Index Novel Sales Figures and Discussion

[Natsurin]

It's not that easy, there's a reason why 1-2 cour is the norm even for anime more popular than Index. If the committee doesn't think it'd be profitable for Index to have a four-cour even if it'd make the most sense adaptation-wise to get all the content in, they're not going to risk it.

The reasoning here would likely be along the lines that there's no need for a 1:1 adaptation when you could just make an anime that gets the viewer interested in the original light novel series where they could satisfy their craving for more details,

Things like four-cour and above is usually reserved for the most profitable of licenses and as much as we'd wish for it I doubt Index is one of them.

[Kuroageha]

Eh? No. 4 cour is a rarity but not usually goes in hand with profitable anime wise of course (ZTC, HnG for example).

There are those long running franchises like Precure, Fairy Tail, Naruto because they're well, really big franchises.

[Callum18]

Originally Posted by Natsurin

It's not that easy, there's a reason why 1-2 cour is the norm even for anime more popular than Index. If the committee doesn't think it'd be profitable for Index to have a four-cour even if it'd make the most sense adaptation-wise to get all the content in, they're not going to risk it.

The reasoning here would likely be along the lines that there's no need for a 1:1 adaptation when you could just make an anime that gets the viewer interested in the original light novel series where they could satisfy their craving for more details,

Things like four-cour and above is usually reserved for the most profitable of licenses and as much as we'd wish for it I doubt Index is one of them.

Durarara was 3 cour.

So, I could see Index getting 3 cour.

[dniv]

@Natsurin

So in your opinion, if you were comparing the Raildex anime to Zero no Tsukaima (which received 4 cours) how big of a difference in popularity would you attribute to the two? I realize that ZnT is an old anime, which might make things different, but would you say something like Index is much less popular than ZnT?

Also, based on the way you all are talking, is it the case that anime studios make decisions about whether to release a 3rd or 4th season/cour using heuristics based on the number of cours that have already come out? So it's not just based on whether they have material to adapt and whether it seems like fans might like it? Maybe they just use estimates like: even if this has done well so far, and looks popular shows usually do worse after the Xth season, so we won't produce any more material for this show.

[Natsurin]

Ah, the good old release-ly Index anime debate. Can't escape that one, eh.

As a note: anime studios are only contracted by the show's committee (which includes sponsors for the project), they're not in charge of any decisions. They simply make anime.

I've watched Zero no Tsukaima but unfortunately it was at a time where I wasn't part of any community or knew about anime making so alas I can't say anything on its actual popularity especially seeing as I've not read all the novels and lost touch with the series since. If I had to answer, though, I'd say that from my experience more people have heard of ZnT than Index, but again I didn't follow this kind of thing back in the day so don't take my word for it.

That said I don't think the difference lays in the popularity here. Let's not forget that ZnT's fourth season was a closing one that didn't follow the then-incomplete (and unsure) novels whereas a third and fourth season for Index would only barely scratch the end of OT if they decide to skip a lot of content. Popularity isn't so much of the problem as the complete difference in situation that requires delicate planning (that hasn't been abandoned yet if Miki's insistences are anything to go by) because J.C decided to neatly wrap Zero no Tsukaima however they could whereas we're expecting rather faithful adaptations of all there remains to adapt in Index coming from them.

And potentially New Testament as well after a certain PV got a lot of the fandom hyped.

The situation, expectations and stakes are completely different between ZnT and Index even if it's the same studio handling them simply because the studio doesn't do anything but make anime, nothing else.

Regarding your second question, no, I don't recall the number of previous seasons/cour impacting the committee's decisions. The actual results (reception and sales of BD/DVDs amongst other things) of those seasons and cour influences them. My point was simply that four-cour is very rare and peculiar especially nowadays, and though Durarara!!x2 may have been mentioned I don't think it's an optimal example of cour usage. If it's done like Durarara!!x2, four-cour would simply be 48 episodes potentially split over two years which, honestly, sounds like a huge turn-off to the average anime viewer trying to follow the series when you could gain the same by two seasons following the regular two-cour format that's been done for literally all of the franchise's seasons before, which may then play in the show's disfavour especially if the change is unwelcome. It also doesn't guarantee any more faithfulness than two seasons would, all it would concretely do is prevent a split that would last years in very streamlined content but if done poorly...

It'd be like the Railgun Daihaseisai but worse.

[LevelSeven]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

No. I would rather have no anime than see Vols.14-22 contents being utterly ravaged on 24 episodes Kyoani style .

But index action sequences are usually quite fast if they are animated, most of the text goes for inner monologues and outer discussions,
If they are taken out and the slice of life scenes too the arc can be fit into 3episodes easily...

[OH&S]

Just rounding up all of the Kamachi related rankings from Kono LN ga Sugoi! 2017:

Toaru Majutsu no Index
*3rd Place in Best Novel Series (↑4) (1st in HP points - ↑2)
*1st Place in Best Illustrator, Haimura Kiyotaka (↑1)
*1st Place in Best Female Character, Misaka Mikoto (≡) (Immovable Object)
*9th Place in Best Female Character, Index (↑1) (Ganied points for being useful)
*10th Place in Best Female Character, Othinus (↓1) (Lost points for being a fairy)
*12th Place in Best Female Character, Shokuhou Misaki (↑4)
*1st Place in Best Male Character, Kamijou Touma (↑2) (Unstoppable Force)
*3rd Place in Best Male Character, Accelerator (↑1)
*30th Place in Best Male Character, Kamisato Kakeru (*)
*1st Place in Best Character, Kamijou Touma (↑4)
*2nd Place in Best Character, Misaka Mikoto (≡)
*5th Place in Best Character, Accelerator (↑1)
*16th Place in Best Character, Index (↑2)
*18th Place in Best Character, Othinus (↓2)

Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On
*47th Place in Best Novel Series (*) (20th Place in HP points) (How!?)

Heavy Object
*30th Place in Best Novel Series (↑36) (11th Place in HP points - ↑5) (Anime-boost?)

Intellivillage no Zashiki-Warashi
*28th Place in Best Male Character, Jinnai Shinobu (↓8 - But give him a break, his series is over)

Mitou Shoukan://Blood-Sign
*23rd Place in Best Novel Series (↑53) (5th Place in HP points - ↑5)
*7th Place in Best Female Character, White Queen (↑5) (Goddess of the Year).
*9th Place in Best Male Character, Shiroyama Kyousuke (↑4) (MC being tortured is the new fad).
*14th Place in Best Character, White Queen
*19th Place in Best Character, Shiroyama Kyousuke

Musings:
*Stubborn Index fanbase and rabbid Misaka fans... bah, humbug.
*Blood-Sign seems to be doing really well (amongst stubborn Index fanbase?)

[LG-MAX 2.o]

Japan's Weekly Light Novel Rankings for Nov 21 - 27

10.　*7,842　*,290,668　Kimi no Na wa. Another Side: Earthbound

11.　*7,737　*,**7,737　Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu Vol.5
12.　*6,693　*,**6,693　Nidome no Jinsei wo Isekai de Vol.13
13.　*6,658　*,**6,658　Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. Vol.7
14.　*6,583　*,*58,320　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.17

[belatkuro]

Japan's Yearly Manga and Light Novel Rankings for 2016

19.　**,281,195　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

[Kuroageha]

Originally Posted by belatkuro

Japan's Yearly Manga and Light Novel Rankings for 2016

19.　**,281,195　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

Compare it to 2015:

*9.　*,405,666　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

[belatkuro]

Japan's Weekly Light Novel Rankings for Nov 28 - Dec 4

25.　*4,419　*,*62,739　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.17

[Callum18]

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1616292

*1.　35,842　*35,842　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.18

Yup even with a hype Vol, sales are still falling. But still good it made number 1.

[mark1246]

Originally Posted by Callum18

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1616292

*1.　35,842　*35,842　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.18

Yup even with a hype Vol, sales are still falling. But still good it made number 1.

yeah it need that season 3 hype cause look at KONOSUBA sale at #4 with 80K sales, now i know anime adaption doesn't all the time (example Highschool DXD) but compare to past sale before the anime, it really increase in sale number, but give it 2 weeks Callum before we go to sad sale number. still piss digital doesnt count cause heard in a recent podcast that in Japan that physical magazine sale have decrease but NOW THAT IT DOES DIGITAL NOW, it freaking increase it digital sale a lot

Podcast: (anime news network)

[Natsurin]

Guys, are we seriously having the S3 debate with literally each novel release? It doesn't matter which LN, is doing best or worst with its anime sales, any points pertaining to this specific series have been said over, and over, and over, and over...

[dniv]

Originally Posted by Natsurin

Guys, are we seriously having the S3 debate with literally each novel release? It doesn't matter which LN, is doing best or worst with its anime sales, any points pertaining to this specific series have been said over, and over, and over, and over...

I bought 2 of the volumes sold. Lol, how many days passed in counting week one sales? Nevermind. Four days passed... but that's still alrightish. The core fanbase is still with it.

[KiharaRonin]

I think it will take awhile but Index will pick back up in sales again. It hasn't dropped that badly and the volume still reached #1.

[dragon1412]

Originally Posted by Callum18

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1616292

*1.　35,842　*35,842　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.18

Yup even with a hype Vol, sales are still falling. But still good it made number 1.

I'd say differently, NT 18 was out on may 10, so according to MAL we only see the number on 4 days of sales. while the sales is indeed dropping, I do think as a hype vol, NT 18 might actually get a good number by the end of the month.

[Callum18]

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1618395

May 15 - 21
2.　13,849　49,691　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.18

Should get to 50k atleast.

Might get to 60k before dropping off.

[mark1246]

1.　16,346　*26,059　Goblin Slayer Vol.5
*2.　13,849　*49,691　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Vol.18
*3.　11,842　*11,842　Imouto sae Ireba Ii. Vol.7
*4.　*9,403　*95,920　Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! Vol.11

least it not in the red mark, but man congrats on konosuba for getting close to 100k Physical Sale, dont know if it has a digital sale portion (which would explain the high #) but like I said earlier, digital sale is becoming the new thing around Japan lately, cause it easy to read on a tablet then a book. (but in LN case that thing is super small to begin with)

[mark1246]

As right now, Yesterday from animelist site

Vol NT18 has sold (PHYSICALLY) 29.　*,*79,133　Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

so least it not in the red zone