Takarajimasha's Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! guidebook revealed its top light novel series and characters for 2022 last Thursday.
The annual guidebook highlights the most popular light novel series, as voted on by readers as well as various critics and industry insiders. Many of the light novels featured in the publication have received anime adaptations. Popular titles like A Certain Magical Index, Sword Art Online, the Haruhi Suzumiya, and Monogatari series’ have all had a consistent presence in the magazine over the years. Wataru Watari’s My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected has been ranked first 3 times more than any other series to appear in the guide’s 18-year run.
Many popular titles have consistently found their way into the publication’s top 10, with A Certain Magical Index appearing 10 times, Sword Art Online 9 times, and the Haruhi Suzumiya and Monogatari series appearing 5 times.
A handful of successful titles were inducted into the publication’s “Hall of Fame” which acknowledges each series success while also making it so that they will not be considered in future iterations. My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected was inducted in 2016, while Sword Art Online, A Certain Magical Index, and The Ryuo's Work is Never Done! Were all inducted in 2020.
Hiromu’s Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle placed first for the second straight year. Yen Press is set to release the series in English in 2022. Other popular titles like Classroom of the Elite and The Detective Is Already Dead placed 3rd and 8th respectively.
- Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle
- Shunkashuutou Daikousha: Haru no Mai
- Classroom of the Elite
- Mimosa no Kokuhaku
- Propeller Opera
- The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
- Days with My Step Sister
- The Detective Is Already Dead
- My Seatmate Alya Sometimes Becomes Really Lovey-Dovey While Talking in Russian
- Bullet Code: Firewall
The guide book also ranks character and illustrator popularity, sorting the year’s most popular male and female light novel characters. Classroom of the Elite’s Shunsaku Tomose placed first for the second straight year, while The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten’s Kiyotaka Ayanokouji was voted as the most popular female character for the first time. 86 illustrator Shirabi placed 8th among the most popular illustrators.
Most Popular Male Characters
- Kiyotaka Ayanokouji (Classroom of the Elite)
- Chitose Saku (Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle)
- Hachiman Hikigaya (My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected)
- Ferdinand (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
- Amane Fujimiya (The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten)
- Kimizuka Kimihiko (The Detective Is Already Dead)
- Sakuta Azusagawa (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai)
- Shinei Nouzen (86)
- Kazuto Kirigaya (Sword Art Online)
- Akira (Rebuild World)
Most Popular Female Characters
- Shiina Mahiru (The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten)
- Siesta (The Detective Is Already Dead)
- Yukino Yukinoshita (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU)
- Kei Karuizawa (Classroom of the Elite)
- Rozemyne (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
- Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou (Alya, Who Sits Next to Me, Sometimes Whispers Sweet Nothings in Russian)
- Saki Ayase (Days with My Step Sister)
- Haru Aomi (Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle)
- Yuzuki Nanase (Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle)
- Honami Ichinose (Classroom of the Elite)
Most Popular Illustrators
- Shunsaku Tomose (Classroom of the Elite)
- raemz (Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle)
- Shirabii (86)
- Hanekoto (The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten)
- Hita (Days with My Step Sister)
- Umibouzu (The Detective Is Already Dead)
- Fly (Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki)
- Shigure Ui (Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose)
- You Shiina (Ascendance of a Bookworm)
- Momoco (Alya, Who Sits Next to Me, Sometimes Whispers Sweet Nothings in Russian)
Source: MAL