'Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!' 2016 Rankings Revealed

by Stark700
Nov 25, 2015 8:05 PM | 88 Comments

Publishing company Takarajimasha announced its annual light novel rankings for 2016 in the "Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!" (This Light Novel is Amazing!) guide book on Saturday. The rankings list the most popular light novels, characters, and creators according to readers polled on the Internet.

Light Novels
*1. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.
*2. Sword Art Online
*3. Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou no Alderamin
*4. Eirun Last Code: Kakuu Sekai yori Senjou e
*5. Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka?
*6. No Game No Life
*7. Toaru Majutsu no Index Series
*8. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
*9. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata
10. Escape Speed

Female Characters
*1. Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*2. Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*3. Iroha Isshiki (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*4. Yui Yuigahama (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*5. Asuna Yuuki (Sword Art Online)
*6. Megumi Katou (Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata)
*7. Shiro (No Game No Life)
*8. Miyuki Shiba (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)
*9. Othinus (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
10. Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)

Male Characters
*1. Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*2. Kazuto Kirigaya (Kirito) (Sword Art Online)
*3. Touma Kamijou (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*4. Accelerator (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*5. Tatsuya Shiba (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)
*6. Sora (No Game No Life)
*7. Bell Cranel (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)
*8. Saika Totsuka (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*9. Sakuta Azusagawa (Seishun Buta Yarou Series)
10. Sadao Maou (Hataraku Maou-sama!)

Combined Characters
*1. Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*2. Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*3. Kazuto Kirigaya (Kirito) (Sword Art Online)
*4. Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*5. Touma Kamijou (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*6. Accelerator (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*7. Iroha Isshiki (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*8. Tatsuya Shiba (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)
*9. Yui Yuigahama (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
10. Asuna Yuuki (Sword Art Online)

Light Novel Artists
*1. Ponkan 8 (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)
*2. Kiyotaka Haimura (Toaru Majutsu no Index Series)
*3. abec (Sword Art Online)
*4. Kantoku (Imouto sae Ireba Ii.)
*5. Kurehito Misaki (Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata)
*6. Suzuhito Yasuda (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)
*7. Yuu Kamiya (No Game No Life)
*8. Kurone Mishima (Rokudenashi no Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records)
*9. Tsunako (Date A Live)
10. Saki Ukai (Black Bullet)

New Works
*1. Eirun Last Code: Kakuu Sekai yori Senjou e
*2. Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka?
*3. Imouto sae Ireba Ii.
*4. Gamers!
*5. Shitayomi Danshi to Toukou Joshi
*6. Tatakau Panya to Automaton Waitress
*7. Isekai Shokudou
*8. Ryuuou no Oshigoto!
*9. Hakozoko no Elpis
10. Ideologue!

Source: Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2016

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KonoSugoi Yearly Rankings

20 of 88 Comments Recent Comments

Where's the fuck ESCAPE SPEED anime adaptation???

It's AMAZING by the way

Jan 22, 2016 2:42 AM by NotThisShitAgain

I have to admit, seeing Yahari dominate made me smile c:

It's nice to see index be popular too.(s3 wheeeeeeeeeen)

Dec 19, 2015 8:13 AM by Konoetan

Onii-chan said:

*2. Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)

Shit taste confirmed. I will commit sudoku now, Japanese people's taste prefference is beyond help.

Salty about the fact the Yukinon is best grill?

Dec 18, 2015 4:30 PM by WandersonC

*2. Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)

Shit taste confirmed. I will commit sudoku now, Japanese people's taste prefference is beyond help.

Dec 18, 2015 1:43 AM by removed-user

Not much changed from the last year's rankings. Misaka back to top and SAO number 2. Nice :)

Zefyris said:

yakami95 said:
Really? Sao and kirito in the second place? I can not understand this ranking

The ranking concern the volumes released on the last one year period of time. IF a series wasn't that good but that the last few volumes published were far better for example, it deserves to be higher. For example NGNL volume 6 was far FAR better than the previous one. And last year it ranked very high. That was fully deserved. It's less deserved this year, but volume 7 was stil better than volumes 1-5 imo.
As such, what is ranked here about SAO are the last current volumes of the alicization arc. Which are said to be quite better than the previous arc (I don't know, didn't read them). Obviously still, SAO is the LN that sells the most currently. SO you're going to have peoples voting for it just because they're fan, just like Index.

That's right.
Fun thing is, if you check the rankings from the last year, the most votes SAO gets are not from casual readers (oregairu completely overpowers any other LN in this category), but instead from the pros (if I'm not mistaken with the industry, which as far as I remember, mostly votes for a new and unpopular series). SAO got like 2x votes the second place. So ye... That's why it's so high on the list, because of the weighted rankings, rather then actual popularity.

Dec 4, 2015 7:19 AM by TapuTapuu

^Now that you mention it, that's very possible indeed I'm confusing those two on that point. Well, if Mushoku tensei doesn't have big difference, it fits even more my explanation about why WN have a hard time to rank.

Dec 2, 2015 5:27 AM by Zefyris

Zefyris said:

bobzanny said:

Well I knew that some volumes were LN and most were WN but I didn't know how much content was actually different. It almost sounded that the LN and WN had major differences.

To clarify, in Mushoku tensei's case, I haven't read either version. I simply remember reading several times that the story diverges greatly passed several volumes. How much those comments were true and in what do they diverge, that I don't know.

I think you heard that about tate no yuusha, after some volume the story diverges in LN from WN very much. Mushoku tensei is same save for additional new content like vol 7 or extra short stories.

Dec 1, 2015 3:08 PM by JetNoir

bobzanny said:

barmar said:

Hmm did you check the notes on baka-tsuki they say which one is from where(only the first volume and a bit of 2 I think..... the rest is WN)

As for the differences so far(there are only 8 LN volumes out) there's not much it seems, except for Vol7 which is a new story that takes place between the original vol 6 and vol 7 of the WN.You know when Rudeus was still adventuring all those years.

Well I knew that some volumes were LN and most were WN but I didn't know how much content was actually different. It almost sounded that the LN and WN had major differences.

Dec 1, 2015 2:53 PM by Zefyris

barmar said:

bobzanny said:

What's the difference between the WN and LN? Or which is on Baka-tsuki? Because that was one pretty kick-ass read.

Well I knew that some volumes were LN and most were WN but I didn't know how much content was actually different. It almost sounded that the LN and WN had major differences.

Dec 1, 2015 2:48 PM by bobzanny

bobzanny said:

What's the difference between the WN and LN? Or which is on Baka-tsuki? Because that was one pretty kick-ass read.

Dec 1, 2015 10:12 AM by barmar

Zefyris said:
Mushoku tensei is another WN so 1) it enters in the same explanation I gave above (yes know that in case of Mushoku tensei the LN version is very different) AND Mushoku tensei isn't even especially popular in japan to begin with. The sales aren't anything impressive.

What's the difference between the WN and LN? Or which is on Baka-tsuki? Because that was one pretty kick-ass read.

Nov 30, 2015 7:54 PM by bobzanny

Misaka Mikoto has taken her spot again :D

Nov 30, 2015 2:02 AM by Erika___

OreGairu domination.

Nov 29, 2015 2:30 AM by Subbed

Mushoku tensei is another WN so 1) it enters in the same explanation I gave above (yes know that in case of Mushoku tensei the LN version is very different) AND Mushoku tensei isn't even especially popular in japan to begin with. The sales aren't anything impressive.

Nov 29, 2015 1:07 AM by Zefyris

That feel when Mushoku Tensei isn't ranked at all.

Unsurprisingly Biribiri is still popular. And Oregairu continues to dominate in popularity. Can't wait for the inevitable troll ending.

Nov 29, 2015 1:00 AM by bobzanny

Oregairu
Index
SAO
Mahouka
NGNL

I'm glad all of them are ranked really high, with Mahouka just barely missing the top 10 at 11th.

Durarara and Monogatari need more love though

Nov 28, 2015 9:06 AM by -Mahesvara

As always, Index dominates these rankings hard. Just hoping the series gains it's charm back that has been lost after NT vol 10. Feeling same for Oregairu after vol 9 (or maybe I've to just get back in the loop).

Some of the new titles seem interesting. Will have to bait n' fish for some translators on bakatsuki.

Terribly disappointed about SO-BIN's ranking.

Nov 28, 2015 7:43 AM by JetNoir

barmar said:

For the novels there are 3 types of voters ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

1.

Rofl. The 1 and 3 are very appropriate, good job.

Nov 28, 2015 12:31 AM by Zefyris

Siva said:

Stark700 said:
*8. Saika Totsuka (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)

Oh yeah best male characte, but in what way?

The list is either lazy list or they should change the title to "This Light Novel is Popular!"

No wonder one should only take top internet list with a grain of salt. They tell you nothing but "I love this series because I love it."

Illu and characater list are the result of pure popularity votes.

For the novels there are 3 types of voters ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

1.

Nov 27, 2015 11:39 PM by barmar

Siva said:

Stark700 said:
*8. Saika Totsuka (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.)

The poll for the novel ranking isn't a simple popularity poll (the characters and the illustrator are however).
If it was only a popularity poll, almost half of that top 10 wouldn't even make it to a top 100.

Nov 27, 2015 1:26 PM by Zefyris

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Related Database Entries

Manga:	Sword Art Online, Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru., No Game No Life, Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou no Alderamin, Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka, Escape Speed, Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka?, Hakozoko no Elpis, Imouto sae Ireba Ii., Isekai Shokudou, Ideologue!, Gamers!, Tatakau Panya to Automaton Waitress, Shitayomi Danshi to Toukou Joshi, Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records, Ryuuou no Oshigoto!, Eirun Last Code: Kakuu Sekai yori Senjou e
People:	Yasuda, Suzuhito, Kamiya, Yuu, Haimura, Kiyotaka, BUNBUN, Tsunako, Kantoku, Mishima, Kurone, Ukai, Saki, Ponkan⑧, Misaki, Kurehito