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Jul 4, 2016 · Anime seeks inspiration from many places, from light novels to video games. Let's get serious, and dive into the wonderful world of anime based on full-length books.
May 10, 2019 · Anime: Magic Tree House. Spanning around 100 books (including spin-offs) and still ongoing, the Magic Tree House series is a bestselling and award-winning set of Western children's literature. At the time of this adaptation, in 2012, the books had sold more than 3.3 million copies in Japan alone.
Sep 6, 2023 · Delve into this curated list of the best anime adapted from light novels, and experience the magic and allure of these exceptional stories that continue to captivate audiences around the globe.
- Anime List Writer
- Anna Lindwasser
- 350 VOTES. Howl's Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki's film Howl's Moving Castle is based on a once-obscure fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones.
- 101 VOTES. Hyōka. Hyōka is based on a series of young adult mystery novels by Honobu Yonezawa, called The Classics Club Series.
- 95 VOTES. Welcome To The NHK. Based on a novel of the same title by Tatsuhiko Takimoto, Welcome To The NHK is a series that most anime fans have at least a passing familiarity with.
- 95 VOTES. Paprika. Paprika comes from legendary director Satoshi Kon, but the original concept is from Yasutaka Tsutsu's novel of the same name.
- Based on Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- Based on Hard-Boiled Wonderland at The End of The World by Haruhi Murakami
- Based on Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei by Tomihiko Morimi
- Based on Welcome to The NHK by Tatsuhino Takimoto
- Based on in The Pool by Hideo Okuda
- Based on The Joker Game Series by Koji Yanagi
- Based on Maiji Kaika Ango Torimonocho by Sakaguchi Ango
- Based on Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui
- Based on The Moribito Series by Nahoko Uehashi
- Based on The from The New World Series by Yusuke Kishi
As you may already be aware, many Studio Ghibli films are adaptations of novels. Interestingly, these novels are often Western, although the studio adds its own distinctively Japanese flair to the stories. One of the fan favorites, Howl's Moving Castle, is based on a book of the same name by the British fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones. The movie t...
Between thinking up the mind-tripping series Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze, Yoshitoshi ABe created the mellow masterpiece that is Haibane Renmei(this columnist admits to being just a tad biased). Although the series is original, ABe took several elements from one of Murakami's first novels, and incorporated them into the series. Themes and...
Who would have thought that this weird romp through college life was based on a novel? The anime covers much of the same ground as Morimi's novel, adding a number of scenes and tightening up the pacing. According to fans, the hyper-stylized anime does a good job of mimicking Morimi's style, so if you ever decide to read this one, you know what you'...
The premise behind the anime seems like the setup for a generic ecchi romp: a socially inept guy strives to make the best hentai game ever, partially to impress a girl. But instead of falling into tropes, the anime takes it to a whole other level. This may be because of its origin: the novel by Tatsuhino Takimoto has the same hijinks and dark humor...
Welcome! Dr. Irabu is here to see you, whether you have a stalker complex or a permanent erection. In the anime, he's portrayed as a manifestation of the Id, Ego, and Superego in the form of three distinct visual manifestations. In the novel… well, we'll let Amazon take it from here: Doctor Ichiro Irabu is "an obese, eccentric neurologist with an i...
Airing in Spring of this year, Joker Game was an oddity among its fellow anime series. It was a drama that dealt with the political atmosphere in pre-WWII Japan. It's not a topicthat you would expect from a light novel, so it makes sense that it was actually based on a four-book series by Koji Yanagi.
UN-GO is an odd combination: it's a detective series that uses demonic supernatural forces to solve crimes against a dystopian backdrop. In the anime, the main focus seems to be on the characters and the mystery. You're thrown directly into the fray and follow the main characters as they solve crimes. The book that inspired the series is written by...
Satoshi Kon is known for the overt insanity in his works, but he can't take full credit for the dreamscape that is Paprika. Still, his adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel is pretty spot-on, and even has the original author voicing a bartender in the anime. A number of other works by Kon are also novel adaptations, including Perfect Blue (based o...
The anime takes this children's book about Japanese myths and legends, and adapts it into a deep and serious adventure. It's an adaptation of the first book in Nahoko Uehashi's series, though it adds plenty of content to appeal to a broader audience.
Taken one at a time, the six novels in Yusuke Kishi's From the New World series might fit the "light novel" criteria. But together, they form a complex and intricate story of an idyllic landscape that might not be as perfect as it seems -- just like the anime.
If there’s one thing I like more than watching anime, it’s reading books. Whether it’s a Western novel, a Japanese light novel, or a Czechoslovakian short story, if it’s based on a book it’s likely denser than your average anime. And my picks for this list of adapted anime are no exception!
Apr 21, 2024 · Studio Ghibli is one of the most famous and beloved animation studios in the world, and the studio has released many legendary and critically-praised movies, including Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service. While the studio has brought many original stories to the screen, many of the firm's most beloved films started ...
