Shogakukan, a prominent publishing company in Japan, has recently introduced a new novel and manga app for audiences in the United States and Canada. The app, named Novelous, is available for download on both Android and iOS devices.
Shogakukan is well-known as the publisher behind popular magazines such as CoroCoro Comic, where most Pokémon manga are serialized, and Shonen Sunday, which features titles like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Case Closed/Detective Conan.
Interestingly, Shogakukan originally founded Shueisha, another major publishing house. Although the two companies belong to the same conglomerate, they primarily operate as independent entities.
Returning to Shogakukan’s recent launch, the Novelous app currently features over 80 titles, including popular works like Kengan Ashura and Witch and Hound.
At present, the app only offers manga titles, but the company has stated that it plans to expand its catalog to include light novels in the future. Access to chapters is based on a coin system, where users can either purchase coins or collect them for free.
A.I.-Assisted Translations Controversy
A report by Nikkei from last July revealed that Novelous utilizes AI-assisted Japanese-to-English translations in collaboration with Mantra’s translation system.
Mantra, a startup in which Shogakukan has invested, claims that this approach allows the app to offer a growing selection of titles while reducing translation costs by half.
Shogakukan New App
Mantra has also provided AI-assisted translation for the English release of The Ancient Magus’ Bride manga. According to job postings on their website for “Translation Post-Editor” roles, the translations are not entirely AI-generated, as human editors are involved in the process.
However, many professional translators have argued that editing AI-generated translations can sometimes be more time-consuming than translating content manually.
This is because AI translations are often riddled with inaccuracies, requiring translators to closely examine the original source material to reconstruct the intended meaning.
Fan Reaction to the Novelous App
The announcement of the Novelous app has received mixed reactions from fans. On platforms like Reddit, a significant number of users have expressed concerns about the quality of the AI-assisted translations.
Some fans are also worried that novels that might otherwise be licensed by other publishers will now be exclusively available through the app. Additionally, many have criticized Shogakukan for being hesitant to license digital content to foreign publishers in the past.
Despite these concerns, some fans disagree with the notion that AI-generated translations are inherently bad. A few have argued that AI might produce more “neutral” translations, suggesting that human translators sometimes inject their personal ideologies into the text.
As Shogakukan moves forward with this initiative, the debate surrounding AI-assisted translations and the impact of exclusive licensing on the global market continues to grow.
