Some unfortunate news on the manga front today as more facts arise that spell an unfortunate state for the manga publisher, Aurora Publishing. The company’s current state has been speculated by many in recent months and the general consensus hasn’t been good.

Now most recently, NetComics, an online manga-purchase site and book publisher, has announced that they’ll be removing all Aurora Publishing books “promptly after midnight PST April 14th”. (via ANN) This move was at the request of Aurora Publishing themselves, perhaps in light of the apparent sale they may be preparing for.

That said, as the potential proverbial nail-in-the-coffin, a California business broker is currently listing what is being presumed as Aurora Publishing up for sale for an asking price of $300,000.

“…Because manga requires specific skills and elements in order to establish the smooth flow of pictures, words, and panels, a knowledgeable staff is a tremendous asset for you as the new owner and the staff is willing to stay and help you grow the company even further. Don’t miss this wonderful business opportunity to participate in the growing industry of Japanese manga for the North American markets.”

I came across this listing after looking into an abridged link posted on the ANN forums. It’s sort of sad enough seeing a company be put up for sale but an actual price tag somehow drives the point home all the more. At least it can be perceived as an optimistic step instead of just folding altogether, and if it gets bought, and by whom, could prove interesting as well.

Over the past year Aurora Publishing has also had several blowout sales, selling off its books at ridiculously low prices including entire series for less than the price of a single book. While initially these sales were viewed as clearing out overstock, they’ve recently been seen as much less promising. The blow-out sale page can still be accessed with a March-updated order form and a lengthy list of books still available.

As a bit of short history, Aurora Publishing is a subsidiary of Japan’s Ohzora Publishing and consists of three imprints: Auroura Publishing, Deux Press (yaoi) and Luv-Luv Press (josei). Since it first began releasing books in English in 2006, the company has licensed over 50 series – the majority of which being boys’ love series including the critically well-recieved Future Lovers series.

Amazon currently list Ichiko Ima’s Beyond Twilight and the second volume of The Manzai Comics from Aurora Publishing in the summer but right now the likelihood of their their release is in the air along with the company’s future itself. Currently there hasn’t been any official word from the company itself regarding these recent events.

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