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Inept Villainess

The anime adaptation of Though I Am an Inept Villainess premieres July 12, 2026, on TV Tokyo and streams on Crunchyroll and Netflix in various regions, with an English dub on Hulu starting July 12.

Synthesized from 5 Yomimono stories · updated 1h ago

The anime adaptation of Satsuki Nakamura's light novel series Though I Am an Inept Villainess has locked in a July 12 premiere on TV Tokyo after a production delay pushed it from its original April date. Studio Doga Kobo produces the series, with Mitsue Yamasaki directing, Yoshiko Nakamura handling series composition, Ai Kikuchi designing characters, and Yukari Hashimoto composing the music. Manaka Iwami voices protagonist Kou Reirin, and Natsumi Kawaida voices Shu Keigetsu, with additional cast including Makoto Furukawa, Yuichiro Umehara, Ai Kayano, Inori Minase, and Yui Ishikawa.

The opening theme is milet's "Sunny," the singer-songwriter's first solo opening for a TV anime. Crunchyroll streams the series in North America, Europe, and Oceania, while Toho Entertainment Asia handles distribution in Asia, where it also streams on Netflix. Hulu will carry the English dub starting July 12. The light novel series, which began in December 2020 under Ichijinsha, has 12 volumes as of March 2026, with a concurrent manga adaptation by Ei Ohitsuji in Monthly Comic Zero-Sum. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes both in English under the full title Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court. Combined sales of the novels and manga exceed four million copies, and the light novel won top honors in the light novel category at the 2023 Everyone's Choice Electronic Comic Awards.

Key facts

Premiere date
July 12, 2026
Studio
Doga Kobo
Director
Mitsue Yamasaki
Lead voice cast
Manaka Iwami as Kou Reirin, Natsumi Kawaida as Shu Keigetsu
Opening theme
milet's "Sunny"
Streaming services
Crunchyroll (North America, Europe, Oceania); Netflix (Asia); Hulu (English dub)
Combined sales
Over four million copies (novels and manga)
Light novel award
Top honors in the light novel category at the 2023 Everyone's Choice Electronic Comic Awards

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Release
tv · July 12, 2026 · US · 2026-06-17

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/inept-villainess. CC BY 4.0.

All coverage

2d ago

Toho Entertainment Asia Adds Though I Am an Inept Villainess to Its Anime Slate

TOHO Entertainment Asia (TEA) has added the anime adaptation of Though I Am an Inept Villainess to its lineup. The series premieres July 12, 2026, on Netflix and other platforms in Asia. A new trailer released June 9 features cast highlights with Ai Kayano and Inori Minase, and the opening theme "Sunny" by milet.

Jun 9

Though I Am an Inept Villainess Anime Trailer Reveals milet Opening Song, New Cast

The upcoming anime adaptation of Satsuki Nakamura's light novel series Though I Am an Inept Villainess released a full trailer on Tuesday, announcing five additional cast members and the opening theme song "Sunny" by singer-songwriter milet. The anime is set to premiere on July 12 on TV Tokyo after a production delay from its original April date.

May 30

Crunchyroll Drops 'Though I Am an Inept Villainess' Trailer

Crunchyroll and Toho Global released the first trailer for the anime adaptation of the light novel 'Though I Am an Inept Villainess' on April 16, 2026. The series is set to debut in July 2026. Mitsue Yamasaki directs the adaptation at Doga Kobo, with series composition by Yoshiko Nakamura, character designs by Ai Kikuchi, and music by Yukari Hashimoto. The story follows Kou Reirin, a noblewoman who wakes up in the body of a disgraced villainess inside an imperial court where rival clans compete to produce the next empress. The light novel by Satsuki Nakamura won top honors in the light novel category at the 2023 Everyone's Choice Electronic Comic Awards and has ranked highly in BookLive's annual listings. Combined sales of the novels and manga exceed four million copies. Newly announced voice cast members include Makoto Furukawa and Yuichiro Umehara, joining previously announced leads Manaka Iwami and Natsumi Kawaida.

May 25

Though I Am an Inept Villainess Anime Sets July 12 Premiere, Reveals Key Visual

The television anime adaptation of Satsuki Nakamura's light novel series "Though I Am an Inept Villainess" will premiere on July 12 at 11:45 p.m. JST on TV Tokyo and its affiliates, the staff announced on Monday. A new key visual was also released. The series was originally scheduled for an April debut but was delayed due to production delays. Studio Dōga Kōbō is producing the anime, with Mitsue Yamazaki directing. Manaka Iwami voices the protagonist Kou Reirin, and Natsumi Kawaida voices Shu Keigetsu. Crunchyroll will stream the series in multiple regions including North America, Europe, and Oceania. The light novel series, which began in December 2020 under Ichijinsha's imprint, has 12 volumes as of March 2026. A manga adaptation by Ei Ohitsuji runs concurrently in Monthly Comic Zero-Sum. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes both the novels and manga in English under the full title "Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court." The story follows Kou Reirin, a frail imperial consort candidate who is body-swapped by a rival and must navigate court intrigue in a new, stronger body.