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Classroom of the Elite: Year 3 Light Novel Tops Oricon's Monthly Light Novel Ranking for May 2026
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
The fourth volume of writer Shogo Kinugasa and illustrator Shunsaku Tomose's Classroom of the Elite: Year 3 light novel series topped the chart, selling 58,242 copies. The volume shipped in Japan on May 25. The series' Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 novels ended in 2024 with volume 12.5. The anime adaptation's fourth and latest season debuted on April 1 and covers the first semester of the Year 2 light novels.
The novel adaptation of Shingo Yamashita's Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (Chō Kaguya-hime!) anime film by writer Naruto Kiriyama and illustrator Asao Urata ranked at #2. The novel shipped in Japan on January 30, and currently has an estimated cumulative 171,170 copies sold. Netflix began streaming the film on January 22. The film's limited theatrical run in Japan started on February 20 and will end on June 18.
The novel adaptation of Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi (Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway), the Detective Conan franchise's 29th film, ranked at #3. Shima Mizuki wrote the novel adaptation with script by Takahiro Ōkura. The novel shipped on April 10, and now has an estimated cumulative 68,607 copies sold. The film opened in Japan on April 10. The film sold 2,318,009 tickets and earned 3,502,137,800 yen (about US$21.8 million) in its first three days, making a new opening-weekend record for the franchise, and debuting at #1 at the Japanese box office.
The top 20 light novel volumes in Japan in May 2026, according to Oricon, were:
| Rank | Title | Author(s) | Publisher | Monthly Sales | Cumulative Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom of the Elite: Year 3 Vol. 4 | (Author) Shogo Kinugasa / (Illustration) Shunsaku Tomose | Kadokawa | 58,242 | 58,242 | |
| Cosmic Princess Kaguya! | (Original Story) Studio Colorido, Studio Chromato / (Author) Naruto Kiriyama / (Frontispiece & Text Illustration) Asao Urata | Kadokawa | 26,917 | 171,170 | |
| Case Closed: The Fallen Angel of the Highway | (Author) Shima Mizuki / (Original Story) Gōshō Aoyama / (Script) Takahiro Ōkura | Shogakukan | 20,280 | 68,607 | |
| Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Episode Heith | (Author) Fujino Ōmori, Fumikaru Nishijima / (Illustration) Niritsu | SB Creative | 13,589 | 13,589 | |
| No Game, No Life 13 | (Author & Illustration) Yuu Kamiya | Kadokawa | 11,688 | 35,012 | |
| A Certain Magical Index: Genesis Testament 15 | (Author) Kazuma Kamachi / (Illustration) Kiyotaka Haimura | Kadokawa | 10,524 | 10,524 | |
| A Journey Through Another World: Raising Kids While Adventuring 19 | Shizuru Minazuki | AlphaPolis | 10,287 | 10,287 | |
| Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: The Hero Arya-san | (Author) Sunsunsun / (Illustration) Momoco | Kadokawa | 10,163 | 15,197 | |
| Farming Life in Another World 20.5 | (Author) Kinosuke Naito / (Illustration) Yasumo | Kadokawa | 7,151 | 13,357 | |
| Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World | (Author) Mie Takase / (Illustration) Tau Karino, Poto | Kadokawa | 6,042 | 44,914 | |
| Sword Art Online 29: Unital Ring VIII | (Author) Reki Kawahara / (Illustration) abec | Kadokawa | 5,642 | 43,930 | |
| Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring - Part 1 | (Author) Kana Akatsuki / (Illustration) Suoh | Kadokawa | 5,232 | 83,664 | |
| Saki ni Anata ga Suteta no desu. Sayōnara, Kage no Ōke to Yobareta Ichizoku wa Rinkoku ni Ohikkoshi Shimasu | (Author) Toya / (Illustration) Fujiazuki | Starts Publishing | 4,771 | 7,949 | |
| Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring - Part 2 | (Author) Kana Akatsuki / (Illustration) Suoh | Kadokawa | 4,741 | 66,582 | |
| Dinners with My Darling 7 | (Author) Mugi Mameta / (Illustration) Nagisa Hanazome | Futabasha | 4,375 | 5,207 | |
| Who Killed the Hero? Kenja no Sho | (Author) Daken / (Illustration) toi8 | Kadokawa | 4,374 | 4,374 | |
| Isekai Tensei Dungeon Master: Onsen Dungeon wo Tsukuru 3 | (Author) Amamhara / (Illustration) Jun | Kadokawa | 4,276 | 4,276 | |
| Isekai Gaeri no Saikyō Majutushi, Genjitsu Sekai Demo Musō Suru | (Author) Ibarakino / (Illustration) Yozuki | Kadokawa | 4,127 | 4,127 | |
| Bonjin Tensei no Doryoku Musō 6 | (Author) Cyclamen / (Illustration) Yūnagi | Kadokawa | 4,043 | 4,043 | |
| Sekai Nanai no Jitsuryokusha, Jibun ga Jisshitsu Saikyō dearu to Shirazu Entaku wo Saru | (Author) Towa Akatsuki / (Illustration) Onineko | Kadokawa | 3,742 | 3,742 |
Source: Japan Anime News powered by ORICON NEWS
About ORICON:
ORICON is a company that provides rankings and news. Since 1967, it has been compiling data on record sales in Japan and publishing rankings; since 2008, it has also published the “ORICON Book Ranking” based on sales figures. The company holds a vast amount of data on the Japanese entertainment market. It operates “ORICON NEWS,” Japan's largest entertainment website, and runs “Japan Anime News” as its global version.
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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
