, and day-to-day operations will be supported by HarperCollins France and Germany.
HarperCollins president and CEO Brian Murray said, "We are thrilled to expand our manga portfolio in Europe, building on our already successful Japanese business. As the only major western publisher operating in Japan, this acquisition strengthens our expertise and capabilities in this fast-growing category. This is a significant step toward broadening the HarperCollins manga program around the world, not only in Europe, but the English language markets as well."
Restivo-Alessi added, "We look forward to welcoming and investing in the French and German publishing teams and their business, and to enhancing our relationships with Japanese manga publishers."