Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends Author Yomi Hirasaka Retires – News

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends author Yomi Hirasaka confirmed on September 13 that he retired as a light novelist. He explained that he did not retire due to lack of success or mental health reasons, but because of FIRE — the “Financial Independence, Retire Early” movement that encourage saving and investing to stop working early in life.  

Hirasaka was responding to a social media post that speculated that he was retiring for his mental health, after the negative feedback to A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics anime and the original light novel series’ final volume. Hirasaka replied that both the anime and the final novel volume were extremely popular. 

Hirasaka and illustrator Kantoku (Sasaki and Peeps, The “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat.) launched A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics (Henjin no Salad Bowl) light novel series in October 2021. The 10th and final volume shipped on July 17. Kōtarō Yamada (Sword Art Online: Project Alicization) launched a manga adaptation on the Sunday Webry website in September 2022, and ended in December 2024. The manga’s sixth and final compiled book volume shipped in January 2025. The novels inspired a television anime that premiered in April 2024. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan.

Hirasaka launched A Sister’s All You Need. (Imōto Sae Ireba Ii.) novel series in 2015 with illustrations by Kantoku, and ended the novels with the 14th volume in February 2020. Yen Press published the 14th volume in English in February 2023. Edo launched a manga adaptation in Shogakukan‘s Sunday GX magazine in December 2015, and ended it in July 2019.  Shogakukan published the manga’s eighth and final volume in October 2019. Kobashiko‘s Imōto Sae Ireba Ii.: Gaiden – Imōto ni Saenareba Ii! (A Sister’s All You Need.: Side Story – Becoming a Sister’s All I Need!) spinoff manga launched in Square Enix‘s Gangan Joker magazine in October 2016, and ended in February 2018. Square Enix published three volumes for the manga.

Hirasaka and illustrator Buriki‘s Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai) light novel series launched in 2009, and ended with its 11th volume in August 2015. The light novel series inspired two television anime, video anime spinoffs, and a live-action film. Funimation released the two TV anime seasons on home video. Seven Seas Entertainment released Itachi‘s Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends manga adaptation in English. The company also released Chiruwo Kazahana and Shirabi‘s Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends – Now With 50% More Fail!  manga spinoff as well as bomi and Kiurian‘s Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends – Club Minutes manga spinoff.

Source: Yomi Hirasaka‘s X/Twitter account via Hachima Kikō

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