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Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! Reveals 2022 Series Ranking (Updated)
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The 2022 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (This Light Novel Is Amazing!) guidebook reported its list of the top light novel series on Thursday.
Kana Akatsuki's Shunka Shūtō Daikōsha Haru no Mai (Four Seasons' Proxy Spring Dance) novel series topped the rankings' New Title category.
The novels take place in a world where the only season is Winter. Winter lives a lonely existence, and so they create Spring. A short time later, due to the wishes of the land, Summer and Fall are also born, and the four seasons are complete. The human children in charge of bringing in the new season every three months are called the "Proxies of the Four Seasons."
Kadokawa publishes the novels by Akatsuki (Violet Evergarden) with illustrations by Suō, and it published the first two volumes together on April 9.
Buncololi's Sasaki to Pi-chan novel series won both the Tankōbon and Novel categories.
Yen Press will release the novels in English under the title Sasaki and Pichan, and it describes the story:
Even though Sasaki's droll corporate life is constantly filled with work, it leaves him tired and unfulfilled at the end of every day. In search of some companionship to fill the emptiness in his life, he visits a pet shop on a whim, not realizing he's about to change his life forever. After settling on an adorable bird and bringing it home...his new roommate reveals that it's actually an incredible sage from another world who promptly bestows Sasaki with supernatural powers as well as the ability to cross between worlds. All Sasaki wants to do is use these newfound powers to live in peace and comfort, but there are more than a few colorful characters who might get in the way of that...
Buncololi published the first volume of the novel series on January 25 with illustrations by Kantoku. The fourth novel shipped on November 25. Osho Pureji also has a manga adaptation that runs on Kadokawa's ComicWalker website. Kadokawa published the manga's first volume on June 25.
Author Hiromu and illustrator raemz' Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka (Chitose-kun is in the Ramune Bottle) novels topped the Bunkobon rankings for a second year in a row.
Yen Press is releasing the novels and Bobcat's manga adaptation, and it describes the series:
As far as normies go, it's hard to beat Saku Chitose. The most popular kid in his high school? Check. An ironclad reputation that can even weather vicious online attacks? Check. A group of friends who are as attractive on the outside as they are on the inside? Check. But when a teacher asks Saku to help a student who has been shut away in his room for months reacclimate to school life, his perfect world will never be the same. What is this, some kinda normie harem story?
Hiromu and raemz debuted the original light novel series in June 2019, and the sixth novel volume shipped on August 19. Bobcat launched the manga on Square Enix's Manga UP! website in April 2020, and Square Enix published the manga's third compiled book volume on August 19.
Shunka Shūtō Daikōsha Haru no Mai won second place in the Bunkobon category.
Last year, author Keiso and illustrator Kureta's Ishura light novel series topped the Tankōbon, Novel, and New Title categories with the most number of votes ever recorded for a light novel series in the guidebook's history.
Updated: Added official titles and English summaries for novels that have English releases. Thanks, Blanchimont.
Sources: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, MoCa News, Kadokawa Anime's YouTube channel via Yaraon!
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