'Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!' 2021 Rankings Revealed

The Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (This Light Novel is Amazing!) guidebook has revealed its annual light novel rankings for 2021. The list includes the most popular light novels, characters, and illustrators as polled by readers.

Light Novels
*1. Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka
*2. Spy Kyoushitsu
*3. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
*4. Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru.
*5. Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano Datta
*6. Rakuen Noise
*7. Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun
*8. Kanojo no Imouto to Kiss shita.
*9. Propeller Opera
10. Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsunomanika Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken

Books
*1. Ishura
*2. Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen
*3. Unnamed Memory
*4. Rebuild World
*5. Babel
*6. Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantoudai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story
*7. Nageki no Bourei wa Intai Shitai
*8. Afumi no Umi: Suimen ga Yureru Toki
*9. Madougushi Dahliya wa Utsumukanai
10. Majo no Tabitabi

Female Characters
*1. Kei Karuizawa (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
*2. Shiina Mahiru (Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Aida ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteiru ken)
*3. Rozemyne (Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen)
*4. Siesta (Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru.)
*5. Mai Sakurajima (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
*6. Honami Ichinose (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
*7. Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
*8. Kuroha Shida (Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy)
*9. Yume Irido (Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano Datta)
10. Minami Nanami (Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun)

Male Characters
*1. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
*2. Ferdinand (Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen)
*3. Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*4. Chitose Saku (Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka)
*5. Sakuta Azusagawa (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
*6. Kazuto Kirigaya (Sword Art Online)
*7. Touma Kamijou (Toaru Majutsu no Index)
*8. Kazuma Satou (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!)
*9. Kimizuka Kimihiko (Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru.)
10. Tatsuya Shiba (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)

Illustrators
*1. Shunsaku Tomose (Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e)
*2. Fly (Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun)
*3. Shirabi (Ryuuou no Oshigoto!)
*4. Ui Shigure (Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy)
*5. Kurone Mishima (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!)
*6. Keiji Mizoguchi (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
*7. Tomari (Spy Kyoushitsu)
*8. Kureta (Ishura)
*9. You Shiina (Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen)
10. Hanekoto (Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Ma ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteiru ken)

Source: Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2021

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Well, consider me surprised! Literally me every year but definitely the loudest this time around. No particularly big names in the West here, to my knowledge excluding Honzuki and Majo no Tabitabi I suppose.

What shocked me most was the fact that Mikoto Misaka-san has dropped 4 places though. What gives, I wonder...

Male character list seems to be more like the norm though, that’s good.

All the top light novels have the tag Romance in them why?

I'm surprised that is not many LN's that are popular in the west

What's the difference between light novels and books? I'm pretty sure even the books on this list have volumes and illustrations.

So what happened to index, sao and those other LN which is always there somehow.

There are 2 LN,that actually interest me,but it will be long time before I can finally read them in my country

I´ll always be surprised at how much japanese people are a fan of Classroom of the Elite.

I only know classrom of the elite from there, imo the illustrator who won 1st prize only won because the LN was popular.
should we expect and adaptation out of the LN which got the 1st ranking?

Meanwhile...second season, when?

Sasuga Mia-sama. Tearmoon in 6th. It already got a live stage adaptation.

Unnamed Memory seems interesting, but I only read the 2 manga chapters that was released recently.

Love how Classroom of the Elite gets its time to shine this time around, with three nominations!

They've been added to the Hall Of Fame and will no longer be in the rankings

Might try reading a few of those.

A touch of class from the youkoso duo, Kei Karuizawa and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. That is back to back year of rank 1. Very disappointed to see hte former queen of LN characters drop even further.

this reminds me i should continue the novel for classroom of elite

Nice.

No. The character design is really inferior compare to Tomose Shunsaku.

Chiramune won first place (ˆoˆ)/

Same confusion about this. Tankoubon book are published in B6 size, and Bunkobon novel are published in A6 size.

In the sales chart like Oricon, it’s probably because book store place them differently, or they have different price label. But overall, it doesn’t like their segment is that much different (compared to, for example, general literature category novel).

By the way, editor of Propeller Opera, who got 9th place, made a bet with the author. If the novel win 1st place next year he’s writing Best Seller on his arse. Probably drunk, but screencapped and shared. ^^;;

Ah, he’s also the editor of Oregairu.

Nice to see Youkoso getting more recognition.

Great list to discover new readings.

Misaka continues to drop... damn.

Are you serious? Do you have a souce?

Check the Hall of Fame section here

>Kei being #1
>"ohhh cover looks really familiar to me..."
>It's the Vol. 7.5

OHBOI BOI BOI..... Keifags onboard? Keifags onboard? I repeat, keifags onboard? The smile we ought to protecc has come here, lads. Prepare... prepare... OH BOI OH BOI....

ah prolly the first time I couldnt agreed on this ranking? Prolly? Anyway pretty interesting titles tbf.. Aight I'll try the Otonari no Tenshi WN after I'm done with uhhh, Redo of a Healer and FLFO, and caught up to isekai smartphone...

*chuckles* I might not finish Death March WN, but that's really not something I really care at this point?

Also

>I kissed my girlfriend's little sister...
>reads the sypnosis

so the LN version of domekano? Oh boi here we go again~~~

That would be 5th place, My Stepsister is My Ex-Girlfriend

well, in anime; kissing is basically impregnating a girl; so "I kissed my Girlfriend's Little Sister" LN is more so appropriate than this one which is vanilla moe version of Domekano.

Can someone explain me how Kirigaya Kazuto is a better character than Kamijou Touma?

Good to see Classroom of the elite on the top spots

can you suggest some good western novels. I'd like to try those.

I worded this horribly but what I meant was light novels that are popular in the west

"The list includes the most popular light novels, characters, and illustrators as polled by readers."
It's the most popular, not the one who has the best character.