Nerdology 101: It’s Romance Anime Season!

Hey, nerds! Welcome back to Nerdology 101. You know I have a “fire in my belly” (Natsu, Fairy Tail reference) this week because it’s romance anime season! There’s quite a few I plan on checking out this season and so I’m doing a blog post on which ones I’m most looking forward to. To be clear, these have already aired. I wait until it’s near the end of the season and then binge because I’m not masochistic enough to tolerate a weekly release schedule. So, yeah, this is the beginning to my romance anime season. Let’s get into some Nerdology.

1. The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

   First up, we have The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King. Briefly, it follows Seraphina, the strongest female knight, on her journey down the isle to marry the barbarian king.

   It’s definitely up my alley. The animation style looks great, but it’s interest to me doesn’t stop there. First, it looks like there’s an age gap. If I had to guess, this Seraphina appears to be between 20-25 while the Barbarian King has to be around 50. I like this because, while the age gap is pretty large, Seraphina is framed as a highly skilled warrior, is still an adult woman (and not in that weird way anime’s sometimes do where they say she’s __, but she looks 12). So, it’s an age gap, but not in a super creepy way from way I can gather. Thus, I am definitely looking forward to this anime.

   Reference:

   Title: The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

   Aired: April 9, 2026

   To learn more: https://myanimelist.net/anime/60028/Himekishi_wa_Barbaroi_no_Yome

2. The Ramparts of Ice

   Next, we have The Ramparts of Ice. This one is giving Toradora, but more love triangle-y. To summarize, it follows Koyuki, a high school girl that seems cold, but is really just insecure. She meets two guys and stumbles into a friendship with them. And so, drama presumably follows.

   What’s appealing to me here is the tropes and vibes that are similar to other animes that I’ve enjoyed. This looks like it’s gonna be super cute and I’m sure I’ll love it.

   Reference:

   Title: The Ramparts of Ice

   Aired: April 2, 2026

   To learn more: https://myanimelist.net/anime/60852/Koori_no_Jouheki

3. An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess

   Now, there’s An Observation Log of My Fiancee Who Calls Herself a Villainess. You already know this one is gonna be the shit because the title is long, but it’s about a very bored prince who is dragged out of said boredom by his self-proclaimed villainess of a fiancee.

   This one gives me 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy vibes. Arnold is forever a favorite anime cruch of mine (I have like 90,000 favorites so I’m not sure that means anything), but I’m thinking Crowned Prince Cecil Glow Alfostar from this new show might make it 90,001 because this anime already has me hooked. It’s probably the one on this list that I’ll check out first. Who can blame me? I’m pretty sure every anime-lover has one of these long-titled anime with starring Victorian-inspired princes that love watch their surprising princess do unexpected things until they fall hopelessly in love with her. It’s a timeless vibe and I one I can’t wait to relive.

   Reference:

   Title: An Observation Log of My Fiancee Who Calls Herself a Villainess

   Aired: April 6, 2026

   To learn more: https://myanimelist.net/anime/61687/Jishou_Akuyaku_Reijou_na_Konyakusha_no_Kansatsu_Kiroku

4. Mao

   Last but not least, we have Mao. This one is supposed to be the new age Inuyasha, written by the same author with a similar story.

   For those who have been following along for a while, you probably know Inuyasha holds a special place, even among my 90,000 and hopefully 1, because

   A. It was the first animes I watched knowing that it was anime when I was watching it.

   B. It was one of my greatest inspirations behind the priestesses (Kikyo was the inspiration, mostly) from The Islands of Rune Universe.

   So, naturally, I have high hopes for Mao, though I am torn between watching it to be the same and wanting it to be different. Somehow, I’m sure the author, Rumiko Takahashi, will deliver on both, as long as the studios consulted with her properly instead of doing that annoying thing they do where they adapt the manga but completely ignore everything that made it good.

   Reference:

   Title: Mao

   Aired: April 4, 2026

   To learn more: https://myanimelist.net/anime/62048/Mao

Anyway, that’s it for this weeks segment of Nerdology 101. I’ll see you back next week for another. Until then, have a nerdy week!

Nerdology 101: The Return of “Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits”

Welcome back to Nerdology 101: The blog where I rant about random stuff and you rave because it’s just so fun! I’m your weekly ranter, Maria Levato. Indie author, fellow nerd, and this week? A very happy anime watcher.

This paragraph contains light spoilers for Season 1 of the anime. If you haven’t watched it and want to be surprised, don’t read it. If you aren’t familiar with Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, it’s an anime that originally aired in 2018. It follows Aoi, a young lady who was taught to cook for the yokai pallatte by her grandfather. One day, after her grandfather’s death, an ogre named Ōdanna appears at her home. He swoops her up and carries her off to his realm where he informs her that her grandfather owes a substantial debt to him. As collateral for the debt, her grandfather offered her. To recoup his losses, Ōdanna wants Aoi to marry him. Being a strong-minded person, Aoi refuses and insists that he allow her to work off the debt. To accomplish this, she opens a small restaurant where she serves her food to the yokai staying at his inn. While she struggles at first, she finds her way and eventually her great cooking and kind personality gain her customers and allies in this new world. Still, she grows closer to Ōdanna day by day. End Potential Spoilers.

Now, with Season 2 finally coming out, I’m stoked to see where they end up. Beyond that, the return of Kakuriyo is giving me so much hope for the return of other animes. As we’ve seen in recent years, a lot of them are making comebacks. From Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War to Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest, and even Black Butler: Public High School and Emerald Witch, many are returning. This phenomenon is hardly a new concept in anime—or any medium for that matter. The difference with Kakuriyo, though, lies in the fact that aside from Fruits Basket, this isn’t happening with romance anime at quite the same frequency.

While I love anime from many genres, romance has a special place in my heart (Duhh. I’m a romantasy author). Beyond the normal stuff all millenials watched that none of us are likely to have recognized as anime at the time (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblades, etc), my first intentional consumption of an anime was another beloved romance anime, Inuyasha (and that burn burned about as slow as a burn could burn), which inspired the priestesses in my writing. Since that time, some of my favorite anime have been romance anime. There are so many I’d love to see return. Special A, The Forbidden Academy, and so many others all deserve the same treatment. Don’t even get me started on the way I need more Maid-Sama. I’d love to see more of Misa and Usui. My hope is that we see more of all of these, especially given that Kakuriyo is thriving in this new season. I. Am. OBSESSED.

What animes would you like to see make a comeback? Are there any more that you’ve heard of potentially getting “Fruits Basket treatment”? Let me know in the comments! I’ll see you back next Friday at 3P.M. ET for the third segement of Nerdology 101. Until then, have a nerdy week!