Best Light Novels Turned Into Anime Series
Many light novels are responsible for some of the best shows in anime. Here are some of the best light novels turned into anime series.
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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Most people associate light novels with the Isekai genre, and for good reasons. The Isekai boom of the early 2010s was largely inspired by the trend’s takeover of the ranobe landscape. And no novel exemplifies this shift better than Mushoku Tensei.
The series has been breaking all records of popularity as a web novel since 2012. Rifujin na Magonote’s story and Sirotaka’s art worked in tandem to systematize the genre’s tropes into a blueprint all following Isekai works echo.
Fate/Zero
Type-Moon’s multimedia goliath, the Fate series, originally emerged as a visual novel. Fate/Stay Night introduced the world to the tense, suspenseful clashes between mages and their mythical servants for the right to possess the Holy Grail.
Gen Urobochi collaborated with Type-Moon to create a prequel light novel that rivaled even the original in scale and popularity. He was also the one responsible for Fate/Zero anime, ensuring that the adaptation sticks were as close to the source material as possible.
Spice & Wolf
The art of economic trade might sound like an unexciting subject for a light novel, a genre commonly dedicated to action-packed fantasy tales, similar to anime. However, Spice & Wolf proves that any topic can turn captivating in the hands of a masterful writer.
The story of a young traveling merchant and his wolf deity companion is familiar to most due to its beloved anime adaptation. Yet, unlike the show, the ranobe doesn’t conclude abruptly, continuing Kraft and Holo’s journey through ambient towns in search of good trade opportunities.
Toradora!
Another timeless staple of the light novel world is romance, a genre that, when done right, never gets old. One of the most popular love stories in anime, Toradora! by Takemiya Yuyuko and Yasu, was originally a massively popular light novel series that attracted even more fans with its adaptation.
Yet, no version of the story captures the complicated trials and tribulations of Taiga and Ryuuji’s relationship as well as the original. Toradora! is a beautifully illustrated and vibrant depiction of melodramatic yet sweet teen love.
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The Monogatari Series
Even among those who dismiss light novels as lowbrow literature, one author stands out as an indisputable exception – NisiOisiN. His magnum opus, the Monogatari franchise, is a bizarrely captivating experiment in the world of ranobe.
In the hands of NisiOisiN, a seemingly simple harem flick about a half-vampire, Koyomi Araragi, and his encounters with girls possessed by the supernatural turns into a complex, indulgent web of wordplay, witty commentary, and eloquent writing. The anime offers new depths to explore even to those already fond of the series’ anime adaptation.
