Honzuki no Gekokujou

Motosu Urano always loved books and reading and was looking forward to working as a librarian... then an earthquake strikes and she is buried under a pile of books. Her dying wish is to be reincarnated in a world where she can read as much as she wants. She then awakens in the body of Myne, a sickly five year old in a world where books are rare and can only be afforded by the nobility. She is undeterred... she will make her own books. She still has her memories from the previous life and decides to use that knowledge to make her own books... theory and practice are different though and early attempts aren't too successful; she perseveres, along with her friend Lutz. She also uses her knowledge to make other items unknown in this world so she can buy the things she needs. As the story progresses she learns why she is so sickly.

I really enjoyed this series. It moves at a gentle pace and manages to avoid the fan service and violence that feature in many series; especially those in alternate worlds. Myne is a fun protagonist and her attempts to make something to create books with is a joy to watch... and one even learns a bit about ancient writing materials as she works her way up to making more traditional paper. The characters are all fairly likable; I don't think there is anybody who be considered an antagonist. The final episode promised more to come; hopefully we won't have to wait too long for a second season. The character designs are good and the animation is solid. I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting a gentle anime series.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

Expectations were low, but once I started watching it I was hooked. This is a well grounded story, nothing silly or over the top and everything seems plausible. There were a few forced plot lines, which some were due to the English translation of the Japanese, and some critical information was missing which left the viewer wonder. These generally were cleared up later, but after some episodes you are left wondering, why didn't Myle do this, or that. There is no fan service so this is totally family safe. I am looking forward to season 2, I hope they create it.

At first it comes across as very much one lined childish stuff, but it really is not, it's uplifting, it has a dark side, it's well worth adding and I can't wait till the next season starts, in fact I can see this story go to many seasons.

This story has fine animation, video editing and sound editing. The original novels are lengthy, but the script writers have done a good job of condensing the story. The Chibi style inner thoughts add humor. The after-credits shorts are a hoot! The English voice actors are well known and quite good. You will recognize voices from series like Re:Zero and SAO. The story is family appropriate. If you don't like books, you may not feel the same excitement that book-lovers will find here. The author has done extensive research into the history of paper and printing and this series is genuinely educational.

The premise is the soul of a girl from modern Japan is reborn in the body of a dying little girl. The new girl is still sickly and could die at any moment. She has some memories of both lives, and she begins pushing her modern ideas onto those around her. She is constantly experimenting and creating inventions in a medieval world. She desperately wants books, so she invents paper, tools, ink, and printing technology. She also promotes cleanliness, new fashions, shampoo, and new cooking methods. In her old life in Japan, she was an isolated, self-involved book-lover. Now she is desperate to accomplish things before her soon expected death and her accomplishments far exceed her view of herself.

The story chronicles her rise from poor commoner toward greatness. She faces many challenges and dangers. Will she die of fever, will the nobles kill or kidnap her, will the rulers label her dangerous and execute her?

Season 3 should have been the most powerful season thus far, but the abbreviated season of only 10 episodes does not give the story the time it needs. Even so, you will be rewarded by an excellent season finale. If you want more, read the books by Miya Kazuki. English translations of fine quality are available for the first 20+ novels. Manga are also available. The initial web novels are available online in Japanese.

This is one of those wholesome anime you can easily enjoy with the whole family. The characters are fun and interesting to watch and I really want to see where they will go with the story in season three.

I think the animation is well done and the opening songs of both seasons are really good. I never skipped them.

The show isn't perfect as some stuff seems to be a bit rushed at times, but overall I'd easily recommend it.