An Isekai Alchemist With Something to Hide
The Fake Alchemist is set in Orichalconia, a city-state where alchemy and magic run deep in daily life. The story follows Paracelsus, a reincarnated person hiding his cheat skills while making a modest living as an alchemist. His carefully guarded routine falls apart when he forms a contract with Nora, a slave and curse-user, and then meets Coco, an elf who has lost all her senses and limbs. From there, Paracelsus's quiet existence starts to unravel.
The manga is written by Jiro Sugiura and illustrated by Umemaru. It's serialized on Kadocomi, KADOKAWA's digital manga platform, and has five collected volumes in print. The series originally started as a webcomic on Sugiura's Pixiv page before receiving its commercial serialization through KADOKAWA's Media Factory Comics imprint.
Passione Picks Up the Adaptation
Passione (Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, Higurashi: When They Cry - Gou) will produce the animation, as Japanese manga news site Comic Natalie reported on June 18. No director, additional staff, or cast have been announced.
Alongside the announcement, a teaser visual featuring Nora and a commemorative PV were released. The PV walks through Nora's visual evolution, from Sugiura's original rough sketches through Umemaru's manga artwork to Passione's anime rendering. Both creators also contributed newly drawn illustrations of Nora to mark the occasion.
Original story creator Sugiura expressed surprise at the news, saying he "never imagined the day would come" when The Fake Alchemist would become an anime, and credited the series' supporters for making it happen.
Artist Umemaru shared similar gratitude, noting that seeing a beloved series "breathe new life through the hands of wonderful staff" was deeply exciting. Umemaru added that, as a fan of the series too, the wait to enjoy the finished animation alongside everyone would be a pleasure.
Looking Ahead
Broadcast timing has not been announced. The project's official X account is running a giveaway campaign with QUO prepaid gift cards featuring the teaser visual, and further details are promised for a later date.
For English-speaking fans, the source manga is already available through Yen Press, with the first volume released in February 2026. No streaming partner for the anime has been confirmed yet.