A Fantasy Noir With a Sharp-Tongued Kept Man
The Kept Man of the Princess Knight (姫騎士様のヒモ) isn't standard isekai fare. Billed as an "isekai noir," the series follows Matthew, a former adventurer who now lives as the kept man of Princess Knight Arwin, the last royal of the destroyed Mactaroad Kingdom. Arwin leads her adventurer party Aegis through the labyrinth city known as the Gray Neighbor, hunting for Star Life Crystals to restore her fallen kingdom. Matthew does the opposite of all that.
He can't win a fight. He spends Arwin's money at brothels. His one reliable skill is talking, which has earned him the nickname "Wisecrack" among the city's denizens. But when Arwin needs someone willing to cross lines she refuses to, Matthew handles it without hesitation.
The light novel won the 28th Dengeki Novel Grand Prize, the top award chosen from 4,411 submissions. Written by Tōru Shirogane with character designs by Saki Mashima, the first volume launched under Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint in February 2022. The series now spans seven volumes with over 200,000 copies in circulation (including digital), according to Anime Anime. A manga adaptation followed in February 2023, with a second serialization starting in 2025.
Suwabe and Komatsu Voice the Leads
Jun'ichi Suwabe (Archer in Fate/stay night, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in Bleach) voices Matthew. Mikako Komatsu (Maki Zenin in Jujutsu Kaisen) plays Arwin.
Profile illustrations for both leads accompanied the cast reveal. Matthew's profile emphasizes his easygoing demeanor and mysterious past, noting that few people know his history and he never volunteers it. Arwin's profile describes a warrior respected across the city as the "Crimson Princess Knight," capable of overwhelming multiple adventurers in combat. Why she keeps Matthew around remains one of the story's running questions.
The teaser visual, drawn by character designer Hisao Ishii, depicts the pair connected by a red string, a visual nod to the bond between them.
Production Staff
Chihiro Kumano directs at studio BLADE, with Deko Akao (The Case Study of Vanitas) handling series composition. Taku Iwasaki, whose credits include the score for The Irregular at Magic High School, composes the music. Tetsu Motoyama serves as sound director, Hisao Ishii as character designer, and Hibiki Yamaguchi as action director.
A teaser PV on Kadokawa's YouTube channel previews the Gray Neighbor's atmosphere and the contrasting personalities of its two leads.
Looking Ahead
The Kept Man of the Princess Knight premieres in January 2027. No international streaming partner has been confirmed.
For fans who want a head start on the source material, Yen Press publishes both the light novel and its manga adaptation in English. The light novel currently runs seven volumes in Japan, with the manga's second serialization ongoing.
A poster giveaway campaign celebrating the teaser visual has also been announced.