Novels with smart, manipulative or twisted crazy characters. Also maybe Antihero or masochistic/sadistic or suicidal/depressed or characters good at acting. Fantasy world or Death Game elements or... more>> Time travel. Psychological, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Tragedy and maybe romance or comedy as sub-genre.  <<less

novels i would actually recommend someone... more>>

consists solely of novels i would rate 8 or higher out of 10.

order does not matter

some other stuff not on nu:

shadow s*ave 8/10

the beginning after the end 8/10

mother of learning 9/10 <<less

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i have terrible taste... more>>

i love shitty isekai novels

fusion fantasy academy novels are my guilty pleasure

<6 = would not recommend

6 = okay

7 = good

8 = i would recommend

9 = i would highly recommend

10 = my favorites <<less

Novels I plan to read

roughly sorted in order of enjoyment... more>>

recommendations welcome <<less

Some may or may not have romance

Might not be great but I love it

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This list is for the inner masochist inside all of us. ... more>>

That, or you just need a reason to cry <<less

CN version: https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/71435/... more>>

KR version: https://www.novelupdates.info/viewlist/111610/ <<less

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jnovels i recc to read

This is the stories that I like, you can read it if you want but I warn you, they are wholesome but some of them are tragedies that's why even if you are fulfilled and the ending is so good you will be frustrated because there are no more chapters...... more>>

Anyway don't mind the descriptions down there ↓. I'm a role player in Rpg games and gaming community that it even affect me in real life....

Oh there's no harem here, I'm not really fond of that genre.

I still have so many to recommend but still finding them.

- No Ranking. <<less

GENRES: either Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Psychological, Tragedy... more>>

A compilation of my favorites that give the melancholic and/or dark vibe in alphabetical order. No worries it becomes wholesome in the end—well, most of them do, anyway. Maybe. Who knows?
*will update when I find and read new interesting ones <<less

Strong Female MCs in dungeon/fantasy settings whether physically/mentally or both. ... more>>

mostly romantic subplot  <<less

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Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (このライトノベルがすごい! Kono Raito Noberu ga Sugoi!, lit. This Light Novel is Amazing!) is an annual light novel guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels according to readers polled on the Internet. An introduction to each of the works comes with each listing, along with an interview of the light novel's author or authors for first place. Many of the light novels that have been listed in this guide book were later adapted into anime series. Most of the light novels listed contain a series of volumes, but some single-volume light novels also get listed. The first release of... more>> the guide book was on November 26, 2004 and is the 2005 listing.

1. Sword Art Online

2. Toaru Majutsu no Index

3. Ben-Tou

4. Circlet Girl

5. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu

6. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai

7. Seitokai no Ichizon series

8. Haruhi Suzumiya series

9. Idolising!

10. Iris on Rainy Days <<less

Short reviews to describe what I think is most interesting about each.... more>>

This list is totally subjective and not objective at all haha.

Updated 8/3/25 <<less

Overall well-made novels. This is really just my planning list, but since I've made it public, feel free to take a look.

No specific order to the list.... more>>

Those are light novels that won best-seller award, Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi, and the ones that have translation only.

(Except for Utsuro no Hako, Kara no Kyoukai and Violet Evergarden.) <<less

In no particular order.... more>>

Additional Novels not in the Novel Updates site but belong here: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, Goodbye Otherworld See you tomorrow <<less

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