Light novel , visual novel , and web novel . Have you ever wondered what the distinction is between them? Which category does each one fit into? Here at AnimeNew, we'll explain!
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One thing that draws attention when starting a new book is immersing yourself in the universe created by the authors, with memorable characters, intriguing settings, and contexts. And there are various 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 well-known printed books, usually accompanied by colorful illustrations of the characters in action, as well as black and white illustrations at times. The term, despite using English words, is of Japanese origin and suggests lightness; these books generally have around 300 pages. Therefore, they are printed in a format called bunkobon, using A6 sheets to facilitate transport and storage.
Web Novel
The authors write these stories directly for the internet, without a standardized format in terms of the number of lines per chapter. Typically, the author writes a web novel with the intention of promoting their work, distributing it for free for anyone to read. Authors don't usually add illustrations to the story later in web novels. Therefore, when a web novel becomes successful, it's common for publishers to contact the author to transform it into a light novel. In this process, the story undergoes professional revision 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 the game's route. Therefore, visual novels combine background scenery, a lot of text, ambient sound, and character illustrations with limited animations, such as changing poses or facial expressions.
Finally, now you'll have the answers to this question that often causes confusion.
Source: VNDB