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No-Rin Light Novels Return with Final Novel After Decade
posted on by Anita Tai
Writer Shirow Shiratori announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday that his and illustrator Kippu's No-Rin light novel series will return from its decade-long hiatus with its 14th and final volume on June 13.
Shiratori cites the efforts of a crowdfunding campaign, which ended on February 28 and raised 13.76 million yen (approx. US$87,500).
The story centers on teenager Kosaku Hata, who is utterly shocked when her favorite idol, Yuka Kusakabe, suddenly retires. But when Kosaku finally recovers and starts attending his classes at Tamo Agriculture School he finds a bigger surprise, Yuka has transferred into his class under her real name, Ringo Kinoshita. Kosaku sees this as his chance to get to befriend his dream girl but he soon discovers that Ringo is an entirely different person to Yuka, which makes the solving the mystery of why Ringo transferred into Tamo just that little-bit more complicated.
SB Creative published the first compiled book volume in August 2011. The 13th volume shipped in October 2016.
The series inspired three manga adaptations, including Maru Asakura's series, which ended in June 2015. The second was No-Rin: Petit, a comedy focused series illustrated by Kotoji for Square Enix's Big Gangan that concluded in 2014. The third series is No-Rin -Wild-, illustrated by Toshiko Machida (Angel Game, Bacchon Girls), for SB Creative's GA Bunko Magazine.
The novel also inspired an anime adaptation which premiered in Japan in January 2014 and ran for 12 episodes. Funimation streamed the series in North America, and licensed the series for home video.
Source: Shiratori Shirow's X/Twitter account
