Japanese Light Novel Book Club discussion

The Fall 2025 Season has started. I will be watching the new shows and write up those that have light Novel roots.

"Mugen Gacha" / Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon: My Trusted Companions Tried to Kill Me, but Thanks to the Gift of an Unlimited Gacha I Got LVL 9999 Friends and Am Out for Revenge on My Former Party Members and the World is a Japanese light novel series written by Shisui Meikyō and illustrated by tef.
The anime version started 2025 fall.
11 of the 13 volumes have been translated to English at of Oct 2025. There is also a manga adaptation with 11 of 18 volumes translated so far.

The series started serialization on the online platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō in April 2020, and was later acquired by Hobby Japan for a print release in May 2021, with a manga adaptation by Takafumi Ōmae being published by Kodansha since May 2021. Both series were licensed for an English-language release, with J-Novel Club publishing the light novel series and Seven Seas Entertainment publishing the manga series. An anime television series adaptation produced by J.C.Staff premiered in October 2025.

The series follows Light, a human adventurer who was member of the adventurers group Concord of the Tribes in order to fight discrimination against human race. Light is a human adventurer bestowed with the gift of "unlimited gacha", allowing him to summon an endless number of cards to support his comrades. One day, Light was betrayed by his fellow group members left to die in a dungeon called the Abyss. Infuriated by this act, Light swore to take revenge against them for betraying and leaving him behind.

That is one heck of a title O.o

Yes and it is supposedly rough on some ebook readers because the title length causes an error.

I have read the first 9 volumes of the manga and it was reasonably good. The anime version was choppy but maybe will improve after the first episode. I will update when/if I get to read the 1st volume of the LN.

My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's/Silent Assassin//Ansatsusha de Aru Ore no Status ga Yuusha yori mo Akiraka ni Tsuyoi no da ga.

Akira Oda and his high school classmates are summoned to another world! While the other students are granted cheat abilities through the summoning, Akira merely gains the abilities of a mediocre “assassin.” However, his status soon surpasses “hero,” the strongest profession. After Akira becomes suspicious of the King behind the summoning, he is falsely framed for a crime and forced to flee. (Source: Crunchyroll)

It is a Japanese light novel series written by Matsuri Akai and illustrated by Tōzai. It began serialization on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō in January 2017. It was later acquired by Overlap who began publishing the series under its Overlap Bunko imprint in November 2017. 4 of the 5 LN volumes have been translated to English a/o 10/2025. A manga adaptation illustrated by Hiroyuki Aigamo began serialization on Overlap's Comic Gardo website in July 2018. 6 of 6 volumes of the manga have been translated to English a/o 11/2025.
The first 2 volumes of the LN are available in audiobook format. I recommend the audiobook narrated by Knox Riley.

My Friend's Little Sister Has It In for Me! / Tomodachi no Imōto ga Ore ni Dake Uzai), or ImoUza!, is a Japanese light novel series (romantic comedy) written by Ghost Mikawa and illustrated by Tomari. The series began publication by SB Creative under their GA Bunko imprint in April 2019. The light novel is licensed in North America by J-Novel Club (10 of 11 volumes have been translated into English). A manga adaptation by Hira Hiraoka began serialization online in December 2019 (no official English translation). An anime television series adaptation produced by Blade premiered in October 2025. (credit Wikipedia)

For high schooler Akiteru Ooboshi, the whole youthful experience thing—like fun, friendships, and even having a girlfriend—is a complete waste of time. So when his best friend’s sister, Iroha Kohinata, keeps teasing him, Akiteru naturally finds it annoying. She practically lives in his room, she’s always on his bed, she’s just a raging storm of clinginess! Why is she only annoying around him?! (Source: Crunchyroll)

Most of the characters are working in the game industry and are in or associated with high school. I thought the first episode was funny and the painful part of romance in high school well played.

A Gatherer's Adventure in Isekai (素材採取家の異世界旅行記, Sozai Saishuka no Isekai Ryokōki) is a Japanese light novel series written by Masuo Kinoko and illustrated by Senbon Umishima, Katsuki Onda, and Susumu Kuroi. An anime television series adaptation is produced by Genco, animated by Tatsunoko Production and SynergySP, and directed by Yoshinori Odaka, with Gigaemon Ichikawa handling series composition, Mayumi Watanabe designing the characters, and Hiroshi Takaki composing the music. The series premiered on October 7, 2025

Story:
Takeru is frustrated with his hectic life, wishing for a change. While watching TV after work, he suddenly wakes up in the domain of the overseer of the universe, or "god". Informed that he died, Takeru accepts being reborn on a magical planet called Madeus. Turns out that Madeus civilization keeps collapsing due to the failures of the inhabitants, so God wishes to cause a ripple effect to stop cycle; by sending an outsider with better knowledge.

I am at episode 11 of the anime and enjoying.

May I Ask for One Final Thing? or "Saigo ni Hitotsu dake Onegai Shite mo Yoroshii Deshou ka"

from the light novel.... 9 books currently available in English.

One night at a ball, Scarlet is suddenly told by the second prince, Kyle, that their engagement is annulled. At the same time, she's accused of baseless crimes and denounced as a "villainess" by many members of nobility. Scarlet has had to put up with the prince's nonsense for years, but she's had enough. And so, she makes one last request: "May I send you and the rest of these pigs flying?"

I think Scarlet is awesome!

The series of light novels Japanese is written by Nana Ōtori and illustrated by Satsuki. Originally published online since April 2018, AlphaPolis has published six volumes of the series since August 2018 under its Regina Books imprint.

A manga version is published digitally in English through Alpha Manga. A television adaptation of the series anime produced by Liden Films Kyoto Studio it premiered in October 2025.

I am enjoying the heck out of "May I ask for One Final Thing?" I have commented quite a few times to friends that the ex-fiancé in villainess shows has a really punchable face, and at last, we have a heroine who punches them 😂