Since 2004, the guidebook Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (This Light Novel is Amazing!) has been publishing the results of reader polling and thereby dictating which are the best light novel and book series of the year, in multiple categories. This year there’s an extra category for ‘Series of the Decade’.
Some of the biggest titles of the millennium have made it to the top spot over the last fifteen years, including the Haruhi Suzumiya series in 2005, Spice and Wolf in 2007, A Certain Magical Index (which has appeared in the annual rankings at least ten times since the lists first started being published) in 2011, and Sword Art Online (which has appeared in the list nine separate times) in 2012 and 2013.
Below are the top ten rankings for all of the categories for the upcoming year, from Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! We have provided officially translated titles where applicable on the first mention only.
Light Novels
- Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru
- Ryuuou no Oshigoto (The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!)
- Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki)
- Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (Classroom of the Elite)
- Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy
- Seishun Buta Yarou Series (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai)
- Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano Datta
- Kimi no Wasure Kata wo Oshiete
- Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi
- Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Aida ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteiru ken
Books
- Unnamed Memory
- Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
- Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
- Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu
- Rebuild World
- Majo no Tabitabi (Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina)
- Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
- Otome Game Sekai wa Mob ni Kibishii Sekai Desu
- Kumo desu ga, Nani ka? (So I’m a Spider, So What?)
- Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endo-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san
Series of the Decade
- Sword Art Online
- Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index)
- Ryuuou no Oshigoto
- Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)
- Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou no Alderamin (Alderamin on the Sky)
- No Game No Life
- Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen
- Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (The Irregular at Magic High School)
- Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun
- Monogatari Series
Female Characters
- Kei Karuizawa (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
- Ginko Sora (Ryuuou no Oshigoto!)
- Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
- Sakurajima Mai (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
- Minami Nanami (Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun)
- Elaina (Majo no Tabitabi)
- Honami Ichinose (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
- Mahiru Shiina (Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Aida ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteiru ken)
- Shouko Makinohara (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
- Vladilen Mirizé (86)
Male Characters
- Kiyotaka Ayanokouji (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
- Sakuta Azusagawa (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
- Touma Kamijou (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
- Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. / My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected)
- Kazuto Kirigaya (Sword Art Online)
- Kazuma Satou (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! / KonoSuba)
- Accelerator (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
- Bell Cranel (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)
- Shinei Nouzen (86)
- Fumiya Tomozaki (Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun)
Illustrators
- Shirabi (Ryuuou no Oshigoto!)
- Fly (Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun)
- Shunsaku Tomose (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
- Keiji Mizoguchi (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
- Kurone Mishima (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!)
- Kiyotaka Haimura (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
- Kantoku (Imouto sae Ireba Ii. / A Sister’s All You Need)
- Azure (Majo no Tabitabi)
- abec (Sword Art Online)
- Saki Ukai (Black Bullet)
Source: MyAnimeList
