The villainess genre just got its next big player. KADOKAWA officially announced that Within the Villainess, the breakout series by Makiburo with illustrations by Mai Murasaki, will receive an anime adaptation in 2027. The announcement dropped alongside a teaser visual and promotional video, giving fans their first look at the revenge drama in motion.
The story follows Remilia, a feared “villainess” in an otome game who carries within her the soul of Emi, a reincarnated girl who loves her unconditionally. When the game’s heroine betrays them and forces Remilia into the story’s inevitable condemnation, Emi collapses in despair. That’s when Remilia—in control of her body for the first time in 11 years—awakens with quiet fury. “Everything is for the sake of the world (you) I love,” she declares.
The teaser PV confirmed two heavy hitters in lead roles: Miyuki Sawashiro as Remilia Rose Graupner and Rie Takahashi as Emi. The PV opens with Emi’s childhood before Remilia takes center stage, delivering the line: “In my own name… I cannot speak falsehoods or confess to crimes that Remilia Rose Graupner did not commit.”
Behind the scenes, Yoshihisa Iida takes his first series director role, with Reiko Nagasawa (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) handling character design. Hiroyuki Yoshino (Black Butler -Public School Arc-, Macross Frontier) writes series composition and scripts. Animation production goes to rising studio ROLL2 (Love Is Indivisible by Twins).
The series has serious momentum. Originally a web novel starting in 2020, it hit book form in 2021, spawned a manga adaptation by Nazuna Shiraume in 2022, and now sits at over 4 million copies in circulation as of March 2026. It’s ranked in multiple web manga awards and completed its manga run in May 2025.
The teaser visual features Remilia holding a red rose amid shattered mirrors—imagery that promises the elegant, vengeful tone the series is known for. 2027 feels far away, but for villainess fans, this one’s worth the wait.
Source: KADOKAWA
