In the world of anime, it seems that light novels have a worse time than manga when it comes to being adapted. Unlike manga series, light novels can take longer to come out, especially since they are released as whole volumes instead of just by chapters.
Depending on the light novel, a single chapter could also take up a whole anime episode, whereas a manga adaptation usually features several chapters in a single episode. It's also no secret that light novels tend to go on for dozens of volumes, making it hard to adapt in just a couple of seasons.
10 The Devil is a Part-Timer!
The Devil is a Part-Timer was a quirky comedy series about the devil being transported to earth, where he was forced to get a job at a fast-food joint. The anime only ran for thirteen episodes while the light novels ran for 27 volumes.
Even though the anime received tons of interest, it was never picked up for a second season. In fact, this series wasn't even given the OVA treatment, which is rare for series that get such a warm reception.
9 Sunday Without God
Sunday Without God is another series that stopped before finishing its adaptation. The series got twelve episodes of anime and a single OVA, while the light novel series had 9volumes, a relatively low number for the genre.
The series was less popular than some other titles on this list, but due to it's shorter amount of volumes, it's a bit surprising to anime fans that it wasn't finished as it did gain popularity after the series finished airing.
8 Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Beautiful World!
It's safe to say that Konosuba set out to make fun of the isekai genre and succeeded in doing so while gaining a ton of fans. Konosuba merchandise flies off the shelves, and fans are still raving about the latest movie; it's surprising that the show is missing its third season.
The series recently wrapped up in 2020 with 20 volumes, but the most recent movie only caught the series up to volume 5. The series could easily carry on with several more seasons and the fans would be ecstatic.
7 The Earl and The Fairy
While the manga is only four volumes long, The Earl and the Fairy was actually based on a light novel series that is 33 volumes long. The anime was only twelve episodes and barely scratched the surface of this series.
To make matters worse, it's one of the only shoujo series adapted from a light novel, and the novels never got English translations. Since the light novels ended in 2013, there looks to be no hope of a second season.
6 Magical Girl Raising Project
Magical Girl Raising Project is another grim take on the magical girl genre that throws several young women into a death game. To survive, they have to gather enough candies to keep from scoring the lowest on a sadistic leaderboard.
The series is still ongoing, but so far it has 13 volumes, which is more than enough for a season two. The anime series only covered the introductory arc of the series and ran for just thirteen episodes.
5 The Saga of Tanya The Evil
The Saga of Tanya The Evil is another isekai that got popular with fans but never got more than a single season. The series is based on a businessman who is reincarnated as a young girl in a world filled with magic and war.
The series currently has 12 volumes of light novels, a twelve-episode anime, and a movie. Even the manga series has gone much farther than the anime, with most of the story being translated into manga volumes.
4 Spice and Wolf
Spice and Wolf was a series that had the perfect set-up to be adopted all the way through. The series got two twelve episode series and a couple of OVAs but decided to stop in 2009, likely due to the novels still being published.
The series is currently up to 22 volumes, with no mentions of a third season. There is even a spin-off series revolving around the daughter of Lawrence and Holo as she begins to journey around like her parents.
3 Is This a Zombie?
Is This a Zombie? is a hit series, especially in the west that revolves around a boy who got turned into a zombie after being murdered. Ayumu must learn to deal with being undead while acquiring a group of unusual roommates.
The series ended in 2015 with 15 volumes, some of which did come with OVAs to push the anime along. This is another adaptation that did receive two seasons but likely stopped to let the novels get further ahead.
2 No Game No Life
No Game No Life is massively popular, but only received twelve anime episodes and a prequel movie. While the light novel volumes do come about a bit slower than some other series, there are still 10 volumes of the series currently published.
The anime only covered the first three volumes of the light novel, which has confused fans even more. There is more than enough material and interest to see this franchise get new episodes.
1 Maoyu Mao Yusha
Maoyu is an interesting series that has the hero try to challenge the demon king, only to end up falling in love with her and getting married. As it turns out, they both want the war to end and begin to strategize politics to make their nations thrive.
The anime only got a single twelve episode season while the light novels finished at just 10 volumes. Many fans of the Spice and Wolf series took an interest in the anime, but it didn't spark enough attention for more seasons.