Oricon Reveals the Top-Selling Light Novels of 2024

What is the difference between light novels and manga when both help to spawn countless anime? Light novels will typically incorporate images that would fit right in with manga publications, though the light novels will typically include far more prose to help tell their stories. In a recent report, the biggest light novels of 2024 have been revealed, and some of the biggest anime franchises are well represented in this ranking. As anime continues to grow in popularity, expect far more light novels to be released as a result.

Anime franchises will often make use of both light novels and manga mediums to help push their stories to the masses on multiple fronts. Some big examples of anime franchises that first began as light novels include Konosuba, Re:Zero, Sword Art Online, Fate/Zero, Overlord, and many more. Sometimes, anime that were adapted from manga will take the opportunity to present their stories in a light novel format, adding major details that weren’t available in either previous medium. To this day, light novels remains a big part of the anime world in Japan, as is evident from the number of copies that the top-selling light novels of 2024 can attest.

The Top Light Novels of 2024

As researched by Oricon, here are the top-selling light novels of the year so far and how many copies each franchise has pushed,

1.) The Apothecary Diaries – 1,092,510
2.) Haikyuu – 689,554
3.) Classroom of The Elite 2nd Year – 238,635
4.) Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom – 177,883
5.) The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten – 145,861
6.) Roshidere – 109,179
7.) Heaven Official’s Blessing – 81,3030
8.) That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime – 76,679
9.) Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram – 68,807
10.) Kirby – 68,164

You might be surprised to see The Apothecary Diaries take the top spot, and if you want to see what all the commotion is about, the first season is streaming on Crunchyroll. Here’s how the streaming service describes the series, “Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!”

Via Oricon