They’re worth reading: 7 books by Asian authors that have become hits in their home countries

A romantic love story or a battle fantasy? Or maybe the story of a player who reached the pinnacle of success, was overthrown and decided to do it all over again from level zero? You decide. We tell you about book novelizations from Asian authors.

Flada, “Surely a Happy Ending.”

This book became an absolute hit in South Korea, collecting on the platform Naver Webnovel, where you read works online mainly in the genre of fiction, more than 7 million reads. The main characters of the story, Eunu and Seongjae, had a marriage of convenience. On the day of the divorce, Seongjae tragically dies. Only then does Enu realize how precious he was to her all this time. And fate gives her a second chance – the morning she wakes up and sees her husband alive and well. She finds herself in the past, with 100 days to go before the date of divorce. Now Enu decides to do something to save her husband by proving her love. A must read for all romantics!

“Surely a Happy Ending”

Ye Faye, “And Tomorrow I Will Love You. Book 1.”

This intriguing love story is not as simple as it seems at first glance. The main character Lu Jingyan is used to getting everything she likes. She grew up in such a family – surrounded by luxury and success that money can buy. Except that meeting with a strange guy showed that it’s not always enough to point a finger and get what you want. Sheng Xian seems to be indifferent to the signs of attention from Lu Jingyan. Also, someone is writing mysterious messages to the girl, insinuating that he knows everything about her life….

“I’ll love you tomorrow”

Makoto Shinkai, Naruki Nagakawa, “She and Her Cat”

A novella adaptation of an anime by director Makoto Shinkai is filled with chance encounters, tenderness, sadness and hope. A lonely girl finds a cat and now every day she tells him how her day went. With the cat you can share everything, because he will not tell anyone. Meanwhile, the furry pet is happy to help, but can’t think of how to do it.

“She and Her Cat”

Paru Itagaki, “Beast Complex. Beast Complex. Volume 1.”

A lion and a bat, a tiger and a beaver, a camel and a she-wolf… The characters in this book live in a world very much like our own. They study at school, read the news on their phones in the subway car, go to school … Except that the relationship between them sometimes determine the most real animal instincts. Six exciting stories from the universe of “Beastars. Beastars” universe, the award-winning manga, which is the basis for the anime series.

“Beast Complex.”

Chugong, DUBU (Redice Studio), “Solo Leveling. Solo Leveling. Volume 1 (webtoon).”

The book has already become an event in Asia. On the Korean platform KakaoPage (a resource for posting visual and literary works), this digital comic has garnered over 4 billion views. And in Japan, an anime series based on the story is in the works – the premiere is expected in 2024. The book is also the basis for a video game that is being developed in South Korea. The main character, Son Chinu, is the unluckiest monster hunter in history, but he has to keep hunting monsters in dungeons to pay his mother’s medical bills. But one day, he gets a chance to prove himself and raise his level as a hunter.

“Leveling up alone”

Jiulu Feixiang, “Blue Whisper. Book 1.”

This novel became the basis of the plot of the popular dorama, the action of which unfolds over two seasons. The main roles in the series were played by the stars of Chinese cinema Dilraba Dilmurat and Ren Jialun. The heroine of this story, a talented slayer of demons and other evil things, must defeat another monster. And then she will get what she has long dreamed of – freedom. Only in the enemy she sees someone who deserves sympathy and understanding. The beauty of the young man fascinates her, but can she trust a demon? This story is full of tragedy and unexpected twists and turns.

“The Blue Whisper.”

Hude Lan, “The King’s Avatar. The banished king. Book 1.”

A story about the ups and downs of cyber sports. The main character, Ye Xiu, was the best player in the online game “Path of Glory”, whose talent brought his team to the top of the gaming Olympus. But then he was replaced by a young player and gave Ye Xiu’s account to him. Now the guy works in an Internet cafe and is sad. But soon a new server is launched in the game, and he decides to start from scratch and go through “Path of Glory” again from the initial level. The second attempt turns out to be more difficult and unpredictable than he could have imagined.

“The King’s Avatar”