TOHO animation has officially announced that Though I Am an Inept Villainess (Futsutsuka na Akujo de wa Gozaimasu ga - Sūgū Chōso Torikae Den), the light novel series by Satsuki Nakamura, is getting a television anime adaptation. Alongside the reveal, TOHO also shared the main staff and a teaser visual for the upcoming series. Check out the annoucment trailer confirming the anime adaptation below:
To help with the announcement, the anime's character designer Ai Kikuchi drew the teaser visual art piece:
The adaptation is in the hands of an experienced team at Dōga Kōbō, with Mitsue Yamazaki (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun) directing the series. Yoshiko Nakamura (Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time, The Helpful Fox Senko-san) is in charge of series composition, while Ai Kikuchi (New Game!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie) is handling character design.
Fans had been speculating about a new anime announcement after the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the Though I Am an Inept Villainess light novels began a countdown on March 12th, posting illustrations by YukiKana leading up to the reveal. The teaser featured the phrase:
"On the night the comet lights up the night sky, the fate of two people will intersect."
Notably, TOHO animation had also teased an upcoming mystery anime reveal using the same phrase, adding to the speculation.
The Though I Am an Inept Villainess light novels debuted in December 2020, published by Ichijinsha with illustrations by YukiKana. A manga adaptation by Ei Ohitsuji was launched simultaneously in Monthly Comic Zero-Sum. Here is a quick look at the what the schedule has looked like for both the light novels and manga this year.
Light Novel Release Schedule:
- Volume 10 releases in Japan on April 2nd
- Volume 8 released in English by Seven Seas on February 4th
Manga Release Schedule:
- Volume 8 released in Japan on February 28th
- Volume 7 will release in English on May 13th
The English version of the light novels and manga are published by Seven Seas Entertainment, they describe the story as:
In a kingdom inspired by historical China, five clans put forth their maidens as imperial consorts–but only one will be crowned empress. The frail and beautiful Kou Reirin, the so-called “butterfly” of the imperial court, is a shoo-in to marry the crown prince. But when “court rat” Shu Keigetsu lashes out at her during the glittering Lantern Festival, it's Reirin who wakes up in the dungeons! Body-swapped by her assailant to steal her position at court, Reirin's plight seems dire...to everyone else! Now that she's got a robust new body, not even the looming threat of execution can stop her!
With an established fanbase and a strong production team, Though I Am an Inept Villainess is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated anime adaptations on the horizon. Stay tuned for more news in the near future, as always stay tuned to Animemojo.com for more anime and anime related news!