Visual novels (VNs) are a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, they provide a balm for loneliness. For others, they provide an escape from the stress or mundanity of the real world. Some see them as intriguing works of art, others as a symptom—or a contributing factor—to the continued pervasiveness (and perversity) of female objectification.
But are visual novels literature?
What Qualifies as Literature?
Before we decide whether visual novels count as literature, we have to define what we mean by “literature.” Again, there are many definitions to choose from. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, for example, lists four separate definitions. According to these, technically, VNs would count as literature simply by merit of being “writings in prose or verse.”
Note: While the term “visual novel” doesn’t seem to appear in any of the major reference books—yet—the widely accepted definition is that a visual novel is an interactive experience that pairs visual elements with written narrative to tell a story. If it’s just text, it’s interactive fiction. If it’s just visuals, it’s more like an interactive comic. Typically, VNs also include some sort of choice mechanism and/or branching in the narrative; if you’re just clicking through a story with visual elements, you’re most likely reading a kinetic novel instead.
However, when asking whether visual novels are literature, what people really want to know is whether VNs fulfill the following criteria: “writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.”
In short—do visual novels have any substance to them?
Visual Novels Are Literature—Sometimes
For every Wuthering Heights, there’s a subpar supernatural teen romance novel filled to bursting with cliches and creepy dialogue. For every Starry Night, there’s a finger painting level work of art your toddler’s skill could surpass. And for every Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, there’s a poorly written, badly drawn, misogynistic visual novel that really probably shouldn’t have been made, much less shared with others.
What I’m saying is, just like any other artistic endeavor, not all visual novels are equally good or bad. So the question really shouldn’t be, “Are visual novels literature?” but rather, “Can visual novels be literature?”
And the answer, my friends, is absolutely. VNs offer a unique narrative opportunity to storytellers looking for a truly creative medium in which to tell their stories. In many cases, it is also a great chance to collaborate with others, especially if (like me) you are not one of those rare people who is good at writing and illustration and programming. Not to mention composing music, generating sound effects, and animation.
Great visual novels take a lot of work, but the payoff is that you get to create something that truly moves people in a very special way. VNs are interactive in a way that neither traditional art nor novels are. At the same time, the controlled view of characters and environments differs from the freer range of motion in most other types of video games; things can happen off-screen, or slide suddenly on-screen, and you can play with perspective in a way that just isn’t typically possible in most other narrative mediums.
And, if you’ve got a good writer on deck with a solid story in mind, well, you just might be working on a visual novel that actually does qualify as literature.
So while not every visual novel is a significant work of literature, VNs definitely have the potential to be great works of art—and at least a few titles out there have actually managed to fulfill that potential.
A Few Literary Visual Novel Recommendations
I’d argue that Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds and its sequel, Edo Blossoms, are both excellent examples of literary historical fiction. Cinders is a fantastic VN adaptation of a classi fairy tale with a twist—and some quality writing to boot. And Doki Doki Literature Club, while ostensibly written like a cheesy, cutesy dating sim, should also go on the list for its surprisingly, unnervingly twisty narrative and its deft subversion of all the usual VN tropes.
While I haven’t played them (yet), Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk, Steins;Gate, and Clannad are all known for the quality of both their narratives and their visuals as well.
So are visual novels literature? Yes, they certainly can be. As always, it is up to the writers and the artists of the world to make of the medium what they will.
Looking for a new VN to play? Feel free to check out the free demo of The Dragon’s Last Flight, an upcoming fantasy visual novel with a branching narrative and an optional romance route.
