Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte explained

, also known as for short, is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Suzu Enoshima and illustrated by Eihi. It was serialized online between August and November 2018 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō, and all 47 chapters were later released on the Kakuyomu website in December 2019. It was later acquired by Fujimi Shobo, who have published two volumes between April and August 2019 under their Kadokawa Books imprint. The light novel is licensed in North America by J-Novel Club. A manga adaptation with art by Rumiwo Sakaki was serialized in Enterbrain's manga magazine B's Log Comic from June 2019 to September 2024. The manga was canceled on September 4, 2024 due to the lack of editing skills from the magazine’s editorial staff.^[1] It has been collected in seven volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tezuka Productions aired from January to March 2023.

Plot

Broadcasting club members Aoto Endo and Shihono Kobayashi decide to play A Magical Romance, an otome game following the adventures of the protagonist Fiene as she romances her capture targets while fighting against the villainess, Lieselotte Riefenstahl, who is eventually consumed by darkness and tragedy in all of the game's routes. Aoto, having read the game's supplementary material, believes Lieselotte to be misunderstood, claiming she is instead a tsundere that has trouble expressing her feelings. Aoto and Shihono play the game while each providing color and play-by-play commentary respectively, only for Prince Siegwald Fitzenhagen, Lieselotte's fiancé, to hear their words and interpret them as the word of god. As Aoto and Shihono continue providing commentary on Lieselotte, Siegwald begins understanding her feelings and thus avoiding the dark fate she faces as the misunderstood villainess, leading to drastic changes to the fate of their world.

Characters

Lieselotte, or "Liese," is the high-ranking aristocratic villainess of the otome game A Magical Romance and a tsundere. She is engaged (and eventually married) to Prince Siegwald "Sieg" Fitzenhagen and kept from succumbing to her destined fate thanks to Shihono and Aoto coaching Sieg, thus causing him to pay more attention and attempt to understand her inability to communicate.

Siegwald, or "Sieg," is the "main" capture target of the otome game, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Fitzenhagen, and the fiancé (and eventually husband) of Lieselotte. He breaks the plot by being able to hear Aoto and Shihono tell him that Lieselotte does love him, but can't express her feelings properly, thus keeping him from focusing on the heroine. He is earnest and kind.

One of the two protagonists and narrators, Aoto is a modern Japanese high school student and the official "commentator" of A Magical Romance otome game. He joins the Broadcast Club after irreparably injuring his shoulder, thus making him unable to continue playing baseball. He has a crush on Shihono and agrees to play the otome game with her to practice his commentary for the Broadcast Club.

One of the two protagonists and narrators, Shihono is the official analyst of A Magical Romance otome game. She saves Aoto from being volunteered to play softball for their school by telling the class he has already joined the Broadcast Club. She is very enthusiastic about the game and Lieselotte Riefenstahl's survival/happy ending therein. She convinces Aoto to give the game a try by saying he can practice his commentary as if he were watching a sporting match.

Originally the heroine of her otome game world, a "commoner" with magical abilities. However, because Sieg has been advised by Aoto and Shihono about Lieselotte's devotion to him, Fiene has been kept from falling into a romance with him. Some time after Fiene has built a friendship with Liese, Sieg, and Baldur, she is informed of her important role in the future, which Sieg learns from the commentators. It is eventually revealed that her father was August Riefenstahl (Liese's uncle), who passed before her birth, and her mother's family is a prestigious one in the Marschner Duchy. She is adopted into Liese's family and becomes one of Liese's younger sisters. She becomes engaged to Baldur.

Baldur is a capture target, as well as the cousin to Lieselotte Riefenstahl. He is the second character Aoto and Shihono try to change the fate of. He is in love with Fiene and devotes himself to protecting her from harm. He is later engaged to her.

Another capture target, Artur is an active priest of the Church despite still being a student at the Magic Academy. He is away on a mission from the Church an shows up later in the game as a magical healer. He is a bit of a playboy.

Fabian is a capture target and a child prodigy. Despite his young age, an exception was made for him to attend the Magic Academy and he is studying how to control his overwhelming magical powers. He has an aversion to adult men.

The final capture target, Leon, is a professor at the Magic Academy. He is secretly a sadistic savant of magic but he comes across as unremarkable and avoids others.

Media

Light novel

The series by Suzu Enoshima, originally serialized on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō from August 11 to November 3, 2018, was later made available on Kakuyomu in December 2019. It was also later acquired by Fujimi Shobo, who have published two light novel volumes with illustrations by Eihi between April 10 and August 9, 2019 under their Kadokawa Books imprint. An extra volume was released on December 9, 2022. In September 2021, J-Novel Club announced that they had licensed the light novel in North America.^[2]

Manga

A manga adaptation with art by Rumiwo Sakaki has been serialized in Enterbrain's manga magazine B's Log Comic from June 5, 2019 to September 4, 2024.^[3] It has been collected in seven volumes. In January 2023, J-Novel Club announced that they had also licensed the manga.^[4]

Anime

On December 24, 2021, an anime adaptation was announced.^[5] It was later confirmed to be a television series adaptation produced by Tezuka Productions and directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura, with oversees the series' scripts, Miyuki Katayama designed the characters, and Tatsuhiko Saiki, Natsumi Tabuchi, Sayaka Aoki, Junko Nakajima, and Kanade Sakuma composed the music.^[6] It aired from January 7 to March 25, 2023, on the Animeism programming block on MBS and other affiliates.^[7] The opening theme song is by Dazbee, while the ending theme song is by Anna.^[8] At Anime NYC 2022, Sentai Filmworks announced that they licensed the series, and streamed it on Hidive.^[9]

Episodes

Reception

The series had over 500,000 copies in circulation by December 2021.^[5]

External links

• at Kakuyomu

Notes and References

1. Web site: Pineda . Rafael Antonio . September 6, 2024 . Rumiwo Sakaki's Endo and Kobayashi Live! Manga Abruptly Canceled . Anime News Network . September 6, 2024 .
2. Web site: Hazra. Adriana. J-Novel Club Adds 4 New Light Novels, 1 New Manga. Anime News Network. September 13, 2021. December 24, 2021. December 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224155148/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-09-13/j-novel-club-adds-4-new-light-novels-1-new-manga/.177273. live.
3. Web site: https://ln-news.com/articles/94068. ja:『ツンデレ悪役令嬢リーゼロッテと実況の遠藤くんと解説の小林さん』のコミカライズ連載がビーズログ・コミック77号より開始. LN News. June 5, 2019. January 28, 2023. ja. December 11, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221211131448/https://ln-news.com/articles/94068. live.
4. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Hodgkins. Crystalyn. J-Novel Club Adds 10 Light Novels, 4 Manga. Anime News Network. January 28, 2023. January 27, 2023. June 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240614225951/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-01-27/j-novel-club-adds-10-light-novels-4-manga/.194232. live.
5. Web site: Loo. Egan. 'Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte' Light Novels Has Anime in the Works. Anime News Network. December 24, 2021. December 24, 2021. June 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230605050818/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-12-24/endo-and-kobayashi-live-the-latest-on-tsundere-villainess-lieselotte-light-novels-has-anime-in-the-/.180963. live.
6. Web site: Loo. Egan. 'Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte' Anime's 1st Video Unveils Cast, Staff, January TV Debut. Anime News Network. July 15, 2022. July 15, 2022. June 4, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230604074107/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-07-15/endo-and-kobayashi-live-the-latest-on-tsundere-villainess-lieselotte-anime-1st-video-unveils-cast-/.187707. live.
7. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. 'Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte' Anime's 2nd Promo Video Reveals January 6 Premiere. Anime News Network. November 18, 2022. November 18, 2022. November 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221118100830/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-11-18/endo-and-kobayashi-live-the-latest-on-tsundere-villainess-lieselotte-anime-2nd-promo-video-reveals-/.192036. live.
8. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Endo and Kobayashi Live! Anime's 3rd Promo Video Reveals More Cast, Theme Song Artists. Anime News Network. December 9, 2022. December 9, 2022. December 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221209100554/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-09/endo-and-kobayashi-live-anime-3rd-promo-video-reveals-more-cast-theme-song-artists/.192761. live.
9. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. HIDIVE Reveals 5 Winter Simulcast Anime Including Tsurune 2nd Season, Spy Classroom. Anime News Network. November 19, 2022. November 19, 2022. November 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120024308/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-11-19/hidive-reveals-5-winter-simulcast-anime-including-tsurune-2nd-season-spy-classroom/.192088. live.