Cross Infinite World announced on Wednesday that it has licensed the following light novels for release in August-October.

Title: Assassin Empress Bellreuge
Creators: Aoi Miyamae (story), Hatori Kyouka (art)
Release Date: August 31 (digital)
Synopsis: Bellreuge is just a handmaiden working for the first princess of the Empire—that is, until she
abruptly receives a marriage proposal from the (in)famous son of a margrave Asturm, also
known as the Bloody Wolf. The first princess, who also happens to be Bellreuge’s older half-
sister, forces Bellreuge and Asturm to flee the Imperial Capital with soldiers hot on their heels.
Luckily, Bellreuge can fight…because she’s lived under the constant threat of assassination since
birth. Now exiled to the unfamiliar Margravate of Beiermen, she’ll have to find a way to make
the best of her situation. Little does she know that events have moved faster than she ever could
have anticipated, and that together with Asturm, she may end up deciding the fate of the Empire
itself.

Title: From Bumbling Prodigy to Villainess: Will the Duke’s Love Go Unnoticed?
Creators: Saki Ichibu (story), Yukako Fujimura (art)
Release Date: September 30 (digital) with physical release at later date
Synopsis: Despite Avril’s unique ability, her family has always treated her like a bumbling waste of space.
Eventually, her parents force her into a marriage of convenience in her wicked half-sister’s stead.
Contrary to the rumors, however, the decrepit, lecherous Duke Lanchester turns out to be a
gorgeous young man. Of all things, Duke Lanchester wants to marry a villainess for three years
before divorcing her. For Avril, this is the perfect opportunity to secure her freedom in the future.
Thus, the oddball prodigy must do her best to play the villainess, simultaneously bewildering and
charming everyone around her!

Title: From Corporate Drone to Mincemaster! One Order of Dragon Coming Right Up!
Creators: Minato Minato (story), Tsukito (art)
Release Date: August 31
Synopsis: Sachi had the misfortune of her first job as a working adult being the type that sucked the life out
of her for the last two years. Rushing to catch the last train home as usual one day, she instead
gets caught up in a sudden bright light! The next thing she knows, people are celebrating the
summoning of a saintess and lavishing all their praise on the high school girl next to her.
Meanwhile, Sachi is tossed aside as useless when they determine her ability is something weird
called Monster Mincer. But just as Sachi thinks she’s out of luck, the submaster of an
Adventurer’s Guild appears and recruits her to mince monsters for ingredients. Will Sachi be
able to handle her colorful new job and thrive in this fantasy world?!

Title: The Villainess’ Journal: Newlywed Life of an Obsessive Researcher
Creators: Len Kagizaki, Akira Shigaraki
Release Date: October 31 (digital) with physical release at later date
Synopsis: “Will you marry me, Villainess Estelle Aublanc?”
Estelle, a viscount’s daughter with a passion for science, loves nothing more than to conduct
research in her field of expertise—magic circles. But one day, the “Ice Marquess,” Gerald,
proposes marriage during their very first meeting. Her father explains that this man wants to
share his life with the “ultimate villainess,” as she’s known throughout high society. But that
nickname wouldn’t exist if her little sister hadn’t gone around misbehaving while using Estelle’s
name! As she leaves for the marquess’ house, still unsure of what to make of the arrangement,
Estelle’s father threatens to burn up all her research materials if this new marriage ends in a
divorce.

“That leaves me no choice. If I don’t become the villainess he’s looking for, all of my data will
be destroyed. How did it ever come to this?”

Estelle decides to live as a villainess to protect her precious research, all while keeping a journal
of her daily life at the home of the Ice Marquess.

Source: Press releases

Nakabayashi plays Jikaki Neko in 4th episode on Thursday

The staff of the television anime of Nyan Nyan Factory‘s Chainsmoker Cat (Yanineko) manga revealed on Wednesday that Niina Nakabayashi plays Jikaki Neko, who debuts in the preview for the fourth episode on Thursday:

The anime debuted on July 2 at 24:30 (effectively, July 3 at 12:30 a.m.) on the Tokyo MX and BS11 channels. The anime will start airing on AT-X on July 25. WWWave Corporation‘s anime streaming platform OceanVeil is streaming the anime as it airs.

The anime has two versions, an “Evil Dragon Unleashed” version that “respects the work’s directorial intent” on some of the episodes, and an “On-Air” version that is made for terrestrial television broadcast. The “Evil Dragon Unleashed” version is available on the AT-X premium subscription channel and the AnimeFesta, DMM TV, Fuji TV On Demand, Hulu, Netflix, and Anime Times streaming services in Japan. (AnimeFesta and Anime Times will also have the “On-Air” version.) 16 other streaming services only offers the “On-Air” version in Japan. OceanVeil streams the “Evil Dragon Unleashed” version of the anime.

The original manga contains toilet humor, gross-out comedy, and characters regularly consuming drugs and/or alcohol.

Seven Seas is releasing the manga in English, and it describes this comedy set in a world where humans, catgirls, and similar species co-exist:

Yani is a catgirl with a seriously bad smoking habit. She smokes so much that her apartment smells like ash and is littered with cigarette butts—and plenty of other trash! Every time she tries to quit, she becomes weak to the cravings and gives in almost instantly. Will she ever get her life together, or is she doomed to live as a chainsmoking slob forever?

The anime stars:

Studio Lemon‘s Taku Kimura (Kairyū to Yūbinya-san, Star Wars: Visions‘ “Tattooine Rhapsody”) is directing the anime at Bibury Animation Studio, and Takashi Aoshima (Himouto! Umaruchan, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You) is writing the scripts. Riki Matsuura is designing the characters, and Keiichi Suzuki (Saint Young Men, Tokyo Godfathers) is composing the music. Rock band Wasureranneyo will perform the anime’s opening theme song “Nanmonee,” while Necry Talkie will perform the anime’s ending theme song “Kemuri to Blue” (Smoke and Blue). Other staff members include:

Nyan Nyan Factory has been serializing the manga in Kodansha‘s Young Magazine, and Kodansha published the 12th compiled book volume on May 20. Seven Seas published the third volume in English on June 16.

Source: Press release