Many people don't know this, but is there a difference between a light novel and a book? The answer is yes! Let's find out what that difference .
Light novels are pocket-sized books for young people with a lighter reading style than traditional books. Their writing uses few kanji (Japanese characters), some with furigana (a smaller font indicating how to read them), and simple, short sentences. The marketing strategy in Japan is that you can read them wherever you want.
Although it may be more difficult for some to perceive and understand the difference between a book and a Light Novel when closed , this format is simple and light to read, especially in Portuguese. Even so, it is possible to perceive the difference in narration, where the paragraphs are short and there is a huge amount of direct narration on the pages (isolated dialogues and thoughts of the characters).
Furthermore, light novels integrate the entire otaku universe , incorporating onomatopoeia ( on'yu ) and various graphic elements that we are primarily familiar with from manga .
References to anime are everywhere on the pages, some of them directly connected to that universe, resembling descriptions of anime, with typical animation and manga scenes all around. The difference is also noticeable in the amount of direct dialogue.
Therefore, a large portion of the works are manga-style illustrations created by the same author or an illustrator.
In Japan, most of these works are serialized in manga magazines or their own magazines, released directly in volumes. Furthermore, most of the publishers that work with them are the same ones that publish manga, with the Kadokawa the largest.
Finally, in Brazil, light novels tend to get sidelined, as they are always accompanied by big names like No Game No Life, among other famous works.