The 2022 edition of Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi has arrived, and with it, their yearly ranking of the Top 10 Bunkobon light novels.

Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi polls readers, reviewers, and people in the publishing industry to arrive at their annual rankings. Click here if you’d like to see last year’s Top 10 Bunkobon list.

Also, there is the Top 10 Tankobon list, which you can also check out for 2022 and 2021.

10. Bullet Code: Firewall

バレットコード：ファイアウォール
Written by Suzu Saitou with illustrations by Wata

This is not VR, this is real war. When you die, that’s where your life ends.

Project Firewall.
Project Firewall” is a “VR war experience study” for youths to prevent the tragedy of war. It was supposed to be a mere “plaything,” but one day it suddenly turned into a program of chaos.
An unscheduled raid by soldiers-not even people, but “mysterious enemies”-and the looming danger of “death in reality” …….
A young boy, Yuma Furuhashi, who is caught up in this unusual situation with his high school classmates, is rescued by a team led by Chitose Amemiya, a soldier with the fourth highest score in the world and a girl known as “Frostbiter.
Overcoming conflicts and tragedies, they get to the bottom of the project, and what do they see at the end?

09. Alya-san, who sits besides me and sometimes murmurs affectionately in Russian

時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん / Tokidoki Bosotto Rusia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san
Written by Sunsunsun with illustrations by Momoco

Follow the story of the ice-cold perfect beauty, the half-Russian Alisa “Alya” Mikhailovna Kujo, and your average high school underachiever, Masachika Kuze. She has a cold exterior, but speaks her love in a language she thinks nobody understands… Little does she know that he understands her just fine! Enjoy the silly slice-of-life romance between Snow Princess and Mr. Worldwide!

08. The Detective Is Already Dead

探偵はもう、死んでいる。 / Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru
Written by Nigojū with illustrations by Umibozu
Licensed for English release by Yen On

When the story begins without its hero

​Kimihiko Kimizuka has always been a magnet for trouble and intrigue. For as long as he can remember, he's been stumbling across murder scenes or receiving mysterious attache cases to transport. When he met Siesta, a brilliant detective fighting a secret war against an organization of pseudohumans, he couldn't resist the call to become her assistant and join her on an epic journey across the world. …Until a year ago, that is. Now he's returned to a life that is normal and tepid by comparison, knowing the adventure must be over. After all, the detective is already dead.

07. Days With my Stepsister

義妹生活 / Gimai Seikatsu
Written by Ghost Mikawa with illustrations by Hiten

From classmates to brother and sister, living under the same roof.

After his father's remarriage, Asamura Yuuta ends up getting a new stepsister, coincidentally the number one beauty of the school year, Ayase Saki. Having learned important values when it comes to man-woman relationships through the previous ones of their parents, they promise each other not to be too close, not to be too opposing, and to merely keep a vague and comfortable distance.

On one hand, Saki, who has worked in solitude for the sake of her family, doesn't know how to properly rely on others, whereas Yuta is unsure of how to really treat her. Standing on fairly equal ground, these two slowly learn the comfortable sensation of living together.

Their relationship slowly evolves from being strangers the more the days pass. Eventually, this could end up in a story about love for all we know.

06. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

お隣の天使様にいつの間にか駄目人間にされていた件 / Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Ma ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken
Written by Saekisan with illustrations by Hazano Kazutake
Licensed for English release by Yen On

A HEAVENLY ENCOUNTER!
Mahiru is a beautiful girl whose classmates all call her an “angel.” Not only is she a star athlete with perfect grades--she's also drop-dead gorgeous. Amane‚ an average guy and self-admitted slob‚ has never thought much of the divine beauty‚ despite attending the same school. Everything changes‚ however‚ when he happens to see Mahiru sitting alone in a park during a rainstorm. Thus begins the strange relationship between this incredibly unlikely pair!

05. Propeller Opera

プロペラオペラ
Written by Koroku Inumura with illustrations by Hitomi Shizuki

The archipelagic nation of the Far East, Hinoo. First Imperial princess, Ibuya was the captain of the heavy aerial destroyer “Ibuki”. Naturally, all of the airship's crew were her fan! Out of the blue came a new crew member of the ship, the protagonist Kuroto. Kuroto was the scion of the Kuronomiya house which was a subsidiary of the Imperial house and also Ibuya's childhood friend. But, he committed an unforgivable crime that led to his expulsion from the Imperial house, which was desertion to their enemy country, the United States of Gameria. “How dare you show your face!?” But Kuroto interrupted her, “I came back to save Honoo from the monsters commanded by Gameria!” 

04. Mimoza no Kokuhaku

ミモザの告白
Written by Mei Hachimoku with illustrations by Kukka

That confession will change the world.

Sakima Kamiki, a dull high school student living in a provincial city, has a perfect childhood friend.
Shio Tsukinoki, Sakima’s childhood friend, is more attractive than handsome, more like a beautiful boy. In addition, he is a good athlete and always gets top grades. To top it all off, he is very popular, especially among the girls.

The two were childhood friends and got along better than anyone else, but after entering high school, they became estranged. Due to past trauma and a sense of inferiority towards Shio, Sakima’s personality has become completely twisted.

However, Sakima finds someone he likes.
Natsuki Hoshibara, the beloved character of the class. Sakima and Natsuki hit it off when they talked about their novels, and he was swept away by the passion of love.
However, that night, Sakima sees something unbelievable in the park.

But that night, Sakima sees something unbelievable in the park: Shio Tsukinoki, wearing a sailor suit and crying.

The story is set in a school in a rural town. A story of love and change, set in a school in a rural town.

03. Classroom of the Elite

ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ / Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e
Written by Shōgo Kinugasa with illustrations by Shunsaku Tomose
Licensed for English release by Seven Seas

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom―if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has landed at the bottom in the scorned Class D, where he meets Horikita Suzune, who's determined to rise up the ladder to Class A. Can they beat the system in a school where cutthroat competition is the name of the game?

02. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Agent

春夏秋冬代行者 春の舞 / Shunka Shuutou Daikousha Haru no Mai
Written by Kana Akatsuki with illustrations by Suou

A story of the four seasons by Kana Dawn of “Violet Evergarden”.

Spring is here, safe and sound.
The only season in the world is winter, and winter, unable to bear its loneliness, shaved its life and created spring. Eventually, summer and autumn were born at the wish of the earth, completing the four seasons. It was decided that a human child would be responsible for the changing of the seasons, and the one who fulfilled this role was called the “agent of the four seasons.
Now, a little goddess is about to stand up with a sense of mission in her heart. The season given to her by the God of the Four Seasons is “Spring. Her mother gave her the name “Hinagiku”. This is the spring of this country that disappeared ten years ago. Hinagiku overcame her hardships and returned as a living god. She walks with her servant girl to fight against those who have kidnapped her and humiliated her for so long. In the depths of her heart, just like in mythology, there is a love for Winter.
Kana Dawn presents a story of the present gods who have the role of revealing the seasons to the world. The story opens here.

01. Chitose-kun Is in the Ramune Bottle

千歳くんはラムネ瓶のなか / Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka
Written by Hiromu with illustrations by raemz
Licensed for English release by Yen On

As far as normies go, it's hard to beat Saku Chitose. The most popular kid in his high school? Check. An ironclad reputation that can weather even vicious online attacks? Check. A friend group that's as attractive on the outside as they are on the inside? Check. But when a teacher asks Saku to help reacclimate a student who been shut away in his room for months to school life, his perfect world will never be the same. What is this, some kinda normie harem story?