Novel difficulty list

This is a list of novels, both light novels and traditional novels, ranked by their difficulty, on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is very easy and 10 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 51..100 from 1475 entries

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Novel

Ryuuou no Oshigoto!

Length (in words)	800132
Unique words	24345
Unique words (used once)	8185
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2644
Unique kanji (used once)	271
Unique kanji readings	5391
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	19.0
Characters	1832678
Volumes	17

Length (in words)	291867
Unique words	19205
Unique words (used once)	7344
Unique words (used once %)	38%
Unique kanji	2639
Unique kanji (used once)	296
Unique kanji readings	5088
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	23.4
Characters	672898
Volumes	6

Length (in words)	555814
Unique words	27700
Unique words (used once)	10574
Unique words (used once %)	38%
Unique kanji	2638
Unique kanji (used once)	298
Unique kanji readings	5372
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	24.3
Characters	1297857
Volumes	11

Length (in words)	937090
Unique words	25807
Unique words (used once)	8214
Unique words (used once %)	31%
Unique kanji	2635
Unique kanji (used once)	201
Unique kanji readings	5363
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	23.4
Characters	2097392
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	937679
Unique words	25102
Unique words (used once)	7326
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2626
Unique kanji (used once)	225
Unique kanji readings	5316
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	22.9
Characters	2171324
Volumes	16

Length (in words)	669229
Unique words	20593
Unique words (used once)	6676
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2623
Unique kanji (used once)	236
Unique kanji readings	5167
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	27.4
Characters	1533376
Volumes	17

Length (in words)	723478
Unique words	24866
Unique words (used once)	8217
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2622
Unique kanji (used once)	255
Unique kanji readings	5385
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	24.7
Characters	1684465
Volumes	13

Length (in words)	215882
Unique words	16470
Unique words (used once)	6153
Unique words (used once %)	37%
Unique kanji	2621
Unique kanji (used once)	306
Unique kanji readings	5017
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	24.7
Characters	478041
Volumes	4

Length (in words)	511226
Unique words	20814
Unique words (used once)	7507
Unique words (used once %)	36%
Unique kanji	2619
Unique kanji (used once)	297
Unique kanji readings	5112
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	23.4
Characters	1223092
Volumes	11

Length (in words)	443643
Unique words	21918
Unique words (used once)	7816
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2616
Unique kanji (used once)	283
Unique kanji readings	5145
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	22.2
Characters	1071328
Volumes	6

Length (in words)	299500
Unique words	18660
Unique words (used once)	7000
Unique words (used once %)	37%
Unique kanji	2614
Unique kanji (used once)	376
Unique kanji readings	5184
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	26.5
Characters	663371
Volumes	5

Length (in words)	701347
Unique words	24504
Unique words (used once)	8021
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2614
Unique kanji (used once)	228
Unique kanji readings	5225
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	27.4
Characters	1684020
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	297711
Unique words	16484
Unique words (used once)	5776
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2612
Unique kanji (used once)	228
Unique kanji readings	5002
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	21.9
Characters	678642
Volumes	6

Length (in words)	695333
Unique words	19684
Unique words (used once)	5835
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2612
Unique kanji (used once)	208
Unique kanji readings	5081
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	21.6
Characters	1612576
Volumes	20

Length (in words)	300796
Unique words	18534
Unique words (used once)	7405
Unique words (used once %)	39%
Unique kanji	2609
Unique kanji (used once)	363
Unique kanji readings	4998
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	26.7
Characters	683709
Volumes	5

Length (in words)	786294
Unique words	23391
Unique words (used once)	7832
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2603
Unique kanji (used once)	244
Unique kanji readings	5138
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	22.1
Characters	1877200
Volumes	16

Length (in words)	543259
Unique words	21880
Unique words (used once)	7057
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2602
Unique kanji (used once)	257
Unique kanji readings	5121
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	25.0
Characters	1285843
Volumes	11

Length (in words)	305279
Unique words	17329
Unique words (used once)	6623
Unique words (used once %)	38%
Unique kanji	2592
Unique kanji (used once)	288
Unique kanji readings	5091
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	27.3
Characters	681407
Volumes	3

Length (in words)	762696
Unique words	22539
Unique words (used once)	7535
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2592
Unique kanji (used once)	201
Unique kanji readings	5164
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	22.1
Characters	1783544
Volumes	17

Length (in words)	547130
Unique words	21915
Unique words (used once)	7303
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2586
Unique kanji (used once)	197
Unique kanji readings	5211
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	21.5
Characters	1241100
Volumes	13

Length (in words)	207311
Unique words	16735
Unique words (used once)	6980
Unique words (used once %)	41%
Unique kanji	2585
Unique kanji (used once)	347
Unique kanji readings	5131
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	27.2
Characters	455067
Volumes	3

jpdb beta

Novel difficulty list

Ryuuou no Oshigoto!

Trinity Blood Rage Against the Moons

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Ben-to

Kumo Desu ga, Nanika?

Danshou no Grimm

Shiritsu! Sanjuusangen Dougakuin

Leviathan no Koibito

Orabatora Senki

Bara no Maria

Ten to Chi to

Accel World

Rengoku Hime

Seireitsukai no Blade Dance

Tokinori Rinne!

Bungaku Shoujo

Princess Hearts

Reimei no Sho

Date a Live

Scrapped Princess

Sengoku Komachi Kuroutan

Rakuin no Monshou

Koukyuu no Karasu

Nareru! SE

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Ladies Versus Butlers!

Tengoku ni Namida wa Iranai

Asura Cryin'

Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi

Nidome no Yuusha wa Fukushuu no Michi wo Warai Ayumu

Kinkakuji

Durarara!!

Yagate Maken no Alicebell

Sanzensekai no Karasu wo Koroshi

Moeyo Ken

Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

Isekai Goumon Hime

Zero no Tsukaima

Majuu Senshi Luna Varga

Yagate Koisuru Vivi Lane

Iconoclast!

Nangoku Taiheiki

Girly Air Force

Hitsugi no Chaika

Ring Series

Ro-Kyu-Bu!

Waga Gyouyuu ni Furueyo Tenchi Alexis Teikoku Kouryuuki

Maria-sama ga Miteru

Touhakuden ~Maou Reijou Kara Hajimaru Sangokushi~

Level 99 Boukensha ni Yoru Hajimete no Ryouchi Keiei

Length (in words)	671768
Unique words	21738
Unique words (used once)	6085
Unique words (used once %)	27%
Unique kanji	2580
Unique kanji (used once)	221
Unique kanji readings	5108
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	26.7
Characters	1578074
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	332011
Unique words	14806
Unique words (used once)	5159
Unique words (used once %)	34%
Unique kanji	2574
Unique kanji (used once)	284
Unique kanji readings	4859
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	20.5
Characters	711469
Volumes	7

Length (in words)	593362
Unique words	26200
Unique words (used once)	9199
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2570
Unique kanji (used once)	258
Unique kanji readings	5192
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	18.3
Characters	1451530
Volumes	16

Length (in words)	1194258
Unique words	23923
Unique words (used once)	6919
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	2566
Unique kanji (used once)	175
Unique kanji readings	5261
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	19.2
Characters	2767048
Volumes	22

Length (in words)	555386
Unique words	22115
Unique words (used once)	7904
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2563
Unique kanji (used once)	283
Unique kanji readings	5171
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	26.8
Characters	1303860
Volumes	13

Length (in words)	474743
Unique words	21520
Unique words (used once)	8014
Unique words (used once %)	37%
Unique kanji	2563
Unique kanji (used once)	240
Unique kanji readings	5210
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	21.4
Characters	1126029
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	703236
Unique words	23453
Unique words (used once)	8015
Unique words (used once %)	34%
Unique kanji	2562
Unique kanji (used once)	243
Unique kanji readings	5149
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	21.2
Characters	1639707
Volumes	14

Length (in words)	598557
Unique words	19144
Unique words (used once)	5747
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2560
Unique kanji (used once)	190
Unique kanji readings	5122
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	16.4
Characters	1313289
Volumes	13

Length (in words)	462453
Unique words	20447
Unique words (used once)	7300
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2560
Unique kanji (used once)	246
Unique kanji readings	5038
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	27.6
Characters	1076179
Volumes	8

Length (in words)	83915
Unique words	11148
Unique words (used once)	5420
Unique words (used once %)	48%
Unique kanji	2559
Unique kanji (used once)	435
Unique kanji readings	4760
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	30.2
Characters	170783
Volumes	1