Publisher Shogakukan announced its digital light novel and manga app NOVELOUS will launch on January 23 at 11:00 p.m. PST / January 24 at 2:00 a.m. EST for Android and iOS devices.
The Western release of Shogakukan’s NOVELOUS light novel and manga app will bring English translations of the most popular and new series to fans in the United States and Canada for the very first time. At launch, it will feature more than 80 of Japan’s favorite works by Shogakukan, including Witch and Hound and Kengan Ashura. Many more titles will be added after launch.
On the app, users can share their favorite series with friends and family, rate and leave impressions, and make use of dedicated character icons and speech bubbles for easier reading. Users can unlock long-term access to new chapters with in-app Paid coins or use Free coins for short-term access without commitment.
In the future, Shogakukan will also include original light novels in NOVELOUS by writers in the west. There will be an upcoming competition where participants can submit their own English light novels for a chance to win a prize and be featured in the NOVELOUS app.
“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,” says NOVELOUS producer Yuki Wada. “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.”
