The manga series that subverted the trope of the wicked stepfamily
In short: In many stories, stepmothers and stepsisters are the ultimate villains. However, Otsuji's acclaimed manga series challenges this cliché, following Miya Nakamura as she navigates a new family life. Despite her intense anthropophobia, Miya discovers that her new relatives are actually her greatest supporters.
Otsuji authored and drew 'My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked' (Japanese: Ibitte Konai Gibo to Gishi), which debuted within Pixiv Comic's Comic Pool section on 19 November 2020. The narrative centers on Miya Nakamura, who discovers she is her father's illegitimate child following her mother's death. After being adopted into his family, Miya struggles to reconcile her intimidating new relatives with her own anthropophobia, which often leads her to misinterpret their genuine affection for her. The story follows Miya as she integrates into her father's household. Her struggle is compounded by her tendency to misunderstand her family's kind intentions. This misunderstanding stems from her intense fear of people.
The series has achieved significant critical and commercial recognition within the manga industry. The series earned a seventh-place spot among 50 candidates for the seventh Next Manga Awards' web category in 2021. It also earned seventeenth place in the 2022 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook for best manga for female readers. Furthermore, the series shared the Men's Comic Prize at the 2023 NTT Solmare's Digital Comic Awards alongside Fushiashikumo's 'The Great Snake's Bride'.
The popularity of the work led to an anime television series adaptation produced by Newon. Announced on July 22, 2025, the adaptation aired from July 8 to September 26, 2026. The production featured direction by Keisuke Inoue, character design by Mutsumi Sasaki, and music by Rina Tayama. In North America, Latin America, and Australia, the series was made available via Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten Viki, and It's Anime's YouTube channel through Remow. The production team included Nanami Hoshino for series composition. Additionally, the opening theme song was performed by Lia. The ending theme was provided by AVAM. Finally, Tropics Entertainment handled the Southeast Asian streaming rights.
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