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/lit/ - Literature

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20650007 No.20650007 [Reply] [Original]

Is anyone else fascinated by the eastern phenomenon of light novels and web novels, and how consistently horrible its entire output is? Every dysfunctional hikkiNEET I know reads them, and I don't believe there is a single valuable piece of literature in the pile. What causes this?

>> No.20650017

What is the difference between YA and online fanfiction here in the west? Other than there’s a whole cottage industry of people writing genre shit for “children” aka other YA authors.

>> No.20650024

>>20650007
They fuel the fantasy of fiction with their interactivity. The real question is why are they all so niche and samey?

>> No.20650047

I'M GOINNG... CRAAZYYY

>> No.20650049

>>20650007
It's just low effort escapism.

>> No.20650228

>>20650007
I'm with you bro, I want to know what the deal is. Anime in general makes me wonder if the average person fundamentally just wants all literature to be an escapist power/sex fantasy that does nothing but tickle the little pleasure buttons in their brain.

>> No.20650273

They’re just looking for something different out of the books than you are. Not every book has to be a great entry into the canon. There’s nothing wrong in principle with dime store novels.

Most of them are typed on a phone and not edited very much.

>> No.20650297

>>20650007
> the eastern phenomenon of light novels and web novels

I don’t know what this is. I’ve never heard of them outside /lit/.

>> No.20650301

>>20650007
It’s the same as YA and chick lit in America and for similar reasons.
Traditional publishing is not that profitable, so any books that get picked up have to tick boxes that appeal to target audiences.
Light novels operate on razor-thin margins because their target is niche.
Miyazaki was right, Otaku culture is highly incestuous because it doesn’t draw inspiration from outside itself, as a result the same tropes get recycled over and over.
Otaku are tasteless subhumans basically

>> No.20650329
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20650329

I liked Subahibi

>> No.20650337

>>20650297
Well you've either heard of them or not..

>> No.20650343

>>20650007
Meh, some people don't have interest in black transgenders homosexual falling in love with gay lesbian disabled midget girl fighting against a racist white supremacist parent.

>> No.20650353

>>20650007
> I don't believe there is a single valuable piece of literature in the pile.
Agreed, they’re all so creatively bankrupt, badly written and basically interchangeable.
I remember some months ago a bunch of weebs and Japanese otakus were outraged because an editor came out and said light novel authors were all pretty shit and he had to basically write all the books, when it’s completely believable.

Something that is quite telling about their design is that they aren’t designed to end. Like comic books their publishers push for more and more so they can keep selling, as soon as a bad guy is killed create a new bigger bad guy; or the entire story just revolves around the characters doing absolutely nothing: they fight some monsters, fix some problem, travel around, but absolutely nothing happens, nothing changes, nothing is learned, it is completely static.
Most light novel authors do not have a story in mind, they have some power fantasy fanfiction with some gimmick based probably on Dragon Quest that is picked up by a publisher and polished.

>> No.20650392

>>20650329
That’s a visual novel, which is (barely) one step above light novels and webnovels.

>> No.20650471

>>20650228
I think the minority of people have ever really conceived of text - in the most general sense - as really being anything more than a means to the ends you describe. "The Text" as more than a mechanism... for a lot of people thats probably schizo incomprehensible. Probably overthinking it rn though.

>> No.20650475

>>20650471
"Any gaffs?"

>> No.20650494
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20650494

>>20650353
>absolutely nothing happens, nothing changes, nothing is learned, it is completely static.
>The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"?
Interesting. Maybe its the posts we made along the way?

>> No.20650503

>>20650337
I’ve seen people on /lit/ complain about them, but never explain what they are.

I’ve never hear anyone mention them IRL or even elsewhere online.

>> No.20650519

>>20650475
? as in jokes? Who are you quoting?

>> No.20650539
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20650539

Where does one go online to read them for free?

>> No.20650575

>>20650228
>Anime in general makes me wonder if the average person fundamentally just wants all literature to be an escapist power/sex fantasy that does nothing but tickle the little pleasure buttons in their brain.
Why does it make you wonder that though? That's not what all or even most animes are.

>> No.20650738

>>20650539
f95zone

>> No.20650854
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20650854

>>20650738
>f95zone
No seriously. That place fills me with a nameless dread.

>> No.20650859

>>20650301
Otaku is just simulacra indulgement turned up to 11 right

>> No.20650871

>>20650228
As long as a medium is "entertaining" it can achieve this end. Western culture has manufactured mass market entertainment though moreso live action, a la disney marvel etc and streaming services' having some new tripe show coming out every day. Its nothing new, japan just has a unique style of it.

>> No.20650873
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20650873

>>20650007
I'm amazed. Amazed at how light novels can remain profitable in spite of shitting out the exact same isekai game mechanic story with only minor differences and twists.

Amazed, and a little bit angry it's happening.

>> No.20650879

>>20650228
That’s not all anime though. Watch angels egg. Very good! You’ll love it if your a calm schizophrenic!

>> No.20650886

>>20650007
I couldn't find the quote after a few minutes of googling so I gave up, but it essentially said there are the kinds of books meant to improve and enlighten the mind, and there are other kinds of books that are essentially dope.

>> No.20650891

>>20650007
Never understood the appeal of light novels. If I wanted to read a book I'd read an actual book that is not complete fantasy. If I wanted the otaku experience I would just watch anime or read manga. What's the point of a light novel.

>> No.20650900

>>20650891
when youre so addicted to escapist fantasy that youve run all out of isekai animes to watch and need more escapism. its like how erotic fiction readers read a LOT of erotic fiction.

>> No.20650909

>>20650519
"Numbers one, two, and five engines have broken down, sir," he called. "Shall we force the remaining three?" / "We can do nothing else," I bellowed into the transmitter. / "They won't stand the gaff, sir," he returned. / "Can you suggest a better plan?" I asked. / "No, sir," he replied. / "Then give them the gaff, lieutenant," I shouted back, and hung up the receiver.

>> No.20651047

>>20650909
Mmm. Give her all shes got indeed...
Honestly though I don't see what point your trying to make dude.

>> No.20651152

>>20650854
Royalroad.com is the first one that comes to mind.

>> No.20651166

>>20650007
I watch 10 anime minimum per season and I will never read or waste time on a LN(despite watching anime based on LNs). The prose is such trash, the stories at this point are generic as fuck(recycling 90s generic dark lord JRPGs is basically 50% of them). And don't let me get started on the trend of chink medieval LNs with very gay undertones that my GF reads. Chinks can't even build a good story structure and abuse flashbacks.

>> No.20651195

>>20650392
Visual novels use music and melodrama to induce from you very emotional feelings. Just for being able to do that, the medium is better and more unique. Noone cares about LNs in the long-term since they are interchangable.

>> No.20651210

>>20650228
No we are going to get dozens of anime freaks telling you "nut all enema" when literally all anime is lowbrow and never even reaches the level of an good cop show or british comedy.

>> No.20651217

>>20650879
>angels egg
Really bad attempt at copying some European arthouse.

>> No.20651218
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20651218

It's Mills and Boon for lonely men.

>> No.20651243

>what are these episodic samey stories?
>it must be eastern!
>man it's so dumb
>i find it disgusting
>it's pathetic!
>i'm annoyed

do you think american literature was born fully formed? ever hear of Astounding Stories of Super-Science? ever hear of Weird Tales? you know, the magazines where foundation and conan were written quasi-episodically; very much like manga and LN are today.
so no op. i'm not fascinated by your ignorance. what makes lit pathetic is that anyone who reads is better off than anyone who doesn't; no matter what they read. what you're looking at and waste so much time moping/complaining/shitting yourself over is just another step towards good literature. people don't start reading anywhere but at the point where it becomes enjoyable.
is it sad this usually starts where it ends? sure. but it's far more pathetic that this board consistently has to shit on fiction because they're so insecure. niggers, you read. you're doing a good job. you can stop crying and pissing and shitting yourselves because people like things you've grown out of.

if anyone wants to talk about how plots and character depth have developed exponentially since moving from magazines to full book formats, that might be interesting (certainly more interesting than seeing people cry like virgins about LN chads writing dogshit and enjoying it (and being enjoyed); which should tip you off why people like it, but whatever). it would be even more interesting to talk about how full book formats have begun to drag on into a format that now is eroding cleanly paced plots and concise characters. or even a discussion about the power of publishers in both short and long story formats.
but that would be a decent conversation and i'm just putting this out here to shame you lot as you deserve. don't sweat it. i don't expect you to engage in anything other than the lit equivalent of chunni

>> No.20651673

I make nearly 6 figures in total through writing and uploading shitty wish fulfillment fanfics and other garbage to 5+ sites then paywalling 1 or 3 chapters ahead while occasionally taking on overpriced commissions. It's numbed my mind and soul to all the enjoyment I used to have writing and reading. The only advice I can give anyone is not to turn your shitty but enjoyable hobby into a job.

>> No.20651867

"This is the postmodern desert inhabited by people who are, in effect, consuming themselves in the form of
images and abstractions through which their desires, sense of identity, and memories are replicated and then
sold back to them as products."

>> No.20651874

ワンコ

>> No.20651884

薄羽蜉蝣

>> No.20651920

>>20650539
>>20651152
Royalroad is for western web novels and is just a playground for amateur authors to git good. If you want to read translated asian light novels than go to novelupdates.com the site is actually pretty good especially compared to the fucking trash that is goodreads.

>> No.20651947

>>20650024
>interactivity
light novels are not VNs

>> No.20651976

>>20650539
chyoa.com

>> No.20652236

>>20650228
>Anime in general makes me wonder if the average person fundamentally just wants all literature to be an escapist power/sex fantasy that does nothing but tickle the little pleasure buttons in their brain.

I mean have you taken a look at "normie" books? Jack Reacher military agent for the guys, and longhaired shirtless muscled guy on a horse for women.

>> No.20652256

Haven’t read any since high school but spice & wolf I remember being good. They’re for heart boners.

>> No.20652264

シㇳトㇰ

>> No.20652459

What I like about Japanese light novels is that while Western books seem to be more and more obsessed with technique, these little books have no interest in playing some technical game. The language is not difficult, nor unique, nor trying to be any particular sort of aesthetic achievement but instead just tells a story.

>> No.20653102

>>20651243
>do you think american literature was born fully formed? ever hear of Astounding Stories of Super-Science? ever hear of Weird Tales? you know, the magazines where foundation and conan were written quasi-episodically

Those stories are so far beyond light novels it's not even funny, those stories tended to be better quality than the average full on fiction novel of today. you are a seething chink