Summary
While this might seem like a stretch,light novelscan be seen as the foundation of the manga and anime world, especially when it comes to isekai and more ‘unusual’ themes. They’re a fast and straightforward way to dive into a story without getting caught up in the complexities of other formats. Since many popular manga and anime are adapted from light novels, starting with the original novel can often be the smartest way to begin a new series.
Light novels are also the perfect way to tell a story without fully committing to its complexities, in case it features themes that are too ‘severe’ to handle in visual format.Serial killerand murder tropes, for example, aren’t always the most appropriate or public-friendly topics, but they can be fascinating when explored in detail. Light novels offer a toned-down way to approach these darker themes, allowing readers to grasp the intricacies of a serial killer’s mind while still keeping it somewhat casual. It’s a way to dive deep without feeling too overwhelmed, making the experience both interesting and oddly enjoyable.
These light novels contain themes of serial killings, murder, and some pretty dark content. If you’re not into that kind of stuff, you might want to proceed with caution!
Released
2007
Liar Mii-kun and Broken Maa-chanis a strangely specific light novel thattakes a closer look into the workings of a serial killer/murderer’s surviving victims and how their experience haunts them in unexpected ways. Mii-kun and Maa-chan are two teenagers who share a history of being victims of a kidnapping. Despite being rescued from their kidnapper, their years of mistreatment at the hands of these perpetrators ends up taking a much larger toll than anyone anticipated.
8 years after their kidnapping incident, their town is once again gripped by fear as a string of serial killings and kidnappings starts up. Mii-kun, with unclear motives, tracks down Maa-chan, only to discover that some of the recently missing kids are holed up in her apartment. Simultaneously, despite being very comfortable with Mii-kun, Maa-chan suspects that he has something to do with the serial murders occurring in their town.
2016
Atrocious Black Mariais a light novel that shifts thenarrative back to the classic isekai trope. Like every good isekai novel, it not only has a weak-to-strong protagonist, but it also incorporates a plethora of different — and very unique — characters into its storyline who are not all ethically clean.
Atrocious Black Mariafollows the story of a kid who has been isekai-ed into a strange world and has lost all his memories. With no clear path or purpose, Shizuru is just drifting along and wasting away until he crosses paths with a blind woman who completely changes his fate. She teaches him everything about life, medicine, and, of course, the intricacies of being a killer. As Shizuru’s skills sharpen and things start looking up, he finds himself meeting more eccentric women, each with their own dark quirks and, in some cases, very murderous tendencies.
2021
Murdist: Death Row Inmate Tazuru Kazamiis apopular murder mysterymanga that, unbeknownst to a lot of people, is actually based on a light novel of the same name. The light novel, as expected, dives into some really intense topics but takes a much more ‘impractical’ approach — because, let’s face it, that’s kind of the charm of light novels and manga.
It follows the arrest and conviction of a serial killer known as the ‘Murdist’ — a play on the words murderer and artist, supposedly. Tazuru Kazam is a murderer who takes her sick tendencies a step further and turns her victims into ‘art.’ After her decades-long killing spree, she finally gives in and hands herself over to the authorities only to realize the impact of her actions. Now that Tazuru is behind bars, there’s a rise in copycat killings that are being done as some sort of tribute to her, and in numbers far beyond her own. This forces the authorities to ask Tazuru to help them capture these copycat killers — which she accepts, but only on the bizarre condition that the person attending to her be Yuki Otohito, a completely unrelated college student.
2013
Murder is obviously no laughing matter and should be treated with the seriousness it deserves, but every now and then, a story comes along that takes the grimness of the theme and gives it a lighter, more ridiculous spin. That’s exactly whatPsycho Love Comedydoes. It’s a comedy-action light novel that takes a dark premise andadds absurd comic sequences, making for a wild ride.
The story follows Kamiya Kyouske, a seemingly innocent teenager who’s wrongfully convicted of killing 12 people, earning him the infamous title of ‘Dozen Demon.’ Instead of going to prison, though, he’s sent to a juvenile rehab center called the Purgatorium School of Rehabilitation. The rehab center, all things considered, looks and operates like a normal high school, until he realizes that all the girls around him are actually mass murderers and are out to get him.
2009
The Empty Box and Zeroth Mariais an especially unique light novel that not only adds amajor supernatural/fantasy plotto its premise but also throws in an existential sub-theme that really messes with the readers' own sense of morality. The supernatural themes in the book come from these mysterious items known as ‘Boxes.’ Although these boxes do not have a clear, defined purpose, they can be considered magical objects that grant their owners any wish, but for a grave price.
The main character ofThe Empty Box and Zeroth Mariais Kazuki Hoshino, an average high-school student who wishes to live a quiet, normal life without having to deal with unnecessary drama — sort of like a reluctant hero. Kazuki, like a lot of the students around him, gets offered the ‘Box,’ but refuses it because it goes directly against his convictions. This sets up a chain of events that, for the lack of a better phrase, are nothing short of a massacre.
2017
For everyone who’s a fan ofHannibal,Masquerade and the Nameless Womenis definitely right up their alley. It’s essentially just a loose, unofficial retelling of the story with a more casual,but still very dark, vibe, centered around a serial killer psychologist and a detective trying to piece her life back together.
Yuri Uguisu, a young detective grieving the death of her sister, essentially throws herself into her police work to cope with her loss. Her latest case involves a brutal serial killer known as Masquerade, infamous for targeting women. Unsure if she’s dealing with the real killer or a copycat, Yuri seeks help from a passionate psychologist, Higano. What she doesn’t know is that the man helping her is actually the killer she’s chasing — Higano himself is Masquerade.
Most light novels serve as the basis for anime and manga adaptations, butThe Dark Maidenstakes a different route and ends up inspiring a full-length Japanese movie. It’s set in a high school literature club that’s going through a pretty rough time after a harrowing incident leaves everyone shaken and unable to trust each other.
The story takes place following the death of the club’s charming president, Itsumi, after what seems like a bad fall. To deal with their loss, the club members get together and share their own versions of what led up to Itsumi’s death. The deeper they go, the morethey realize that things aren’t as simple— or as innocent — as they had initially deemed them to be.
