Kurasu de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onna no Ko to Tomodachi ni Natta Light Novel Series Ends with 10th Volume

One of the notable examples of the romantic comedy genre in recent years, Kurasu de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onna no Ko to Tomodachi ni Natta (I Became Friends with the Second Cutest Girl in My Class), is on the agenda with news that both delights and saddens its fans. The series' author, Takata, announced that the story will officially conclude with the upcoming 10th volume. This announcement caused a great stir, coinciding with the premiere of the series' highly anticipated anime adaptation on Tuesday, April 7th.

Starting its journey in 2020 on the popular web novel platform Kakuyomu, the series quickly reached a large readership. Brought to print under the Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko label and brought to life with illustrations by Tometa Ohara, the series handles the traditional "most popular girl in school" cliché from a different perspective. The story focuses on the process of the sincere and natural friendship between Maki Maehara, an ordinary high school student, and Umi Asagi, known as the "second cutest girl" in the class, turning into love.

While the fact that the series is ending is often a strategy used to increase sales during the period when anime adaptations begin, fans are eagerly waiting to see how the story will conclude. The series, which also has a manga adaptation illustrated by Rin Nanami, managed to distinguish itself from its peers with its character depth and realistic dialogues. In particular, the sincere demeanor of the Umi character under the pressure of popularity is described by readers as the series' strongest point.

As Kurasu de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onna no Ko to Tomodachi ni Natta steps into the anime world with its first episode, how the finale coming with the 10th volume will affect the series' legacy is already a topic of debate. Usually, such long-running light novel series conclude after the anime season ends, directing readers to the books. However, this simultaneous finale and beginning may also provide clues as to how faithfully the entire story of the series will be adapted into the anime. For romantic comedy enthusiasts, this week marks both a new beginning and a farewell to a beloved story.