With more words than manga and more pictures than a regular novel, light novels have become quite popular over the past few years. In fact, a lot of the top anime have been adaptations of light novels than manga.Goblin Slayer, Rising of the Shield Hero,Sword Art Online, andRascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpaiall started off aslight novels.
Related:Light Novels That Are Perfect for Newcomers to the Medium (& Where to Read Them)
But not every light novel gets that lucky. Some are left as paper between covers, waiting for one studio or another to adapt them to the screen. Like thesepopular but anime-lesssci-fi light novels.
8Reborn As A Space Mercenary
Or, to give it its full name,Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship. Isekai stories sure do lovetheir mouthful titles. Ryuto and Tetsuhiro Nabeshima’s story did get a manga adaptation for those who prefer more art, but it’s yet to be animated as of this writing. The story is simple enough, as video game enthusiast Satō Takahiro gets to live out his dreams in his favorite video game.
Only instead of saving the world like inThe Last Starfightermovie, he’s the space mercenary ‘Hiro’, and he has a lot of space pirates eager to finish him off. Luckily, he has a crew of pretty babes and the best starship in the galaxy. So, if anyone’s after some fun wish fulfillment by proxy, this is the light novel for them.
7Magicraft Meister
Aki Gitsune and Miyuki Ruria’s tale is a mix of fantasy and sci-fi that might suitSword Art Onlinefans. The light novel follows Jin Nidoh, an orphan with a skill for engineering. He’s summoned to another world via a warp gate to inherit the role of Magicraft Meister from his predecessor Adriana. He gains a laboratory and a host of magic spells in the process, like transformation, electricity, and piercing armor.
With these powers, he creates all sorts of new tech, including repairing Adriana’s old mechanical assistant Reiko and creating a series of golems. But not everything is as it seems, as Reiko can also use the warp gate, and she does so in search of her ‘father’. It’s said there can only be one Magicraft Meister, but is there another one out there?
6The Ending Chronicle
Minoru Kawakami and Satoyasu’s story is actually the second part (AHEAD) in Kawakami’s six-stage universe. Chronologically, it comes afterRapid-Fire King(FORTH), then precedesOn A Godless Planet(EDGE),Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere(GENESIS),Clash in the Hexxennacht(OBSTACLE), and his multipart CITY series as its finale. It followed protagonist Mikoto Sayama as a mediator in helping the inhabitants of an alternate world called Low-Gear survive an oncoming crisis.
Related:Best Anime Based on Light Novels
His work is cut out for him, as his grandfather destroyed the other alternate Gear worlds in the Concept War decades prior. Can he rebuild the bridge with the people his grandfather ruined? And does IAI, the organization that gave him this task, really have the Gears’ best interests in mind? Its follow-up,Horizon,got an anime adaptation, butThe Ending Chronicleonly received a Drama CD and some music albums.
5Qualia the Purple
Marī Yukari sticks out compared to other kids. She has bright purple eyes and sees other people as robots. Her curious behavior hasn’t made her popular and has cost her a few friendships. But it gives her additional insight into how others act. For example, her best friend Hatō is dependable because, to Yukari, she’s a “super modifiable all-purpose robot”. Things only get more complicated when Hatō discovers more people with these special sight abilities.
They’re called ‘Qualia’, and they’re being recruited by a secret organization. When Yukari gets called up, it’s up to Hatō to investigate just how she and the others are being used and why. Hisamitsu Ueo and Shiro Tsunashima’s story got a manga adaptation in 2012-2013 inDengeki Daioh, but no anime. It’s not even due to have a Western release until November 2022 via Seven Seas Entertainment.
4Only Sense Online
Zachō Aloha and Yukisan must’ve come acrossSword Art Online, as their workOnly Sense Onlinealsouses VR MMORPGs. The titular game (OSOfor short) uses a new system called ‘Sense’ so players can customize their own personal characters with the best setups. Shame no one told Shun that, as he ended up choosing the Bow, the game’s worst weapon, and one of its duller classes as a crafter. On top of that, it mistook his androgynous form for a woman and misspelled his name as Yun.
If he listened to Sei and Myu, his more experienced sisters, he would’ve gotten a better class. But then he wouldn’t have found a unique way to get ahead in the game. With his mastery of crafting and production, he createsOSO’s ultimate supporting character class. It’s been running since 2014 and has a manga version inDragon Age Magazinewith art by Un Hanikura. Neither has an official English release though, and fan translations are thin on the ground.
3The Isolator
Luckily, Reki Kawahara and Shimeji’s light novelThe Isolatoris easier to find in English. Originally serialized inDengeki Bunko, Yen Press released both the original light novel and Naoki Koshimizu’s manga version for North America. But what’s it about? Just an alien invasion and horrific trauma. Minoru Utsugi’s life was destroyed when, at 8 years old, a home invader killed his parents and elder sister. He only survived because he hid in a cabinet.
Related:Light Novels That Are Getting Anime Adaptations in 2022
He’s stillliving through the memoriesat 16, when an alien orb appears, joins him, and grants him a superpower based on his wishes. He’d rather isolate himself from the world, so his power seals him in an impenetrable shell. However, he wasn’t the only person to receive an orb. Despite his wishes, he’ll have to use his powers to help others, and possibly even save the world.
2I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire
In life, Liam was an honest and hardworking man, but all that did was give him his fill of debt and betrayal. But in death, he gets reborn into a royal family in charge of a galaxy-spanning empire. They rule with an iron fist, grinding their subjects into the dirt. Recalling his past life, Liam decides being good is for mugs, and he’ll grind the heel in deeper.
The problem is that no matter how tyrannical he tries to be, he inadvertently produces peace, prosperity, and popularity. Yomu Mishima and Nadare Takamine’s light novel is more like a sci-fi twist onT’is Time for Torture, Princess, where it takes an intimidating premise and makes a unique comedy out of it. The manga version by Kai Nadashima is available through Seven Seas Entertainment, but there’s no news on an anime adaptation yet.
1All You Need is Kill
This one probably needs no introduction, as it managed to catch on without a single animated frame. The story combinesGroundhog DaywithStarship Troopers, as soldier Keiji Kiriya is caught in a time loop that always ends with his death, be it by his alien enemies or other means. But he gets better at fighting with each step and may break the cycle one ‘day’.
It was the breakout story for novelist Hiroshi Sakurazaka and illustrator Yoshitoshi Abe, winning the Best Japanese Long Work award at the 36th Seiun Awards in 2005. Originally published inSuper Dash Bunko, it got a manga adaptation inWeekly Young Jumpby Ryōsuke Takeuchi and Takeshi Obata. Then it got turned into a Hollywood movie with Tom Cruise calledEdge of Tomorrow(akaLive. Die. Repeat). At this stage, it doesn’t need an anime, but it would be nice to see either way.
