Link Removed: Also links to licensed mangas.

Raw manga download sites are plentiful these days.
But what about light novels ("raito noberu" or "ranobe" for short)?

Contrary to the site URL, they do have a light novel section (updated
a few times a week).

If you don't know already, light novels are kind of a midway between manga
and novels. They are meant to be light reading and so the stories are
purposely kept very simple. They are illustrations randomly scattered
around (maybe every 50 pages or so).

The vocabulary level is FAR higher than manga, but still much easier
to grasp than a real Japanese novel. So if you've finished RTK and don't
find manga challenging enough, try reading a light novel.

Anyway, AFAIK, it's probably safe to say that these novels are unlicensed,
but I make no guarantees.

If anyone finds any similar sites, please let me know.
Thanks.

I dunno, but you just reminded me I need to stock up on raw stuff. Thx for the link. BTW everyone, I just got it: I think 'raw' is an illusion to Japanese cuisine.

Raw is just used because that's what they are to the English-speaking people who primarily distribute them; raw materials for translation. The subs or scanslations are the refined, finished product, and, to most people, the Japanese is just the raws. Desirable to the translators, but worthless to everyone else.

Thanks for the link, chamcham. I found something I'm interested in. Unfortunately I have nothing to share, as I grab whatever I do grab from random searching and occasionally from Share.

QuackingShoe Wrote:Raw is just used because that's what they are to the English-speaking people who primarily distribute them; raw materials for translation. The subs or scanslations are the refined, finished product, and, to most people, the Japanese is just the raws. Desirable to the translators, but worthless to everyone else.

Thanks for the link, chamcham. I found something I'm interested in. Unfortunately I have nothing to share, as I grab whatever I do grab from random searching and occasionally from Share.

Nope you're wrong, it's a reference to sushi.

Great resource- I took a quick look and the one I downloaded didn't have furigana on a lot of kanji- I'm guessing they assume at least junior high reading lvl. However, at least there ARE furigana- adult novels/manga have almost none. This seems like something to take a further look at because I can't stand manga.

Found (Link Remove: Also links to licensed manga.)

They have light novels but put it in their manga section (???) I checked the view online index at (link removed: see above) it looks ok but I have not downloaded anything yet. I think there are some light novels here not in the OP site.

ruiner Wrote:I dunno, but you just reminded me I need to stock up on raw stuff. Thx for the link. BTW everyone, I just got it: I think 'raw' is an illusion to Japanese cuisine.

Allusion, not illusion, and no. It's just saying it hasn't been modified.

wccrawford Wrote:

ruiner Wrote:I dunno, but you just reminded me I need to stock up on raw stuff. Thx for the link. BTW everyone, I just got it: I think 'raw' is an illusion to Japanese cuisine.

Allusion, not illusion, and no. It's just saying it hasn't been modified.

Thanks for earnestly correcting that! That will either a) correct my ignorance of the word 'allusion', or b) prevent me from ever having a brain-glitch when typing again. ^_- Either way it's a very useful remark that also, when internet-posters usually make it and aren't being ironic, lends them a definitive air of authority.

And no, it's an allusion to Japanese cuisine. They're saying that it's raw like sushi.

I found a resource you might be interested in today, Ruiner:

dawhite Wrote:I found a resource you might be interested in today, Ruiner:

How did you know I ate waffles today?

Anyway, for reasons overlapping the points QS made, I've never been a fan of the term 'raw', and the website 'rawmanga' (which came up during Googlings related to the OP) and its cute little slogan about uncooked manga engendered the obvious joking spin above about the term being an allusion to 'sushi' (notice I said 'sushi' and not 'sashimi', because all sushi is raw). It was meant to be a passing, ignored comment, but just in case QS took it seriously (either way the back-and-forth served its purpose because it gave him a venue for nice remarks on the topic), I dismissed everything he said to flat out contradict him, thus making it even more obvious I was joking. Then wccrawford compounded the problem by also either being seamlessly satirical or kind of douchy, so I also flat out contradicted him. Hope that clears things up. If you read this far I feel bad for you having nothing better to do. Go watch some YouTube videos or something.

Actually [with authoritative emphasis] sushi is vinegar rice which isn't raw (SS or KD?) =]
(btw - they say never apologize or explain)

To Thora: it's sort of clear you were offended by the way my post took the comments. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize. By way of explanation, I only did it as a joke.

I'm actually a fan of the term because it's very clear and also sounds badass. I'm watching my anime RAW!

It makes me feel all elitist.

Anyone know of any sources of light novels that are text based (computer text)?

As in, text files? That's what most of the ones you find in file-sharing applications are. Scanning novels isn't actually very popular. As might be expected, you can find tons of them if you use the Japanese file-sharing apps.

QuackingShoe Wrote:As in, text files? That's what most of the ones you find in file-sharing applications are. Scanning novels isn't actually very popular. As might be expected, you can find tons of them if you use the Japanese file-sharing apps.

Using what cluster word?

ruiner Wrote:(notice I said 'sushi' and not 'sashimi', because all sushi is raw)

Other way around mate- all sashimi is raw, sushi can be cooked or raw stuff on rice.

I haven't messed around with the stuff as much one might think. I usually just search specifically for what I want. But 一般小説 is a keyword I keep an eye open for.

captal Wrote:

ruiner Wrote:(notice I said 'sushi' and not 'sashimi', because all sushi is raw)

Other way around mate- all sashimi is raw, sushi can be cooked or raw stuff on rice.

Everybody knows sushi is raw. That's common knowledge.

Sushi is always cooked. C'mon, you guys don't know that little about rice, do you?

~J

woodwojr Wrote:Sushi is always cooked. C'mon, you guys don't know that little about rice, do you?

~J

You think that's bad? I once saw someone trying to make yakisoba without using soba noodles.

I just had yakiudon last week- it was good.

@dawhite - did you mean to address Ruiner? (fwiw I doubt anyone was offended)

I had assumed light novels were just novels aimed at younger readers. Are they actually a form of hybrid novel/manga?

ruiner Wrote:You think that's bad? I once saw someone trying to make yakisoba without using soba noodles.

Most (possibly every) places that sell yakisoba in Canada use udon noodles

Thora Wrote:I had assumed light novels were just novels aimed at younger readers. Are they actually a form of hybrid novel/manga?

No, you've got it. They just much more frequently include the occasional full-page illustrations than the equivalent English books would.