A Villains Are Destined to Die anime adaptation was not on my mind until my world came to a stop when I looked at 2027’s expected anime. So a deep dive was in order. I am behind and a few months late; Kakao’s Piccoma platform announced that the series is getting an anime adaptation back in August 2026. The announcement coincided with the birthday of Penelope, which is a fun little detail. Well, not the exact date, but close enough.
For those of us who have been following Penelope Eckhart’s high-stakes survival story chapter by chapter on Tapas over the past six years, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. The webtoon written by Gwon Gyeoeul and illustrated by SUOL recently finished its main run with 214 chapters. So, with the bittersweet feeling of completing the series, we now get the anime.
What we know so far about the anime adaptation:
The initial reveal confirmed that the production will happen, but we have not had any key details just yet. Piccoma and publisher D&C Media revealed the official announcement visual alongside the news, but the animation studio, director, series composition writer, voice cast, and release window are currently unannounced and unknown.
- Anime: Confirmed
- Format: TV Anime
- Announced: 9 August 2026 by Kakao Piccoma
- Studio: Not Announced
- Director and staff: Not announced
- Release window: Not announced
- Streaming platform: Not announced
- Audio Languages: Not announced
I will update this space when we get more information. Although I discovered the adaptation while looking through anticipated anime for 2027, no official premiere year has been confirmed. Let me know what you want to know, and I’ll look into it.
Crunchyroll also announced the adaptation, so we can hope that it might get streamed on there too.
What to expect from the Villains Are Destined to Die anime adaptation
Translating Villains Are Destined to Die into an anime adaptation comes with immense pressure, especially given SUOL’s visual standards. The illustration work in the manhwa sets a benchmark for the elaborate court gowns, detailed jewellery and especially the expressive characters with their facial expressions, postures, and personalities. Whichever animation studio takes the helm will face the challenge of preserving that visual luxury and storytelling.
Beyond the visuals, the anime has a unique opportunity to elevate the story’s game mechanics through its audio design. In the webtoon, Penelope is trapped inside the hard mode of an otome dating simulation. Affection-percentage gauges hover above everyone’s heads, and intrusive text boxes force her dialogue choices. Sharp UI sound effects and glitching audio cues could make the animated experience as tense as the webtoon.
There is also the question of Penelope’s internal monologue. So much of the series’s dark humour and psychological tension relies on the contrast between her polite aristocratic speech and her frantic internal calculations. Nailing her voice performance will be essential to making her survivalist mindset land on screen.
I really hope and pray that this adaptation gets the ‘Solo Leveling’ treatment and not the With Vengeance, Sincerely, Your Broken Saintess treatment. Not that With Vengeance is bad; I just want a more involved adaptation. For more of my hopes and wishes for the adaptation, read my What I Hope the Villains Are Destined to Die Anime Gets Right post (that I will be posting in a few days).
Haven’t started the series yet? You have time. My Villains Are Destined to Die page collects everything I have written on it, and my review is going live soon. Plus, you can read the series in English yourself on Tappytoon, Pocket Comics, Manta and Tapas – keep in mind Tapas is sadly shutting down in 2027.
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