Shogakukan To Launch AI Translated Light Novel App In North America

Japanese publisher Shogakukan announced that they will launch a smartphone app called ‘Novelus‘ in United States and Canada by the end of 2024.

The app will utilize AI to translate light novels from Japanese to English, aiming to cut translation costs by half, significantly increase the number of available works and make it more accessible to English-speaking readers.

Novelus‘ initial line-up will feature titles such as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End spinoff and Too Many Losing Heroines!, with the publisher planning to increase the app’s library to 400 works within two years.

For this project Shogakukan is partnering with AI translation startup Mantra, in which they invested 780 million yen (US$5.1 million) along with three other manga publishers in June.

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According to Shogakukan, many light novels have low circulation numbers, making translation and overseas expansion difficult in terms of profitability. However, by using AI, they aim to translate many works at a low cost, which they say will also serve as a countermeasure against piracy.

Before AI translation, human translators will meticulously organize details such as the characteristics of characters, the background, and the context.

This will ensure that the world view of the story and the quality of the work are maintained, differentiating it from the simple machine translation seen in pirated copies.

Novelus will feature a vertically scrolling format for its light novels, rather than traditional e-book pages. Dialogue will be presented in speech bubbles with character icons, making it easier to read on a smartphone screen.

This design addresses feedback from readers who have difficulty keeping track of Japanese names.

The app will also allow readers to leave comments and impressions on works, similar to other e-book services.

Shogakukan aims to register 1 million users and generate millions of U.S. dollars in revenue by the 2027 fiscal year. This move is part of Shogakukan’s broader strategy to expand its overseas business in response to Japan’s declining population.

Source: Nikkei, Livedoor News, Animenomics