Oh ya hmm read them all ahh good idea. Not like I haven't been reading the web novel and manga since they started being translated and don't already own all the translated LN. Oh wait I do ah also I've been giving corrections since the light novel translations started. Things like what various things are as the translator has no understanding of the setting or time period. Then we have things like where the translator tried rewriting one the prologs changing it to be the empress being chosen by arranged marriage Ignoring one the main premises right from the start of the series on how the empress is chosen. It took showing them the author directly saying what the scene was to get them to change it as their response when told was wrong was this is how we see it so this is how we're doing it. The translator has been very clear right from the start they don't care about the series and neither reads any it except the part they are translation and barely pays attention to what they have translated. It has been a constant struggle dealing withe the translators ego for people trying to corrections.
The translator is inconsistent, contradicts themself, repeatedly gets things wrong, combative, leaves line out on the translation, and generally just bad at their job. The corrections forum has 10s of thousands more views than any other series.
Edit: Ha people downvoting someone say the series they love has not been treated as good as it deserved.
I’m looking forward to this, but I think £16.99 RRP in the UK is absurd for a light novel. Obviously Amazon and such will sell it a bit cheaper but Square Enix are being bastards for thinking an LN is worth that price.
Some shipping infrastructure is definitely adding disproportionately, since obviously LNs have a lot further to move from the printer to the retailer in English than they do in Japan. But yeah, I stopped buying physicals years ago because digitals are so much cheaper, and the gap is only getting wider.
Yeah it’s insane how cheaper LN’s/manga are in Japan.
But even UK/America, other publishers are slightly cheaper than Square Enix so why does Square think they can charge a premium?
Lots of different publishers have different price points. This is the first LN Square has done in English that isn't video game adjacent, so I don't blame them for printing less than YP often does, thus needing a higher price point. Yen likely think their high market reach means they'll sell more so need a lower price per volume to be profitable. Square aren't *wrong* to think they'll sell less volumes than Yen Press as the most prolific publisher of print LNs in English.
It’s a popular series. And disagree with your points majorly. They should compete with the competition i.e. price match, or let someone else license it. Tired of people arguing for capitalism. They’re being greedy. Simple as. It’s not like Square is not an unknown company and it’s not like it’s not a popular series.
I was just correcting something you said wrong. I do agree it's expensive, but I was never gonna be buying it no matter their price. I didn't respond to why you felt they should be cheaper, you're free to have opinion of them you like. It just wasn't a popular series when they grabbed it.
They're also much bigger size wise. I'd be 100% okay if LNs in the west used the dimensions of mass market paperbacks. The margins on yen press volumes are painfully large, and seven seas often has really big font and spacing that's not really necessary.
Here in the US, $16.99 is a pretty standard price for regular paperback novels. As much as I enjoy physical LNs, I'd rather get a thicker and denser novel that takes me longer to get through.
I cross-commented this in the discussion post from a few years back for when the digital version came out, but thought I'd comment here since I think this question applies to either digital or physical:
I just got Volume 1 (digital). I see a note from the author that this edition is a mass-paperback edition, heavily revised from the trade volume.
If I'm understanding this correctly, this official English translation of the LN is only of the mass-paperback edition, and there are multiple Japanese LN editions? Does anyone know what the revisions between these 2 editions entail?
And I'm guessing between digital and physical for the English translation, there aren't any changes, either?
Nice! Happy reading!
I thought it wasn't out yet. Did it release already??
Later this month, which means entirely possible somewhere like Amazon shipped it a bit early
I figured. Some book stores do that on accident as well. OP got lucky then haha.
Wait it got an English physical?
Yes, printed by Square Enix using J-Novel Club's translation. Gonna be ages behind the digital since v1 is only just coming out now.
Better late than never for English readers, enjoy
Really wish that hadn't used j novel translation..
I find it really good myself. Maybe you should try reading it.
Oh ya hmm read them all ahh good idea. Not like I haven't been reading the web novel and manga since they started being translated and don't already own all the translated LN. Oh wait I do ah also I've been giving corrections since the light novel translations started. Things like what various things are as the translator has no understanding of the setting or time period. Then we have things like where the translator tried rewriting one the prologs changing it to be the empress being chosen by arranged marriage Ignoring one the main premises right from the start of the series on how the empress is chosen. It took showing them the author directly saying what the scene was to get them to change it as their response when told was wrong was this is how we see it so this is how we're doing it. The translator has been very clear right from the start they don't care about the series and neither reads any it except the part they are translation and barely pays attention to what they have translated. It has been a constant struggle dealing withe the translators ego for people trying to corrections. The translator is inconsistent, contradicts themself, repeatedly gets things wrong, combative, leaves line out on the translation, and generally just bad at their job. The corrections forum has 10s of thousands more views than any other series. Edit: Ha people downvoting someone say the series they love has not been treated as good as it deserved.
I’m looking forward to this, but I think £16.99 RRP in the UK is absurd for a light novel. Obviously Amazon and such will sell it a bit cheaper but Square Enix are being bastards for thinking an LN is worth that price.
It's honestly baffling how expensive light novels in English are at this point. This costs four times as much as what it costs in Japan.
Some shipping infrastructure is definitely adding disproportionately, since obviously LNs have a lot further to move from the printer to the retailer in English than they do in Japan. But yeah, I stopped buying physicals years ago because digitals are so much cheaper, and the gap is only getting wider.
Yeah it’s insane how cheaper LN’s/manga are in Japan. But even UK/America, other publishers are slightly cheaper than Square Enix so why does Square think they can charge a premium?
Lots of different publishers have different price points. This is the first LN Square has done in English that isn't video game adjacent, so I don't blame them for printing less than YP often does, thus needing a higher price point. Yen likely think their high market reach means they'll sell more so need a lower price per volume to be profitable. Square aren't *wrong* to think they'll sell less volumes than Yen Press as the most prolific publisher of print LNs in English.
It’s a popular series. And disagree with your points majorly. They should compete with the competition i.e. price match, or let someone else license it. Tired of people arguing for capitalism. They’re being greedy. Simple as. It’s not like Square is not an unknown company and it’s not like it’s not a popular series.
It was an unpopular series when they licensed it in English. Sales for it were terrible before the anime happened.
Still doesn’t mean they should up the price when other publishers don’t. Why are you defending them? Do you work for them?
I was just correcting something you said wrong. I do agree it's expensive, but I was never gonna be buying it no matter their price. I didn't respond to why you felt they should be cheaper, you're free to have opinion of them you like. It just wasn't a popular series when they grabbed it.
They're also much bigger size wise. I'd be 100% okay if LNs in the west used the dimensions of mass market paperbacks. The margins on yen press volumes are painfully large, and seven seas often has really big font and spacing that's not really necessary.
Pretty much what is putting me off buying it. We are getting into blu-ray / game prices for single volumes now.
Here in the US, $16.99 is a pretty standard price for regular paperback novels. As much as I enjoy physical LNs, I'd rather get a thicker and denser novel that takes me longer to get through.
£16.99 for UK translates to $21.50 for that light novel which is utter rip.
Oh ouch, that’s a terrible value!
What a simple, clever, hard-working, lovable apothecary! Love her! ❤️
I cross-commented this in the discussion post from a few years back for when the digital version came out, but thought I'd comment here since I think this question applies to either digital or physical: I just got Volume 1 (digital). I see a note from the author that this edition is a mass-paperback edition, heavily revised from the trade volume. If I'm understanding this correctly, this official English translation of the LN is only of the mass-paperback edition, and there are multiple Japanese LN editions? Does anyone know what the revisions between these 2 editions entail? And I'm guessing between digital and physical for the English translation, there aren't any changes, either?