News Shogakukan to release AI-translated book app

Japanese publishing giant Shogakukan is set to introduce a new app, Novelous, designed to bring English translations of light novels to North American audiences. According to Nikkei, the app, slated for release in the US and Canada later this year, will leverage AI-powered translation technology developed by Mantra, a Tokyo-based startup backed by Shogakukan. This innovative approach aims to reduce costs and accelerate content production.

Novelous is expected to offer around 400 titles within two years, including a spin-off based on the popular anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End." Light novels, or ranobe (ラノベ, the abbreviation of ライトノベル, "light novel"), are typically aimed at a younger readership and often feature numerous illustrations in anime or manga style. These stories generally fall into two categories: coming-of-age tales centred around adolescent characters or adventures set in fantastical worlds.

The goal is for the app to have around 1 million users in North America by the fiscal year ending February 2028, with revenue targeted in the billions of yen (1 billion yen equals $6.6 million) that year. The text will be displayed vertically for easy reading, and dialogue by characters will be placed in speech bubbles tagged by the speaker's icons. [...] Shogakukan currently releases English translations of light novels in the North American market in print or as e-books. Still, only around ten titles are available due to translation and other costs. [...] In Japan, more than 1,500 light novel titles are estimated to be published in small, paperback formats in a year. Kadokawa, Shogakukan's major rival, has taken the lead in expanding overseas in North America and in Asia. In 2021, Kadokawa bought J-Novel Club, a U.S. licensor and distributor of translated Japanese light novels.

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thomas said:

coming-of-age tales centred around adolescent characters

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Uh oh. I hope it can translate words like 少女 correctly. And clarify if the protagonist is a teenager or an adult when it does so.