Question What is better the (WN) OR (LN) and do you recommend me reading both (the (WN) and (LN) ) together?

Discussion in 'Translator's Corner' started by XselfesterX, Jul 9, 2019.

  1. XselfesterX

    XselfesterX Well-Known Member

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    Give me advices on this please?
     
  2. Ogami-kun

    Ogami-kun 『Blue Shadow ensnaring demons』『FA sect disciple』

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    i believe it depends on the novel
    Wait, do you mean to translate?
     
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  3. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    According to what I know: LN is usually carefully edited WN. It may also feature original artwork for promotional purposes. Simply said, WN is what u usually find in Syosetu like sites, and can be considered the author's draft, while LN has gone thru the discerning eye of experienced editors/proofers, and is more polished and better put together.
     
  4. King0Mik

    King0Mik 【An Actual Idiot】

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    Could really depend on the novel.

    Generally the LN is essentially a more polished version of the WN. There may be additional contents (events that never happened in the WN). For example, the LN version of Mushoku Tensei has an additional little side arc that was not present in the original WN.
    Depending on how good the author was originally, the LN may be very similar to the WN or could be completely different.

    Also, the LN has pictures.

    The WN is free tho.
     
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  5. acolyte

    acolyte Well-Known Member

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    The previous posters are pretty accurate.
    LN is usually the more polished version, though you may lose details because the editor decided the WN fillers are waste of pages for the LN.

    The line is getting thinner these days with more and more WN getting adapted quickly to LN.

    Some of the more popular LNs that originated from WN, that not many have heard the WN of, includes SAO, Mahouka, Log Horizon. Definitely much polished in LN form.

    That said, there are two issues with LN.
    1. LNs gets licensed in US these days, and they will happily DMCA LN translations, so it's harder to find LN translations.
    2. Less and less JP translators are willing to translate LN from scans. These days people are more into translating digital WN that they can send through translation programs if they hit a difficult part, or send it through google translate, find an editor, and call themselves a translator.

    These days, for readers who aren't willing to buy, it's not much of an option whether to choose LN or WN forms. But if there's both, it depends whether you want polished story and polished translation but slow vs crude story and crude translation but fast
     
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  6. abewan

    abewan 〘Nishikigoi Dungeon〙

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    Well, if it's Overlord and you like Albedo, stick to the light novel.
     
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  7. XselfesterX

    XselfesterX Well-Known Member

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    Thanks very much! But there are some novels that the WN is free and good but the LN is expensive like $50 dollars.
    I was like screw the LN but sometime LN is better than tthe WN so i guess,IDK i will read them both.
    Thanks for answering ^0^
     
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  8. Nimroth

    Nimroth Someone

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    Generally the LN would probably be better since it is the published version that has gone through professional editing, but there are also some cases where you could argue that the WN is better because the LN might have changed parts of the story for the worse.
    It really depends on the novel, since in a lot of cases I wouldn't recommend either version. lol
     
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  9. Fluffy Jellyfish

    Fluffy Jellyfish 『Number 1 Lolicon under Heaven』

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    I like Shield Hero WN more than the LN counterpart

    Naofumi in LN is less edgy and feels like your usual average beta MC and how they toned down the overall depressing atmosphere of the story

    Meanwhile, SAO LN doesn't contain the rape scene from the WN and change it into 'attempted-rape'
     
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  10. XselfesterX

    XselfesterX Well-Known Member

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    Yeah i guess i will read them both because if i didn't enjoy the (WN) i wont read the (LN) Because they are almost similiar, but if i liked the (WN) then i will like the (LN).anyways it depends if it's good thanks.
     
  11. Silverasterisk

    Silverasterisk [Wallflower] [Drive by poster]

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    Usually ln is better. There are exceptions though.
     
  12. Frostfire10

    Frostfire10 Well-Known Member

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    As the translator for the WN of Overlord, I can undoubtedly say that the LN is objectively better, in terms of plot development at least. From here on out my thoughts only apply to Overlord.

    The LN is a more polished version of the WN, with the author understanding what went wrong in the previous draft and avoiding writing himself into a corner. For example, although people often say they do not like Albedo, she plays a key role as an administrator, adding another possible intelligent chess piece for Maruyama to play with. The use of her to run Nazarick while Demiurge and Ainz are away is important to world-building. (I will agree that writing in that Albedo loves Ainz is cringe-worthy, but I have a strong suspicion there is a real reason for this).

    However, it is also important to remember that WNs are a passion project and are filled with the love of writing. LNs, especially if they continue too long, run the risk of author burnout, causing the plot to run stale. I can point to Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, Highschool DxD, and Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan (Haven't finished Toaru but I suspect that it has the same problem) as examples of this. I personally feel that the author has no idea what to write next in these stories and they are basically rehashing old plotlines without adding anything new to the story. Yes, the occasional plot progression is dropped but I feel that the author feels restrained by the contracts to constantly write and thus produce mediocre work.
     
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  13. BlackPhoenix

    BlackPhoenix Well-Known Member

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    I think it's better to just read both. Cause sometimes even though they start the same they may end up in completely different route or ending. An example for this is the novel "Seirei Gensouki", the first 3 volume of the WN is similar with the LN but after that they diverge allot. To have completely different outcome.
    In the WN the MC will find his love intrest but later she is taken without the MC realizing it was a plot from a jealous person and then she is gone from the story for a pretty long while and it was a part of the story where allot of the fans got tilted at, but the LN took a completely different approach to that whole part which was much more liked.
    So now you have 2 story which are both good in their own way and with the WN becoming a place where the author experiment with the story and refine certain story plot so he can use them in LN.
     
  14. BlackPhoenix

    BlackPhoenix Well-Known Member

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    I agree with you on those except for Toaru. The problem with Toaru is that the story is interweaving with all the other story that it is hard to keep up with the progress and remember all the plot that are connected to each other and not fucked it up. Cause I mean timeline wise not even 6 month has past in the world since the start of the Novel and God damn there was allot of story in those 6 month from every F-ing angle you can think of, and too many relevant side characters with their own story.
     
  15. acolyte

    acolyte Well-Known Member

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    No.. that guy is just mad.. editor even facepalmed because he kept writing more stuff before requested..

    I think they edit slower than he writes..

    I also mentioned that Mahouka was a WN. A lot of the popular LNs were WNs. Not surprised that a lot of ppl think they're LN only, like SAO, Mahouka and Log Horizon

    In fact, WN suffers more from lack of passion than LN, because fans demand they keep releasing even when writers go into writer block. Even worse is the Qidian scene.

    With LN, it's what the industry wants. With WN, they read the comments and often have to personally face insultint critiques beside the encouraging ones. Usually those hurt more than cold numbers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2019
  16. Ram5

    Ram5 [Noodle Stealer]

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    I think LN is like between Hard Cover Novel and Web Novel?
     
  17. Ogami-kun

    Ogami-kun 『Blue Shadow ensnaring demons』『FA sect disciple』

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    o_O what rape scene? in alicization, sao or ALO?
     
  18. Fluffy Jellyfish

    Fluffy Jellyfish 『Number 1 Lolicon under Heaven』

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    You remember that in many arc that there are always attempted rape-scene? They toned down it from being "done" into "attempted"
     
  19. Ogami-kun

    Ogami-kun 『Blue Shadow ensnaring demons』『FA sect disciple』

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    So Asuna was raped in ALO? Okay i can see how having the main heroine raped would have disturbed not few fans
     
  20. Fluffy Jellyfish

    Fluffy Jellyfish 『Number 1 Lolicon under Heaven』

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    Yeah, many of Kirito's harem member is "used-good" already.