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Novel difficulty list

This is a list of novels, both light novels and traditional novels, ranked by their difficulty, on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is very easy and 100 is very hard. You can use it to find the most appropriate novel to read based on how good your Japanese is.

If you already have a novel in mind which is around your level you can also search for it, and then click on "Show details..." to see other novels of similar difficulty.

The difficulty ratings were generated automatically by a machine learning model. If you're interested in how we calculated them take a look here. We do not distribute any copyrighted materials from any of these works; we only provide aggregate statistics.

We also have other difficulty lists if you're interested:

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Showing 1451..1475 from 1475 entries

Cover of Crest of the Stars
⋯
Novel
Crest of the Stars
Length (in words)150808
Unique words13169
Unique words (used once)5508
Unique words (used once %)41%
Unique kanji2290
Unique kanji (used once)359
Unique kanji readings4046
Average difficulty85/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)93/100
Average sentence length22.9
Characters359040
Volumes3
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Fate/strange Fake
⋯
Novel
Fate/strange Fake
Length (in words)219433
Unique words14206
Unique words (used once)5724
Unique words (used once %)40%
Unique kanji2387
Unique kanji (used once)289
Unique kanji readings4456
Average difficulty85/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length29.9
Characters486150
Volumes5
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Monogatari Series
⋯
Novel
Monogatari Series
Length (in words)1905440
Unique words38810
Unique words (used once)10978
Unique words (used once %)28%
Unique kanji3102
Unique kanji (used once)287
Unique kanji readings6637
Average difficulty86/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length29.4
Characters4571464
Volumes28
MyAnimeList
Show details...
Cover of Dogura Magura
⋯
Novel
Dogura Magura
Length (in words)175898
Unique words15501
Unique words (used once)6693
Unique words (used once %)43%
Unique kanji2720
Unique kanji (used once)442
Unique kanji readings5325
Average difficulty86/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length35.7
Characters389973
Volumes2
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Guin Saga
⋯
Novel
Guin Saga
Length (in words)6741165
Unique words47667
Unique words (used once)9844
Unique words (used once %)20%
Unique kanji3158
Unique kanji (used once)186
Unique kanji readings6767
Average difficulty86/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)98/100
Average sentence length30.6
Characters16345778
Volumes130
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Shakugan no Shana
⋯
Novel
Shakugan no Shana
Length (in words)941367
Unique words28912
Unique words (used once)8677
Unique words (used once %)30%
Unique kanji2954
Unique kanji (used once)239
Unique kanji readings6225
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length24.8
Characters2128265
Volumes22
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Higashi no Kensei Houten
⋯
Novel
Higashi no Kensei Houten
Length (in words)104531
Unique words8720
Unique words (used once)3613
Unique words (used once %)41%
Unique kanji2058
Unique kanji (used once)325
Unique kanji readings3779
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)96/100
Average sentence length23.5
Characters215941
Volumes1
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Durarara!!
⋯
Novel
Durarara!!
Length (in words)655746
Unique words22130
Unique words (used once)7822
Unique words (used once %)35%
Unique kanji2556
Unique kanji (used once)247
Unique kanji readings5084
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length26.5
Characters1497646
Volumes13
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Nangoku Taiheiki
⋯
Novel
Nangoku Taiheiki
Length (in words)195427
Unique words13248
Unique words (used once)5525
Unique words (used once %)41%
Unique kanji2540
Unique kanji (used once)379
Unique kanji readings5138
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)94/100
Average sentence length19.8
Characters414607
Volumes2
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Angel Howling
⋯
Novel
Angel Howling
Length (in words)414096
Unique words16253
Unique words (used once)5720
Unique words (used once %)35%
Unique kanji2338
Unique kanji (used once)249
Unique kanji readings4524
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)98/100
Average sentence length19.8
Characters960487
Volumes10
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Sabikui Bisco
⋯
Novel
Sabikui Bisco
Length (in words)299488
Unique words16829
Unique words (used once)6111
Unique words (used once %)36%
Unique kanji2428
Unique kanji (used once)225
Unique kanji readings4754
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)95/100
Average sentence length20.7
Characters669404
Volumes5
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Clockwork Planet
⋯
Novel
Clockwork Planet
Length (in words)256018
Unique words17431
Unique words (used once)6850
Unique words (used once %)39%
Unique kanji2384
Unique kanji (used once)248
Unique kanji readings4578
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)96/100
Average sentence length20.8
Characters587125
Volumes4
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Guin Saga Gaiden
⋯
Novel
Guin Saga Gaiden
Length (in words)72476
Unique words7843
Unique words (used once)3578
Unique words (used once %)45%
Unique kanji1640
Unique kanji (used once)336
Unique kanji readings2704
Average difficulty87/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)96/100
Average sentence length32.0
Characters169565
Volumes1
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Quantum Devil Saga Avatar Tuner
⋯
Novel
Quantum Devil Saga Avatar Tuner
Length (in words)401860
Unique words19047
Unique words (used once)6701
Unique words (used once %)35%
Unique kanji2444
Unique kanji (used once)263
Unique kanji readings4543
Average difficulty88/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length27.3
Characters946563
Volumes5
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Youjo Senki
⋯
Novel
Youjo Senki
Length (in words)986413
Unique words28954
Unique words (used once)8714
Unique words (used once %)30%
Unique kanji2841
Unique kanji (used once)231
Unique kanji readings5718
Average difficulty88/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)98/100
Average sentence length24.1
Characters2287641
Volumes12
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of 86
⋯
Novel
86
Length (in words)507881
Unique words21584
Unique words (used once)6969
Unique words (used once %)32%
Unique kanji2726
Unique kanji (used once)239
Unique kanji readings5331
Average difficulty88/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)98/100
Average sentence length24.2
Characters1153089
Volumes9
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru: Dances with the Dragons
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Novel
Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru: Dances with the Dragons
Length (in words)1169151
Unique words26618
Unique words (used once)8012
Unique words (used once %)30%
Unique kanji2697
Unique kanji (used once)215
Unique kanji readings5352
Average difficulty88/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length18.1
Characters2537966
Volumes10
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Moeyo Ken
⋯
Novel
Moeyo Ken
Length (in words)157250
Unique words15027
Unique words (used once)6794
Unique words (used once %)45%
Unique kanji2552
Unique kanji (used once)416
Unique kanji readings4970
Average difficulty89/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)96/100
Average sentence length21.0
Characters341444
Volumes1
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Fate/Zero (TYPE-MOON BOOKS ver.)
⋯
Novel
Fate/Zero (TYPE-MOON BOOKS ver.)
Length (in words)272859
Unique words19312
Unique words (used once)7084
Unique words (used once %)36%
Unique kanji2780
Unique kanji (used once)296
Unique kanji readings5582
Average difficulty89/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)96/100
Average sentence length31.1
Characters620439
Volumes4
MyAnimeList
Show details...
Cover of Ningen Series
⋯
Novel
Ningen Series
Length (in words)332228
Unique words17793
Unique words (used once)6830
Unique words (used once %)38%
Unique kanji2477
Unique kanji (used once)310
Unique kanji readings4746
Average difficulty89/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length24.1
Characters788413
Volumes7
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Zero Machina Kakuu Sanagi wo Shiie wa Utenai
⋯
Novel
Zero Machina Kakuu Sanagi wo Shiie wa Utenai
Length (in words)189384
Unique words15540
Unique words (used once)6078
Unique words (used once %)39%
Unique kanji2469
Unique kanji (used once)256
Unique kanji readings4736
Average difficulty90/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length24.3
Characters431847
Volumes10
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Ryouma ga Yuku
⋯
Novel
Ryouma ga Yuku
Length (in words)577862
Unique words28342
Unique words (used once)10290
Unique words (used once %)36%
Unique kanji3157
Unique kanji (used once)399
Unique kanji readings6710
Average difficulty90/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length24.1
Characters1249940
Volumes1
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Katanagatari
⋯
Novel
Katanagatari
Length (in words)339363
Unique words14731
Unique words (used once)5258
Unique words (used once %)35%
Unique kanji2300
Unique kanji (used once)260
Unique kanji readings4370
Average difficulty91/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)97/100
Average sentence length25.4
Characters755485
Volumes12
MyAnimeListAmazon
Show details...
Cover of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Side Stories
⋯
Novel
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Side Stories
Length (in words)290152
Unique words19035
Unique words (used once)7419
Unique words (used once %)38%
Unique kanji2414
Unique kanji (used once)305
Unique kanji readings4348
Average difficulty91/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length32.0
Characters691178
Volumes5
Amazon
Show details...
Cover of Legend of the Galactic Heroes
⋯
Novel
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Length (in words)703664
Unique words25460
Unique words (used once)8084
Unique words (used once %)31%
Unique kanji2679
Unique kanji (used once)251
Unique kanji readings4997
Average difficulty92/100
Peak difficulty (90th percentile)99/100
Average sentence length33.8
Characters1674141
Volumes10
Amazon
Show details...