noun
light novel
A category of Japanese young-adult fiction, often illustrated in manga style and serialized in bunkobon format. The term is a wasei-eigo coinage.
wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English)
最近、ライトノベルを読む大人が増えている。
Recently, more adults are reading light novels.
このアニメは人気のライトノベルが原作です。
This anime is based on a popular light novel.