What is a Light Novel? Part 1: The Japanese View

Defining what a Light Novel is seems to be like trying to grab a greased pig – it’s messy, hard to pin down, and you can never quite get a solid hold on it. So, in an effort to understand them better, I decided to look at how Japanese speakers define the Light Novel category of books.

“It is an entertainment novel for young people that describes elements such as science fiction, horror, mystery, fantasy, and love in a light style in an easy-to-understand manner.”

Encyclopedia Nipponica (Nippo...