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Straight Edge Launches Horizontal Manga Label

Author agency and IP production company Straight Edge launched on Wednesday its own manga label called Straight Edge Comic (SEC), which will plan, edit, and publish manga in horizontal format. Additionally, STUDIO ZOON former editor-in-chief Kento Kaji will join Straight Edge as a manga editing adviser. Kaji will mainly establish a manga editing and production flow and forge partnerships with manga artists. Straight Edge founder and overall editor-in-chief Kazuma Miki will be in charge of producing the works and media mix strategies.

The new label is looking for original authors, manga artists, and freelance editors. With the motto "Creator First," the label will aim to nurture each project with a small, elite team, and for serialization to start in 2027.

The new label will also introduce a "sliding royalty" system, where the royalty rate increases as manga sales increase. It also guarantees a success-based compensation, where external or freelance editors will share the profits if a work becomes a hit. 

With serialized works, the label will only accept works that pass the editorial meeting after preparing several chapters of storyboards, but assures that creators will still be paid the "planning and development costs" even if a work does not pass the meeting, in addition with working with creators to plan their next project.

The digital-first manga label also plans to distribute titles through major online stores, but will also aim to release hit works in printed volumes. The label's initial goal will be a title's anime adaptation by having one of Japan's largest advertising groups to collaborate on select titles to become a partner for promotion, marketing, and screen adaptation, and also deploy comprehensive promotional strategies to further nurture and grow the titles. 

Miki left Kadokawa as Dengeki Bunko's editor-in-chief in March 2016, and started Straight Edge in April the same year. The company's contracted writers include Kazuma Kamachi (A Certain Magical Index, Heavy Object), Reki Kawahara (Sword Art Online, Accel World), Tsutomu Satou (The irregular at magic high school), and Tsukasa Fushimi (Oreimo, Eromanga Sensei).

Miki joined the editorial department of Dengeki Bunko in 2001, when he worked on Shakugan no Shana, and became editor-in-chief in 2014. He served as editor on titles such as A Certain Magical Index, Sword Art Online, and The irregular at magic high school, and was also a producer on their respective anime adaptations. Kadokawa published his autobiographical book Omoshirokereba Nandemo Ari: Hakkō Ruikei 6,000-man-bu ― Toaru Henshū no Life Work (If It's Interesting It Can Be Anything: 60 Million Copies in Print ― A Certain Editor's Life Work).

Sources: Kazuma Miki's Note page, Comic Natalie