Bibliophile Princess

Alternate Titles

虫かぶり姫
Mushikaburi-hime

Synopsis

Elianna is a noble young lady who has been obsessed with books since a young age, earning her the nickname “Bibliophile Princess.” She is approached by the crown prince Christopher who proposes a mutually beneficial engagement which would free him from the factional disputes of the royal court and would allow her access to the royal library, where she can read to her heart’s content. Four years pass, and one day, Elianna sees Christopher talking intimately with Irene, the daughter of a viscount. Elianna prepares herself to call off the engagement, but she has mixed feelings… What will happen to Elianna and Christopher’s “true love”?

Background

Bibliophile Princess started as a light novel series written by Yui and illustrated by Satsuki Shiina that began on the user-generated novel publishing website Shosetsuka ni Naro in September 2015, where it was serialized until January 2022. The series was picked up by Ichijinsha in July 2016, who began publishing it under their Iris NEO imprint. As of February 2022, six volumes have been published. The series has also been acquired by J-Novel Club, who are publishing it in English and have released up through volume five as of January 2021.

A manga adaptation illustrated by Yui Kikuta began serialization in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Zero Sum magazine in August 2018. As of February 2022, six collected tankobon volumes have been published. As with the light novel, J-Novel Club is also publishing the manga in English and have released five volumes as of March 2022.

A TV anime adaptation was announced in January 2022. It is being produced by Madhouse and features Tarou Iwasaki as director, with Mitsutaka Hirota handling series composition, Mizuka Takahashi handling character designs, Junko Abe and Shinichi Yoshikawa handling sub-character designs, and Tomotaka Ohsumi and Yuko Fukushima composing the music. The anime’s opening theme song is “Prologue” by Yuka Iguchi, and the ending theme song is “Kawabyoushi” by Kashitaro Ito. The anime will premiere in Japan on Oct. 6, 2022 on AT-X, Tokyo MX, Kansai TV, and BS NTV.

Characters

Elianna Bernstein (Voiced by: Reina Ueda)
Elianna is a noble young lady and a bibliophile who is called “Bibliophile Princess.” In exchange for access to the royal library, she is engaged to the crown prince, Christopher. She has a calm personality and has acquired a wealth of knowledge through reading.

Christopher Selkirk Ashelard (Voiced by: Ryohei Kimura)
Christopher is a promising young man and the crown prince of the Kingdom of Sauslind. He is usually calm, but sometimes shows glimpses of a sharp, savvy side. He proposes an engagement to Elianna as a mutually beneficial deal, but what are his true intentions ......?

Alexei Strasser (Voiced by: Kouki Uchiyama)
Alexei is the son of a duke who serves Christopher as his aide. A workaholic, he keeps a close eye on Christopher to make sure he doesn’t slack off. He is also known as the "Ice Prince" due to his cold attitude toward women.

Gren Eisenach (Voiced by: Yuma Uchida)
Gren is a platoon commander of the Kingsguard that protects Christpoher. He is also in charge of transporting Elianna to and from the royal palace. He has a friendly personality and is a reliable person, but he himself tends to be manipulated by Christopher's whims.

Theodore Warren Ashelard (Voiced by: Wataru Hatano)
Theodore is the brother of the current king of Sauslind who looks after his nephew Christopher and his fiancée. He is a bachelor full of mature charm. He is also in charge of the royal library, and he and Elianna hit it off discussing books.

Alan Ferrera (Voiced by: Gen Sato)
Alan is a court musician who serves Christopher. He is free to act as he pleases in the royal court, but Christopher has assigned him a mission…

Irvin Olanza (Voiced by: Yohei Azakami)
Irvin is a young man invited to the "Autumn Hunting Festival," where nobles compete to show their hunting skills. He is concerned about Elianna and watches her appearance and behavior with great interest.

Alfred Bernstein (Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki)
Alfred is the son of the noble Bernstein family and Elianna’s older brother. He serves the royal court together with his father. He worries for Elianna, who is a bit of an airhead, and watches over her warmly.

Jean (Voiced by: Taku Yashiro)
Jean is Elianna’s manservant. He moves from the Bernstein house to the royal palace. He has known Elianna for a long time and is like family to her. He teaches Elianna self-defense.

Music

Opening Theme Song: “Prologue” by Yuka Iguchi
Ending Theme Song: “Kawabyoushi” by Kashitaro Ito

• Anime Site (Japanese)
• Twitter (Japanese)

• Original Creator: Yui
• Original Character Design: Satsuki Shiina, Yui Kikuta
• Director: Tarou Iwasaki
• Series Composition: Mitsutaka Hirota
• Character Design: Mizuka Takahashi
• Sub-Character Design: Junko Abe, Shinichi Yoshikawa
• Art Director: Hitomi Yoshida
• Color Design: Harue Ono
• Director of Photography: Junko Sakai
• Editing: Kashiko Kimura
• Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama
• Sound Effects: Yuji Furuya
• Music: Tomotaka Ohsumi, Yuko Fukushima
• Animation Production: Madhouse