Visual Novels

[Xrlderek]

Which category should threads concerning visual novels be in? Fate/Stay Night (the visual novel) is in general anime but I think that just happened when people started talking about it in the anime thread.

[Kraco]

If the visual novel has an anime counterpart (like the mentioned FSN), I won't be the one moving it out of the General Anime. Otherwise, dunno. A tricky question, although in the end they are games, as passive as they are.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't see a problem with using our current tagging system, like

Visual Novel: Melty Blood


etc etc.

As for the section, like Kraco said, it's a bit hard to 100% justify why it should be in a particular category and not another. As a game/software, by default it should go in the General Discussion area. However, given the nature of it, I think it's weird.

While strictly speaking it's not an anime, I do think visual novels would be within the interests of those looking for anime to watch as well. Going with Munsu's(?) move of putting books and manga in the same section despite being strictly two different media, I think it's fair to say having visual novels in General Anime is only following suit.

Rationale for putting it in General Anime rather than Books&Manga?

1) Books&Manga -> tagline says "Basically anything printed"

2) Visual novels do require "flipping pages" and reading text. However, they often have music, sometimes voices, and coloured pictures, giving it quite a different feel to the majority of black&white material in Manga&Books.

3)Books&Manga is already a joint section. Anymore will probably make it crowded, undefined, like an "everything-else-non-anime-but-Japanese" section.

With books.


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To avoid confusion however, I do suggest tags being mandatory from now on.

[Xrlderek]

I agree with that. But a lot of visual novels don't have an anime counterpart.

Would sticking them in "general anime" with a "Visual Novel:" tag really be organized enough? It might look a bit weird, but I think it is the best option.

[Nadouku]

That's fine or something like "...: The Game". If the Visual Novel has an Anime counterpart up, then just create another thread for the Anime. Munsu already stated that the Visual Novel and Anime discussions be kept separate:


I'm also pretty sure that a seperate thread was created to discuss the game... so lets keep those borderline game spoilers in that thread.

[Buffalobiian]

I agree with that. But a lot of visual novels don't have an anime counterpart.

It really doesn't matter if it has an anime counterpart or not. It's just about finding a place to place visual novel discussion threads.


Would sticking them in "general anime" with a "Visual Novel:" tag really be organized enough? It might look a bit weird, but I think it is the best option.

If the mods/admins officially state that visual novels are to go in General Anime, then that subforum would be renamed "General Anime and Visual Novels", just like "Books and Manga".

Then it just becomes a thread, like any other new anime thread.



That's fine or something like "...: The Game". If the Visual Novel has an Anime counterpart up, then just create another thread for the Anime. Munsu already stated that the Visual Novel and Anime discussions be kept separate:

I agree. Visual Novel and Anime discussions should be separate. However, since I'm not terribly fond of making side-discussion threads like "Comparison of FSN - game and anime", if crosstalk is to happen, I'd like it to be in the game thread instead because:

1) The game usually precedes the anime.
2) If (1) is true, then the game is almost always more comprehensive than the anime.

Spoiling potential is kept to a minimum.

[Xrlderek]

The only problem I see with it being put in general anime is that it would be too easy to enter the wrong thread. For example, I am thankful that manga and anime are in separate areas(although that makes sense either way). Just a few words could ruin a lot of the story.

I think visual novels having their own section would be good, if it wasn't for that it would be mostly dead.. there aren't that many translated visual novels out there, and there definitely aren't many good translated visual novels out there. I do think we have some members here that would read or tend to read visual novels though. Also, more and more visual novels are being translated. The threads could be separated by routes. As in UBW, Heaven's Feel. This would be good because the translators usually release route by route, also it would be possible to discuss after reading through just one route, promoting discussion.. especially considering some visual novels that are rather long. Or it could be separated like that up until the game is completely translated, then it could be combined into one thread.

But I don't think the section would be popular enough..



Rationale for putting it in General Anime rather than Books&Manga?

1) Books&Manga -> tagline says "Basically anything printed"

2) Visual novels do require "flipping pages" and reading text. However, they often have music, sometimes voices, and coloured pictures, giving it quite a different feel to the majority of black&white material in Manga&Books.

3)Books&Manga is already a joint section. Anymore will probably make it crowded, undefined, like an "everything-else-non-anime-but-Japanese" section.

With books.

I think it should be in books.

1) I see your point but it feels thin. Following each tagline literally would mean almost no changes ever.

2) But they are also quite different from anime. Anime takes a fixed amount of time to watch, visual novels are read and therefore depend on the reader, just like books and manga. I will agree that it is often the music which sets the mood though, and the voices, not to mention the illustrations. I still feel that the target audience would be slightly different and perhaps closer to manga readers or book readers.

3) This is true, but there aren't that many visual novels out there, and I doubt the threads will be that popular so it will definitely not take over the section.. yes, it would be crowded but I don't see many other options.

My main concern is spoilers. Being put in general anime with the anime adaptions could spoil heavily if one were to misclick. Of course there are limits to how idiotproof the site should be, but I don't think it is too excessive to keep them a little separate. With most visual novels and their adaptions the story is everything.

I agreed at first but I changed my mind. Also, of course visual novels and anime discussions should be kept separate, even if they're both completed, in case of a sequel since adaptions don't always use all routes. Comparisons would be fine in the visual novel thread.

[Buffalobiian]

Can anyone move this thread to GW Suggestions? Judging from content it should be there now, and we might even get an answer from the higher-ups.

While visual novel discussions may be few and far between for now, it'd be nice to get a clear answer on how to go about it.