Light Novel licensing explosion
 

This thread is for the discussion of licensing of light novels. Appropriate thread topics include questions about licensing, light novels you'd like to see licensed, etc.
What is a light novel? Check here. Basically they're books that are released in a serial fashion (meaning a chapter at a time) - they're released in magazines in Japan (just like novels).

Well, light novels appear to be the new "in" thing at the manga companies (understandable, considering how many extremely popular anime series are based off of them). Tokyopop has their imprint, including novels like Love Hina, Slayers, Kino no Tabi and Scrapped Princess. Viz has their new imprint with the upcoming Shakugan no Shana novels as well as Fullmetal Alchemist and Naruto novels. Del Ray appears to be going with at least the Kouga Ninja Scrolls novel in December. Now Seven Seas (the manga company that has the license to Kashimashi, among other things) has announced that they're going to be starting a light novel imprint. Among their initial licenses are Shinigami no Ballad and Strawberry Panic!
I know that the Suzumiya Haruhi, Zero no Tsukaima and Fullmetal Panic! series are going to head a lot of lists (including mine), but I'd also like to see the Read or Die novels released as well as Kage Kara Mamoru.

There's already apparently bidding wars going on for the Suzumiya Haruhi novels.

Looks like the next couple of years might be quite satisfying for those on the lookout for expanding their libaries of j-pop culture :)

Well, lets see >.<

I'm into male oriented light novels.

Male oriented light novel labels and the light novels I would like to see licensed from them:

from MF Bunko J: Kage Kara Mamoru!, Zero no Tsukaima, Kamisama Kazoku

from Dengeki Bunko: Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (well the girls are cute >.< ), Inukami! (yes moe~ dogs :D ), Strawberry Panic! (oops its already licensed Yay :D ), Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! , Tora Dora! (looks cute :p ), Dream Knocker (also looks pretty cute >.< )

from Sneaker Bunko: Suzumiya Haruhi (well, of course :p )

from Fujimi Fantasia Bunko: Black Blood Brothers (well, action + vampires = I want it :p )

And the SHUFFLE! light novels

...

And there's lots of other light novels I would like to see licensed >.<

I can't believe I forgot Inukami! There's actually a couple from the Seven Seas announcement that look kind of interesting to me - Kanokon, and Vamp! in particular (descriptions below from Animondvd.com).

Ahh rooboy666 how about making this thread not only for mentioning what light novels people are interested in seeing licnesed, but also this thread will be for mentioning the light novels that get licensed, so any new licenses of light novels will be mentioned in this thread, so how about it ? :)

How's that? I edited the first to indicate what would be considered on-topic or not. Unfortunately I can't edit the title.

Thanks :)

Hmm maybe the title should stay, its an interesting title you chose :)

There is only 1 light novel I am interested in owning in professional format.

FULL METAL PANIC!

well if there was too choose,

suzumiya haruhi it's a must get
inumaki!
Black blood brothers
zero no tsukaima
scrapped princess o.o
and shinigami no ballad (momo!!!!)

I have to admit, i really would love to get my hands on a translated Zero no Tsukaima.. and that reminds me - Shakugan no Shana in Febuary! <3

Hopefully the companies have the translation manpower and quality to be able to back up their latching onto the latest money bandwagon. Unfortunately, I don't think novels will have as nice of a profit margin because they have much more words per each dollar of final selling price. Hence, translation will start cutting significantly into their profits...

The latest licenses from Seven Seas are all male oriented light novels. not only that, but 2 of them are published under the male oriented light novel label MF Bunko J and the other 2 are published under the male oriented light novel label Dengeki Bunko.

It like someone is reading my posts in this forum :D the light novels that got licensed are all from MF Bunko J and Dengeki Bunko.

I'll go over the stuff that got licensed in this post:
The currently available volumes of each title are under a spoiler (in case someone is not interested in seeing the covers)

==========

ストロベリー・パニック！
Strawberry Panic!

Male oriented light novel
Published under the male oriented label Dengeki Bunko.



==========

ヴぁんぷ！
Vamp!

Male oriented light novel
Published under the male oriented label Dengeki Bunko.



==========

銃姫　
Gun Princess

Male oriented light novel
Published under the male oriented label MF Bunko J.



==========

かのこん
Kanokon

Male oriented light novel
Published under the male oriented label MF Bunko J.



==========

Kanokon looks pretty moe~ :love: of course I'm getting it :D
Strawberry Panic! seinen yuri light novel FTW :p
Gun Princess bishoujos with guns, meaning: I'm getting this too :D

I'm not so sure about Vamp! but I'll check the first volume to see what its about >.< probably I'll get it too >.<

Kanokon's supernatural elements interest me a ton. It sounds like an Inukami-ish love triangle.

I found out the price point is going to be 7.95 - so I'm considering trying each of them out for a volume to see what I like.

Has anyone here read any of the Tokyopop Slayers novels past the 1st one? I read the first one and was very disappointed. I'd been wanting to read the novels for years (literally, Slayers was my first anime I watched, besides Sailor moon), so when I saw the novel on the tokyopop website I went out and bought it the next day.
It was pretty lame. I don't know if it was a bad translating job or maybe the books weren't that good in the first place. Has anyone here read them in Japanese?

Hmm... can't say I know many novel series. For starters:

Zero no Tsukaima
Kamisama Kazoku

Then the Akahori Satoru series, such as:
Bakuretsu Hunter
Maze
NG Knight Lamune & 40

And finally, all the Nippon Ichi titles:
Disgaea (2)
Phantom Brave
Phantom Kingdom
Marl's Kingdom (if any exist)

:heh:

It's not so much starting a light novel inprint for Seven Seas. They already had the rights to the Boogiepop light novels, and started releasing them a while ago.

Well The Twelve Kingdom Novels are comming out Next Year!!! Really excited for those

And Of Course you know the Haruhi novels would end up in a bid war....Its Haruhi^^

Ja,language of　light novel is totally easy and substance is just light.
Even children who don't like book with only letters can enjoy and read.
My sister who doesn't love great classic literature can read light.

Me, too. I love Twelve Kingdoms. Plus, I'd also like someone to pick up the Saiunkoku Monogatari light novels ( the manga and the anime would nice, too!)