Honzuki no Gekokujou

I had known going in that this was going to be a slow burner so i thought I probably wouldn't make it through series since I get bored easily....but I was super wrong thank goodness and the world building and characters hooked me into the show! At the time I watched it there were only 4 or 5 episodes out and I binged them all. I'm glad that this show actually took the time to build character relationships so that I cared. I wish a lot more anime did this with their characters. The animation isn't anything to write home about but that kind of took a backseat compared to the plot for me.

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.

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.

As a person who studied to be a librarian, this story warms my heart a bit. Apart from that, this story is about a young girl, Mei, who ends up in a medieval world after she is killed by falling books. She tries to remain intellectual in a world where books are reserved for nobility, doing her best to be industrious. It seems right to give this a rating of 10.

I'm 66 and my significant other is 67. Over the past 30 years, she has dutifully watched 1 or 2 episodes of the various anime that I raved about and yawned... never watching more than 2 in any given series.

And then came Ascendance of a Bookworm...

She binge-watched the English dub version 3 episodes at a time until she had seen them all, and then watched the remaining 15 or so episodes in English subtitles two-at-a-time, despite being so severely dyslexic that it was physically painful her to both read and watch TV at the same time.

After the first series concluded, she then read the English translations of the light novels back-to-back-about 12 in a row - and avidly reads each new novel as it is translated (did I mention the painful dyslexia?).

She just finished light novel 15 and is awaiting the release of the next one at the end of October (2021). Her stated intent is to not only read all 27 light novels as they are translated, but to watch every season of the anime as it is released (even in subtitle form) and then read and watch the planned sequel.

My impression is that the series appeals more to older people, even/especially those who have never even heard of anime or Japanese light novels and that the series (animated and written) is being marketed to entirely the wrong demographic.

The older you are (until dementia has totally set in), the more likely it will be that you will enjoy the series... far more likely than if you are a regular anime fan as, other than officially being an Isekai ("other world") story, it is so radically different than all other anime out there that it is only by accident that any typical anime viewer might enjoy it.

10 out of 10 for being the only anime my significant other has ever binge-watched.