Ascendance of a Bookworm

TV-14

When a sickly young girl suddenly becomes obsessed with inventing new things, her family and friends are all puzzled. "What has gotten into Myne?" they wondered, never dreaming that the answer is not a "What" but a "Who": Urano Motosu, a book-loving apprentice librarian who died in an earthquake in Tokyo who somehow found herself in Myne's body! And since Myne's world is still in a medieval stage, where books can only be owned by the elite, the new Myne intends to do everything she can to bring her beloved books to the masses in the time she has left.

Where to Watch Ascendance of a Bookworm • Ascendance of a Bookworm

36 Episodes

A World Without Books
E1
A World Without BooksMotosu Urano, a college student and a bookworm of the highest order, loses her life in an avalanche of books and wakes up in another world as a sickly girl named Main. Nevertheless confident that she can deal with any situation as long as she has books to read, she looks all over her new home for one, but doesn't find any. To make matters worse, she couldn't see any writing in town when out with her mother Eva. She realized that she found herself in a world with a low literacy rate, one where books were prohibitively expensive.
Life Improvements and Slates
E2
Life Improvements and SlatesHaving learned how expensive books are in this world, Main resolves to make books of her own. However, she soon finds out just how frail her new body is when she and her elder sister, Turi, decide to go to the gate to deliver something their father forgot—she can hardly take a few steps before running out of breath. But that's when Lutz, a neighborhood kid the same age as Main, offers his help. Main is touched by this and soon makes it to the gate. There, Otto gives her his old slate, letting her experience the joy of writing once again
The Events of Winter
E3
The Events of WinterTwo months later, winter traps Myne indoors. She gives up making papyrus, helps weave baskets, and plans clay tablets for spring. Discovering recipes and aiding Otto, she trades help for slate pencils.
Forests and Clay Tablets
E4
Forests and Clay TabletsMyne cooks a delicious meal but refuses an apprenticeship, aiming to find clay. She helps Otto teach, gains strength, and gathers clay with Lutz, but repeated failures destroy her tablets, testing her resolve.
Baptisms and Strange Fevers
E5
Baptisms and Strange FeversOn Tuuli's baptism day, Myne impresses others with a hairpin and helps deliver a message. She tries wooden tablets and ink, but repeated setbacks and illness push her to the brink-until Lutz inspires her to keep going.
Meeting
E6
MeetingLutz and Main prepare for the meeting with Otto. But Otto brings someone with him, turning a casual meeting into an interview that will decide both Lutz and Main's futures.
Seeds of Suspicion
E7
Seeds of SuspicionWith the paper-making process about to begin, Main can't hide her excitement as she and Lutz go to meet Benno as per his invitation. He reveals that he is willing to arrange for all the equipment and materials they need to make paper, but the ensuing conversation makes Lutz see Main in a very different light.
Lutz's Main
E8
Lutz's MainAt their workshop, Myne and Lutz craft paper using trombe fibers. As Lutz grows suspicious, Myne reveals her true identity. He accepts her, and together they succeed, earning Benno's approval as apprentices.
The Guild Master's Granddaughter
E9
The Guild Master's GranddaughterBenno looks to have Main and Lutz registered with the Merchant Guild, but the guild master proves to be an obstacle. This results in them making plans to meet Frieda, his granddaughter.
To the Second Winter
E10
To the Second WinterA year later, Myne battles the Devouring as she trains to be an apprentice. While helping Benno fix shampoo production, her illness worsens, and she finally collapses under its growing power.
Life-or-Death Choices and Family Meetings
E11
Life-or-Death Choices and Family MeetingsWith Main collapses, everyone she knows comes together in a bid to save her life. But soon, she is faced with a life-or-death decision, one that she must discuss with her family.
Baptism and Divine Paradises
E12
Baptism and Divine ParadisesThe day of Main and Lutz's baptism has arrived. Wearing a fancy dress and a new hair ornament, Main appears a clear standout from the rest of the kids, but soon she loses her way and finds herself in what she sees as heaven on earth.
The Choice to Be an Apprentice Priestess
E13
The Choice to Be an Apprentice PriestessWhen Main brings up wanting to become an apprentice priestess to her family, she learns the truth about the role and what it entails and soon comes to realize that she is in for the fight of her life.
Conclusions
E14
ConclusionsMyne faces the temple with her family, but conflict turns violent. Driven by the Devouring, she unleashes her power. The High Priest intervenes, accepts her terms, and grants her a place at the temple.
Apprentice Priestess
E15
Apprentice PriestessMain is now an apprentice priestess at the cathedral. How will she adapt to a new life in new surroundings, and how will they react to her?
Blue Robes and Uncommon Sense
E16
Blue Robes and Uncommon SenseThe stark contrast of the values at the church compared to life downtown continues to bewilder Main, as she butts heads with her retainers and her expected duties at the church.
Needs
E17
NeedsWith Fran now fully on her team, Main must then get to work on winning Gil and Delia over.
Orphanage Reforms
E18
Orphanage ReformsMain is taken to the orphanage and collapses in shock when she sees the state it and its inhabitants are in. She wants to help the kids, but will she really be able to?
Cleanups and Star Festivals
E19
Cleanups and Star FestivalsAs newly appointed orphanage director, Main's first task is to lead a major cleanup of the orphanage and its inhabitants. And as summer comes around, she also has some festivities in mind.
The Path Ahead of Lutz
E20
The Path Ahead of LutzThe friction in Lutz's family caused by his choice of profession comes to a head, and he runs away from home to get away from it all.
New Retainers
E21
New RetainersWhen Main hears that Eva is pregnant, she decides to make a picture book for the baby and looks to recruit Wilma to be her artist. However, she finds a few roadblocks on her path.
Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids
E22
Wilma and Holy Scriptures for KidsWith the picture-book production in full sway, Main must navigate several hurdles regarding the process and, more pressingly, Wilma's condition.
Harvest Festivals and Staying Home
E23
Harvest Festivals and Staying HomeThe Harvest Festival is here, and Main finds the library ransacked. She is outraged at first, but this may be a welcome opportunity for her.
Knight Orders and Requests
E24
Knight Orders and RequestsMain has to break the news to her family that she has to stay in the cathedral over winter. Meanwhile, the request from the knight order looms large over the horizon.
Trombe and Battles
E25
Trombe and BattlesMain and the head priest set out to join the knights on a mission to take down a rampage trombe. With this being her first exposure to proper noble society, who knows what perils lie in Main's path?
Dreamlike World
E26
Dreamlike WorldTasked with healing the land ravaged by the trombe, Main has to put on a show. How that will affect the way the onlookers see her is anybody's guess... and so is how the head priest will react.
The Beginning of Winter
E27
The Beginning of WinterAutumn has come to a close. Main starts selling the scripture picture books, gets asked by the apprentice blacksmith Johann to be his patron, and starts taking the next step in her bookmaking endeavors.
The Story About Winter Stays and the Future
E28
The Story About Winter Stays and the FutureMain ends up having to start her winter stay at the cathedral. However, she instantly becomes homesick. Also, in a meeting with Benno, Ferdinand, and Karstedt, it's revealed that Wolf is a dangerous individual with ties to nobles.
The Dedication Ceremony and Spring Arrives
E29
The Dedication Ceremony and Spring ArrivesThe knight Damuel has become Main's bodyguard. Now that she's able to go places, Main is excited about going to the library. They hold the Dedication Ceremony where she offers her mana into small holy grails. That was quite tiring for her, but she still goes back into town to see how Johann is doing with her order. Her passion for books just doesn't top. Spring is drawing closer, and Main can't wait to go back to her family, but then she receives some devastating news.
Spring Prayer
E30
Spring PrayerMain and the others get ready to head off to the Spring Prayer, when they meet a blue-robed priest named Sylvester. Main doesn't know how to deal with Sylvester who seems to do whatever he wants. She tries to avoid Sylvester as they go around to various farming villages and she does an amazing job doing all of the rituals. Eventually, they end up at Viscount Gerlach's mansion. Apparently he had shown interest in Main before. But that night, something terrible happens!
Gift from the Blue-Robed Priest and Going Home
E31
Gift from the Blue-Robed Priest and Going HomeWith the Spring Prayer finished, Main and the others returned to the cathedral. Sylvester appoints Main as his guide to show him around the orphanage and workshop, where they observe how the scripture picture books are made. As he leaves, Sylvester gives Main a necklace with a black stone, saying it's a protection charm just in case anything were to happen. Meanwhile, Ferdinand, who had also witnessed the books being made, tells Main's method of making books will change history and how dangerous that may be.
The Abandoned Child of the Cathedral and Making Colors
E32
The Abandoned Child of the Cathedral and Making ColorsMain is finally able to go home. Her little brother Kamil is born and she becomes even more determined to create books. That is when Main meets a helpful collaborator named Heidi, who is the daughter of an ink maker. Heidi is extremely curious and passionate, so she hit it off immediately with Main. They start to make colored inks through trial and error. Meanwhile, a baby is abandoned at the cathedral and Main and her attendants end up taking care of him.
Delia and Dirk
E33
Delia and DirkDirk suddenly develops a high fever. Delia, who adored Dirk, and started to see him as her own family, was worried sick. Main sees his symptoms and realizes that he may have the Devouring. After talking to Ferdinand, they decide to raise him without letting others know that he has the Devouring. Meanwhile, Main continues her colored-ink experiments with Heidi as she helped out with taking care of Dirk at the cathedral, but...
Ominous Developments
E34
Ominous DevelopmentsOn the way home from Heidi's workshop, they hear the emergency bells sound through the city as well as see a red emergency flare go up into the sky. Main is worried about what might've happened. It is decided that Main should stay home until they can find out what is going on. Main gets to spend some time with her family back home again. After a while, Main is finally allowed back outside and heads to the cathedral. Once she gets there, she realizes Dirk is missing, and unbeknownst to her, there was another threat lurking just around the corner!
The Black Protective Charm
E35
The Black Protective CharmBecause of the lack of caution exercised by one of the gate guards, the carriage with the noble from another domain has entered the city. Gunther finds out that Main is being targeted and gets worked up over protecting Main.
Blessing
E36
BlessingTo protect her family, Main agrees to be adopted by Sylvester. It is he who enters the cathedral with Sir Karstedt just at the moment when Ferdinand and Sir Bindewald are involved in a fight, but this entire affair will not only have consequences for Main because now Count Bindewald, the bishop, and Delia have to answer for their actions.