Light novel , Visual novel , and Web novel . Have you ever wondered what the distinction is between them? Which category each falls into? Here at AnimeNew, we'll explain!
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One of the most compelling things about starting a new book is immersing yourself in the universe created by the authors, with memorable characters, intriguing settings, and contexts. And there are many ways to present this experience to fans: whether through illustrations, detailed descriptions, or even music. Today, we'll discuss the main differences between three popular storytelling formats: light novels, web novels, and visual novels.
Light Novel
Light novels are the well-known printed books, usually accompanied by color illustrations of characters in action, as well as black-and-white illustrations at times. The term, although used in English, is of Japanese origin and suggests lightness; these books typically have around 300 pages. Therefore, they are printed in a format called bunkobon, using A6 sheets for easier transport and storage.
Web Novel
Authors write these stories directly for the internet, without a standardized formatting in terms of number of lines per chapter. Typically, authors write a web novel to promote their work, distributing it for free for anyone to read. Authors don't typically add illustrations later in web novels. Therefore, when a web novel becomes successful, publishers often contact the author to transform it into a light novel. During this process, the story undergoes professional proofreading and editing, with the addition of illustrations and, sometimes, changes to the plot.
Visual Novel
Visual novels are a type of game where the player interacts by clicking to make decisions that directly affect the story or game path. Visual novels combine background scenery, extensive text, ambient sound, and character illustrations, with limited animations, such as changing poses or facial expressions.
Finally, now you are aware of this doubt that ends up confusing.
Source: VNDB
