Though I Am an Inept Villainess Sets January 2027 Return, Adds Three Cast Members

The anime’s staff announced Sunday that its second cours, a quarter-year run covering “The First Royal Outing” arc, will premiere in January 2027. They also unveiled a key visual and three cast additions.

The television anime adapts Satsuki Nakamura’s Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court (Futsutsuka na Akujo de wa Gozaimasu ga - Sūgū Chōso Torikae Den) light novels.

The new cast members are:

• Yūichi Nakamura as Keikou, Rerien’s eldest brother.
• Shunichi Toki as Keishou, Rerien’s second-eldest brother.
• Chiaki Kobayashi as Unran, a young village leader.

The anime premiered July 12 on TV Tokyo and its affiliates. Netflix began streaming it in Asia that same day.

Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, and the Indian Subcontinent.

TOHO launched the English dub July 25 on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Disney+. Netflix also carries the dub in Asia.

The premiere moved to July because production fell behind schedule. The anime had originally been announced for April.

The production’s lead staff are:

• Director: Mitsue Yamazaki (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun), at Dōga Kōbō.
• Series scripts: Yoshiko Nakamura (Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time; Tadaima, Okaeri; The Helpful Fox Senko-san).
• Character design: Ai Kikuchi (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, New Game!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie).

Singer-songwriter milet sings the opening theme, “Sunny.” Rokudenashi performs the ending theme, “Shooting Star” (Hōkiboshi).

Additional staff include:

• 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

Seven Seas Entertainment publishes both the novels and manga in English under the full title. Its synopsis places the story in a kingdom modeled on historical China, where five clans offer maidens as imperial consorts, but only one can become empress.

Beautiful but frail Kou Reirin, the court’s “butterfly,” seems certain to marry the crown prince. During the glittering Lantern Festival, however, “court rat” Shu Keigetsu attacks her.

Reirin wakes in a dungeon after Keigetsu swaps their bodies to take her court position. Others see a desperate situation, but Reirin welcomes her strong new body. Even the threat of execution cannot hold her back.

Ichijinsha launched Nakamura’s novels, illustrated by YukiKana, in December 2020. Ei Ohitsuji’s manga adaptation began simultaneously in the publisher’s Monthly Comic Zero-Sum magazine.

Ichijinsha published novel volume 12 on March 31. Volume 13, due September 30, will begin the series’ final arc, “Hoshi ni Negai o” (Wish Upon a Star).

Seven Seas released manga volume nine on August 4. Its English edition of light novel volume 11 will follow on September 22.