Kadokawa unveiled a new promotional video and visual for the television anime of Rinne Ishida and Izumi’s Matsurika Kanriden (The Tale of the Scholar-Official Matsurika) light novel series on Friday. The video reveals the anime’s cast, staff, and January 2027 premiere date.
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©石田リンネ・Izumi/KADOKAWA/「茉莉花官吏伝」製作委員会
The cast members include:
Rie Takahashi as Matsurika Kō, a woman serving as a court lady, but was promoted to a lady-in-waiting due to her good memory. Though satisfied with her life, it quickly changes once she meets Emperor Hakuyō.
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©石田リンネ・Izumi/KADOKAWA/「茉莉花官吏伝」製作委員会
Nobunaga Shimazaki as Emperor Hakuyō, the emperor of Hakuō, renowned for both his beauty and deft hand at both pen and sword. He also exhibits a calm personality, earning the trust of the scholar-officials, and is a constant object of longing for those who dwell in the inner palace harem. However, for those few who know his inner nature, he is called an “usurer of vice.”
Image courtesy of Kadokawa
©石田リンネ・Izumi/KADOKAWA/「茉莉花官吏伝」製作委員会
Takeshi Mori (Vandread, Gunsmith Cats, Otaku no Video) is the supervising director for the anime, while Yūichi Nakazawa is directing the anime at Maho Film. Tōko Machida (Lucky Star, The IDOLM@STER, My Master Has No Tail) is in charge of series composition. Manami Inose (Blue Miburo) is designing the characters. Takurō Iga is composing the music.
The fantasy romance novels, inspired by Chinese history, center on the titular Matsurika, a court lady serving at the emperor’s inner palace, who is known for her good memory. One day, she receives a request to serve as a practice partner for the marriage meeting for the son a certain noble house. But when she arrives to meet this noble scion, it turns out to be none other than Emperor Hakuyō himself. The emperor falls in love with her at first sight, but tells her to come to him once she passes the state’s scholar-official civil service exam.
Ishida published the first light novel in the series in July 2017, with illustrations by Izumi. The 18th and most recent volume shipped in October 2025.
Takase launched the manga adaptation of the novels in Akita Shoten’s Monthly Princess magazine in August 2018. Akita Shoten published the manga’s 12th volume in October 2025. The manga’s first part also ended in October 2025.
The series has over 2 million copies in circulation (including digital editions).
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.
