The Saga of Tanya the Evil

The Saga of Tanya the Evil, known in Japan as Yōjo Senki (幼女戦記, lit. "The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl"), is a Japanese light novel series written by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki. It began serialization online in 2010, on the user-generated novel publishing website Arcadia. Enterbrain acquired the series in October 2013 and has published twelve volumes by February 2020. A manga adaptation with art by Chika Tōjō began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from April 2016.

The series focuses on a salaryman whose reincarnation as the titular character living in an alternate version of World War I leaves her to be trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation. Willing to avoid being killed whilst dying of natural causes, Tanya must take it upon herself to don a bloodthirsty, sadist ego in hopes of joining the ranks of the Empire’s Mage Corps as part of her plan to become a seemingly indestructible foe.

An anime television series adaptation by NUT was broadcast on Japanese television from January to March 2017, and was licensed by Funimation, Crunchyroll and Medialink. Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie, a theatrical film taking place after the events of the anime series, was released in Japan in February 2019. A second season has been announced.

Synopsis
Tanya Degurechaff is a soldier who has the appearance of an innocent young girl. But behind her cute facade lies the soul of a ruthless salaryman who challenged "Being X"—the self-proclaimed God who reincarnated the man into an industrial world of magic. By doing this, Being X hopes to prove that, if the situation were dire enough, even a non-believer like this man would pray for God's help.

Opposing Being X's desires to make her suffer, Tanya enlists in the military with the hope of living a peaceful life. She manages to impress the higher-ups with her aptitude for war, swiftly rising through the ranks. However, her country soon participates in the ongoing world war, quickly crushing her dream. In an attempt to return to her calm she starts using any merciless means to obliterate her opponents. Thus begins the saga of Tanya the Evil and the Empire as they seek world domination.

Light Novels
The novel series is written by Carlo Zen and was initially serialized on the web novel hosting website Arcadia, before Enterbrain's acquisition. It was subsequently published as light novels with illustrations by Shinobu Shinotsuki. The first volume was released on October 31, 2013, and as of February 20, 2020, twelve volumes have been released. A drama CD was released with the third volume. It was licensed by Yen Press.

Audiobooks
On the 16th of November 2021, YenPress released an audiobook of the first light novel, read by the English voice actress for Tanya, Monica Rial.

Manga
A manga adaptation with art by Chika Tōjō began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from April 26, 2016, and twenty seven volumes have been released.

TV Anime
An anime television series adaptation by NUT aired from January 6, 2017 to March 31, 2017. Crunchyroll and Funimation 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. A chibi parody short OVA produced by Studio Puyukai entitled Youjo Shenki premiered in January 2017. On June 19, 2021, a second season was announced. The main cast and staff are returning to reprise their roles.

A comedy crossover anime, Isekai Quartet featured characters from The Saga of Tanya the Evil in a Chibi style, much like the OVA. It also featured characters from the light novel series KonoSuba, Overlord and Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, all published by Kadokawa Corporation. The anime series began airing on April 9, 2019.

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
As of April 2018, the light novels and manga had a combined 3 million copies in print.

Writing for the Anime News Network, Nick Creamer says 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.

Trivia
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