A new romantic comedy anime is on the horizon as Shiki and Wan Hachipisu's light novel series Observation Records of My Fiancée: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess has officially been greenlit for a television anime adaptation set to premiere in 2026.
The announcement was made via the launch of an official website for the series on Monday. The anime will be directed by Junichi Yamamoto, known for his work on Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You, Maebashi Witches, and the popular Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion. Animation will be handled by Ashi Productions, a studio with a legacy of classic titles and recent revival efforts.
A Talented Team Behind the Adaptation
Character designs for the anime will be adapted by Miki Matsumoto, whose past work includes Summer Time Rendering and Angels of Death. Meanwhile, Akiko Inoue (The Ones Within, Idol Precure, GeGeGe no Kitarō [2018]) is writing and supervising the series scripts, ensuring a faithful and engaging adaptation of the original novels.
From Web Novel to Anime Stardom
The story originally debuted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, the well-known platform for user-submitted web novels, before being taken down by author Shiki. It was later picked up by AlphaPolis, which published the series in two volumes in 2017 with illustrations by Wan Hachipisu.
The popularity of the story led to a sequel series titled Observation Records of My Wife: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess, which is ongoing. The fifth volume of the sequel will release in Japan on May 23, 2025, and Hanashi Media will publish the first English digital volume on June 30 under the localized title Observation Records of My Wife.
Manga Adaptations Also Thriving
Illustrator Natsume Hasumi adapted the original novel into a six-volume manga, with an additional extra volume, all of which are available in English via the Alpha Manga app under the title An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess.
Hasumi is also illustrating the manga adaptation of the sequel. Its third volume will launch in Japan on May 23, with an English release titled An Observation Log of My Wife Who Calls Herself a Villainess available through Alpha Manga.
Observation Records Of My Fiancee Synopsis:
Exceptionally gifted to his own detriment, Prince Cecil had always found life effortlessly mundane. One ordinary day, his life took an unexpected turn when he became engaged to Miss Bertia, the Chancellor's daughter. This engagement, however, was anything but typical.
"Prince Cecil! I must confess - I am the villain of this story!" Bertia's declaration was startling. She claimed to have memories of her former life, where she had been the antagonist in a "Otome game". Her lofty ambition was to excel as a villainess and thus have her engagement annulled. However, despite her plans for various misdeeds, her attempts have always been unsuccessful.
Is her fiancé, who aspires to master villainous finesse, simply misguided in his endeavours?
With the anime coming in 2026 and multiple English adaptations on the way, now is the perfect time for fans of villainess rom-coms to dive into this charming and quirky story of love, misunderstandings, and villainous declarations.
What are your thoughts on the announcement? Will you be adding this to your future watch list for next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!
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