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Crunchyroll to Stream Though I Am an Inept Villainess Anime
posted on by Alex Mateo
Crunchyroll announced on Wednesday that it will stream the television anime of Satsuki Nakamura's Though I Am an Inept Villainess (Futsutsuka na Akujo de wa Gozaimasu ga - Sūgū Chōso Torikae Den) light novel series for the summer 2026 season, starting in July in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, and the Indian Subcontinent. The company streamed an English-subtitled trailer:
The anime's official website posted a seasonal visual for April featuring strawberry picking:
The anime stars Manaka Iwami as Kou Reirin, and Natsumi Kawaida as Shu Keigetsu.
The additional cast includes:
- Makoto Furukawa as Ei Gyōmei
- Yūichirō Umehara as Shin-u
- Hana Hishikawa as Riirii
- Farahnaz Nikray as Kō Tōsetsu
Mitsue Yamazaki (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun) is directing the anime at Dōga Kōbō. Yoshiko Nakamura (Detective Conan: Zero's Tea Time, Tadaima, Okaeri, The Helpful Fox Senko-san) is overseeing the series scripts, and Ai Kikuchi (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, New Game!, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie) is designing the characters.
The staff also includes:
- Color Key Artist: Kei Ishiguro
- Art Director: Seina Yaguchi (Studio Pablo)
- Compositing Director of Photography: Yui Fukuoka
- Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
- Music: Yukari Hashimoto
- Casting: Makoto Tanimura
- Sound Effects: Yuika Shiraishi
- Audio-Recording Engineer: Toshihiro Hayano
- Recording Assistant: Ryō Kaneko
- Sound Production: Tohokushinsha Film Corporation
Ichijinsha launched Nakamura's light novel series with illustrations by YukiKana in December 2020. The novels' manga adaptation by Ei Ohitsuji simultaneously launched in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Zero-Sum magazine.
Seven Seas publishes both the light novels and manga under the title Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, and describes the story:
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!
Ichijinsha published the light novels' 12th volume on March 31. Seven Seas will release the light novels' 10th volume in English on May 5, and released the manga's eighth volume on December 16.
Source: Crunchyroll (Kyle Cardine)
