During the Nao Toyama Birthday Celebration ~Naobou is quitting the 20s~ held at EX THEATER ROPPONGI, it was announced that Nao Toyama will be singing the opening theme of Ascendance of a Bookworm season 3, which will be airing in Japan from April. It was also announced that she will be releasing a double tie-up single on June 8!

This 6th single, which is also part 3 of her 5th Anniversary Plan, will include “Ano Hi no Kotoba,” the opening theme of Ascendance of a Bookworm season 3. “Ano Hi no Kotoba” was written by singer-songwriter Sakura Fujiwara and composed and arranged by Soulife.

Comment from Nao Toyama:
“I will be performing the opening song of the third season of Ascendance of a Bookworm. I worked really hard with the anime staff to ensure that “Ano Hi no Kotoba” matches season 3’s story. In fact, I almost ended up crying many times during the recording. May the people around you find happiness. I hope that this song resonates with everyone who is working hard towards a future that they chose.”

Comment from Soulife:
“When I was asked to compose this song, I carefully read the original story and decided to create a song that would bring out a more mature quality than anything Nao Toyama has done before.

While it retains the classical, medieval European elements of past theme songs, it also has a “sadness” that people say is typical of my work. The result is a melodious and encompassing song. The main character grows with a mixture of anxiety and expectation in the lyrics written by Sakura Fujiwara. I hope listeners will feel the excitement of turning to the blank page of “today” with this opening theme. I look forward to watching Myne’s growth with you all!“

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Ascendance of a Bookworm is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by Yū Shiina. The story follows Urano Motosu, a book-loving post-secondary college student and soon-to-be librarian who ends up crushed to death beneath a pile of books at her house during an earthquake. With her dying breath, she wishes to be reincarnated in a world where she can read books forever. Urano awakens in the body of a weak, five-year-old girl named Myne in a world where books are scarce and only available to elites. Myne, retaining her memories from her previous life, decides to create and print her own books so that she can read again.

An anime television series adaptation by Ajia-do Animation Works aired the first part from October to December 2019, and the second part aired from April to June 2020. A two-part OVA episode released on March 10, 2020. A third season is set to premiere in April 2022.

The said series is available for free streaming via Muse Asia YouTube Channel.

Nao Toyama Profile:
She made her voice acting debut in 2010. She attracted a lot of attention for her role as Kanon Nakagawa in the TV anime The World God Only Knows. After that, she went on to play characters in numerous popular works, such as Karen Kujo in Kin-iro Mosaic, Chitoge Kirisaki in Nisekoi, Reina Prowler in MacrossΔ, and Rin Shima in Yuru CampΔ. She also belongs to popular groups Rhodanthe* and Walküre, both of which were born in anime, and has enthralled fans with her clear voice and flawless performances. On February 1, 2017, she made her debut as a singer with “True Destiny/Chain the world,” a tie-up song for the anime Chain Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari, and on February 3, 2018, she held her first solo live at the Nippon Budokan. In 2019, she held her first solo tour and performed overseas in Taipei and Shanghai. In 2020, she celebrated her 10th anniversary as a voice actress by releasing her character song best album “Special Thanks,” which placed third on the Oricon Weekly Ranking. On December 5 and 6, she held a 10th anniversary concert titled “Special Thanks! Festival” at Tokyo Garden Theater, where she performed various theme songs and character songs from her voice acting career. In 2021, she released a mini-concept album titled “off” on the theme of rest and healing in May and her fifth single “Samenai Maho” in November. In 2022, she will be carrying out her 5th Anniversary Plan to celebrate her five years as a singer!

Source(s): QDAPP Media Relations, Nao Toyama Website, Ascendance of a Bookworm Anime Website (JP)