Following its premiere on July 12, the anime adaptation of "Though I Am an Inept Villainess" recently held a special success prayer event. Originally a light novel series written by Satsuki Nakamura with illustrations by Yukiya under Ichijinsha Novels, the franchise also features a manga adaptation serialized by Ei Ohitsuji in Monthly Comic ZERO-SUM. The promotional event featured key voice cast members, including Natsumi Kawaida (Shu Keigetsu), Makoto Furukawa (Gyomei Ei), Hana Hishikawa (Leelee), Nikray Farahnaz (Kō Tōsetsu), Rei Igarashi (Kenshu Kou), Ai Kayano (Shu Gabi), Mai Nakahara (Kin Seika), and Yui Ishikawa (Gen Kasui).
<The following content is quoted from the official announcement>
Official Event Report: Voice Cast Gathers for "Though I Am an Inept Villainess" Success Prayer Ceremony
Ahead of the premiere of the anime adaptation of "Though I Am an Inept Villainess," a special pre-broadcast success prayer event was held in Tokyo.
The main cast members—Natsumi Kawaida (Shu Keigetsu), Makoto Furukawa (Gyomei Ei), Hana Hishikawa (Leelee), Nikray Farahnaz (Kō Tōsetsu), Rei Igarashi (Kenshu Kou), Ai Kayano (Shu Gabi), Mai Nakahara (Kin Seika), and Yui Ishikawa (Gen Kasui).—took the stage to thunderous applause.
The event kicked off in grand style with opening remarks from the main cast:
Natsumi Kawaida (Shu Keigetsu):
"This is my very first time attending a success prayer event. I'm excited to see what we’ll be doing and how it all turns out!"
Makoto Furukawa (Gyomei Ei):
"I hear there's a variety segment today. I hope everyone here and watching the stream gets a good laugh—let’s make this a fun one!"
Hana Hishikawa (Leelee):
"I'm so happy to be on stage with such a prestigious cast!"
Nikray Farahnaz (Kō Tōsetsu):
"I hope we all have a wonderful time together!"
Rei Igarashi (Kenshu Kou):
"It's a short time, but thank you all for having us."
Ai Kayano (Shu Gabi):
"Let's bring the energy, laugh a lot, and join together in wishing for a huge hit!"
Mai Nakahara (Kin Seika):
"It's really starting to sink in that the show is about to start."
Yui Ishikawa (Gen Kasui):
"I'm thrilled and nervous to be here dressed in such magnificent attire."
Looking back, Kawaida noted that this was the first time the cast had gathered together since the voice recording sessions. "Back then, I was so focused on whether I was being Reirin or Keigetsu that I barely had room to breathe. I'm finally looking forward to just communicating normally with everyone today!" she laughed.
With the premiere just around the corner at the time, the event then moved into a special segment titled "Pay Attention to This in Inept Villainess!"
First up was a "flip board" challenge where the cast members presented handwritten boards revealing the key highlights of their respective characters in this body-swapping story.
Yui Ishikawa (Gen Kasui) chose the word "Dignified." She explained, "She is a cool, quiet girl with a striking presence. Since she doesn't speak much, it’s hard to describe her in words, but she carries herself with a sense of purpose as a princess. I want the audience to imagine what she’s thinking in those quiet moments."
Mai Nakahara (Kin Seika) went with "Peak Nobility." She described Seika as someone who sees the world in black and white—no room for gray. "She absolutely adores Reirin. She has a deep admiration for things that are beautiful and noble, so I hope you enjoy that side of her."
Ai Kayano (Shu Gabi) emphasized that "Gabi is a person of love." She noted that Gabi’s kindness starts to seep through even in the first two episodes, particularly in how she handles taking Keigetsu in.
Rei Igarashi (Kenshu Ko) boldly stated, "Kenshu is, plain and simple, manly!" She explained, "Although things get chaotic with everything going on around her, at her core, she’s very frank, open-hearted, and dependable—truly manly." Echoing Kayano's sentiment about avoiding spoilers, Igarashi added, "There’s a lot I can’t reveal right now, but she has a charismatic quality that makes you want to follow her. At any rate, she’s just straight-up manly!"
Nikray Farahnaz (Kō Tōsetsu) energetically described her character as having "Gap Moe" (endearing contrast in personality). Though she seems cold and detached at first, her "big love" for Reirin of the Kou Family causes her to lose all composure. "The range of her character is massive!" she teased.
Natsumi Kawaida (Shu Keigetsu) defined her role simply as "Keigetsu is a villainess." However, she hinted at deeper layers: "There’s a tension between how she views herself as a villainess and how she’s influenced by others seeing her as one, leading to a situation where 'actually...' is going on beneath the surface. I hope viewers pay attention to how and why Keigetsu decides to navigate her circumstances the way she does!"
Meanwhile, Makoto Furukawa (Gyomei) offered the phrase "Heavy feelings" (using a Japanese pun where Omoi means both 'feelings' and 'heavy') to describe his character, which immediately prompted the rest of the cast to tease him on stage: "Wait, was that a pun?!" Furukawa jokingly shot back, "Don't call it a pun! Call it phonetics—I was dropping a verse!"
Reflecting on the voice recording sessions, Furukawa shared, "Gyomei holds a very high status. I approached the role with the mindset that he is essentially higher-ranking than almost anyone in this cast." He continued, "While he holds the ultimate decision-making power, his feelings for his beloved Reirin are so overwhelming that they leak out everywhere. However, since body swapping is central to this story, those feelings don't always land where they're supposed to. His intense devotion ends up setting various events into motion, so I hope everyone looks forward to seeing that play out!"
Describing Leelee, Hana Hishikawa said her character gives off the vibe of an "un-tamed cat." Emphasizing her point, Hishikawa added, "The key here is that she isn't tamed yet. I really hope everyone tunes in to see how she eventually starts purring!"
With the story revolving around the body swap between Reirin and Keigetsu, Kawaida explained the dynamic between the two heroines: "Keigetsu feels envious of how Reirin is treated and how people look at her, harboring feelings of 'why only her?' On the flip side, Reirin is simply overjoyed to have a healthy body after the swap. It's really a relationship where 'the grass is always greener on the other side.'"
When asked about his impressions of Episode 1, Furukawa shared, "We recorded our lines while following along with the manga. The animation style captures the artwork and direction of the manga so closely that I feel long-time fans will find it very easy to jump into."
He also revealed that the show used pre-scoring (recording the voices before the animation is finished). "I think the animation really benefits from being customized to match the actors' energy levels and performance styles," Furukawa noted, giving the show his full stamp of approval: "The visuals turned out beautifully, so I hope everyone enjoys watching it all the way to the end!"
The panel then moved on to the next talk topic: "Who would you want to swap bodies with?" The cast debated whether they’d swap with the actors or the characters. Realizing that swapping with a busy voice actor would lead to scheduling nightmares, they focused on the characters.
At that point, the MC chimed in with a twist: "It's also OK to just choose which of the Five Families you'd want to join!" This threw the cast into a humorous dilemma, with everyone admitting, "That's so hard..."
The stage turned into a flurry of banter, with suggestions like, "Maybe we should just pick by our favorite color!" and counter-arguments that "Living in any of those households seems like a nightmare." In the end, this curveball question wrapped up with the cast humorously agreeing on one conclusion: "No matter where you go, it's going to be a tough time!"
The event then moved to the "Inept Villainess 1-Minute Presentation Showdown," a competitive segment where cast members delivered 1-minute pitches judged by Makoto Furukawa, stepping into the role of Crown Prince Gyomei.
The Teams:
- Maiden Team: Natsumi Kawaida, Mai Nakahara, Yui Ishikawa
- Consort Team: Rei Igarashi, Ai Kayano
- Court Lady Team: Hana Hishikawa, Nikray Farahnaz
The teams competed across three prompts: "The Appeal of the Series," "What I Like About Furukawa's Gyomei," and "The Best Qualities of Our Team."
Furukawa played a major role in keeping the segment lively—helping teams that struggled to answer while avoiding spoilers, and filling the thinking time with entertaining banter that kept the audience laughing throughout.
For the topic "What I Like About Furukawa's Gyomei," the cast showered the character with compliments, shouting out praises such as "Great voice," "So handsome and alluring," "He's gotta be secretly buff," and "I love him too much to put into words!" Furukawa wore a satisfied expression on stage as his character's appeal was celebrated.
Following the "1-Minute Presentation Showdown," the event moved into new announcements. It was revealed that Rokudenashi would perform the ending theme song, titled "Shooting Star."
The event also marked the world premiere of the pre-broadcast promotional trailer featuring the new track. After watching the trailer, an emotional Natsumi Kawaida remarked, "My heart is completely full," adding that she was looking forward to seeing the actual ending sequence air alongside the show's broadcast.
To wrap up the event, the cast shared their final messages:
Yui Ishikawa (Gen Kasui)
"When I read the original story, the secret determination and grit in each character’s heart was so fascinating and inspiring that I couldn't stop turning the pages. Kasui might not say much early on, but I’m so happy to be part of this project. It's a series overflowing with everyone's passionate energy, so please look forward to it!"
Mai Nakahara (Kin Seika)
"Watching the PV today has only made me more impatient to see the full episodes!"
Ai Kayano (Shu Gabi)
"Under Director Yamazaki's meticulous direction, we all gave our absolute all while completely immersing ourselves in the world of Inept Villainess. Knowing it's finally going to reach everyone fills me with joy. Whether you're a fan of the original work or discovering it for the first time through the anime, you're bound to fall in love with it—especially Keigetsu and Reirin, who are both such wonderful characters. I also hope I'll have more chances to talk about Gabi down the line, so please continue to support us!"
Rei Igarashi (Kou Kenshu)
"There are so many highlights, but personally, keep an eye on the scenes between Kenshu and Gabi. For those familiar with the original work, I’d love for you to watch the broadcast and see how your favorite memorable moments come to life in animation. Please spread the word to as many people as possible!"
Nikray Farahnaz (Ko Tosetsu)
"To me, Inept Villainess is like a visual energy drink! When you hit a wall or go through tough times, seeing Lady Reirin's incredible character gives you the strength to push through and smash right past those obstacles. It’s an empowering series that gives you so much energy. Plus, it reminded me that knowledge is power—books are amazing! Without input, you can't have output. Since it gives you so much drive to overcome adversity, I hope you’ll watch it over and over again."
Hana Hishikawa (Leelee)
"I'm so happy that this project we've nurtured for so long is finally being delivered to everyone. Since it airs on Sunday nights, I hope it becomes something that energizes you for the week ahead. Please feel the tremendous love we all poured into making this!"
Makoto Furukawa (Ei Gyomei)
"There are other male characters in the story who impact the body-swap dynamic in various ways, both big and small. I hope you’ll pay close attention to how they interact with Reirin and Keigetsu right from Episode 1. Above all, the main highlight is seeing where Reirin and Keigetsu’s story ultimately leads. Manaka Iwami and Natsumi Kawaida delivered such phenomenal performances—watching them from behind during recordings was truly incredible. I hope you enjoy their acting to your heart's content in the anime!"
Natsumi Kawaida (Shu Keigetsu)
"Listening to everyone's remarks today fills my heart with gratitude, knowing how deeply loved this project is by the team who created it. Manaka Iwami-chan and I wrestled and struggled through our roles together, so it feels like destiny that everyone finally gets to watch it this July. I pray that this show reaches as many hearts as possible."
The anime adaptation of ""hough I Am an Inept Villainess" premiered on Sunday, July 12 at 23:45 JST. With momentum continuing to build around the series, be sure not to miss out on the show!
"Though I Am an Inept Villainess" Series Information
Set to air starting Sunday, July 12.
Online streaming is available on Hulu and Disney+!
Synopsis
The Maiden Court is where five daughters from noble families are gathered to be groomed as the next Imperial Consort. Among them is Reirin of the Kou family—beautiful, brilliant, and beloved by all as the "court butterfly". However, on the night of the Star Festival, her body is swapped with Keigetsu of the Shu family, a girl loathed by everyone as a "villainess." When Reirin wakes up, she finds herself in a desperate situation: her execution has already been ordered!
But Reirin, who has lived on the brink of death since childhood due to a sickly constitution, is actually... thrilled to finally have a healthy body?!
While the swap seemed like a tragedy, the steel-willed Reirin begins to enjoy her freedom even after being exiled to a shack. She uses her natural brightness and kindness to charm those who wish her harm, overcoming one adversity after another. Meanwhile, Keigetsu—who once envied and hated Reirin—begins to find her own heart wavering as she experiences Reirin’s true nature.
The fates of these two girls changed forever on the night the comet streaked across the sky. Soon, they will be swept up in a conspiracy that shakes the very foundations of the Inner Palace.
The curtain rises on a royal "body-swap" drama featuring two polar-opposite girls!
Cast
Kou Reirin: Manaka Iwami
Shu Keigetsu: Natsumi Kawaida
Ei Gyōmei: Makoto Furukawa
Shin-u: Yuichiro Umehara
Leelee: Hana Hishikawa
Kō Tōsetsu: Nikray Farahnaz
Kou Kenshū: Rei Igarashi
Shu Gabi: Ai Kayano
Kin Seika: Mai Nakahara
Ran Hōshun: Inori Minase
Gen Kasui: Yui Ishikawa
© Satsuki Nakamura, Ichijinsha / Inept Villainess Project
Official Site
Official X: ＠futsutsuka_PR
© Animate Times
*Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
