Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm
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Ascendance of a Bookworm

8.1
Yr 2019
Rt 24m
Status Returning Series
Animation Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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Series Brief

Overview

When a sickly young girl suddenly becomes obsessed with inventing new things, her family and friends are all puzzled. "What has gotten into Myne?" they wondered, never dreaming that the answer is not a "What" but a "Who": Urano Motosu, a book-loving apprentice librarian who died in an earthquake in Tokyo who somehow found herself in Myne's body! And since Myne's world is still in a medieval stage, where books can only be owned by the elite, the new Myne intends to do everything she can to bring her beloved books to the masses in the time she has left.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 84 /100

Critical reception for Ascendance of a Bookworm is overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers praising it as a charming and surprisingly thoughtful entry in the fantasy genre. Rather than relying on action-heavy tropes, the series wins over audiences by celebrating ingenuity, knowledge, and hard work as its main character navigates a medieval world without access to books.

Critics highlight the anime's relaxed pace, lovable characters, and gentle tone, while noting that it does not shy away from weightier topics like social inequality and chronic illness. While early episodes were noted by some reviewers for having a deliberate, slower start, the deliberate world-building and heartwarming story ultimately earn high praise.

“This charming historical fantasy captures young imaginations with a story of achieving your dreams against the odds”

“A fantastic continuation of one of the most surprisingly excellent series of 2019.”

“Ascendance of a Bookworm is such a relaxed show, and that brings me back to the slow pace it has.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
UK • US • CA
Crunchyroll
US • CA • UK
Why fans love it

Many stories in the isekai genre prioritize powerful combat or grand political maneuvers. Ascendance of a Bookworm takes a quieter path. It centers on the logistical struggle of manufacturing paper and ink in a medieval setting where literacy is a luxury exclusively reserved for the aristocracy. The narrative treats the protagonist’s desire for reading as a monumental, high-stakes project rather than a secondary hobby.

The series finds its rhythm in the everyday life of Myne, brought to life by voice actress Yuka Iguchi. By grounding the fantasy elements in trade, class dynamics, and the physical limitations of a sickly body, the show crafts a distinct identity within the josei space. It sidesteps common tropes of magical dominance to focus on the grit required to introduce modern innovation to a restrictive, tradition-bound society.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 7
Longest run 60 eps
Yuka Iguchi
Yuka Iguchi
as Main (voice)
60 episodes
Show Hayami
Show Hayami
as Ferdinand (voice)
60 episodes
Mutsumi Tamura
Mutsumi Tamura
as Lutz (voice)
45 episodes
Takehito Koyasu
Takehito Koyasu
as Benno (voice)
33 episodes
Megumi Nakajima
Megumi Nakajima
as Tuuli (voice)
35 episodes
Tsuyoshi Koyama
Tsuyoshi Koyama
as Gunther (voice)
31 episodes
Fumiko Orikasa
Fumiko Orikasa
as Effa (voice)
32 episodes
Satoshi Hino
Satoshi Hino
as Otto (voice)
14 episodes
Show 67 more
Tomoaki Maeno as Mark (voice) 19 episodes Aya Uchida as Frida (voice) 7 episodes Hiroshi Naka as Gustav (voice) 3 episodes Toshiyuki Morikawa as Karstedt (voice) 14 episodes Yuuichirou Umehara as Damuel (voice) 22 episodes Sho Karino as Fran (voice) 29 episodes Chiyo Tomaru as Delia (voice) 17 episodes Minori Suzuki as Rosina (voice) 14 episodes Kiyono Yasuno as Wilma (voice) 11 episodes Haruki Ishiya as Schicicoza (voice) 3 episodes Rika Kinugawa as Corinna (voice) 5 episodes Yuko Sanpei as Gil (voice) 23 episodes Kazuhiko Inoue as Sylvester (voice) 14 episodes Haruka Yanagisawa as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Megumi Fukuchi as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Yui Sawatari as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Taishi Omae as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Seina Nishiwaki as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Junko Oyama as Person in the Market (voice) 1 episode Toshihiko Seki as Eustachius (voice) 5 episodes Yusuke Kobayashi as Eckhard (voice) 7 episodes Shunsuke Yamane as Person in the Market (voice) 2 episodes Yumiri Hanamori as Fey (voice) 3 episodes Hitomi Nabatame as Ralph (voice) 6 episodes Uko Tachibana as Carla (voice) 6 episodes Mayumi Yamaguchi as Ilse (voice) 4 episodes Aino Shimada as Kai (voice) 2 episodes Toshitsugu Takashina as Wolf (voice) 3 episodes Kanako Miyamoto as Rico (voice) 6 episodes Nagisa Maruyama as Ella (voice) 3 episodes Kenyu Horiuchi as Viscount Gerlach (voice) 2 episodes Kouji Takahashi as Johann (voice) 6 episodes Tomohito Takatsuka as Josef (voice) 3 episodes Yuki Nagano as Jenni (voice) 5 episodes Ayano Shibuya as Heidi (voice) 4 episodes Yoshiyuki Ito as Arno (voice) 9 episodes Chafurin as Count Bindewald (voice) 3 episodes Yusuke Shirai as Lamprecht (voice) 7 episodes Seiichiro Yamashita as Cornelius (voice) 6 episodes Yuma Uchida as Hartmut (voice) 2 episodes Kiyoko Miyazawa as Rihyarda (voice) 6 episodes Yukine Yaehata as Gray-Robed Apprentice Priest (voice) 9 episodes Katsumi Fukuhara as Zack (voice) 3 episodes Sou Takeuchi as Man (voice) 10 episodes Arisa Hirose as Woman (voice) 5 episodes Katsunori Okai as Zahm (voice) 19 episodes Maho Oka as Woman (voice) 5 episodes Mitsuaki Hoshino as High Priest (voice) 15 episodes Mari Hino as Kamil (voice) 16 episodes Takugo Iwakawa as Ink Workshop Foreman (voice) 16 episodes Hiroyuki Endo as Man (voice) 7 episodes Yuri Ehara as Orphan (voice) 2 episodes Yua Nagae as Orphan (voice) 3 episodes Yuka Terasaki as Wilfried (voice) 9 episodes Minami Takayama as Florencia (voice) 5 episodes Saeko Oki as Dirk (voice) 5 episodes Kikuko Inoue as Elvira (voice) 5 episodes Asami Seto as Brigitte (voice) 12 episodes Nao Toyama as Angelica (voice) 5 episodes Shinya Takahashi as Man 1 (voice) 5 episodes Motoi Koyanagi as Mayor of Hasse (voice) 4 episodes Toshinari Fukamachi as Richt (voice) 2 episodes Hikaru Iida as Nicola (voice) 5 episodes Minamo Nagasawa as Nora (voice) 4 episodes Minami Shinoda as Monica (voice) 2 episodes Manaka Iwami as Philine (voice) 3 episodes Yui Hashimoto as Marthe (voice) 4 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Ascendance of a Bookworm overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

magic work reincarnation slice of life religion based on manga medieval anime josei isekai based on light novel
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 03, 2019
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
24 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
140