7.3/1068 votes#1 - A World Without Books
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2019
Motosu Urano, a college student and a bookworm of the highest order, loses her life in an avalanche of books and wakes up in another world as a sickly girl named Main. Nevertheless confident that she can deal with any situation as long as she has books to read, she looks all over her new home for one, but doesn't find any. To make matters worse, she couldn't see any writing in town when out with her mother Eva. She realized that she found herself in a world with a low literacy rate, one where books were prohibitively expensive.
Director: Mitsuru Hongo
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.6/1057 votes#2 - Life Improvements and Slates
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2019
Having learned how expensive books are in this world, Main resolves to make books of her own. However, she soon finds out just how frail her new body is when she and her elder sister, Turi, decide to go to the gate to deliver something their father forgot—she can hardly take a few steps before running out of breath. But that's when Lutz, a neighborhood kid the same age as Main, offers his help. Main is touched by this and soon makes it to the gate. There, Otto gives her his old slate, letting her experience the joy of writing once again
Director: Yoshiki Kawasaki
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.9/1055 votes#3 - The Events of Winter
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2019
While everyone is snowed in by the harsh winter, Main has a plan: a plan to craft pseudo-papyrus as the first step towards making a book. Meanwhile, Eva teaches Turi a bunch of skills in order to prepare her for her upcoming baptism in the summer. Main is told to think about where she wants to apprentice, but as always, books are the only thing on her mind. As winter rolls on, however, the family bonds and grows closer together, and Main hits upon the perfect gift to give Turi to wear on her baptism day.
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/1054 votes#4 - Forests and Clay Tablets
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2019
Spring has arrived, and Main is raring to go make clay tablets in the forest. But first, she must convince her family that she can handle the journey.
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.6/1052 votes#5 - Baptisms and Strange Fevers
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/2019
The season has shifted to summer, and the day of Turi's baptism has arrived. Turi attracts attention with a hair ornament made by Main. Main, who has more opportunities to go to the forest, starts making wooden tablets with the help of Lutz. Meanwhile, Lutz asks Main Lutz to let him meet Otto. Lutz had a dream of becoming a traveling merchant. However, Main, shocked by her repeated failures at making paper, collapses from a high fever before the meeting with Otto.
Director: Motoko Shikama
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
7.8/1053 votes#6 - Meeting
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/7/2019
Lutz and Main prepare for the meeting with Otto. But Otto brings someone with him, turning a casual meeting into an interview that will decide both Lutz and Main's futures.
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.5/1054 votes#7 - Seeds of Suspicion
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/14/2019
With the paper-making process about to begin, Main can't hide her excitement as she and Lutz go to meet Benno as per his invitation. He reveals that he is willing to arrange for all the equipment and materials they need to make paper, but the ensuing conversation makes Lutz see Main in a very different light.
Director: Chikayo Nakamura
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.8/1056 votes#8 - Lutz's Main
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/21/2019
As Main and Lutz begin making their paper for real, Main's excitement gets the better of her, and Lutz's suspicions come to a head. He resolves to talk to her about it after the paper is finished.
Director: Yoshiki Kawasaki
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
7.7/1053 votes#9 - The Guild Master's Granddaughter
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/28/2019
Benno looks to have Main and Lutz registered with the Merchant Guild, but the guild master proves to be an obstacle. This results in them making plans to meet Frieda, his granddaughter.
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.8/1052 votes#10 - To the Second Winter
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/5/2019
Main learns from Frieda that the illness she has is called the Devouring, and that it will flare up if she ever feels anxiety or loses hope. Almost on cue, her fever starts acting up...
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.0/1057 votes#11 - Life-or-Death Choices and Family Meetings
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/12/2019
With Main collapses, everyone she knows comes together in a bid to save her life. But soon, she is faced with a life-or-death decision, one that she must discuss with her family.
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.0/1053 votes#12 - Baptism and Divine Paradises
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/19/2019
The day of Main and Lutz's baptism has arrived. Wearing a fancy dress and a new hair ornament, Main appears a clear standout from the rest of the kids, but soon she loses her way and finds herself in what she sees as heaven on earth.
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/1051 votes#13 - The Choice To Be an Apprentice Priestess
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/26/2019
When Main brings up wanting to become an apprentice priestess to her family, she learns the truth about the role and what it entails and soon comes to realize that she is in for the fight of her life.
Director: Chikayo Nakamura
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
8.6/1067 votes#14 - Conclusions
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/26/2019
Main, Gunther, and Eva head to the cathedral for their fateful meeting, knowing that Main's life is riding on a successful negotiation. But will things really go so smoothly for them?
Director: Yoshiki Kawasaki
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
7.7/103 votes#15 - Apprentice Priestess
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 4/5/2020
Main is now an apprentice priestess at the cathedral. How will she adapt to a new life in new surroundings, and how will they react to her?
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/103 votes#16 - Blue Robes and Uncommon Sense
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 4/12/2020
The stark contrast of the values at the church compared to life downtown continues to bewilder Main, as she butts heads with her retainers and her expected duties at the church.
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.0/103 votes#17 - Needs
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 4/19/2020
With Fran now fully on her team, Main must then get to work on winning Gil and Delia over.
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/103 votes#18 - Orphanage Reforms
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 4/26/2020
Main is taken to the orphanage and collapses in shock when she sees the state it and its inhabitants are in. She wants to help the kids, but will she really be able to?
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/103 votes#19 - Cleanups and Star Festivals
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 5/3/2020
As newly appointed orphanage director, Main's first task is to lead a major cleanup of the orphanage and its inhabitants. And as summer comes around, she also has some festivities in mind.
Director: Chikayo Nakamura
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.0/103 votes#20 - The Path Ahead of Lutz
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 5/10/2020
The friction in Lutz's family caused by his choice of profession comes to a head, and he runs away from home to get away from it all.
Director: Yoshiki Kawasaki
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
7.3/103 votes#21 - New Retainers
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/17/2020
When Main hears that Eva is pregnant, she decides to make a picture book for the baby and looks to recruit Wilma to be her artist. However, she finds a few roadblocks on her path...
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
7.7/103 votes#22 - Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/24/2020
With the picture-book production in full sway, Main must navigate several hurdles regarding the process and, more pressingly, Wilma's condition.
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.0/103 votes#23 - Harvest Festivals and Staying Home
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 5/31/2020
The Harvest Festival is here, and Main finds the library ransacked. She is outraged at first, but this may be a welcome opportunity for her...
Director: Atsuko Kase
Writer: Yuuko Ishiyama
7.7/103 votes#24 - Knight Orders and Requests
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 6/7/2020
Main has to break the news to her family that she has to stay in the cathedral over winter. Meanwhile, the request from the knight order looms large over the horizon.
Director: Takahide Ogata
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
8.3/103 votes#25 - Trombe and Battles
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 6/14/2020
Main and the head priest set out to join the knights on a mission to take down a rampage trombe. With this being her first exposure to proper noble society, who knows what perils lie in Main's path?
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Writer: Mariko Kunisawa
The Best Episodes of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1
Every episode of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1!
Avid bookworm and college student Motosu Urano ends up dying in an unforeseen accident. This came right after the news that she would finally be...
Genres:AnimationSci-Fi & FantasyComedyDrama
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"A World Without Books" is the best rated episode of "Ascendance of a Bookworm" season 1. It scored 7.3/10 based on 68 votes. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo and written by Mariko Kunisawa, it aired on 10/3/2019. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Life Improvements and Slates".