Shogakukan has officially launched its digital media app, NOVELOUS, offering English translations of some of Japan’s most popular light novels and manga to audiences in the United States and Canada. The service went live on 23 January and is now available for download on iOS and Android devices.
NOVELOUS brings over 80 works from Japan’s thriving light novel and manga scene, including titles such as the dark fantasy Witch and Hound and the action-packed manga Kengan Ashura. Many of these works are making their English-language debut, with additional series, of course, planned for future updates.
Shogakukan hopes that the apps design will enhance the reading experience with features like character icons and speech bubbles, making it easier for readers to identify which characters are speaking. It also fosters community interaction by allowing users to share their favourite series, leave ratings, and provide feedback on stories.
Looking ahead, Shogakukan plans to expand NOVELOUS to include original English-language light novels, with an upcoming competition offering creators the chance to have their work featured on the app. NOVELOUS also offers a flexible model for accessing content. Readers can unlock chapters with in-app Paid coins for long-term access or explore new works with Free coins for short-term access.
Commenting on the release, Yuki Wada, producer of NOVELOUS shared:
Many Western fans discover their favorite stories through anime, but are less familiar with the original manga or light novels those anime are based on. Light novels, in particular, are not well known in the West, so we wanted to share the incredible work of these authors with a global audience.
