In the 2020 issue of Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!, the guidebook revealed the light novels which received the most accumulative votes across the entire decade. This list was included in addition to the usual top-voted bunkobon and tankobon lists the guidebook has yearly.
Reki Kawahara’s Sword Art Online light novel series won the honor of “Light Novel of the Decade” with 1728.95 points. The series consistently ranked in the top 10 of the guidebook’s bunkobon list from 2011-2019. In 2020, the light novel series ranked number 12 on the list. It ranked as number 1 in the guidebook’s 2012 and 2013 issues.
The top 10 light novels on the decade list are as follows:
- Sword Art Online by Reki Kawahara (1,728.95 points)
- A Certain Magical Index by Kazuma Kamachi (1,503.41 points)
- The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! by Shiratori Shirow (1,452.75 points)
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? by Fujino Ōmori (818.67 points)
- Alderamin on the Sky by Bokuto Uno (718.67 points)
- No Game No Life by Yuu Kamiya (702.90 points)
- Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki (690.14 points)
- The Irregular at Magic High School by Tsutomu Satou (682.83 points)
- Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki by Yūki Yaku (674.01 points)
- Monogatari series by NisiOisin (660.69 points)
Reki Kawahara commented on his win as follows (translation provided by ANN):
“When I heard that Sword Art Online received the most points among all light novels in the 2010s, I was very happy and honored. I believe that the 2010s is the era where light novels leap from the internet to the page. SAO was unquestionably an online novel, but it was serialized on my personal website, and I myself debuted through winning a newcomer’s prize (albeit for a different work). Thinking about it, SAO is representative of the transition period… doubly so now that it’s been selected for this ranking. I wonder what new trend will come upon the light novel world in the 2020s. I’m looking forward to seeing what works I’ll encounter after the curtain rises.”
Sword Art Online was first published by Dengeki Bunko in April 2009. The light novel series has been adapted into three TV anime series as well as an anime film. It has also inspired multiple video game adaptations.
Congratulations to Reki Kawahara for this great achievement.
SOURCES: Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (2020 Edition) via ANN
