The Saga of Tanya the Evil, known in Japan as Yōjo Senki, is a Japanese light novel series written by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki. It began serialization online in 2012 on the user-generated novel publishing website Arcadia. Enterbrain acquired the series and since then has published nine volumes since October 31, 2013. A manga adaptation with art by Chika Tōjō began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from April 26, 2016. An anime television series adaptation by NUT aired from January 6, 2017 to March 31, 2017. A theatrical film taking place after the events of the TV anime series premiered on February 8, 2019.
Plot
Synopsis
An unnamed atheist Japanese salaryman, in the moment of being murdered by a disgruntled subordinate who he had fired due to poor performance at work, is confronted by an entity that declares itself to be God who condemns the salaryman for not having 'faith'. The salaryman disbelieves in its existence, criticises its various statements from his perspective as an atheist and mockingly terms it as 'Being X'. The entity decides to reincarnate the salaryman into a world where he would face sufficiently difficult circumstances to turn to Being X for help. The salaryman is reborn as Tanya Degurechaff, an orphaned girl in an alternate reality's equivalent of Imperial Germany, known as the Empire. According to Being X, if Tanya either does not die a natural death or refuses to have faith in it, her soul will leave the cycle of reincarnation and will be sent to hell for the countless sins that Tanya has committed in her previous life. In search for an escape, Tanya decides to join the Empire's Mage Corps and fight in the war, hoping to reach a high enough rank as fast as possible to remain far from the battlefield, and in this way avoid the risk of being killed. Even if she's now forced to speak with a young girl's lips, Tanya soon turns into a ruthless soldier who prioritizes efficiency and her own career over anything else, even the lives of those beneath her, especially those that get on her bad side.
Characters
Empire
;Erich von Rerugen / Erich von Lergen ;Kurt von Rudersdorf ;Hans von Zettour ;Vais ;Glants
Legedonia
;Anson Sue/Sioux ;Mary Sue/Sioux
Other
;Being X An entity that claims itself to be the Creator or God. After a philosophical argument with a Japanese Salaryman, it reincarnates him into Tanya in hopes that he will come to believe in God. The name "Being X" is designated by Tanya who does not believe in the existence of God. It is characterized as being frustrated with the increasing faithlessness in the modern world. Occasionally, it converses with Tanya to taunt her or see if she has come to believe.
Media
Light novels
The novels are written by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki. It was initially serialized on the web novel hosting website Arcadia, before Enterbrain's acquisition. The first volume was released on October 31, 2013, and as of February 20, 2019, eleven volumes have been released. A drama CD was released with the third volume.
Manga
A manga adaptation with art by Chika Tōjō began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from April 26, 2016, and twelve volumes have been released.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation by NUT aired from January 6, 2017 to March 31, 2017. Crunchyroll has licensed the series in North America. The opening theme is "JINGO JUNGLE" by Myth & Roid and the ending theme is "Los! Los! Los!" by Aoi Yūki as Tanya Degurechaff.
Film
An anime film based on the franchise was announced in January 2018. The film saw a number of the staff and cast of the television series reprise their roles, and was a direct sequel to the series. The film premiered on February 8, 2019. The film received a limited U.S. theater release on May 16, 2019 by Crunchyroll. Crunchyroll and Anime Limited screened the film at MCM London Comic Con on May 26, 2019. Crunchyroll also screened the film at Supanova Expo in Sydney and Perth in Australia on June 23 and June 30, 2019 respectively.
Reception
The light novels and manga had a combined 3 million copies in print as of April 2018. Writing for the Anime News Network, Nick Creamer says the Saga of Tanya the Evil is differentiated from the majority of isekai anime that have heroic otaku or everyday young men as their protagonists by having Tanya be evil. Creamer explicitly says "Tanya's crimes are our crimes", indicting the capitalist system that produced her past self as a ruthless salaryman, and the consequences thereof for her new self.
