Japanese publisher Shogakukan has announced it will launch a new smartphone app called ‘Novelus’ in the United States and Canada by the end of 2024.
The app will use AI to translate Japanese light novels into English, aiming to reduce translation costs by 50%. This will increase the number of available works and make them more accessible to English-speaking readers.
The initial lineup for Novelus will include titles like the “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” spinoff, “Too Many Losing Heroines!”, and “Shiotaiou No Satou-san Ga Ore Ni Dake Amai”. Shogakukan plans to expand the app’s library to 400 works within two years.
Shogakukan notes that many light novels have low circulation, which makes translation and expansion difficult and costly. By using AI, they hope to translate many works at a lower cost and reduce piracy.
Before using AI, human translators will organize details like character traits and story context to maintain quality and preserve the story’s worldview. This ensures the translations are better than the simple machine translations often found in pirated copies.
Novelus will present light novels in a vertical scrolling format rather than traditional e-book pages. Dialogue will appear in speech bubbles with character icons, making it easier to read on a smartphone screen. This design addresses feedback from readers who have trouble with Japanese names.
The app will also allow readers to leave comments and impressions, similar to other e-book services.
Shogakukan aims to reach 1 million users and generate millions of dollars in revenue by the 2027 fiscal year. This effort is part of Shogakukan’s plan to expand its international presence in response to Japan’s declining population.
