Ranobe Book Shelf
Read web novels like a book
Free · In‑App Purchases
Add works from Japan's web-novel sites to your shelf and read them like an e-book: vertical text, page turns, no site clutter. Japanese interface and content.
Discover Japanese Web Novels — Straight from the Source
Read Japanese web novels from popular platforms such as Shōsetsuka ni Narō, Kakuyomu, and Alphapolis in a comfortable reading experience designed for Apple devices.
Many popular Japanese light novels, manga, and anime began as web novels. This app makes it easier to discover and enjoy those original stories directly from the web.
Whether you are a fan of Japanese light novels, anime, fantasy, isekai, romance, or simply want to read more Japanese, this app gives you a clean and customizable way to enjoy publicly available Japanese web fiction.
Made for Japanese Web Novels
Add supported novels to your personal library and enjoy a reading experience designed specifically for long-form Japanese text.
Customize the reader to match your preferences:
• Vertical or horizontal Japanese text
• Adjustable font size
• Custom line spacing
• Multiple background themes
• Single-page and book-style layouts
• Two-page spread on iPad (landscape) and Mac
• Page-turn animations
• Reading position automatically saved
• Offline reading for downloaded chapters
• Automatic preloading of upcoming chapters
Read the Stories Behind Japanese Anime and Light Novels
A large number of well-known Japanese light novels and anime originated from web novel platforms.
Browse Japanese web fiction and discover stories before—or after—they become published light novels, manga, or anime adaptations.
For anime and light novel fans outside Japan, it is also a great way to explore the original Japanese versions of stories and discover titles that may not yet be available internationally.
A Comfortable Japanese Reading Experience
The reader is designed around Japanese typography.
Enjoy features such as:
• Vertical writing
• Ruby text (furigana)
• Book-style page layouts
• Two-page spreads
• Adjustable margins and spacing
• Light, sepia, dark, and other reading themes
• Full-screen reading
• Bookmarks and reading history
On iPad (in landscape) and Mac, you can enjoy Japanese novels in a two-page layout that feels much closer to reading a physical book.
Great for Japanese Learners
Because the app displays the original Japanese text, it can also be useful for advanced Japanese learners who want to practice reading authentic fiction.
You can enjoy real Japanese expressions, dialogue, vocabulary, and storytelling while reading novels you are interested in.
Please note that the app interface and novel content are currently Japanese only.
Your Personal Web Novel Library
Keep your favorite novels organized in one place.
Track:
• Recently read novels
• Unread chapters
• Reading progress
• Favorites
• Downloaded chapters
• Bookmarks
• Updates
• Collections
The app remembers where you stopped, so you can continue reading from the same place later.
Designed for Apple Devices
Enjoy Japanese web novels across:
• iPhone
• iPad
• Mac
The interface adapts to each device, from one-handed reading on iPhone to book-style two-page reading on iPad and Mac.
Important
This app is an independent, unofficial reader and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Shōsetsuka ni Narō, Kakuyomu, Alphapolis, or their respective operators.
All novel content, titles, characters, and related intellectual property belong to their respective authors and rights holders.
The app does not host or redistribute novels. It provides a reading interface for publicly accessible content from supported websites.
Availability of individual works depends on the original websites and their respective terms and conditions.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
iOS27.0 support and bug fixes.
The developer, Nanshu Kaneshiro, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Location
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Diagnostics
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Nanshu Kaneshiro
- Size
- 11 MB
- Category
- Books
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.0 or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English and Japanese
- Age Rating
16+
- 16+
- Contains
Unrestricted Web Access
Advertising
User-Generated Content
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Generous tip $29.99
- Lunch tip $5.99
- Coffee tip $1.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 KanataTech