On Tuesday, the official website for the anime adaptation of Inori's girls-love isekai light novel I'm in Love with the Villainess debuted, announcing that the series would premiere in 2023. Publisher GL Bunko revealed the anime version of the series, along with a teaser trailer.
Inori's novels were originally digitally published starting in 2019, with GL Bunko publishing the fifth and final volume in August 2021. The series has also spawned a manga adaptation, which began in 2020 and has continued running. Publisher Seven Seas has licensed both the novels and the manga for English release, with its version of the fifth novel releasing back on October 11.
As described on the anime's website and within the trailer, I'm in Love with the Villainess tells the story of office worker Oohashi Rei, who one day wakes up transported into the body of Rae Taylor, the protagonist of her favorite otome game. However, instead of romancing the intended male leads of the dating sim, Rei sets her sights on her own favorite character: Claire Francois, the villainess of the story.
The I'm in Love with the Villainess anime will be produced by studio Platinum Vision. It will be directed by Hideaki Oba and scripted by Ayumu Hisao, who both previously handled those respective duties on the Love of Kill anime. Voice actress Yu Serizawa will play Rae, with Karin Nanami as Claire.
Inori posted on Twitter in English later that day, specifically thanking English-speaking fans for their enthusiasm for the series, and for spreading the news of the anime adaptation's announcement.
The isekai trend in anime, of seeing characters transported to fantasy worlds typically based on popular game styles, does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. However, all that time and effort put towards it has resulted in various escalations and evolutions of the concept. Isekai stories centering on women, taking place in otome game worlds, have seen a particular boost. Series like breakout hit My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom, and this season's I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss utilize the setting alongside focus on the 'villains' from such games. I'm in Love with the Villainess seems to follow the same sort of concept, but with its own specific girls-love twist. Whether this will be enough to help it stand out in that continuously-crowded genre field, anime viewers will find out next year.