Ize Press Announces Whale Star and New Solo Leveling Releases at Anime NYC 2026

Ize Press is expanding its catalog with four major new releases, including an acclaimed Korean historical webcomic and several new ways for fans to experience the growing world of Solo Leveling. The announcements were made during the Yen Press Industry Panel at Anime NYC on August 22, 2026, with the publisher confirming plans to expand into Spanish-language publishing and tabletop gaming.

The most significant new acquisition is Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid, Yoonhee Na’s historical romance webcomic set during Korea’s Japanese colonial era. The series will join a lineup already led by the global hit Solo Leveling, which is receiving a Spanish-language release, a new novel adaptation through Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, and a cooperative tabletop game.

Together, the announcements mark a major expansion for Ize Press. The new releases bring more Korean stories to English-speaking and Spanish-speaking audiences while also allowing readers and fans to experience Solo Leveling beyond its comic, novel, and anime formats.

Whale Star Brings Korean Historical Fiction to Ize Press

Whale Star CNF

Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid is one of the most notable additions to the Ize Press catalog. Created by Yoonhee Na and originally serialized digitally on WEBTOON, the six-volume series reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid against the backdrop of Korea under Japanese colonial rule in 1926.

The story follows Sooah, an illiterate teenage servant living in a wealthy household. Political unrest feels distant from her everyday life until she encounters Uihyeon, an injured freedom fighter attempting to escape Japanese forces. Their meeting pulls Sooah into a world of danger, resistance, heartbreak, and courage.

The historical romance has reached more than 13 million readers and won the 2021 Korea Content Grand Prize Presidential Award. A live-action adaptation is also currently in development, further increasing interest in the story. Through Sooah’s journey, Whale Star combines the emotional themes of a fairy tale with a dramatic look at a painful period in Korean history.

Solo Leveling Expands Into Spanish Publishing and New Formats

Ize Press is also broadening the reach of Solo Leveling with a Spanish-language edition of the comic, novel, and audiobook. The expansion will make Chugong’s fantasy series more accessible to Spanish-speaking fans, although availability will vary by format.

The Spanish-language comic and novel editions will be available exclusively in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, the Solo Leveling audiobook will receive a worldwide release.

The original story follows Jinwoo Sung, an E-rank hunter considered one of humanity’s weakest fighters. His life changes after a dangerous dungeon encounter gives him an unprecedented ability to grow stronger, eventually turning him into one of the most powerful hunters in the world.

The series has grown into a global multimedia franchise, with its anime adaptation streaming on Crunchyroll. As of August 2026, the anime has two seasons available.

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok and the New Tabletop Game

Ize Press also announced the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok novel by Daul. The story shifts attention toward Sooho Sung, a college student whose ordinary life changes after a monster outbreak at his campus and a mysterious message declares, “Congratulations on becoming a Player.”

The sequel expands the universe beyond Jinwoo’s original story while exploring the next generation. Ize Press previously released the first volume of the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok comic in July 2026.

The publisher is also moving into tabletop gaming with Solo Leveling: The Board Game, which will launch in Standard and Ultimate Editions. Designed for one to four players, the cooperative tactical experience allows fans to form a party of hunters and battle seven iconic boss monsters from the series.

Players can also experience a solo campaign as Jinwoo himself. The game includes dungeon boards, boss encounters, dice, cards, tokens, health and mana dials, and 3D miniature figures of hunters and monsters.

The Ultimate Edition will add exclusive items, including a Beru plushie, a Colossus figure, placemats, and acrylic boss standees. Ize Press has confirmed that further information about release dates, cover art, pricing, and preorders will be announced later.