Kadokawa announced on Friday that author Makiburo and illustrator Mai Murasaki’s Within the Villainess (Akuyaku Reijō no Naka no Hito) light novel series and Nazuna Shiraume’s manga adaptation will get a television anime adaptation that will debut in 2027. The staff revealed a promotional video, visual, staff, and cast. Update: Kadokawa has confirmed the anime’s English title is Within the Villainess.
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©まきぶろ・一迅社/「悪役令嬢の中の人」製作委員会
Ichijinsha had first announced last June that an anime project had been green-lit.
Murasaki and Shiraume both drew illustrations to commemorate Friday’s announcement.
Mai Murasaki’s illustrationImage courtesy of Kadokawa
©まきぶろ・一迅社/「悪役令嬢の中の人」製作委員会
Nazuna Shiraume’s illustrationImage courtesy of Kadokawa
©まきぶろ・一迅社/「悪役令嬢の中の人」製作委員会
The anime will star:
Miyuki Sawashiro as Remilia Rose Graupner
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©まきぶろ・一迅社/「悪役令嬢の中の人」製作委員会
Rie Takahashi as Emi
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©まきぶろ・一迅社/「悪役令嬢の中の人」製作委員会
Yoshihisa Iida (episode director for Princess Connect! Re:Dive, If Her Flag Breaks, Absolute Duo) is directing the anime at ROLL2. Hiroyuki Yoshino (Strike the Blood, World Trigger, Macross Frontier) is both writing and overseeing the series scripts, Reiko Nagasawa (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, takt op. Destiny) is designing the characters, and Shūji Katayama (Saga of Tanya the Evil, Overlord) is composing the music. Infinite is producing the anime.
The story begins when Emi, an otome game lover, dies in a car accident and reincarnates into the body of Remilia, the villainess of one of the otome games she has played. As Emi is a fan of Remilia, and thinks that Remilia should be loved, she strives to reverse Remilia’s destined fall in the plot.
However, Emi finds out that the Star Maiden, the game’s destined heroine, also has the soul of another reincarnated person within her, who is working toward her own goals. The Star Maiden convinces everyone to turn against Remilia, including Remilia’s fiancé the prince. In shock of this rejection, Emi’s consciousness fades, and Remilia, who remained inside her own body fully aware this entire time, takes back control. Her heart changed by her awareness of Emi’s love for her, Remilia vows to take revenge on the Star Maiden and the prince for hurting Emi.
Makiburo released the full main story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in May 2020, and has been writing side stories since then. The latest side-story update was in June 2025. Ichijinsha published two print volumes for the series with Murasaki’s illustrations in February 2021 and February 2024.
Shiraume launched a manga adaptation on pixiv Comic in November 2021. Ichijinsha published the manga’s sixth and final compiled volume on June 25.
The overall franchise has 4 million copies in circulation, including digital copies sold.
Source: Press release
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
