The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Puni-chan’s popular light novel series, The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom (Akuyaku Reijō wa Ringoku no Ōtaishi ni Dekiai Sareru), has officially unveiled its main cast, key staff, and confirmed a January 2026 television broadcast premiere.
Reprising Roles from the Otome Game Adaptation
Fans of the light novel’s visual novel adaptation will be pleased to learn that several voice actors will be reprising their roles for the anime series. Mai Fuchigami is set to voice Tiararose Lapis Clementille, the reincarnated villainess. Yuichiro Umehara will return as Aquasteed Marineforest, the prince of the neighboring kingdom, and Takuya Satō will voice Hartknights Lapis-Lazuli Lacmouth. Yumiri Hanamori will also reprise her role as Akari. Other returning cast members from the game include Marina Yamada as Icilla Pearllant, Junichi Suwabe as Keith, Hikaru Midorikawa as Crail, Ai Furihata as Pearl, Minami Takahashi as Philine Sunfist, and Sho Karino as Elliot.
Anime Production Details
While a full staff list is still pending, the anime adaptation was green-lit following the success of the light novel series, which has sold over 5.6 million copies across its light novel and manga formats. The light novel series, written by Puni-chan and illustrated by Akeno Naruse, began as a web novel in March 2016 before being picked up by Enterbrain’s B’s Log Bunko imprint in October 2016. A manga adaptation by Hoshina started serialization in December 2017.
The Story of Tiararose Lapis Clementille
The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom follows the story of Tiararose Lapis Clementille, a Japanese woman who finds herself reincarnated into the world of “Lapis Lazuli Ring,” her favorite otome game. In her new life, she is the antagonist, destined to be exiled after her engagement to Prince Hartknights is broken. However, the plot takes an unexpected turn when Aquasteed Marineforest, the crown prince of a neighboring country, proposes marriage to her during her judgment, thus saving her from her preordained fate and opening a new chapter in her life.
The series is known for its romantic themes and its unique twist on the “villainess” trope prevalent in isekai stories. The anime will delve into Tiararose’s journey as she navigates this unexpected turn of events and builds a relationship with Prince Aquasteed, a deviation from the original game’s storyline.
