Anime adaptations of light novel series are sometimes a gamble. Some manage to finish adapting their source material, likeDurarara, even if they do not adapt the sequel series. Others adapt some volumes faithfully before going on an extended hiatus, likeThe Saga of Tanya the Evil. Then there are others that take huge liberties with the story, such asViolet Evergarden.
Fortunately for fans of isekai anime adapted from light novels, official English translations of their favorite work are now widely available. While most translations are still catching up with their source material, they have more than caught up with their anime adaptations.
9Konosuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!
Konosubahad aprofound effect on isekaias a genre when it was first released. Thanks to its adherence to the light novel’s characterizations and story, it changed the way isekai anime tackled trope subversions, plot expectations, and tone-switching.
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The main anime series never got past season two, or volumes one to four in the light novels.Legend of Crimson, the 2018 movie, adapted volumes eight and nine, but the rest ofKonosuba’sspin-offs feature original stories. So far, picking up the books is the only way to experience all 17 volumes of its 2013-2020 run.
8Campfire Cooking In Another World With My Absurd Skill
Campfire Cookingstands out from othercomfy cooking isekaithanks to its focus on fantasy ingredients, the main character’s interspecies relationships, and taking it easy while exploring a new world. It doesn’t hurt that MAPPA perfectly captured the mouthwatering descriptions in the light novel and manga in their adaptation.
With the manga still crunching out volumes to catch up with the light novel, anime-only fans have a lot of material left to read. In fact, author Ren Eguchi released the 14th volume in April 2023.
7Re:Zero − Starting Life In Another World
Poor Subaru’scycle of deathhas been going on in the real world for nearly 10 years, 11 if counting by its original publication date. In those 10 years, author Tappei Nagatsuki has written 33 volumes and is in the process of writing arc six of eight. Impressively, the anime managed to catch up to arc five in just 50 episodes.
Aside from the actual light novel, Nagatsuki wrote several side novels and short stories with illustrations by Shin’ichiro Otsuka. One side novel,The Frozen Band, received an OVA adaptation.
6Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Stop at Nothing to Become a Librariannearly has the same number of volumes asRe:Zero. A total of 31 volumes split into five story arcs currently chronicle Urano Motosu’s adventures as Myne as she strives to become what she couldn’t in her previous life.
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Of these 31 volumes, season one to three covers the first four story arcs, or volumes 1 to 21. English translations of the novels are roughly in the same boat, as J-Novel Club only has up to volume 25 on offer.
5Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei’slight novel series is completeas of 2022, but its anime adaptation is just getting started. Season one adapted up to volume 7 of the 26-volume series in two cours, or parts. Because of the depth of world and character building packed into each volume, it won’t be a surprise if the anime takes at least four seasons and some OVAs to wrap up.
The definite ending of the light novels, the series reaching10 million copies in print, and the second season’sarrival this Julygive hope to fans that all 26 volumes will be adapted faithfully.
4That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
2023 signals the 10th anniversary of this fantastical isekai. It’s also the year in which athree-episode OVA, featuring a completely new story, will be released along with other works that are not related to the main anime series. Considering the anime is solidly behind the light novels, which have 20 volumes to date, reading the light novels might be the best bet for fans to learn how the series will end.
And the series will end soon, as Fuse and Mitz Vah announcedback in 2021that Volume 22 is the planned ending for the critically acclaimed series. For fans planning to catch up, they have up to volume 16 of the English translation waiting for them.
3The Saga Of Tanya The Evil
Tanyawill finally receive its second season later this year, ending a six-year drought for anime-only fans. It has hefty ground to cover, considering the tight first season only covered volumes one to three of 12 total volumes. Meanwhile, the movie does not even cover a whole volume, instead etching out chapters 1-5 of volume four.
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Should anime-only fans wish to catch up, they have almost every volume at their disposal. Volumes one to 11 are now in English, while volume 12 will be released on June 28, 2025.
2Overlord
While fans waited for a hot minute forOverlordseason 4, the season’s build-up and terrifying finale lived up to the horrifying twist that corresponds to the light novels. It also covered a lot of ground, finishing volumes 10-14 in one season, and leaving 12 and 13 up for the upcoming film.
Season 4’s gripping finale may push some fans to seek out the light novel before the film comes out. They’re in luck, as up to part one of volume 16 is available in English. Considering Kugane Maruyama announced thatOverlordwillend with volume 18, fans have plenty of time to catch up with their favorite undead ruler.
1Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Arifuretaended in 2022with 13 volumes, a prologue, and other side stories. 12 volumes are available in English, with the 13th on the way. This may be welcome news to fans waiting for the third season of the anime, which has covered volumes one to six.
Fans of the isekai franchise have long pushed for reading the light novels because of the anime’s slapdash adherence to the source material.Their cold receptionof the wildly popular anime adaptation can still turn around with seven volumes left for the series to tackle.
