The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 release date has officially been confirmed to be on April 11, 2022, the Spring 2022 anime season.
The announcement of the Honzuki no Gekokujou Season 3 release date was made by the official twitter account, which also released a new key visual for the third season.
On March 12, 2022, the main Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 trailer preview was released.
On March 5, 2022, anime news leaker Sugoi LITE claimed that Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 would only have 10 episodes in total and adapt the remainder of the book series’ Part 2: Apprentince Shrine Maiden. This isn’t surprising since this same prediction was also made by Anime Geek a year ago.
By November 2020, the light novel book series that the anime is based on had reached over 4 million copies sold.
The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 anime will continue the story of Myne as she works with Ferdinand as an apprentice shrine maiden.
On January 20, 2022, a new Season 3 trailer was released. The preview video focused on Myne discussing her new baby brother Kamil and happenings in the temple.
Still, dark clouds are starting to gather since the nobility craves to control Myne’s magical abilities.
Episode 26 ended by saying, “The story continues,” but made anime fans wait for a over year to find out when Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen Season 3 will come out.
Officially, the first season of the Bookworm anime series was technically a “split-cour anime” where the second half (Episodes 15 through 26) were based on half of Part 2 of the light novel series.
What’s a “cour,” you might ask? For those unfamiliar with the lingo, a “cour” is a three-month block of TV broadcasting based on the physical seasons usually composed of 10 to 13 episodes.
A “split-cour” is where a single anime season takes a multi-month break before resuming TV broadcasting.
It should be noted that the third season’s announcement was worded as Part 3 (第3期) rather than Season 3 (第3シーズン). However, for this article’s purposes, we are treating the anime’s second cour as if it was Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 2 since that is how it’s been commonly labeled by streaming services like Crunchyroll.
That means future seasons past Episode 27 will be referred to as Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 in this article.
Previously, The Ascendance of a Bookworm anime was produced by animation studio Ajia-Do, which also animated 2018’s How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord anime and the 2016 Izetta: The Last Witch.
The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 anime will have a new staff although most of the main staff is returning.
Director Mitsuru Hongo (World Trigger) helmed the project with the help of Assistant Director Yoshiki Kawasaki (episode director for Monster Hunter Stories: RIDE ON). Writer Mariko Kunisawa handled the anime’s scripts.
Yoshiaki Yanagida and Toshihisa Kaiya are the character designers. In the past, they were both credited as chief animation directors. For the third season, the chief animation directors will be Noriko Otake and Emiko Endo. A third character designer, Haruka Matsunae, is also joining the staff.
The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 OP (opening) “Ano Hi no Kotoba” will be performed by Nao Toyama. The ED (ending) “Kotoba ni Dekinai” will be performed by Maaya Sakamoto.
For the last season, the Ascendance of a Bookworm OP for the first cour was “Pure White” as performed by Sumire Morohoshi. The ED “Hair Ornament Angel” was performed by Megumi Nakajima. The OP for Season 2, “Commotion,” was also performed by Sumire Morohoshi.
The finale for the second season, The Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 2 Episode 12, occurred on June 21, 2020. Two Ascendance of a Bookworm OVA episode also came out on March 10, 2020.
The OVA episodes were released with the limited edition of light novel Volume 22 (or Part 5: Volume 1). Crunchyroll also began streaming the OVA episodes with an English dub.
- Updated March 12, 2022: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 preview trailer and OP info.
- Updated March 4, 2022: Exact release date confirmed!
- Updated February 18, 2022: Added Season 3 ED info.
- Updated January 22, 2021: Added new Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 trailer.
- Updated December 6, 2021: Added new Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 anime key visual.
- Updated October 5, 2021: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 trailer.
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Updated August 6, 2021: Ascendance of a Bookworm release date time frame confirmed! Updated staff, manga, light novel info. Added key visual.
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Updated July 1, 2021: Added books in circulation.
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Updated April 12, 2021: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm Volume 27 release date.
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Updated March 9, 2021: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm anime visual from Newtype magazine.
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Updated December 28, 2020: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm Volume 26 release date.
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Updated November 30, 2020: Added Ascendance of a Bookworm Volume 25 cover art.
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Updated July 12, 2020: Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 anime production announced!
This article provides everything that is known about Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 (Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen Season 3) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
Why the Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen Season 3 release date is in 2022
The production of a sequel was announced in July 2020. In August 2021, the time frame was confirmed. Then in March 2022 it was officially confirmed that the the Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen Season 3 release date was April 11, 2022.
This announcement was not a surprise. Historically, Ajia-Do has only produced one or two anime projects per year. Besides Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2, the only projects they had in 2020 were the anime adaptation of the Hidden Things (Kakushigoto) manga series and the Incredible Zorori (Kaiketsu Zorori) children’s book series.
For 2021, the studio is releasing the Kemono Jihen anime based on the manga. The 2020 Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori anime is receiving a Motto! Season 2 in 2021.
Presumably, the Bookworm anime series was popular enough on streaming platforms for the anime production committee to greenlight an anime sequel quickly.
Since anime projects are scheduled years in advance, the Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3 anime couldn’t start production in earnest until late 2021 at the earliest. Therefore, we successfully predicted back in 2020 that it was likely Bookworm anime fans would be waiting until 2022.
Ascendance of a Bookworm manga, light novels, and web novel compared to the anime
The story for the anime is based on the Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen light novel series by author Miya Kazuki and illustrator Yo Shiina.
But the story first came to life in 2013 when the writer began self-publishing the story as a web novel series on the Shosetsuka ni Naro website.
Finished in March 2017, the web novel is 677 chapters and divided up into five parts. In January 2015, the web novel began being adapted into a light novel series by publishers TO Books.
The light novel adaptation has revised the web novel significantly by adding scenes and shifting the order of events around with some chapters. There are also narrative perspective changes that were introduced.
The first four parts, or 460 chapters of the web novel, were adapted by 21 light novel volumes, with the last having released on December 10, 2019.
Volume 22 released on March 10, 2020, and began to adapt Part 5, which has 217 web novel chapters left to cover.
The Ascendance of a Bookworm Volume 26 release date occurred on April 10, 2021. The Ascendance of a Bookworm Volume 27 release date is scheduled for August 10, 2021.
The book series is up to Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 6. Based on the length of the final part, Part 5 could easily be over 10 books by itself, possibly ending with Volume 32.
As of early July 2021, the book series reportedly had around 4.5 million copies in circulation.
Artist Suzuka is illustrating the Ascendance of a Bookworm manga adaptation. Began in October 2015, Part 1 has finished with seven manga volumes.
Both Part 2 and 3 of the manga started being adapted concurrently in 2018, and as of early 2021, Part 2 had 5 volumes and Part 3 had 4 volumes. Part 4 launched later and is up to 2 volumes as of July 2021.
Warning: Just reading the titles for Parts 2 through 5 reveals significant spoilers.
- Part 1: Daughter of a Soldier
- Light Novel Volumes 1 – 3
- Web Novel Chapters 1 – 77
- Manga Volumes 7
- Anime Episodes 1 -14
- Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden
- Light Novel Volumes 4 – 7
- Web Novel Chapters 78 – 172
- Manga Volumes 5+ (unfinished)
- Anime Episodes 15-26+ (unfinished)
- Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3
- Part 3: Lord’s Adopted Daughter
- Light Novel Volumes 8 – 12
- Web Novel Chapters 173 – 277
- Manga Volumes 4+ (unfinished)
- Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4?
- Part 4: The House of Lords’ Self-styled Library Assistant
- Light Novel Volumes 13-21
- Web Novel Chapters 278 – 460
- Manga Volumes 2+ (unfinished)
- Part 5: Goddess Incarnation
- Light Novel Volumes 22+ (unfinished)
- Web Novel Chapters 461 – 677
J-Novel Club has licensed the official English translation for the Ascendance of a Bookworm manga series and light novel series.
The English light novels were only up to Volume 14 (or Part 4: Volume 2) as of September 1, 2021.
The English manga was only up to Part 2: Volume 1 as of July 2021, while Part 2: Volume 2 was scheduled for September 1, 2021.
Like all anime adaptations of a book series, the story is condensed, and some content skipped to fit the story within the limited time constraints of the episodic format.
The overall pacing is good, diligently telling the story in a fashion that retains the heart of the books without relying on anime original content.
However, light novel readers have taken issue with some of the changes. For example, the anime opens with Ferdinand, the priest using a magical mindreading crown on Myne. This scene immediately reveals that magic exists, whereas in the books, it was a surprise twist.
At the same time, this scene worked wonderfully as bookends for the first two seasons. The opening connected to one of the final scenes in Episode 26, closing the loop.
The anime also posed questions about what happened to the original Myne after Urano’s memories took over, but didn’t adequately answer them. The author provided an explanation in Japanese and fans provided an English translation on Reddit:
“[The Bookwoom author is] replying to someone asking about if they were the same person just with Urano’s memories suddenly returning, or if original Myne was killed and Urano was a different person who took over.
“She says that how she thought of it when writing was that Urano’s memory and personality from her past life were at the bottom, and memories of the next life wrap up and cover those memories, developing Myne’s consciousness.
Normally the experiences of living would thickly cover those memories of a past life and they would never come to the surface. But Myne’s disease ate away at her self-consciousness, and trapped in bed she was unable to form any new experiences.
“The only place where Myne could experience new things was in her dreams (presumably of Urano’s memories), where she could run, eat as much as she wanted, do what she wanted.
And so Myne started thinking about how she wanted to sleep and dream forever, how she wanted to be Urano. She resented her father who wouldn’t let her do anything, her mother for not giving her a healthy body, and Tulli for always having fun outside.
“When she was close to death, what she reached for wasn’t her family but Urano’s memories, throwing away her own self and becoming Urano out of her own free will.
Even if she got Urano’s memories and personality she was still in Myne’s sickly body, but her child’s brain didn’t really grasp that.”
Otherwise, the Season 2 anime rushed through some of the content, so side characters like Johann and Myne’s chefs were not given the attention they were due.
While it’s disappointing that these plot points were skipped, they aren’t necessarily required for the story’s overarching progression.
Probably the most disappointing change in the second season was the memory reading scene where Ferdinand got to see the modern world of Urano. He was just as amazed as Myne was when she learned of magic.
Still, the anime satisfactorily showed Urano’s regret toward her mother, although some of the emotions described in the light novel weren’t as clearly defined in the anime.
The first season’s Part 1 adapted the three volumes of the book series’ Part 1 with 14 episodes. To maintain the same pacing, the anime’s second season would have needed around 19 episodes to adapt the four volumes of the book series’ Part 2.
Rather than increasing the pacing to a horrible degree, the second season only adapted the first two books of Part 2 (light novels 4 and 5), which corresponds to web novel chapters 78 through 133. The final scene in Episode 26 corresponds to the prologue of Part 2: Volume 3.
This means that Ascendance of the Bookworm Season 3 will likely be a single cour with only 10 episodes and adapt the second half of Part 2.
(However, since the July 2020 announcement specifically referred to the third season as Ascendance of a Bookwork Part 3 it’s possible the anime could adapt the entirety of the books’ Part 3, but that would require three cours. Therefore, I’m predicting the third season will be a single-cour, still.)
The good news is that the source material is being adapted in such a way that Ascendance of the Bookworm Season 4 could faithfully adapt the book series’ Part 3 with two cours, or around 24 episodes.
The tricky part is adapting the final two Parts. The nine volumes of Part 4 would require Ascendance of the Bookworm Season 5 to be at least three cours with 14 episodes each (or 42 episodes in total).
Therefore, it’s likely that Part 4 will be split up with Ascendance of the Bookworm Season 6 finishing it up.
It’s hard to say how many episodes Part 5 will require since the light novel series is currently unfinished.
The final part of the anime series would most likely be split up into multiple seasons, assuming the anime adaptation ever gets as far as Ascendance of the Bookworm Season 7.
English-only readers who wish to read ahead of the anime can read Part 2: Volume 3 right now. By the end of 2020, the English light novel series should have reached Part 3. Unfortunately, manga readers will have to wait a while before the manga catches up with the anime episodes.
Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 anime spoilers (plot summary/synopsis)
Myne’s display of magical power may have increased the value of the young apprentice shrine maiden, but that only means more people in power will want to exploit the girl. The High Priest foresees danger coming and decides to shelter Myne in the temple.
As might be guessed, Myne is more interested in books than politics.
She wants to work out the printing process issues to drive the prices down so more people can afford to buy books. So, she focuses on new ways to develop ink.
But it’s not like Myne is totally engrossed in her biblio bubble. It will be a long winter since Myne will be separated from her family.
And that family is growing! Myne will welcome a baby brother in the spring.
Unfortunately, spring brings its own set of problems since certain people begin plotting to control Myne’s future. Myne just wants everything to stay the same, but she may be forced to walk a new road in order to protect the people she loves.
Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3 anime spoilers (plot summary/synopsis)
Note: This article was initially published before Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 aired in Japan. If the third season is only a single cour, these spoilers for Part 3 will be relevant to Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4.
With nobility targeting Myne for her magic, she is forced to leave the temple and her family behind. Myne starts a new life as a Lord’s adopted daughter and changes her name to Rosemyne (or Rosemine) so that important people in her life will not be in danger.
However, her days living with the senior aristocracy are not exactly the lap of luxury. In addition to the fierce training for studying rituals and noble manners, Myne had the heavy responsibilities of the head of the temple and workshop.
This job is much too severe for a sick 7-year-old girl.
But Priest Ferdinand is always tough, and the challenges keep stacking up.
Not only does Myne need to get acquainted with her unfamiliar magical powers, but she also has to prepare for the harvest festival, help with the care of new orphans, counter the dissatisfaction from neighboring towns, and participate in baptismal ceremonies and other social activities.
Still, Rosemine doesn’t give up! Encouraged by a reunion with her family and friends in the downtown area, she finds the energy to keep moving toward her goals. She enjoys reading books in the library, and she desires to encourage the love of books in others.
Myne creates programs intending to improve the literacy of children entering the aristocratic institutions and to educate escort knights who do not perform well.
She’s also working on a Gutenberg printing press and has started selling picture books at the castle. These programs increase Myne’s influence both within the nobility and within the temple.
But all these advances attract the wrong type of attention from the surrounding areas. Will Myne be able to survive the battles of winter, complete her new printing machine, and launch the start of the very first printing industry in this world?
Unfortunately, anime fans will have to wait until the Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 release date to watch what happens next. Stay tuned!