Crossed Hearts, a newly established global publishing house, has announced the acquisition of the license for Mai Ando’s popular manga series, ‘You’re Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun!’ (Namaiki Sugiru yo, Chigaya-kun!). The announcement marks another addition to the publisher’s growing catalog of Asian comics and novels entering the English-speaking market.
Diving into ‘You’re Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun!’
Authored and illustrated by Mai Ando, ‘You’re Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun!’ is a shoujo manga that blends elements of romance, slice of life, sports, and school life. The series centers around a charming, heart-fluttering high school romance.
The story follows Natsune, a composed senior, and Chigaya, her mischievous junior, both archers. Ever since their first meeting, Chigaya relentlessly teases Natsune with his words, smiles, and playful jabs. Flustered by his knowing grin, Natsune can’t help but wonder if there’s a deeper meaning behind his persistent teasing. The manga is published on ComicSmart’s Ganma in Japan, with Volume 2 releasing in November in Japan.
Crossed Hearts: A New Player in Asian Content Publishing
Crossed Hearts, a U.S.-based publisher with a team in Los Angeles and Bengaluru, made its debut on social media on August 19, aiming to bring popular Japanese manga, Korean webcomics, and Asian novels to English-speaking audiences globally. The company’s mission is to make Asian storytelling more accessible while preserving the original vision and authentic voice of each creator. They work directly with leading publishers, creators, and studios to ensure the quality and emotional depth of their releases.
The publisher focuses on localizing and distributing content to various regions, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India. They have expressed plans to expand their distribution network further to Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the Middle East in the coming year.
Expanding Catalog and Future Plans
‘You’re Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun!’ joins a diverse list of titles licensed by Crossed Hearts. Their initial lineup includes several popular webcomics and novels. Other notable licenses announced by the publisher include “Baroness Goes On Strike,” “From a Knight to a Lady,” “The Archduke’s Adopted Saint,” “The Abandoned Villainess Became a Zombie,” and “Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion.”
While initially focusing on romance, fantasy, and isekai titles, Crossed Hearts has indicated plans to broaden its genre offerings in 2026 to include action, mystery, and thriller manga, as well as light novels. The publisher is actively accepting licensing suggestions for manga, manhwa, manhua, and light novels through their Twitter account. Their strategy also includes prioritizing the printing of ongoing series by signing contracts that cover the duration of the series, aiming to streamline the adaptation process for English print editions.
