The anime adaptation of light novel series has produced some great anime over the years, such as Durarara!!, Overlord and Violet Evergarden. However, adapting light novels has been shown to be an uphill task because, unlike mangas, light novels take a while to get released since they are in published in volumes, not chapters.
Light novel releases may also be infrequent, making it hard for their anime adaptations to truly follow them as source material. These prolonged and infrequent releases of light novel series have also led their anime counterparts to be scrapped or indefinitely halted, as was the case with Spice and Wolf.
10 Magic Girl Raising Project
Magic Girl Raising Project is nothing like most anime within the magical girl genre. And just like Puella Madoka Magica, it explores the darker elements of becoming a magical girl. The anime tells the story of a group of girls forced into a sadistic game of death to become the next real-life magical girl.
For these girls to move up the leaderboard and survive the game, they need to gather magic candles which are gained by saving lives and doing good. However, the anime never finished adapting the series, only adapting the first few volumes of the light novel series. The series is still ongoing and has had 15 volumes released so far.
9 Maoyuu Mao Yuusha
In a war-torn world of Humans and Demons, Humanity’s savior, Hero, embarks on the Demon King’s castle to defeat the Demon King. However, to his surprise, he discovers the Demon King is, in fact, a Demon Queen who offers to join forces with the Hero to stop the ongoing war between Humans and Demons. The Hero of humanity agrees, and the two set out to bring peace to their respective worlds.
Unfortunately, despite the light novel series having just eight volumes, the anime failed to adapt most of it, only running for one season of 12 episodes and never getting renewed. Nevertheless, Maoyuu Mao Yuusha is a great fantasy series for readers and viewers alike.
8 The Earl and The Fairy
The Earl and The Fairy follows Lydia Carlton, the Fairy Doctor, and Edgar J.C Ashenbert, the Legendary Blue Knight Earl, in their search for a treasured sword, an heirloom of the Ashenbert family. Unfortunately, despite the light novel having up to 33 volumes, its anime adaptation only had one twelve-episode season, which barely delved into the series' story.
Along with an anime adaptation, it was adapted into a manga but was only four volumes long. The Earl and The Fairy is a story that perfectly blends adventure, fantasy, and romance that many fans will enjoy reading and watching.
7 Sunday Without God
Another show that was canceled before its adaptation was complete was Sunday Without God. It is about a world where humans can no longer reproduce and die and can only be put to rest by individuals known as gravekeepers.
The light novel had nine volumes, which is a low quantity for the genre, and the anime series received 12 episodes and one OVA. Although the series was not as popular as some of the others on this list, anime fans may find it strange that it did not finish because it did gain a substantial following after the series' conclusion.
6 Is This A Zombie?
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Is This A Zombie? is a series that centers around a boy, Ayumu, who becomes a zombie after being murdered by a serial killer. Now a member of the undead, Ayumu must learn to navigate life as a zombie and a high school student.
The light novel series ended in 2015 with a total of 19 volumes. The light novel also received an anime adaptation spanning two seasons, with twenty-two episodes and three OVAs. The anime is also very well-received, gaining much popularity in North America.
5 Saga Of Tanya The Evil
One of the more interesting takes on the Isekai genre, The Saga Of Tanya The Evil, is one of those shows that has you rooting for the despicable. The anime begins with an atheist salaryman who is murdered by a bitter employee whom he fired. After his murder, he is met by a being who declares itself as “God,” who reincarnates him in an alternate world as an orphaned prepubescent girl for not having any faith.
The Saga of Tanya The Evil is a fast-paced, action-packed, and thrilling watch. While the anime series is presumably over, the light novel series is still ongoing with 13 volumes.
4 Spice And Wolf
Released at the beginning of 2008 and a great story of love and adventure, Spice and Wolf is one of those anime series expected to finish adapting the light novel. However, the show was stopped after two seasons, most likely because the light novel series was still being published.
The light novel is currently ongoing with 23 volumes, but it seems there’s no chance of a third season for the anime adaptation as of this moment. However, there is an upcoming spin-off series about Lawrence and Holo’s daughter.
3 No Game No Life
No Game No Life is another example of an anime series that is so good yet short. It follows two shut-in step-siblings who are undefeated in an online game. After being challenged to a game of chess by a god from another reality called Tet, and they win, they are offered a chance to live in a game world. Sora and Shiro unwittingly accept this, believing it is a joke, but to their surprise, they are transported to a reality called Disboard.
No Game No Life's light novel series is currently ongoing with 11 volumes. Unfortunately, the anime only covered three of those volumes, much to the surprise of many since there is enough material and interest to get it more than two seasons.
2 KonoSuba
KonoSuba is an interesting take on the Isekai genre, with its extremely comedic tone and penchant for making fun of various Isekai tropes. The story begins when Satou Kazuma, a NEET, embarrassingly dies after trying to save a girl from a moving vehicle. In the afterlife, he is met by the goddess Aqua, who offers him the chance to be reincarnated in a new world. Kazuma is allowed to take one unique weapon or superpowered ability with him, but he chooses the Aqua, and they are both transported to this new world, much to the goddess’s reluctance.
KonoSuba’s light novel series ended back in 2020 with 17 volumes. The anime series had two seasons and one movie, all of which only covered the first five volumes of the series.
1 Baccano!
Serving as a somewhat loose prequel to its cousin series Durarara!!Baccano! is primarily set in the years immediately before and after the Prohibition Era of the United States. The story is told from the perspective of many different characters and frequently uses and excellently executes a non-linear style of storytelling.
Fans who love over-the-top violence and gore will find the series very appealing to read and watch. Baccano!!’s light novel is the longest of any series on this list, as it was introduced in 2003 and is still ongoing. It has up to 22 volumes, and an anime adaptation of 16 episodes was released in 2007.