Himekishi-sama no Himo

The Kept Man of the Princess Knight began as a light novel by Toru Shirogane, with art by Saki Mashima. A light novel is a short Japanese novel for young adults with some anime-style pictures. The story won the Grand Prize at the 28th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2021, and the books started coming out in February 2022 from Dengeki Bunko. Yen Press publishes them in English. There have also been manga versions. The TV anime is made by studio Blade and directed by Chihiro Kumano, with scripts by Deko Akao and music by Taku Iwasaki. It is set to start in January 2027.

The story is set in Gray Neighbor, a rough town built next to a huge dungeon. A dungeon here is a deep underground maze full of monsters, but also full of treasure. Many adventurers go down into it to get rich, and many never come back. The town is noisy, dirty, and dangerous, and people there gossip a lot about each other.

Arwin is a princess knight. Her home kingdom has fallen, and she hopes to find a great treasure in the dungeon that can help her bring it back. She is brave, proud, and serious about her mission. Living with her is Matthew. In town, everyone thinks Matthew is a useless man who lives off Arwin's money. They say he spends his days drinking and gambling and does nothing to help her. In Japanese, a man like this is called a himo, which means a man who is supported by a woman, and the title uses this word.

But the town has Matthew all wrong. He is much stronger and smarter than he looks, and he has a past as an adventurer that he keeps hidden. Behind the scenes, he quietly deals with anyone who wants to hurt Arwin or stop her quest. He does dirty jobs in secret so that she can stay clean and focused. He does not care what people say about him, as long as she is safe.

This gives the show a fun double side. On the surface it can look like a lazy man and the hard-working knight who pays his bills. Underneath, it is a story about loyalty and protection, where one partner fights in the dark so the other can shine in the light. There is action and danger, but also comedy from how wrongly the town judges Matthew, and a quiet romance between the two.

The anime has a strong voice cast. Junichi Suwabe plays Matthew, and Mikako Komatsu plays Arwin. Fans of dark fantasy with clever, hidden heroes should keep an eye on this one.