The staff of the TV anime adaptation of Satsuki Nakamura’s Though I Am an Inept Villainess light novel series has confirmed the anime has been delayed to July 2026 due to production delays. Before being delayed, the Though I Am an Inept Villainess anime will premiere in April 2026.
Mitsue Yamazaki directs the Though I Am an Inept Villainess anime series at studio Dōga Kōbō. What’s more, Yoshiko Nakamura oversees the series scripts, and Ai Kikuchi is the anime’s character designer. The anime stars Manaka Iwami as Kou Reirin and Natsumi Kawaida as Shu Keigetsu.
Ichijinsha launched Nakamura’s light novel series in December 2020. The manga adaptation by Ohitsuji was launched at the same time in Ichijinsha’s Monthly Comic Zero-Sum magazine. The light novels’ 10th volume shipped on April 2. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the series in English and released the ninth volume on August 26.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the Though I Am an Inept Villainess series, via Seven Seas Entertainment:
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!
