‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Vol. 15 Continues Reign Atop Billboard Japan Book Hot 100
The 15th volume of the acclaimed manga Soso no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End), written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, has successfully defended its position at the summit of the Billboard Japan Book Hot 100 for the week of January 1.
The Japan Book Hot 100 serves as a definitive ranking by aggregating diverse data points, including physical retail sales, digital editions, library circulation, subscription services, and social media engagement. Since its debut on December 18, Vol. 15 has maintained its momentum, securing the top spot for two consecutive weeks. This latest installment of the elven mage’s odyssey dominated physical store sales, while also performing impressively across other metrics: ranking No. 3 in e-books, No. 15 in e-commerce, and remaining a fixture in the social media top 50.
Staying firm at No. 2 is the latest volume of the Monthly Sunday GX adaptation of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries). Meanwhile, the eighth volume of Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru (From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman)—a manga adaptation of the light novel series that inspired a 2024 anime—made its debut at No. 3.
As 2025 drew to a close, traditional novels experienced a notable uptick in rankings. This trend is largely attributed to year-end literary retrospectives and a seasonal surge in “binge-reading” during the holiday break. Notable climbers include Kanae Minato’s Ningen Hyouhon (Human Specimens), bolstered by its Prime Video live-action adaptation, and Mina Miyajima’s Naruse wa Tenka wo Toriniiku. Additionally, Ryo Asai’s In the Megachurch made a significant leap, jumping from outside the top 20 to secure the No. 13 spot.
JAPAN BOOK HOT 100: Top 10 Titles
Note: Parenthetical data represents rankings in Physical Stores, E-commerce, E-books, Subscriptions, and Social Media (Top 20 only).
- Soso no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) Vol. 15 – Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe (1, 15, 3, -, -)
- Kusuriya no Hitorigoto ~ Maomao no Kokyu Nazotoki Techo ~ (The Apothecary Diaries) Vol. 21 – Hyuuganatsu, Minoji Kurata, Touko Shino (3, 5, 7, -, -)
- Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru Vol. 8 – Shigeru Sagazaki, Tetsuhiro Nabeshima, Kazuki Sato (2, -, 11, -, -)
- Honey Lemon Soda Vol. 30 – Mayu Murata (6, -, 2, -, -)
- Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Solo Leveling) Vol. 23 – DUBU, Chugong, h-goon (4, -, 6, -, -)
- Masshiro na Choucho – MAYA (-, 1, -, -, -)
- Ningen Hyouhon (Human Specimens) – Kanae Minato (8, -, -, -, 6)
- Naruse wa Tenka wo Toriniiku – Mina Miyajima (-, -, -, 1, 3)
- Taiyou yori mo Mabushii Hoshi (A Star Brighter Than the Sun) Vol. 13 – Kazune Kawahara (-, -, 1, -, -)
- Bakudan (Bomb) – Katsuhiro Go (-, -, -, 18, 2)
