What are Light Novels?

         Light novels (does not mean the novels are light) are Japanese versions of the novel. Although my blogs focused on more on games, animations and comic, the light novel plays a significant role Japanese Anime and Comic. There are lots of different Novels exists with different genre and style. However, as light novel started from Japan, it shows the difference from normal novels we read. 

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          Light novels, compare to other novels, have detailed illustrations that remind of the Japanese comics and anime. Novels have an illustration, but light novel have illustration where we can see as “Japanese” style. This is mainly because light novels use as the basis for making animation or comics. Similar to every other famous product like Superman (where the comics were original), many famous Japanese Light Novel were also used to make Japanese anime. After 2000, light novel expanded and changed their illustration from normal to a Japanese “comic” illustration to attract the audience, creating their unique individual brand compare to normal novels. 

        These light novel also created a boom in the animation industry where Japanese animation (novel based) became the major product in the market. Normally, companies foresee profits from creating Japanese animation based on the Light Novel. Most of the Light novels used on the Japanese animation became very successful which able to sell 2 or 3 times more books than before. Simply, the animation is a process of “commercial” for these light novels to be very successful. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/LightNovels/comments/3foo0x/jp_gate_jsdf_novel_vs_light_novel_vs_manga_vs/

          However, these booms do not always happen because the popularity of light novel can be degraded in a worst way after the end of an animation. Most of the time, animation company do not follow the original Light Novel plots or background that mess things up commonly. Even though light novels have the great storyline, the animation does not always successfully adapt these features. The failure of adapting positive features led to a huge decrease on both animation and Light novels. Because light novels rely on commercial aspects from animation, the failure of animation also impact on the margin of light novels. This is the main reason many light novel authors refused to make light novels turn into animation because failure created a huge impact than success, gambling for greater success or failure. 

         These days light novel uses lots of sexuality aspects within the story line. Many of the novel light target on young people. Many famous light novels, receiving overwhelming popularity, highlights on the parts where sexuality feature may happen. The main reason is that as the industries are getting bigger more competition happens within the light novel market. Sexuality highlights creates a better eye attraction from the audience compare to the ones who do not. Illustration takes place in this section, where sexual illustration may be in the cover of the novel or inside the novel. Many people criticize these features because rather than focusing on the storyline, authors highlight too much on the sexual features, calling them “light novels are Sexual novel.”