A new concept visual has been unveiled for the upcoming Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court TV anime series.
The new visual showcases the series’ lead characters Kou Reirin and Shu Keigetsu.
Mitsue Yamazaki (Zenshu, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle) is directing the anime adaptation, with Yoshiko Nakamura (RPG Real Estate) as series screenwriter and Ai Kikuchi (Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie) as character designer. Doga Kobo is in charge of the animation production.
The series is based on the fantasy romance light novels, written by Satsuki Nakamura and illustrated by Kana Yuki. It was first published under the Ichijinsha Novels label on December 28, 2020 and has released 10 volumes as of April 2025. It also inspired a manga adaptation by Ei Ohitsuji. The series originated as a web novel on Shosetsuka ni Naro on July 15, 2020.
Seven Seas Entertainment releases the light novels and manga series in English, describes the former’s main premise as:
In the Kingdom of Ei, five clans put forth their maidens as imperial consorts—but only one will be crowned empress. Just when frail and beautiful “court butterfly” Kou Reirin seems poised to marry the crown prince, jealous “court rat” Shu Keigetsu steals her body! Reirin wakes up in the dungeons as the conspirator, and things look dire…or do they? Now that she’s got a robust new body, not even the looming threat of execution can stop her!
