This is a list of light novel labels i.e. Japanese publishing imprints that release light novels.
Enterbrain (エンターブレイン), formerly Enterbrain, Inc., is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on 30 January 1987 as ASCII Film Co., Ltd.. Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan, with a paid-in capital of 410 million yen. Enterbrain's current president is Hirokazu Hamamura.
A light novel is a style of Japanese young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called ranobe (ラノベ) or, in English, LN. The average length of a light novel is about 50,000 words, close to the minimum expected for a Western novel, and they are usually published in bunkobon size, often with dense publishing schedules.
A Certain Magical Index is a Japanese light novel series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura, which has been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint since April 2004. The plot is set in a world where supernatural abilities exist. The light novels focus on Tōma Kamijō, a young high school student in Academy City who has an unusual ability, as he encounters an English nun named Index. His ability and relationship with Index proves dangerous to other sorcerers and Espers who want to discover the secrets behind him and Index, as well as the city.
Johji Manabe is a Japanese manga artist.
The Light Novel Award was a literary award handed out by the Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten for light novels, and was only held once in 2007. The novels which were applicable to receive the award were either published by Kadokawa Shoten under their Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko light novel label, or by three other publishing companies affiliated with Kadokawa Shoten in the Kadokawa Group—Enterbrain, Fujimi Shobo, and MediaWorks. The novels by Enterbrain were published under their Famitsu Bunko label; the novels by Fujimi Shobo were published under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko or Fujimi Mystery Bunko labels; and the novels by MediaWorks were published under their Dengeki Bunko label. There were five categories in the contest—romantic comedy, school setting, action, mystery, and novelization —with four novels being picked for each category during the semi-final round. The final round picked one novel from each of the four listed in each category which became the winner in that given category. The winners were decided by readers of the novels themselves.
Haksan Publishing Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Daewon Media, is a South Korean publisher, famous for its large selections of domestic and imported comics (manga/manhwa) and light novels. It was established in Seoul in 1995.
ASCII Media Works, formerly ASCII Media Works, Inc., is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing headquartered in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It originally formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII Corporation and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president and CEO of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the first president and CEO of ASCII Media Works. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013.
MediaWorks, Inc. was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their Dengeki brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. They mainly catered to the Japanese male otaku crowd, covering such topics as anime, light novels, manga, plastic modelling, and visual novels. However, MediaWorks had published three magazines targeted towards females—Comic Sylph, Dengeki Girl's Style, and Character Parfait—but each one was a special edition version of another magazine. MediaWorks ran yearly contests for original novel and manga submissions, such as the light novel Dengeki Novel Prize contest.
Yu Godai is a Japanese writer from Nara Prefecture. Her father was a Japanese language teacher at Todaiji Gakunen middle school and high school.
Ryusuke Hamamoto, also known by pen name Ryu Moto, is a Japanese manga artist from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is best known for his work on Petit Eva: Evangelion@School.
Kadokawa Future Publishing is the publishing arm of Kadokawa Corporation, publishing manga, novels, light novels, magazines, tabletop role-playing games and other type of content with eight different publishing brand companies that previously merged with it. The company used to be the first iteration of Kadokawa Corporation and was the parent company of the Kadokawa Group companies, which brought together several affiliated companies related to Kadokawa Shoten. Kadokawa Dwango announced a restructuring in February 2019. On July 1, 2019, Kadokawa Corporation was reorganized; the publishing business remained and the company was renamed to Kadokawa Future Publishing. Kadokawa Dwango itself became the second iteration of Kadokawa Corporation.
Kadokawa Shoten (角川書店), formerly the Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines such as Monthly Asuka and Monthly Shōnen Ace, and entertainment magazines such as Newtype. Since its founding, Kadokawa has expanded into the multimedia sector, namely in video games and in live-action and animated films.
Fujimi Shobo (富士見書房), formerly Fujimi Shobo Co., Ltd., was a Japanese publisher that specialized in light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. Founded in 1972 and reorganized three times, it was at times an independent company and at times an imprint of Kadokawa Future Publishing. It ceased to be an independent company in 2013 and the brand was retired in 2015.
BookWalker (ブックウォーカー), stylized as Book☆Walker, is a Japanese e-book store that sells manga, light novels, and magazines from various publishers, as well as a few published by themselves. It is based in Chiyoda, Tokyo and was created by Kadokawa Corporation. The company was founded in 2005 before launching their store in Japan in 2010 and internationally in 2014.
Shōsetsuka ni Narō is a Japanese user-generated novel publishing website created by Yusuke Umezaki. It was launched on April 2, 2004. Users can upload their novels free of charge and the novels are also free to read. The site hosts over 400,000 novels, has near 800,000 registered users and it receives over 1 billion page views per month.
QP:flapper is a two-member illustrator unit consisting of Japanese artists Tometa Ohara and Koharu Sakura. Since 2001, they have provided character designs for anime and light novels. In 2005, they debuted as character designers in Leaf's game Kusari.
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits is a Japanese light novel series written by Midori Yūma and illustrated by Laruha. Fujimi Shobo have published eleven volumes since 2015 under their Fujimi L Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Waco Ioka has been serialized in Enterbrain's josei manga magazine B's Log Comic since 2016. It has been collected in seven tankōbon volumes. A 26-episode anime television series adaptation by Gonzo aired from April 2 to September 24, 2018.
Bokutachi no Remake is a Japanese light novel series written by Nachi Kio and illustrated by Eretto. Media Factory have published eight volumes and two spin-off volumes since March 2017 under their MF Bunko J imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Bonjin Hirameki has been serialized via Kodansha's Niconico-based Suiyōbi no Sirius manga service since November 2018. It has been collected in four tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Feel is scheduled to premiere in July 2021.
Kadokawa Light Novel Expo or Ranosupo is an annual Light Novel convention held in the Tokorozawa Sakura Town. The event hosted five Kadokawa's light novel Imprints, such as Dengeki Bunko, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko, Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko, MF Bunko J, and Famitsu Bunko.
Kadokawa Light Novel Expo 2020 is the first annual Kadokawa Light Novel Expo held by Kadokawa and Kimirano, which originally set on October 10 to October 11, 2020 in Tokorozawa Sakura Town, but has been postponed to March 6 - April 11, 2021 simulatenously in the website as the main venue and Tokorozawa Sakura Town as the sub venue, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This event hosted many writers of light novel series from Kadokawa's Light Novel imprints, such as Dengeki Bunko, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko, Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko, MF Bunko J and Famitsu Bunko. It has more than 2.000 exclusive web autographed books by popular creators of more than 100 different titles of five different imprints, which sold at The Da Vinci Store. It also has the special set events, such as Sword Art Online, Date A Live, and Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World.