Light novel vs manga – What is the difference?
Light novels are written in Japanese, but the illustrations and text are conveyed in English for audiences outside of Japan. Manga is an art style that’s native to Japan where it relies on drawings or photos with no words or dialogue.
In light novel adaptations manga volumes, the dialogues are kept as close to the original Japanese scripts so readers may understand their exact meanings. Light novels may also include additional information like background stories which would not be obvious from reading just the manga volume itself since they’re originally created by looking at a smaller section of a much broader story arc.. There’s also more motivation for English-speaking fans to buy light novel versions since some have actually expressed interest in translating some titles into another language like French or Spanish.