A light novel is one of the most popular contents in Japan spreading around the world. Many trendy anime and manga are made adapted from the light novels these days. For fans who always seek the latest information, best light novels of the year are listed on on an annual light novel guide magazine titled Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! published by a Japanese publishing company Takarajimasha.
Today, I’d like to introduce 10 hottest light novels to read in 2022, referring to the latest edition of the magazine just published in this November. This is the last updated information delivered from Japan, the mecca of light novels. Some of the 10 best light novels for 2022 have not been translated into English or other languages, but the upper-ranked titles will be available soon.
If you are interested in not only light novels but also anime and manga, stay tuned!
▽Check out the latest list of the best light novels for 2024!▽
Currently, those at the forefront of pop culture are not only turning to anime and manga but also to light novels. Light[…]
10. Bullet Code: Firewall
Bullet Code: Firewall (バレットコード：ファイアウォール), ranked in the top ten of the hottest light novels for 2022, was first published in February, 2021. The fantasy romance light novel depicts intense battle scenes and romantic stories. A high schooler named Yuma Furuhashi becomes a participant in the U.N.-supervised Project Firewall, which has high schoolers experience wars vicariously with virtual reality technology to prevent further tragedies. However, he witnesses the real war in the virtual world.
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Thriller
Writer: Suzu Saito
Illustrator: Wata
Published: from 2021
9. The Neighboring Alya-san who Sometimes Acts Affectionate and Murmuring in Russian
Ranked at the ninth of the 2022 hottest light novels, The Neighboring Alya-san who Sometimes Acts Affectionate and Murmuring in Russian (時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん) is getting much popular among Japanese geeks. The unique slice-of-life book was first released on an online publishing platform Shosetsuka ni Naro in 2020 and has been published as a physical light novel since 2021. Set in a private high school, it emphasizes a half-Japanese, half-Russian beautiful girl named Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou. She always gives complaints and sometimes speaks favorably in Russian to her neighboring classmate Masachika Kuze, who understands Russian in secret.
Genre: Slice of life/Romance/Comedy
Writer: SunSunSun
Illustrator: Momoco
Published: from 2021
8. The Detective Is Already Dead
For the latest trends for Japanese pop culture, you shouldn’t miss The Detective Is Already Dead (探偵はもう、死んでいる。). It has been published since 2019 and was made into the anime series adaptation for its popularity airing with 12 episodes in 2021. The mystery and romantic comedy light novel follows a 18-year-old high schooler named Kimihiko Kimizuka and a mysterious silver-hailed detective girl Siesta. He is involves in a lot of incidents related to heroines and himself.
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Writer: Nigoju
Illustrator: Umibozu
Published: from 2019
7. Days with My Step Sister
Days with My Step Sister, which is originally titles Gimai Seikatsu (義妹生活) in Japanese, has been novelized from the original manga series uploaded on YouTube since 2021. A second-grade high schooler Yuta Asamura starts living with Saki Ayase, one of the most beautiful students in the school, since their divorced parents get remarried. The changing sensitive relationship between the protagonist and heroine under one roof is depicted in the slice-of-life light novel.
Genre: Slice of life/Romance/Comedy
Writer: Mikawa Ghost
Illustrator: Hiten
Published: from 2021
6. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (お隣の天使様にいつの間にか駄目人間にされていた件), categorized as slice of life and romantic comedy, is what to read in English right now. It should be remembered that The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten was ranked in the top of the 10 hottest light novels in 2020 and 2021 as well. It has been serialized on a user-generated publishing website Shosetsuka ni Naro since 2018 and published since 2019. The story begins when a first-grade high schooler Amane Fujimiya meets a beautiful neighbor heroine Mahiru Shiina. Fortunately, this series has been available in English since 2020.
Genre: Slice of life/Romance/Comedy
Writer: Saekisan
Illustrator: Hanekoto
Published: from 2019
Another popular light novel title has been newly adapted into an anime: The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten. Amane, […]
5. Propeller Opera
The Koroku Inumura’s masterpiece The Princess and the Pilot published in 2008 was followed by his new light novel titled Propeller Opera (プロペラオペラ), which consists of five volumes published between 2019 and 2021. Set in an alternative wartime, Propeller Opera focuses on Izaya, the 18-year-old princess of the imperial family and the captain of the air force, and her childhood friend Kuroto, who becomes directly responsible to her. You can enjoy the intense air combats and sweet romance in the hottest light novel.
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Action
Writer: Koroku Inumura
Illustrator: Hitomi Shizuki
Published: from 2019
4. Confession of Mimosa
Although there are no supernatural powers, Iesaki worlds or time travels in this light novel, Confession of Mimosa (ミモザの告白) settles on the subject matter of SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity). In July, 2021, the modern drama was written by Mei Hachimoku, who is also famous for the previous work titled The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye in 2019. Confession of Mimosa shows the increasing inner conflict of a popular honor-roll high school boy Ushio Tsukinoki, who declares to live as a female, and bewildered people around him.
Genre: Romance/Drama/Slice of life
Writer: Mei Hachimoku
Illustrator: Kukka
Published: from 2021
3. Classroom of the Elite
Classroom of the Elite (ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ), which has been looked on as one of the best light novels recently, still remains highly ranked in the hottest light novels list for 2022. The high school psychological thriller light novel has accepted much praise from a wide range of fans since it began in 2015, and its Year 1 Arc finished in 2019. Then, the next Year a Arc re-started with an excellent reputation in 2020. Classroom of the Elite presents a competition between four classes in a year in the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, centering on a mysterious highly-intellectual newcomer Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
Genre: Psychological thriller/Mystery/Slice of life
Writer: Shogo Kinugasa
Illustrator: Shunsaku Tomose
Published: from 2015
The second season of the Classroom of the Elite anime series just ended, and you may wonder which volume to read in the […]
2. Shunkashuto Daikosha
Shunkashuto Daikosha (春夏秋冬代行者) is a promising light novel that started serializing from 2021, written by Kana Akatsuki, who is also well-known as the author of the popular coming-of-age drama Violet Evergarden. The titles literally means Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Agents in Japanese, and the first part Spring Arc was released with two volumes. Set in the world where spring has not rolled around for a decade, the romantic story revolves around agents who are in charge of changing four seasons and their protection officers.
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Drama
Writer: Kana Akatsuki
Illustrator: Suoh
Published: from 2021
1. Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle
What is your first priority for the next light novel to read in 2022? Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle (千歳くんはラムネ瓶のなか) won the second straight victory in 2021 and 2022 on the annually-announced hottest light novel ranking list. The popular new romantic comedy light novel has been published since 2019, and its manga adaptation started in 2020. Many fans are looking forward to its animated series made in the near future. Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle tells the story of a popular high school boy Saku Chitose, who is asked to socialize with his stay-at-home classmate by a teacher. There are several cute heroines getting along with Saku, who make this slice-of-life novel more attractive.
The first volume of its English edition will be released as early as February, 2022.
Genre: Slice of life/Romance/Comedy
Writer: Hiromu
Illustrator: Raemz
Published: from 2019
More upcoming titles and volumes are waiting for you in 2022. Once the hottest light novels are translated into English, check them out as soon as possible.
▽Check out the latest list of 10 hottest light novels for 2023!▽
Light novels, one of the cutting-edge Japanese pop culture genres, have become more and more famous and popular across t[…]
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