Oricon’s Yearly Light Novel Sales Ranking 2020

Kimetsu no Yaiba just won’t let up! After powering through Oricon’s Manga sales chart, the series has made a splash here in the Light Novel sales chart as well. The individual sales volumes of the title lead the chart with four out of eight of the spots going to the series with Shiawase no Hana at the front, selling 923,139 copies alone for the period between November 18 to November 22. Katabane no Chou and Kaze no Michishirube are at number 2 and 3 with both selling 913,388 copies and 607,347 copies respectively.

It is always, thanks to the amazing folks over at Oricon that we get to see these charts on a weekly basis, so be sure to head over to their site here and show them lots of love. All the data you find below is accessible here (Individual) and here (Series) via Oricon.

Sales of Light Novels exploded in 2020 thanks to Kimetsu no Yaiba. To compare, in 2019, Makoto Shinkai’s Tenki no Ko was at the top with number of copies sold reaching 511,159 copies. It left Sword Art Online‘s Volume 21 at number 2 with slightly more than 250,000 copies worth of difference. Side-by-side, you can see that sales of Light Novels as a whole have reinvigorated.

OVERLORD was not in the chart posted in 2019, but the success of its 14th volume has paved way for the title to clinch the 4th placing for sales of individual volumes. Sword Art Online Volume 23 performed slightly poorer than Volume 21 last year which sold 253,739 copies. Anyways, the full list is as follows:

Light Novel Individual Volumes Sales Ranking Top 8


1. Kimetsu no Yaiba Shiawase no Hana
by (Original) Koyoharu Gotouge and (Novel) Aya Yajima
Estimated number of copies sold: 923,139


2. Kimetsu no Yaiba Katabane no Chou
by (Original) Koyoharu Gotouge and (Novel) Aya Yajima
Estimated number of copies sold: 913,388


3. Kimetsu no Yaiba Kaze no Michishirube
by (Original) Koyoharu Gotouge and (Novel) Aya Yajima
Estimated number of copies sold: 607,347


4. OVERLORD Vol. 14 Mekkoku no Majo
by (Author) Kugane Maruyama and (Illustration) so-bin
Estimated number of copies sold: 228,628


5. Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Ressha-hen Novelize
by (Original) Koyoharu Gotouge, (Novel) Aya Yajima and (Script) ufotable
Estimated number of copies sold: 197,397


6. Sword Art Online – Unital Ring II – Vol. 23
by (Author) Reki Kawahara and (Ilustration) abec
Estimated number of copies sold: 191,693


7. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Vol. 14
by (Author) Wataru Watari and (Ilustration) Ponkan⑧
Estimated number of copies sold: 183,775


8. Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon
by (Author) Akumi Agitogi and (Ilustration) Tsukiho Tsukioka
Estimated number of copies sold: 182,827

From November 18, 2019 to November 22, 2020


As for sales according to series, Kimetsu no Yaiba performed splendidly with sales of all of its volumes amount to 2,752,593 copies. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu is 2nd after reaching sales as high as 732,314 copies, better than its performance for the year 2019 (550,202 copies). Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken is 3rd with number of copies sold at 606,700 copies, down 31% year-on-year.

Light Novel Sales Ranking According to Series Top 5


1. Kimetsu no Yaiba Novelize
by (Original) Koyoharu Gotouge and (Novel) Aya Yajima
Estimated number of copies sold: 2,752,593


2. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
by (Author) Tappei Nagatsuki and (Illustration) Shinichirou Ootsuka
Estimated number of copies sold: 732,314


3. Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
by (Author) Fuse and (Illustration) Mitzvah
Estimated number of copies sold: 606,700


4. Sword Art Online
by (Author) Reki Kawahara and (Ilustration) abec
Estimated number of copies sold: 564,235


5. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
by (Author) Natsu Hyuuga and (Illustration) Touko Shino
Estimated number of copies sold: 527,950

From November 18, 2019 to November 22, 2020


Interestingly, we get to see Kusuriya no Hitorigoto at number 5, the title has been doing well throughout 2020. If you are curious, while the numbers are not complete, though may present the basis of a good conjecture, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei sold 181,175 copies and Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e Ninensei-hen sold 253,965 copies when they were charted in the weekly rankings, thus they are sure to make the list somewhere (note that the figures are for the total of all volumes sold, not individual).

As usual, let me know if you find any faults with the list! Be sure to also drop a comment or two if you have any and share your thoughts with the community.

Sources

1. Oricon 2020 Chart
2. Oricon 2020 Chart, Light Novel Individual
3. Oricon 2020 Chart, Light Novel Series
4. Oricon 2020 Chart, Light Novel Bunko (1 – 20)

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