Most anime fans have a long list of anime that they’ve watched, falling in love with the characters or settings along the way. If you’ve ever looked into the origin of your favorites, you may have come across some that are adapted from light novels.
I love anime, and I love reading, so light novels are a natural stepping stone for me. I’ve spent hours in comic book shops perusing the light novel shelves, and most of my anime choices have actually been introduced to me via the light novels I’ve purchased over the years.
There are hundreds of light novels that have eventually been turned into anime series or movies, but I definitely have favorites. Here are 10 amazing light novel series that you should check out if you love their anime adaptations, or simply want something new to dive into.
What is a light novel?
Put simply, “light novel” is a name given to books in Japan that are usually classified as young adult fiction and target a younger audience, but don’t let that put you off. They’re usually illustrated in a manga style, and many of them eventually get turned into manga or anime.
Originally, many light novels were published serially in “pulp magazines”, with many magazines beginning to illustrate the beginning of each story back in the 1970s. Over time, this evolved into light novels being published as books, usually with a very quick turnover.
Without further ado, here’s that list I promised you.
My Happy Marriage
My Happy Marriage is a story of finding yourself, figuring out your strengths, and overcoming hardships inspired by the way others have treated you. Even in some small part, this is something that all people can relate to.
Season one of the Anime was released on Netflix in July 2023, and season two will be arriving in January 2025, so now is a great time between seasons to dive into the original light novel format by Akumi Agitogi. There are now seven installments of the My Happy Marriage light novel series, with the first having been released in January 2022, and an eighth installment coming in January 2025, alongside the second season of the anime.
No Game No Life
No Game No Life is the story of an undefeated group of gamers, Blank, made up of siblings Sora and Shiro. It follows their story as the god of games sucks them into the world of Disboard, and suddenly they’re in a new world where games decide absolutely everything.
Since the release of the first light novel by Yuu Kamiya in 2013, No Game No Life has become an absolute phenomenon in Japan and worldwide and has even entered the list of top-selling novels in Japan on multiple occasions. There are now 12 installments of the light novel series, six manga adaptations, an anime series, and multiple anime specials.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil
The Saga of Tanya the Evil is one hell of a bizarre concept for a Light Novel and subsequent Anime adaptation, but somehow the whole “salaryman reborn into the body of a small girl in imperial Germany during World War I with added magic” thing just works, and it’s so, so good.
Written by Carlo Zen, there are now 14 installments of the light novel series, a Manga adaptation, of course, the Anime (which you should definitely watch if you’ve never given it a chance before), and even a movie. Don’t let my strange description put you off either, even though it’s accurate because there’s so much to love about The Saga of Tanya the Evil.
The Rising of the Shield Hero
Of all the series on this list, The Rising of the Shield Hero is the only one that was introduced to me via the anime before I discovered the light novel series, rather than the other way around. However, since I’ve read the light novels by Aneko Yusagi, I’ve fallen far more in love with them than I ever could with the animated series.
The anime adaptation of The Rising of the Shield Hero is now headed toward its fourth season, which doesn’t have an exact release date as of yet. There are, however, 22 volumes in the light novel series and even a spin-off light novel called The Reprise of the Spear Hero. That’s enough of Naofumi and co.’s adventures to keep you going for a while.
Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is absolutely the darkest light novel series on this list, and you’re likely to feel uncomfortable at times while reading it, but if you can overlook the goblin-on-human abuse and discrimination, you’ll absolutely fall in love with the characters and story, even when it’s hard to read.
There are currently 16 volumes in the Goblin Slayer light novel series, as well as the manga and anime adaptations, a movie, and even a video game, all of which are waiting for you to sink your teeth into them like a Goblin on an unfortunate adventurer. There are also a few spin-off Goblin Slayer Side Story light novels.
Fate/Zero
The first Fate/Zero light novel written by Gen Urobuchi was released way back in 2006, and there have been four volumes published since then. This series was the basis for the much-loved anime adaptation which was first available to watch in 2011 and featured 25 episodes.
The story of Fate/Zero is set 10 years after the events of the 2004 video game Fate/stay night, and goes into detail about the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. You mostly get to know the Einzbern family, for better or for worse, and Kiritsugu, a notorious “mage killer” with conflict in his heart hired by the Einzbern to win the Grail War.
Overlord
Overlord is an Isekai novel series that began life online in 2010, before being acquired by a publisher in 2012, with 16 volumes having been published since. It’s still ongoing and has had hugely successful anime adaptations over the years, including The Sacred Kingdom, an anime movie released in September 2024.
It’s the year 2126, and a massively interactive MMORPG called YGGDRASIL has been available to play for 12 years. With servers about to be shut down, one player decides to stay until the end. However, when the servers shut down, instead of being booted from the game and made to face reality, he’s transported to the world of the game for real, and then the fun really begins.
Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is a really well-known Anime series, with 13 episodes and two movies that are beloved by many anime fans. However, it began life as a four-volume light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and published between 2015 and 2020.
There are a lot of steampunk elements in Violet Evergarden, which centers around a former soldier and quadruple amputee who becomes an Auto Memory Doll. Her only task is to write letters for people, essentially becoming a messenger. In doing so, she becomes attached to clients and entwined in their lives, helping them — and herself — along the way. There are a lot of touching moments, and with only four volumes, it won’t take you long to get the full story.
Toradora!
If there is one entry on this list that I can read, watch, listen to, or simply enjoy over and over, it’s Toradora!. The anime adaptation is utterly adorable and tear-jerking in equal measure while managing to be laugh-out-loud funny in all the right places. And it’s probably the best adaptation from any light novel series on this list.
There are 10 light novels centered around Taiga and Ryuji, the first of which was published in 2006 and the last in 2010, and all of them were written by Yuyuko Takemiya. The anime adaptation began airing in 2008 and ended in 2009. That means that there’s more Taiga in the novels than there is in the anime, and if that’s not worth the effort to read them, then I don’t know what is.
Sword Art Online
I don’t think Sword Art Online needs much of an introduction, because I’m fairly confident that there isn’t an anime fan out there who hasn’t watched at least one episode of the anime. However, the first novels of the series were released way back in 2002, with a 28-volume light novel series following from 2009, which is still receiving new installments to this day.
Written by Reki Kawahara, the books are as immersive as the anime, and the characters are fleshed out slightly more than the anime series allows. I’ve laughed and cried while reading the Sword Art Online light novels, and there’s something special about following Kirito and Yuuki through the words on the pages, rather than passively on the screen.
Published: Nov 11, 2024 10:15 am