Should be Aiencien on Kochira, Shūmatsu Teitai Iinkai, actually. Unorthodox romanization, but he's already got game credits in translation.
I had a good year, with my top three all making the new title top ten (I only voted for new series.)
My first pick was Hōkago Gakari. (You could maybe call it After School Committee.) I translated Gakuto Coda's Missing for Tokyopop (at least, what they put out) and he's really honed his game since.
It involved 5th and 6th grade kids pulled into a shadow version of their school at 12:12:12AM, each assigned a nascent urban legend, and told to study it lest it escape into the real world. These monsters are reflections of their own personal baggage. Considering the body count I think 7th is pretty solid.
My second choice was Kochira, Shūmatsu Teitai Iinkai. I'd ignore the English on the cover and call this Doom Delay Department. It's everything you want light novels to be but they never are. Sort of an anime style Men in Black; the universe is constantly in danger, and can never be truly saved; all they can do is delay it by taking out as many dooms as they can. Both volumes have been incredibly dense, but Aiencien's really good at conveying a lot in very little space, and there's always a new crazy idea around the next corner. And a girl who hits monsters with a jet powered guitar.
And my third choice was Shiroki Teikoku, which you'd have to call Empire of Light (since the title refers to an ambitious plan to end racial tensions and you don't wanna use the word 'white' anywhere near that.)
This is by the author of The Princess and the Pilot, and is clearly meant to be a sprawling epic; both volumes released are 500 pages. It's got massive airship battles, Hakkenden style powers that are claimed by defeating the previous holder, the revival of the devil herself, Lucifer, and a gladiator wolfman in love with a blind princess's song.
Hope we see all three licensed here soon.
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At this point It's rather standard for romance protagonist to be ranked high when their much more popular heroines are in the top, Amane being in top 5 4 year consecutive with 1st place last year is only due to Mahiru's popularity and the Hall of Fame, one more year and she will reach Mikoto's record of 5 consecutive 1st place.
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