Ascendance of Bookworm Season 4 Production Committee Confirms AI Use in Opening; Wit Studio Issues Official Apology

The production committee for Ascendance of Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke Season 4 has officially confirmed that generative AI was used in parts of the anime’s opening sequence. The confirmation follows an internal report and verification conducted by Wit Studio.

According to official statements released by the production committee and Wit Studio, the issue was identified during internal review processes, prompting immediate consultation between both parties to determine corrective measures.

Below are the official statements from the Production Committee (left) and Wit Studio (right) regarding the confirmed generative AI usage in the Season 4 opening sequence.

Opening Sequence to Be Revised Starting Episode 2

The committee announced that the opening animation will be revised beginning with Episode 2. The affected sections of the sequence will be replaced with corrected footage.

In addition, the updated opening will also be applied to previously aired and streamed versions of Episode 1 after Episode 2 is broadcast. This ensures that all official distributions reflect the revised version.

Any potential changes to Blu-ray and DVD release schedules resulting from these updates will be announced separately.

Wit Studio and Production Committee Respond

Wit Studio and the production committee issued a formal apology addressing the situation. The statement expressed regret toward viewers, the original author, and all staff involved in the production.

"We deeply apologize for the considerable inconvenience and trouble caused to our viewers who were looking forward to the work, as well as to the original author and other related parties. Going forward, we will work in cooperation with Wit Studio Co., Ltd. to review our production system and strive to prevent this from happening again."

The committee stated that the issue has caused concern and inconvenience to audiences who were anticipating the series, and emphasized its responsibility in ensuring production quality and transparency.

Going forward, the production committee confirmed that it will work in close cooperation with Wit Studio to review its production workflow and internal review systems.

The goal, according to the statement, is to strengthen quality control processes and implement measures to prevent similar issues from occurring in future productions.

The issue surrounding the opening sequence drew attention following viewer observations and online discussions regarding visual elements in the opening animation. This led to increased scrutiny, which ultimately resulted in internal confirmation of generative AI usage in part of the production process.

Ascendance of a Bookworm is a Japanese light novel series written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by Yō Shiina. It began web serialization in 2013 on the user-generated novel site Shōsetsuka ni Narō, before being published in print by TO Books starting in 2015.

The series is adapted into an anime produced by Ajia-do Animation Works for its first three parts:

• Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian! (Season 1) aired from October 3, 2019 to December 26, 2019
• Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 2 – I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian! (Season 2) aired from April 5, 2020 to June 21, 2020
• Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 3 – I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian! aired from April 12, 2022 to June 14, 2022

The light novel series has a total of 33 main volumes, concluding in 2023 with Volume 33. The series also includes additional side stories and spin-off volumes expanding the narrative beyond the main storyline.

A continuation titled Ascendance of a Bookworm: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke (commonly referred to as Season 4) began airing in April 2026, produced by Wit Studio, continuing Myne’s journey as she enters noble society and higher political structures.

Crunchyroll streaming season 4, describes the story:

“A book-loving college student dies and is reborn in a world where books are rare and only the elite have access to them. Reborn as Myne, a sickly girl in a poor family, she decides to create books herself if none exist for her to read.”

Sources: ORICON News, Wit Studio official announcement, Gizmodo Japan coverage 
©Miya Kazuki, TO Books/Ascendance of a Bookworm Project/WIT Studio.