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Viz Media Founder Predicts Light Novel Success In The U.S.

By Ishaan . November 12, 2011 . 1:30pm

Viz Media Founder Predicts Light Novel Success In The U.S.

Speaking with pop culture site, ICv2, Viz Media founder, Seiji Horibuchi, recently discussed his vision of the U.S. manga market in the years to come. Horibuchi feels that Japanese pop culture in general has a healthy future in America, and that the primary challenge is finding ways to deliver content to buyers and fighting piracy.

 

In particular, Horibuchi feels that “light novels” will become more popular in the future. Light novels are a little longer than their U.S. counterpart, novella, and are targeted at the young adult audience that indulges in manga, anime and videogames.

 

In recent years, a number successful anime series have been based on light novels. A few examples of these are: Spice and Wolf, Bakemonogatari, Durarara!! and Fate/zero.

 

“Light novels have the essence of manga, animation, and video games combined,” Horibuchi tells ICv2. “It has been a tremendously popular genre in Japan for the past six or seven years and continues to grow both there and in the U.S. Viz Media’s Haikasoru imprint has published some good examples.  Some popular anime films have been based on light novels and I think publishers here in the U.S. will begin to publish more of these titles as more readers become aware.”

 

With regard to manga itself, Horibuchi feels that the audience will grow as the transition to digital publishing becomes more stable and publishers get closer to a model where simultaneous worldwide releases are possible. He predicts this transition will have taken place by the time the year 2016 comes around.


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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ex-Detsu/100001670613988 Ex Detsu

    >Light novels have the essence of manga, animation, and video games combined

    They are books with illustrations, guy. What are you even talking about?

    • http://twitter.com/dago2682 José Dagoberto

      Yeah,i didn´t understand what he meant with that either.

    • http://twitter.com/gespenstmkII Akai Ringo

       i like light novels a lot, so i’ll do my best to PR TRANSLATE…*charging powers!* my 2d moe moe senses say…”Light novels are cool! so lots of anime/shows/games/etc are based on them! please have my child!” ok maybe not that last part.

    • amagidyne

      I wonder why he stopped there. Light novels obviously also have the essence of puppet theater, sculpture, winemaking, noise music, architecture and chewing gum.

  • http://twitter.com/gespenstmkII Akai Ringo

    thats pretty optimistic…coming from the company that has been sitting on the rights for the Shakugan No Shana light novel series for years without releasing any new light novels (note: they stopped after the second one if i remember the contents of my bookshelf correctly). i’m sorry if i somehow offend any comrades out there with my sarcastic comment… but sheesh, shame on you viz. shame.

    • M’iau M’iaut

      The US publishers are very much to blame with the way they all dropped titles or moved them to limited and spread out releases that no one stayed aware. 

      Perhaps they are making noise to ‘get back in’. None of the most recent successful light novel series (Spice and Wolf and Harhuhi) are Viz properties.

      • http://twitter.com/gespenstmkII Akai Ringo

        ooo i’m currently rabidly into those english translations of Spice & Wolf and Haruhi. i like how we can actually buy Haruhi in hardcover in english…they look glorious on my bookshelf! Bungaku Shoujo is into their third volume in english too… i hope that one succeeds too, since the characters are pretty adorable.

      • Dokurochan

        If you read the full interview Viz considers their Haikosora (totally spelt that wrong) imprint light novels, so I guess depending if you consider those books light novels or not Viz have been releasing a bunch of light novels, just not ones with pretty pictures.

      • KyoyaHibari

        Man, Viz has dropped so many series (due to profit loses I assume) I want to catch up on Reborn and other manga but Viz had to cut them off, I’m surprised Reborn was one of them though, they have some far worse series no one cares about which they could’ve dropped instead I think. 

        • Enma_Kozato

          The way I see it, a lot of people weren’t buying Reborn because of the translation (typos and odd phrases being the main reason) not because it wasn’t popular. As “fans” they decided the series would be better off dropped in the hopes it would be picked up by someone else, which I think is an incredibly stupid mentality because I don’t see anyone other than Viz picking it up.

          • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

            Was it really that bad? 

          • Enma_Kozato

            It really depends; you either found phrases such as “you saved my bacon” “hold the bus” or “the bazooka must be acting hinky” extremely funny or extremely stupid. Personally, my friend and I had a blast reading all those phrases in the manga.

            http://hitman-reborn.livejournal.com/5070540.html#comments

          • KyoyaHibari

            XD oh right I remember hearing about that. “Holy sauerkraut on rye!” so bad…

        • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

          Maybe they can bring it back digitally? I want the first chapters in high quality, I want to read it again and again.

  • http://gloopyeegra.wordpress.com/ Arla

    I bought my first complete set of light novels a few weeks back. I had no idea all four of the Eureka seveN light novels had been translated so I got them instantly on Amazon before they disappeared. Side-tracked by A Clockwork Orange at the moment but, I hope to get to them soon. I sure hope manga/light novels dont go all digital. I would hope comics/manga would survive the digital transition as reading a comic on paper is MUCH different than reading it on a phone/e-reader/tablet, etc.

  • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

    I just hope someone brings the No. 6 light novels, isnt Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere a light novel as well?

    • http://twitter.com/InfinityAge11 InfinityAge11

      Yes, it is. As thick as those volumes are though, I’m not sure how thrilled any company would be about the task of translating them.

    • LynxAmali

      NO COMPANY should go through the horrendous task of translating Horizon. Add to the fact that it’s a middle of a series. It’s just not worth it unless they do major promotion and get it out there. Ex: TV commercials, pamphlets on everything, posters, etc.

      Pic related. That’s the thickness of the typical Horizon story.

      @chicken_and_rofls:disqus
      The FMP novels were filled with inconsistent spellings and what not. Not to mention that most of them were OOP by the time the next came out. Also; add to the fact they handled the series so badly with regards to promotion and exactly keeping them in print.

  • aoihana

    It’s great that Viz recognizes the potential success of light novels in the USA, and manga in general, but if only their library reflected that. But I guess they are growing now. It’s tough though, Yen Press is snatching a lot of the good series. If Viz wants to expand, they better get going! 

    With digital publishing, I personally will never adapt. Although having a digital collection is more convenient, nothing beats a traditional paperback. Nothing.

  • chicken_and_rofls

    I don’t buy it.  TokyoPop tried this years ago with big name titles like Slayers, Full Metal Panic, and Scrapped Princess, and all of them were flops.  The Haruhi novels apparently aren’t big sellers either.  Oh, and let’s not forget that Viz themselves tried releasing the Fullmetal Alchemist novels but stopped before finishing, presumably due to low sales.

    Don’t get me wrong.  I’d love to see more of these books translated into English.   I just don’t get why Horibuchi believes they’ll magically start selling well, especially with the Borders collapse and the overall decline in book sales.

  • sandra10

    I’d love to read more stuff from Ryohgo Narita. Just seeing the animes of his works (which aren’t even complete) doesn’t satisfy me.

  • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

    I certainly want to support them, but I hope they finish a series to keep me motivated.
    I have more faith in Haikasoru being more successful, due to them picking up standalone releases not series.  I’ve been meaning to pick up that Ico novel too…

  • raitouniverse

    Sorry for sounding ridiculous, but is he nuts?

  • KyoyaHibari

    I should try and catch up in some light novels for anime series that end abruptly, if they make it overseas, heck, I’d be overjoyed if someone rescued the Kino’s Journey light novels, I still got to watch it, it’s literally sitting beside me but I need time to watch it.

  • http://twitter.com/SilverCitizen Silver Citizen

    I’m glad light novels are getting more attention. I’ve been quite addicted to them recently. I’d much rather prefer reading paperback versions of my favorite series though. *crosses fingers Bakemonogatari gets licensed* 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685220688 Vince Vazquez

    What I would like to see are better prices. I can remember going to a local bookstore when I was in college in Pittsburgh even 5 years ago and finding manga for less than 5 bucks. I’m staring at a copy of Get Backers vol.7 that’s sitting on my bookcase right now with the bright orange price sticker on it, and it says $3.95 clear as day. I used to pick up manga ALL THE TIME for prices like that. Now I see the same size books at my local bookstore for an obnoxious and insulting $10-15! I refuse to buy’em at that price. They’re just not a value – despite being longer than comics, you can still shoot through ‘em pretty quickly. They’re not worth 5x the price of comics (at $3).

    If manga becomes a good value again, or at least a fair price, I’ll start reading again. I suppose I should just look forward to digital copies being sold via tablets, huh? Maybe these “light novels” will be a better match for the prices these companies are demanding?

    • http://twitter.com/RefueledPants Jordan Slovsaki

      I never get the “games or comics are too expensive” argument. A game or comic was made with lots of effort and care by talented people who put their soul into it, and they grant hours and hours of entertainment. Today I got a few groceries, everything was on sale and a necessity, and it won’t even last me a week. I spent just as much paying off my skyword sword preorder. If you compare the cost of games and whatnot to the cost of living expenses, where are you really getting no value for your money in today’s world?

      • RupanIII

        Not saying stuff isn’t sometimes pricey, but is it any wonder things are always canceled/going out of print/not localized/etc. when even fans are so reluctant to pay?

      • Barrylocke89

        Some people compare it to other forms of entertainment. You can get a manga volume for about 8 bucks, for example. That’s what, 3-6 chapters of manga, which you can read in half a day. In comparision, I’ve been reading the Game of Thrones series, and all of the books (except the last one, which just came out a couple months ago) cost me 9 bucks. For around the same price, I have a book that took me a week or two to read. That’s the way I justify myself not buying manga at least, unless it’s a short manga/one shot thingie. Thinking about how much money you’d have to spend to get Naruto or Bleach or Inuyasha up to date is mindboggling.

        Games are easier for me to justify, since i mostly play Jrpgs. For 35-60 bucks (assuming its new and depending on the system), I’m usually getting anywhere from 20 to 80 hours of gameplay, depending on the game and how I handle the gameplay and sidequests and such.

    • J Beagle

      Less than five dollars? I can’t think of a time I saw a manga volume at less than $10 unless it was on sale because they couldn’t move it. Considering the page length and cost of translation I’d say that $10 is acceptable, though I won’t pay $15 unless it’s a compilation of two or three volumes.

      • Deluode Koyor

        They were less than $10 at least at Borders about roughly 6 or so years ago. Still, $10 personally is a bit much for a manga myself although $7 or even $8 isn’t really too bad. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Danny-Lee/100001803906692 Danny Lee

    Bring all Volumes of Shakugan No Shana and I Will Buy em all LOL

    • go2arsenal

      Me too

  • http://twitter.com/RefueledPants Jordan Slovsaki

    I find choosing the shana novel for a picture bitterly ironic, considering the shana novels got dropped in the US. It also really frustrates me that the west hardly sees any light novels, because often they are the source material which are truer to the authors vision and also see a proper conclusion.

  • MCoelho

    I’m getting Corpse Party when it releases on PSP over here, then bring me Steins;Gate and i will support every single visual novel released here.

    • J Beagle

      Light Novels, not Visual Novels.

    • http://twitter.com/dago2682 José Dagoberto

      Good,but the article is about Light Novels not Visual Novels.

  • Christopher Cates

    Damn I read that as Visual Novels and got all excited.

  • J Beagle

    I wish that were true, but there was an effort to bring over light novels before. It didn’t have any great success. Indeed, to add insult to injury Kara no Kyoukai was licensed in the U.S (which meant that fan translations stopped) but then it was canceled. Additionally, considering the far smaller space book stores allocate to graphic novels now I don’t think the market is going to expand, although economic growth might help.

  • http://twitter.com/Three_Leaf_Ivy Triplicity

    Spice and Wolf, Bakemonogatari, Durarara!!, Fate/zero…
    Index/Railgun, Toradora, Infinite Stratos, Kara no Kyoukai, Baccano, Oreimo, Zero no Tsukaima, Strike Witches, Shakugan no Shana, Haganai… Yup. A man can only dream.
    Thank goodness for Yen Press, despite the painful 6-months-1-volume release schedule, which I can at least understand.

  • http://amc9988.deviantart.com/ amc99

    This is great news, I love light novels! Thanks to yen press for localizing Kieli, Book Girl and other great LN!!

  • http://twitter.com/WishIWasAsian Cassie Vulich

    I hope this happens <3.  When I get older I'd love to translate light novels as my career.  And my first contribution would DEFINITLEY be Durarara!! or Baccano!  :3

  • kactaplb

    “Light novels have the essence of manga, animation, and video games combined”

    What delusional world is he living in? A lot of the appeal of light novels is the clever word play that often heavily ties into the humor or story. I can’t see these surviving the translation. Without this, light novels are, well, light. It certainly can’t compare to a normal novel, or most media for that matter, in terms of plot, setting, development. Light novels can’t rely on a crutch of music, art, or gameplay in the case of lost in translation.

    It seems some publishers need to get their heads out of the clouds.

    • Hetare Kaiser

      Light novels aren’t necessarily “light”, in spite of what they’re called. Literary associations won’t acknowledge serialized works with illustrations as “novels”, which is why they’re put into their own category.

      • kactaplb

        I don’t have a problem with how they are categorized. Have you ever compared the japanese and english light novel counterparts? If you read again, most light novels rely heavily on wordplay. These often don’t survive the translation very well. Then, what are you left with in the end? With certainty, what’s left isn’t essences of manga, animation or video games. Or much of anything.
        Light novels in the west will stay a niche market within a niche market. By no means will it ever reach the popularity seen in Japan. I don’t think this publisher realizes this. Rather than facing reality, I’m sure he’ll just blame it on piracy.

        • Hetare Kaiser

          I can’t help but get the impression that you’re talking about a few specific examples instead of “most light novels”, but anyway…
          What’s left? Why, a story, of course. Potentially a good one, most likely a bad one (but the same can be said about any kind of novel). Unless it’s part of a character’s dialogue/monologue, most wordplay would be lost in the transition to another medium (say, animation) as well, but even if things can be done in that medium that can’t be done in a novel, no amount of sounds and visuals are going to compensate for a poor story.

          Well, I agree with you that light novels won’t ever get any mainstream popularity in the west and I think that attempts at appealing at that audience like is being done with Haruhi and Spice & Wolf are rather misguided, I do believe there can be a sustainable market for light novels in the west.

  • OverlordFuka

    Great, maybe they’ll bring the Disgaea light novels over…*cough*

  • http://twitter.com/matty_125 matty

    Seven Seas was the first “light novel” publisher I took notice of when they released a few titles from the Boogiepop Phantom line. Good, good stuff. Really added some layers to what was going on if you watched the anime (and wacky tabacky live action film).
    I wish they had finished the line since they had about three or so titles left to translate, but apparently their license for the series ended before they could get to them. …Sadness :(

    I’m open to any other series like it out there, if there are any.

  • darkraiders

    Something they should try with manga,light novel and anime is maybe try to made ads that show they aren’t just for children you have lot of anime,manga and LN i think adult could enjoy but it’s rare you see adult enjoying them because most think like most american BD japan anime are only for children.
    I say try to show adult manga,anime and LN aren’t only for kid and young adult and sell will be much better.

  • shy_mel

    Considering that Seven Seas stopped releasing light novels because they had sold poorly, I hope this turns out better.

  • http://twitter.com/VXLbeast VXLbeast

    Step one should be to get some better translators.  Am I right, those who have read the Haruhi light novels?  Or maybe L: Change the World?  More than a little rough.

    • J Beagle

      .Hack showed far less quality. Haruhi wasn’t too bad.

    • RupanIII

      I can’t speak for their manga, but their DVD subbing seems to bug
      people. Honey and Clover comes to mind. Mixed up or sometimes even made
      up character names on hard-coded subs. At least match the quality of the
      fansubs -_-;

  • http://twitter.com/Ale598 Ale598

    In other news, Visual Novels will outsell Call of Duty by 2015.

  • http://twitter.com/YAwriterRIP Jon Ripslinger

    Realistic, contemporary YA fiction will always have its appeal.

  • Shaun Danis

    I bought all the FMP and Shakugan no Shana novels back in the day before they went out of print.  Now the only light novel series I have been supporting are the Haruhi and Spice and Wolf books.

    Volume 6 of Haruhi just released here (out of 11 right)? And we have volume 5 of Spice and Wolf coming soon.  Problem is S&W has 18 novels right?  How are these two series selling?  It would be a shame to see them go the way of the dodo bird like previous light novels have.

    Considering we’re over 1/2 way caught up to Haruhi I can only assume it is doing well.

  • http://twitter.com/haitechan MG Parra

    I’d totally buy the Fate/zero novel. I’m becoming a Type-Moon junkie. Other interesting novels would be the Penguin Drum and No.6 ones. 

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