No love for light novels?

[xNoName]

Jeez. Do any of you check out novels, rather than anime and manga? Remember, not all anime are based upon manga. Novels do come in some as their origin, like in Kara no Kyoukai.

Well, enough of that. I myself have completed two novels—namely Welcome to the NHK and Full Metal Panic. Full Metal Panic was more or less the only source through which I could complete the story, so I gave it a shot due to that. But hey, I didn't get disappointed. It was a fun ride and I probably completed it during my days off of school. I started from Volume 4 and completed Volume 12. The latter ones were probably covered within the anime series, so I didn't feel like reading those nor could I find them. I highly recommend the novels, by the way. If you're one of those who are not willing to wait for the story to be complete through animated medium, then you've gotta get your hand on those. I also think the series (Full Metal Panic) won't continue.

Welcome to the NHK was the thing I voluntarily read and well, bought. And yes, I wasn't disappointed. Though, in my opinion, it wasn't as awesome as the anime itself. Yet, it was worth reading. The tone of the novel, unlike the anime, was consistently mocking, cynical, and even despairing at times. The anime manged to find a genuinely earnest and touching mood in due time, often by lingering on scenes that in the novel were brief and, in my judgment, sometimes gleamed over. Take some characters for example, an entire subplot about Satou's depressed senpai from high school, as well as another classmate's with a MMORPG addicted brother, was also missing, iirc. That was probably the downhill for the novel, in my opinion. The ending was basically the same as the anime, and carried the same feeling. I quite liked the novel, as I said before, though not as much as the anime itself.

I'm currently in the process of reading Spice and Wolf's novels. Also, I'm thinking of Durarara's novels since the anime ended. S&W's novels are quite good, plus listening/reading more about Holo is sure as hell fun. Since the anime ended having a cliff-hanger type of ending, reading further is fun. What do you say, should I be waiting for DRRR's sequel anime or jump at novels?

[Dae314]

I've wanted to read visual novels in the past, but I can't find a distribution center for them so I just gave up. I still want to read the SNS VN.

edit: I should probably say I can't find an english translated distribution center just to be specific

[DarkLadX1]

I actually have all the novels of Vampire Hunter D, all the novels of Wicked City, and the first Violence Jack novel.

[xNoName]

^ I never knew Vampire Hunter D was based off novels. Well, I watched both the movies and didn't quite liked the first one; the second one was decent but nothing special. So where do the movies come (as in rating) if compared to the novels? Are the novels better?

[Wake]

I do read light novels every once in a while... I've read Banner of The Stars, and am reading Spice and Wolf. Both very good series. Banner of The Stars novel is I think a bit better then the anime and I consider the anime a great series. Same actually with Spice and Wolf, the novels in Spice and Wolf allow for more depth and shows Horo (one of the main characters) in a different light then she was show from in the anime and especially the manga.

[Tsukasa112]

Jeez. Do any of you check out novels, rather than anime and manga? Remember, not all anime are based upon manga. Novels do come in some as their origin, like in Kara no Kyoukai.

I'll read Light Novel's if they are translated. I just finished reading Mai-Hime Destiny. I'm currently reading Kamen Rider Eve -Masked Rider Gaia- too. (Although it's not translated /wrists). Most Light Novel's i'm into aren't translated, and as I don't know japanese, it's a problem. I don't hate them or anything, just not enough in english.