1st few minutes of 1st episode also streamed
A stage presentation at AnimeJapan 2026 on Saturday for Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, the new television anime of Miya Kazuki’s Ascendance of a Bookworm (Honzuki no Gekokujō – Shisho ni Naru Tame niwa Shudan o Erandeiramasen) “biblia fantasy” light novel series, revealed the fourth “special video” in a series of four weekly special videos. The video serves as the anime’s second full promotional video.
The event also revealed a video showing the beginning of the anime’s first episode.
Image courtesy of Sony Music
©香月美夜・TO ブックス/本好きの下剋上製作委員会2026
The anime will premiere on April 4 on Yomiuri TV and NTV at 5:30 p.m. JST. It will then air on the Tokyo MX channel on April 6 at 9:25 p.m. JST. The anime will air for two consecutive cours (quarter of a year) for a half-year run. Yuka Iguchi and Show Hayami return in the new series as Rozemyne (previously Myne) and Ferdinand, respectively.
New cast members include:
Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Kowloon Generic Romance, Hayate the Combat Butler, We Never Learn: BOKUBEN) is directing the new series at Wit Studio, replacing the anime’s three seasons director Mitsuru Hongō. Mariko Kunisawa returns to write the series scripts, and Aiko Minowa (After the Rain, The Ancient Magus’ Bride in-between animation) is the new character designer. MICHIRU returns to compose the music.
Little Glee Monster performs the opening theme song “Pages.” Nogizaka46 member Erika Ikuta performs the anime’s ending theme song “Ima mo, Arigatō” (Even Now, I Thank You).
The first anime season premiered in October 2019, and ended in December 2019 with 14 episodes. The second season premiered in Japan in April 2020. The anime’s third season premiered in April 2022. Crunchyroll streamed all three seasons as they aired.
Kazuki began the original novels on the “Shōsetsuka ni Narō” website in 2013, and ended the web novel in 2017. You Shiina illustrates the print edition. The main series ended with its 33rd volume (volume 12 of part 5) in December 2023. The novel series now has over 13 million copies in circulation (including digital copies).
J-Novel Club is releasing both the light novels and some of the various manga adaptations in English.
Source: AnimeJapan 2026 stage presentation
