A new project Light Novel Anime has officially launched, introducing four original light novel stories adapted into short-format anime. Featuring the work of powerhouse authors, illustrators, and voice actors, the project is advertised as a new experiment in storytelling with trailers, visuals, staff, and cast revealed for each one.
A New Approach to Light Novel Anime Adaptations
Light Novel Anime is meant to deliver short, five-minute episodes based on newly written original works. They aim to combine the accessibility and charm of light novels with the immediacy of short-form animation.
*Note: Title and character names are not official translation.
Title 1: Heartbreak Time Leap
Written by Nigozyu, known for The Detective Is Already Dead, and drawn by tanu, Heartbreak Time Leap follows Mirin Wakana, a high school student who confesses her feelings on Christmas only to be rejected. Overwhelmed by the heartbreak, she is unexpectedly transported six months into the past, giving her a second chance at love while trying to learn about the cause of her initial failure.
Main Voice Cast:
- Tomoyo Takayanagi as Mirin Wakana
- Shogo Sakata as Itsuki Wase
- Miyari Nemoto as Miyako Anan
- Reiji Kawashima as Ren Ashiya
The author Nigozyu describes Heartbreak Time Leap as “a story about a girl trying to fix a failed confession after unexpectedly time-leaping into the past. While she believes she should have succeeded, something went wrong, and finding out why becomes part of the journey.” He adds that the story may also appeal to those who find something endearing about “girls who get rejected.”
Title 2: Femme Fatale Training Plan
Written by Natsu Hyuga (The Apothecary Diaries), with script by Gyo Kawagishi and character designs by Kamoku Okemo, Femme Fatale Training Plan follows Yuki Atagawa, a cheerful 170 cm, 90 kg man who resolves to lose weight and become a beautiful woman in order to get revenge on his cousin’s ex-boyfriend.
Main Cast:
- Daiki Yamashita as Yuki Atagawa
- Satsumi Matsuda as Tsukino
- Yuya Hirose as Yamada
- Yusuke Shirai as Suzuki
- Saho Shirasu as Hanami Kurahashi
- Reina Kondo as Yukiko Kurahashi
- Sayumi Suzushiro as Asagi Hiyama
- Tatsumaru Tachibana as Narrator
The author Hyuga describes the story as a lighthearted “cheerful heavyweight” comedy, exploring the question: “Wouldn’t it be interesting if a bright, positive chubby character became beautiful as part of a transformation?”
Title 3: Jack the Reaper
Created by Tappei Nagatsuki, the author of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World–, with series composition and script by Usagi Hasaki and character designs by Minori Chigusa, Jack the Reaper follows a man who awakens in an interrogation room with no memories. After being murdered by a mysterious assailant, he finds himself trapped in a repeating time loop, desperate to solve the mystery of his identity and survival.
Main Cast:
- Kaito Ishikawa as Gokuro Tokishiro
- Kaede Hondo as Komachi Namidazaka
- Kento Hama as Hayato Yatsugibayashi
- Hinata Tadokoro as Iwao Gondo
- Nanako Mori as Mirei Juumangoku
Known for making Subaru suffer, here is how Nagatsuki described the new project:
“5-minute runtime x Nagatsuki’s specialty x protagonist suffers!”
Title 4: I Reincarnated as Marie Antoinette, So I’ll Do Everything I Can to Avoid the Guillotine
Written by Shoko Amano (Welcome to the Onmyoya), with character designs by Takuya Fujima, this historical fantasy will see a modern-day otaku girl reincarnated as Queen Marie Antoinette. With limited knowledge of history but plenty of passion, she devises a unique plan to avoid execution by launching an idol group in Versailles, enlisting the king and the royal family in her project.
Main Cast:
- Fairouz Ai as Marie Antoinette
- Toshiki Masuda as Louis XVI
- Takeo Otsuka as Stanislas
- Shunichi Toki as Charles
- Masumi Tazawa as Madame du Barry
Amano commented about her childhood curiosity after reading The Rose of Versailles, wondering how Antoinette might have avoided the guillotine.
Distribution and Broadcast
The first title, Heartbreak Time Leap is already available for early viewing via the official Light Novel Anime YouTube channel. Additional distribution is planned through other short-form platforms.
In addition, a television version titled Weekly Light Novel Anime will present all four series in horizontal format for broadcast. The series is set to premiere on July 12 at 26:00 (2:00 AM on July 13), airing on TV in Japan.
Source: Light Novel Anime Official Website, Comic Natalie
© Light Novel Anime Production Committee
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