Librarians and libraries in anime
Below is a list of depictions of libraries and librarians in Japanese animation, commonly referred to as anime. I revised this page starting on March 21, 2021, similar to the list I put together focusing on Western animations with libraries and librarians. This list is arranged alphabetically by series title and does NOT include anime-inspired animations, which some falsely put into the “animation” category, meaning I am sticking by the definition of anime asserted by the Anime News Network. In the future, I may include this page as part of a master list. That is still something to decide. All of these episodes I have listed here, I have watched at least once, and sometimes more than once! I have linked to posts relating to the animated series shown in the below list.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
A Couple of Cuckoos (2022)
- Episode: “Can We Study Together in the Morning…?”; Hiro Segawa and Nagi Umino are in the school library, with Nagi surprised that Hiro has an interest in her, offering they study together. Hiro comments about how quiet it is in the library and how it is a nice place to study. He is a bit clumsy and doesn’t know what to say. It turns out that both of them like shrine stamps. They later agree to compete on who can get more shrine stamps. Hiro wants them to keep having morning study sessions, with Nagi agreeing. At the end of the episode, to the surprise of Nagi and Erika Amano, Hiro proposes that they all have early morning library sessions together.
- Episode: “You Live Alone, Right?”; Nagi tries to have a study session with his finance Erika and the girl he likes, Segawa, but he struggles. Erika even dresses up in a Cupid outfit to try and help Nagi. She tries to get Segawa interested in Nagi. Later Segawa begins teaching Erika.
- Episode: “My Fate Might Change”; The protagonist, Nagi, is excited when he writes down Segawa’s name on a form for a field trip after they both meet in the library.
- Episode: “You Can’t Just Pretend It Didn’t Happen”; Nagi-Kun and Segawa studying in the library together. Nagi is concerned about how he will apologize to his sister. Segawa gives him advice which he uses to patch stuff up with his sister.
A Place Further Than the Universe (2018)
- Episode: “One Million Yen For Youth”; Mari, a second-year high school student, and protagonist of this anime, reads a book by the mother of Shirase Kobuchizawa, entitled A Place Further Than the Universe which is about one of her travels to Antarctica, which on a bookshelf within the high school library.
- Episode: “Kabukicho Fremantle”; Mari talks to her childhood friend Megumi Takahashi in the school library about her upcoming expedition to Antarctica, with Megumi warning her of the dangers.
A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd aka Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai (2014)
- All episodes; this series had multiple episodes in libraries and with the protagonist traveling to a magic library in hopes of becoming a shepherd to determine people’s fates, and is part of a group that meets in the local school library for much of the series.
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai (2022)
- Episode: “Isn’t That a Little Too Heavy?”; Aharen and Raido study in the library for their upcoming exams, with Raido saying it is a quiet place to study. Both agree to communicate with each other using notes. After he runs out of paper, Raido says they should meet somewhere else.
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform (2022)
- Episode: “Have You Decided on a Club?”; The head of the literature club is talking to her friends in the library, and seems to read her books there to students as part of the club.
- Episode: “There’s No School Tomorrow, Right?”; Akebi and Erika meet in the school library. A nervous Akebi asks Erika to a fishing trip. They both are excited but the unnamed librarian shushes them, telling them to be quiet, so they express themselves non-verbally and are excited to hang out that upcoming Saturday, the following day, together.
Aoi Hana aka Sweet Blue Flowers (2009)
- Episode: “When I Wake Up in the Morning”; Women in cloak, presumably a nun, in the stacks of the library.
- Episode: “Adolescence is Beautiful”; Fumi and Sugimoto go to the library, and kiss there.
- Episode: “Winter Fireworks”; Fumi does weeding of books in the library, remembers her kiss with Sugimoto and she later talks with other students about the role/influence the Literary Club has on the library.
“In the episode “Winter Fireworks,” Fumi does weeding of books in the library and remembers her kiss with Sugimoto. Later in the episode, she later talks with other students about the role/influence the Literary Club has on the library…Fumi at least knows some library skills, in terms of weeding, which is an important part of library work, even if it can be controversial at times”
Read more at “Lacking “proper, consistent representation”: Librarians in popular culture”
“…Aoi Hana, otherwise known as Sweet Blue Flowers, features romance in the library in two episodes. In the show’s fourth episode “Adolescence is Beautiful,” Fumi and Sugimoto go to the library and kiss there, then talk about their feelings afterward, in this opening part of the episode…”
Read more at “From love confessions to smooches: Love in the library part 3“
As Miss Beelzebub Likes (2018)
- Episode: “A Bit Bitter, Bibliomania”; Mullin goes to the Pandemonium Library with Azazel, who cones to return books and ells him to keep it down when they enter the library. While there, he meets a sleepy librarian named Dantalion who looks to be part rabbit. He reads so much that he sometimes doesn’t even eat, liking the smell of ink and paper. He is a contrast to the very loud demon, Molech, who annoys Dantalion with his voice, even shaking him with Mullin trying to stop it from happening. Dantalion later gives Azazel book suggestions, even using Molech so he can get books on a higher shelf in the library. He gets books for Mullin and Azazel, then says he has done a full days worth and falls asleep, again. Later they take a look at the books in the wide-ranging stacks, with this well-stocked library, which has several million books, having a lot of patrons. It turns out that Eurynome has a crush on Dantalion and that he is hundreds of years old, having read all the books in the library. there are at least 30 people in the library, 10 of which may be library assistants. At the end of the episode, in a post-credits scene, Mellin makes Beezelbub happy when he gives her a book on fluffiness which he got from the library after she gives him brownies she made with Belphegor.
- Episode: “They Pass Each Other by Sometimes / I had a Dream”; Mullin tells Beezelbub about his time at the library and says he may put in a transfer request there and it hits her hard. Dantalion is again shown sleeping in the library while Mullin does the work. In the second half of the episode, Belphegor. goes to the library to return a book while the same sleeping librarian greets her. She goes through the stacks to pick a book and thinks about her dream when she confessed her love for Azazel. She keeps looking at books and imagining her and Azazel together in them, which makes her nervous. She does run into him, says something nervous then has to run out of the library as she pees when she gets nervous. In another part, Dantalion is still sleeping at the library while his loud annoying friend is there and Eurynome is watching him in a shotacon way.
- Episode: “Her Assistant Knows Not Her Highness’s Heart / The Name of That Feeling Is…”; In Part A, Mellin talks to Dantalion, wondering if he did anything wrong while Dantalion reassures him he did nothing wrong and is being too self-conscious. Dantalion remains upset that his new book did not arrive. Dantalion appears again in Part B, at the meeting with his loud, annoying friend. He later recommends to Beezelbub a flower-viewing party. Eurynome still remains a creeper in loving Dantalion.
Ascendance of a Bookworm aka Honzuki no Gekokujō: Shisho ni Naru Tame niwa Shudan o Erandeiraremasen (2019-2022)
- Episode: “A World Without Books”; The show’s protagonist, Myne, a school librarian crushed to death under a pile of books during an earthquake. In a later episode, Lutz and Myne exchange their dreams for the future with Lutz wanting to be a traveling merchant and Myne a librarian.
- Episode: “Baptism and Divine Paradises”; The protagonist travels to the library, tries to enter a temple library, but is unable to enter since only clergy are allowed, and in the next episode, Lutz scolds Myne for this afterward.
- Episode: “Apprentice Princess”; The protagonist wants to be a librarian and one of her conditions is access to the temple’s library.
- Episode: “Blue Robes and Uncommon Sense”; Again, the protagonist wants to be a librarian and comes closer to that goal, as she blissfully reads the scripture the entire day while in the library.
- Episode: “Harvest Festivals and Staying Home”; Myne blames a priest for destroying the library, decides to re-organize it as she wishes, but learns that “special” books are not allowed in the library, with magic only for nobles who have graduated from the Royal Academy.
- Episode: “Dreamlike World”; A library is show in Myne’s vision of her previous life in Japan, specifically showing where she worked as a librarian: at a public library!
“…while Myne is unable to organize all the books she wants since magic books are “off-limits,” she still makes her “mark on this society” and there are numerous parts in the episode which libraries could use to promote their value. I mean, I had to write about a series where people literally ride on books through the sky in the opening, right!”
Read more at “Myne the “bookworm” librarian and the Nippon Decimal Classification System“
Azumanga Daioh (2002)
- Episode: “Springtime of Life”/”One Spring Night” section in episode 19; In a scene after school, Yomi is studying in the library. There are at least other students in the room and two students working behind the desk as library aides. Yomi’s friends, Sakaki, Kagura, Chiyo, Tomo, and Osaka, are also there, looking for books or playing with one another. They all are later studying together. Later the two library aides, one a man and the other a woman, saying they are leaving and tell them to turn off the lights when they leave. They later do so and walk home together.
- Episode: “Career Paths” section in episode 24; Suzuki is in the library, looking up information about cats on a library computer. Osaka comes in and acts clueless about the internet, and Chiyo is there too. Suzuki reads a story about a cat killed in an accident, which she believes is the mother cat of the cat she met in Okinawa.
B
B Gata H Kei aka Yamada’s First Time: B Gata H Kei (2010)
- Episode: “Boy Meets Girl. Please Give Me Your ‘First Time’!!” [part 1]; Yamada is assigned to be a school volunteer at the library like her crush Kosuda. Yamada says she didn’t like the library because it smells, but fantasizes about hiding spots to have love with Kosuda. She tries to seduce him there and it fails.
- Episode: “Throbbing Christmas Eve. What Does a First Kiss Taste Like?” [part 1]; Yamada and Kosuda are volunteering in the library together, once again.
- Episode: “A Valentine of Sweat and Tears! Love(?) From Yamada is Put Into It” [Part 1]; “Improve the Erotic Powers! It’s My First Time Feeling This Sensation…” [Part 2]; Again, in Part 1, Yamada and Kosuda are volunteering in the library together; in Part 2, they are both in the library again, with Yamada trying to get Kosuda interested in her romantically again…it doesn’t work, leaving her alone in the library after he leaves, he then comes back and is embarrassed by her actions.
- Episode: “Year 2 Class H’s Christmas Party. Take Me to the Bed” [Part 1]; Yamada and Kosuda, enter a library room in Kyouka’s mansion, with Kosuda trying to be romantic, but this doesn’t work for Yamada. She doesn’t think the setting is romantic enough for her, so she pulls him into another room, which turns out to be Kyouka’s bedroom, and attempts to do the “dirty deed”, although the best either can do is kiss one another.
“Libraries appear just as many times in the romcom/sex comedy anime titled B Gata H Kei. In part 1 of the show’s first episode, “Boy Meets Girl. Please Give Me Your ‘First Time’!!,” the show’s protagonist, Yamada, is assigned to be a school volunteer at the library like her crush Kosuda. Yamada says she didn’t like the library because it smells but fantasizes about hiding spots to have love with Kosuda.”
Read more at “Little witches, comedy, and love in the library“
Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said. (2016)
- Episode: “First Volume”; The protagonist, Endou-san, describes how the library can be a place he can enjoy reading, and notes all the parts of the library collection, with one girl standing by a window, reading a book like always, Machida Sawako. She wants to read, but doesn’t like putting in the effort for it, like him. One girl, Kanbayashi Shiori, is annoyed with her and wants to give her a piece of her mind, but ends up rattling off facts, boring Endou and Sawako. At the end, Sawako gets punched by Shiori. Another with glass is nearby, nervous.
- Episode: “The Library”; We are introduced to the librarian Hasegawa Sumika, with a sign behind her telling people to be quiet, but she really likes Endou above anything else. She tries to get close to him but fails. Shiori wants to do something for Sawako after punching her the other day, helping her choose sci-fi books to read. Endou later gives Sumika a gift, which she enjoys, to his surprise, even though she is a Sherlockian.
- Episode: “Murakami Haruki and SF and Stuff”; Shioro continues to read her SF books, and Sawako is confused, and she calls books a “word storm” and tells him to never underestimate them. Days later, she tells Endou she was up all night doing character expressions, not reading. Sumika and Shioro give each other the same books, a combination of Sherlock Holmes and War of the Worlds (why?) then agree to lend each other different books.
- Episode: “Pop”; Smika is coming up with a book recommendation list, with the help of everyone else, coming up with intros to books to help people, some even reading Kafka. They finish the intros to display alongside the books so users can look at them, and then discuss what are their favorite places to read.
- Episode: “Japan’s Three Greatest Mystery Novels”; Sawako asks Shioro and Endou about Japan’s greatest mystery novels, with Shioro defending books and how they function, saying you have to deeply immerse yourself in the book. Sawako struggles to read a book, saying people should place more value in quick reads. Shioro is jealous of Sawako and wants to read the joke book.
- Episode: “Shelter from the Rain”; Endou and Sumika are in the library together as is rains outside, while Shioro and Sawako have a meal together, with Shioro noting that no matter how good a film is, fans of the original work will always notice if something is out of place. Later, Sawako sleeps on Shioro’s open book, and she lets this happen, willing to buy another copy.
- Episode: “Used Bookstores”; Shioro notes how she goes to a used bookstore to look for books, deciding the value of books then and there. Later, she explains how she didn’t get the book, with Sumika intrigued, while Sawako says she goes for books in the wagon, as ones she’ll buy, and how she struggled to choose a book. Sumika notes she is writing an article for the library newsletter on used bookstores, with Sawako and Shioro talking more about their experiences and annoyances with each other and other events. Endou is intimidated to join the meeting.
- Episode: “Fermat’s Last Theorem”; Sawako gets annoyed with Endou after he points out that he read the same book she read in the past. It turns out that Shioro works there as a server and she laments out spoilers are always on the back cover of the book along with getting annoyed when Sawako says she understands sci-fi well from reading one book, saying you can only understand it once you have read 1,000 books.
- Episode: “Bus Stop”; Shioro admits to Sawako that she likes books with black covers, and she waits at the bus stop with her later in the episode. Sawako notes that she left her scarf at school and Shioro stays in the snow, imagining what she is reading in a book is happening in real life. Sawako gets her scarf and warms up Shioro’s hand, and she talks about how the cover of the book represents the book, and she helps her get onto the bus so she doesn’t freeze.
- Episode: “A Day Without Machida Sawako”; The snow continues falling and Sawako doesn’t come to the library because she is sick, making Shioro sad, as she has a loss of purpose. Even the librarian, Sumika, is distraught, reading her book, and all three are on a text chain with Sawako, who is sick, in bed. Sawako and Shioro talk on the phone. The next day, she comes back and sees Sumika and Shioro reading a fashion magazine. They later ask Endou what book would get a girl to like a boy and he names some obscure book, but Sumika is happy.
- Episode: “Exchanging Letters”; Sawako and Shioro talk about book reading habits, with Sawako justifying her non-reading of specific authors. Later, Sawako suggests they exchange letters, to Shioro’s horror, after talking about reading the classics. However, Shioro begins to write how she felt about Shioro in the letter, even that she likes here, but is angry when Sawako can’t come up with anything to write.
- Episode: “Solo Journey”; Shioro goes on a long train ride, reading a book. However, she later talks to Sawako on the phone, and she remembers a Dylan Thomas poem by heart. She continues to read her dystopian novel, and laughs when she sees Sawako’s message, with both having fun in their texting back and forth. By the end of the episode, everyone is reading a book.
Bibliophile Princess (2022-Present)
- Episode: “Phony Fiancé”; This centers around Elianna Bernstein, a bibliophile who loves nothing better to do than read… but she faces obstacles along the way as people try and control her
- Episode: “One-Woman Show”; Elianna believes that her fiance is talking it up with another woman and she us being abandoned, and confirmed by what she hears from people shelving books. It turns out this is a scheme to unseat her from power and replace her with the other woman. She receives resounding support from those in the castle, who praise her knowledge and use of books, noting the instances she has helped others.
- Episode: “And So the Two…”; The Prince provides a flashback to when he spent time with Eli in the grand royal library when they were younger, showing how she slowly learned more over time. She then realizes that the one thing that matters in her life, other than her books, is him, and they kiss, and are now romantically linked more than ever.
- Episode: “The Star Traveler”; Christopher remembers back to when he met Elianna, calling her “princess of the library” at one point, and how he hoped he could use her knowledge to lift a curse afflicting his mother. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful.
- Episode: “The Treasure of Hers and the Prince”; Eli also stands up to a baron/noble, Maudslay, about to burn books in a bonfire and calls him inhuman and “beneath ground beetles”. She also calls the person (a weapons manufacturer for the Bers Company), who tasked kids with stealing books for himself, “barbaric” for wanting to burn books. She also says that a place that burns books will also burn people. Maudslay’s guards threaten her with a sword but she is saved by Chris at the last second, with Maudslay demeaning the two kids of the Star is Sissel who admitted they were stealing books for him. Chris exposes his schemes, says the Bers Company is bankrupt, and Maudslay is arrested. Eli remembers back to when she first met Chris in the royal library, making Chris glad.
- Episode: “The Ghost of Eidel”; Eli goes into the royal library and finds a book she hasn’t read before, a book that is damaged. She hits a man who is trying to date a woman who refused him, hitting him over the head with a book, and kicking him in the balls. While he is easily subdued, she feels awful over the fact that her action caused the book to be even more damaged.
- Episode: “Intentions of the Butterflies”; Eli meets with some of her friends-of-sorts in the royal library as she continues to have doubts about her carelessness. Later, she visits the library, but her despondent nature about Chris, her fiance, causes her to not read any books, after a servant, Sharon, rudely says Eli is a nuisance to Chris, something that she thinks may be the reality after all.
- Episode: “A Nuisance”; There is a flashback where Eli is reading about a plague in another land and how it started, knowledge she uses to show that another sly woman is lying and letting her prejudices cause her to demand that someone else is worthless.
Bloom Into You aka Yagate Kimi ni Naru (2018)
- Episode: “The Problem With Choices”; Touko and Yuu end up studying in the library together for school midterms day after day, until finally they end up studying at Yuu’s house because the library is crowded one day. The romance between them continues to blossom through the series.
“Finally, there is the yuri anime, Bloom Into You. In the episode “The Problem With Choices,” Touko and Yuu end up studying in the library together for school midterms day after day…”
Read more at “Little witches, comedy, and love in the library“
Blue Drop (2007)
- Episode: “Transcription: “Hyoscyamus niger” (Crushing Emotions)”; Michiko works on the script for the school festival and is frustrated she can’t come up with ideas. Later, inspired by seeing Mari, Hagino, and Tsubael walking together, she goes back to the library and works on the play once more, moving forward with speed. The library appears multiple times in this episode.
C
Cardcaptor Sakura (1998-2000)
- Episode: “Sakura and the Mysterious Magic Book / One Fateful Day”; After returning home from school, Sakura is drawn to the basement by strange noises. In her father’s library, she discovers the Clow Book, the same book from her dream. She accidentally breaks its seal, unleashing the magical Clow Cards into the world.
- Episode: “Sakura’s Exhausting Sunday”; Sakura accidentally activates a clow card, which grows a tree in the basement, where her father’s library is. Somehow, despite the water given to the tree, and the tree growing at an exponential rate, the books inside are not damaged or ruined, which doesn’t make much sense. Anyway, much of the battle that Saura fights is in the basement.
- Episode: “Sakura and the Mysterious Brooch”; Rika is studying in the school library and is visited by Sakura; Rika says she can’t remember anything from the previous day; Sakura gives her the pin she picked out for herself in the store, but does not tell her what happened to Rika’s original pin (it possessed her and turned her into a master swordfighter), with Rika extremely grateful. Sakura later leaves, says hello to her homeroom teacher, and passes a bookshelf.
- Episode: “Sakura and the Summer Holiday Homework”; Sakura and Tomoyo go to the library to finish one last project before summer vacation is over; they end up at the last study space at the library, with Li agreeing to not take the space; Sakura discovers that Kero did her math homework wrong and is annoyed with him; they look for the piglet book, the librarian tells them that one copy should be there after looking at her computer, saying that it is still within the library somewhere, so they look through the stacks for it…as it turns out, Li has the book…Sakura looks through the main study area, to see if anyone has the book…the book somehow teleports across the library, probably with the use of a Clow Card…various librarians are seen going about their duties in the episode.
- Episode: “Sakura, Syaoran, and the Invisible Thread”: Rika shows her teacher Mr. Terada (who she has a crush on), who is in the school library, a teddy bear she made for him. She begs him to take it and he does so, happily, making her overjoyed.
“In the 1973 film, Soylent Green, there is the above lone. It is pretty funny, considering that the Library of Congress likely doesn’t exist at that time that the film was set, a line undoubtedly meant to appeal to audiences…without question. The opposite is the case in Cardcaptor Sakura, as it is one of the best representations of the roles of librarians in anime. While there are multiple episodes in the 1998-2000 anime series which focus on libraries…”
Read more at “Unrealistic “miracles” and helpful librarians in Cardcaptor Sakura“
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (2018)
- Episode: “Sakura, the Clock, and a Hide-and-Seek Game”; Sakura and Tomoyo enter the vast private library of Akiho, whose family collects books from across the globe. Sakura is able to capture one of the clear cards within the library, which is hiding some books. It is also here that the connection between Akiho and what is happening to Sakura is even more apparent than it was previously.
- Episode: “Sakura and the Upside-Down Penguin”; Syaoran contacts Eriol, who is in a study (a home library), about what is happening. Later, Eriol talks to his sister about what is happening and they resolve to stay in England for the time being.
- Episode: “Sakura and the Fire and Water Birds”; Akiho begins to shelve the pop-up book about Alice in Wonderland in the huge personal library at home but her butler, Yuna D. Kaito, who sees her there. As he talks to her, she spaces out, seeing the area with the clocks. She soon shelves the book and goes with him for tea, while Kaito is glad his plans are moving forward, plans to take all of Sakura’s clear cards.
Chitose Got You! (2012)
- Episode: “Reading books in Autumn”; Characters go to the library to get something to read but the teacher wants quiet and no mess, especially from Chitose, leading to some conflict in the process.
Clannad (2007-2008)
- Episode: “The First Step”; Tomoya Okazaki goes to the library and meets a quiet purple-haired girl named Kotomi Ichinose, sitting on the floor, without shoes, who is cutting pages out of books with scissors. He objects and Kotomi explains why she is there, skipping class. It turns out she is a genius of some kind.
Classroom of the Elite (2017)
- Episode: “It Takes a Great Talent and Skill to Conceal One’s Talent and Skill”; In this episode, there is a strong library scene. It begins by showing the expanse of the library in this elite school.
“Today’s post will be about yet another anime, Classroom of the Elite, released in 2017, which has political philosophical ideas at the show’s core. In the show’s second episode, “It Takes a Great Talent and Skill to Conceal One’s Talent and Skill” there is a scene that features a library and ties into the broader storyline. It begins by showing the expanse of the library in this elite school…”
Read more at “Training the elite: the library in ‘Classroom of the Elite’“
Cue! (2022)
- Episode: “The End of the Beginning”; In one scene, the glasses-wearing girl, Satori Utsugi, sees the greenish-haired girl, Shiho Kano, sleeping at a desk at the school library. She then picks up a book and begins to read it.
D
Dear Brother aka Oniisama e… (1991-1992)
- Episode: “The Darkness in the Clock Tower”; Nanako searches through the school library stacks for something on Saint-Juste and is helped by Kaoru. Later on in this episode, Kaoru later yells at people making noise in the library.
- Episode: “The Scar”: Students are studying in the school library, with Nanako talking to Kaoru, asking her if Rei Asaka (otherwise known as Saint-Juste) is ok, and she says she is. After that, Kaoru confronts Fukiko Ichinomiya (otherwise known as Miya-Sama) about Rei, criticizing her for causing pain toward her younger sister.
Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro (2021-Present)
- Episode: “Senpai, don’t you ever get angry?” [Season 1, Episode 1b]: Senpai (also known as Naoto Hachiouji) is messed with by Miss Nagataro (also known as Hayase Nagatoro) in the school library about his comics and bullies him a bit, catching him off guard. An unnamed school librarian is briefly shown as well.
Note: This series focuses around a protagonist who bullies another boy supposedly for fun. While it seems that she ends up liking the boy later on, and they get on better terms, seeing that in the first episode was a major turnoff, so I abandoned the series after that. To see a series which has a similar concept, involving a girl teasing a boy (but only playfully, not in a mean way), see Teasing Master Takagi-san (2018-2022), which I’d say is a much superior series in many ways.
E
El-Hazard (1995-1997)
- Episode: “The World of Beautiful Girls”; In this episode, the resident scholar of the mystical land brings out the records to find out any information they need to know about Makoto’s powers.
- Episode: “The World of Gleaming Light”; We see the library again as Alielle is looking for her there.
- Episode: “The Bride of Roshtaria”; Makoto is working at the library as a scholar. Again, no librarians are shown.
- Episode: “The Awakening of Khalia”; Library pops up in this episode. It’s not much of a mention but it does become an important part of the story, like those mentioned earlier in this article. Likely the library is damaged, if not destroyed, during the fighting that commences in this episode.
“Today I’d like to talk about a few scenes from the 1990s anime, El-Hazard. In the show’s second episode (“The World of Beautiful Girls”), part of The Magnificent World OVA, the resident scholar of the mystical land brings out the records to find out any information they need to know about Makoto’s powers…”
Read more at “Libraries in the world of the 1990s anime, ‘El-Hazard’“
Note: The above listed episodes are within El Hazard: The Magnificent World (seven episodes from 1995-1996) and El Hazard: The Magnificent World 2 (four episodes in 1997)
Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit (2022-Present)
- Episode: “1st Season: Spring” section in episode 1; The protagonist, Aoi Takimura, at the beginning of the episode, visits a local library and reads about mountain climbing. One of the librarians, a student at the same high school she goes to, recognizes her. The protagonist later describes the library as a place she likes to go since she is nice and quiet.
F
I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter F, which have a librarian or library as of yet
G
Gabriel Drop Out (2017)
- Episode: “Fun Forever After…”; Tapris goes to the local library after remembering what Gabriel had told her (that using a PC would help her out a lot). She stumbles first when getting into the library itself and struggles to get on the internet. And she doesn’t even know what a mouse is, she touches the screen and its not a touch screen. An unnamed female librarian (voice not known) helps her, guiding her to books on computers and programming. She then begins reading books about them. She later tells Gabriel about it and what she learned.
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (2013)
- Episode: “The Flute of Recollection”; Dr. Oldham is a medical doctor and a “sage” who works in a library atop a spire.
- Episode: “Far Beyond The Voyage Part 1” (OVA); We see another library on the ship where Dr. Oldham looks at records, lots of them gathered together.
“…I remembered an episode of Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (also known as Suisei no Gargantia). In the fourth episode of the series….the show’s protagonist, Ledo, wants to learn about his whereabouts. So…his new friend Amy takes him to the smartest person she knows on the fleet, Dr. Oldham…a librarian and a medical doctor, working out of his own library atop a spire…”
Read more at “A library atop a spire: Dr. Oldham and the Gargantia anime series“
“Far Beyond the Voyage” is a November 2014 OVA.
Girl Friend Beta (2014)
- Episode: “Our First Promise”; Fumio Murakumi is a student who works at the school library as a library assistant, debuts in this episode, with the protagonist, Kokomi Shiina, coming there in hopes of finding Chloe Lemaire, who lost an important photograph which she wants to return to her.
- Episode: “Blue Melon Buns”; Short library scene, with Miyoshi sleeping on a table, then later Kokomi goes to the library to
look for books about dieting. Muriakumi helps her find books on dieting but she struggles to put it into the right words without embarrassing herself, with Chloe trying to hep but failing
to get what Kokomi wants, with Miyoshi correctly determining she wants books on diets. She admits this is the case and Miyoshi takes her to another part of the school library, giving her a teen girls magazine with discussions of dieting. Later, Chloe continues to ask about dieting. She comes to the library the next day and tells Miyoshi that her diet is not going well, who gives her tips on what to do, which helps her with her competition. - Episode: “Cameras and Shortcake”; Murakami is organizing books and materials, while another patron, Chloe, is looking at other materials. Someone asks her what is wrong and she explains she found a book that her friend, Mochizuki, would like because it is her friend’s most favorite photographer. Murakami later agrees to be a model for Mochizuki and both become closer friends with each other as the episode moves forward.
- Episode: “Darjeeling with Everyone”; Murakami is shown for a short scene in which she is interested in coming to the cafeteria to eat after learning is run by the student council for now.
- Episode: “Sweet Bitter Potato”; The students look in the library at old school records in a short scene to help solve a mystery. Murakami tries to help them out and asks them why they want to know about it, directing them upstairs to storage to find the logs of the Occult Club from long ago. They search there for the logs, but one of them thinks something falling on them is a ghost. They find the book, from 1984, but still can’t figure it out, until one of them believes its about sweet potatoes. So, they establish a club of sorts, where they all eat sweet potatoes together.
- Episode: “Doggy & Scramble”; A student of the school’s literature club shows her space opera/action-adventure story, which she has been working on for a while, to Murakami. After she guarantees the student it is a good story and the student says she may never finish it. Following that, everyone wants to read this story, as Chloe shares the story with others one by one. They all come to the library in hopes of motivating the student to finish her story, with the idea of weekly deadlines for her work, and then try to motivate her in ways that seem more intrusive than less intrusive. Later, they all praise her after she finishes the novel, then begins a second novel because she doesn’t want to end the story.
- Episode: “Evolutionary Girl”; Murakami says she is working on an exhibit in the library and can’t help out as a model, but she says she will check out the show once its done.
- Episode: “Princess & Pride”; Murakami feeds another student food while they hear a broadcast by a nervous student, Tomo. She later wins a school beauty contest.
- Episode: “Goodbye à la Mode”; Characters go to the library and watch Chloe, who is feeling down. Murakami asks her what is wrong, and she denies anything is wrong, and she leaves. She later goes with other people to see if Chloe is ok. They all later meet in the library, hoping to figure out what is wrong with Chloe. She later reveals to them that her family told them they should leave Japan, even though she didn’t want to do so. People later come to Murakami asking her help in writing a letter in French. They later begin planning a send-off for Chloe in the library.
- Episode: “Girl Friend Beta”; Murakami looks at photos from the Christmas party in the previous episode, along with her friends. Chloe asks Murakami for a book on New Year’s, and she gets the book for her. Chloe and her friend Yulia say the book is too hard, so the show’s protagonist invites them to her house for New Year’s. She later helps Chloe and her friend learn about New Year’s in Japan. She hangs out with her friends for the rest of the episode.
Glitter Force aka Smile PreCure! (2012-2016)
- Episode: “An Exciting Beginning”; Emily goes to the school library to return a book that a pixie dropped off for her, hoping to find something about fairy tales and dreams. She finds a doorway into another world, from a book named the Library of Legends, and the portal sucks her into the other world, specifically to the said library, the Library of Legends. Emily is told by a talking book to pull in her other friends, to save Jubiland. And she goes through a portal to save Candy and stop Ulric.
Gosick (2011)
- Episode: “The Dark Reaper Finds the Golden Fairy”; Japanese exchange-student Kazuya Kujo has a fateful encounter with Victorique de Blois at a labrynithian library in the country of Sauville, where she lives, and within a school, until he brings her outside the library to begin an investigation.
- Episode: “The Golden Thread Cuts Through a Passing Moment”; Kujo talks with Victorique in the library, and she determines that a biker was killed by someone other than Kujo.
- Episode: “There’s a Mysterious Ghost in the Abandoned Storehouse”; Again, Victorique talks to Kujo in the library and reveals that the Avril Bradley that Kujo knows is actually an imposter, and she drops a stack of books on the imposter
- Episode: “The Gray Wolves Summon Their Brethren”; Victorique flees from the academy, and the library, where she is living, after reading a newspaper article brought by Kujo, and goes to a village to prove her mother’s innocence.
- Episode: “Blue Roses Bloom in the Cannibal Department Store”; Kujo gives Victorique a present, then she gets a fever, and stays in her house, which looks like a doll house.
- Episode: “Girl with a Cold Dreams of Her Stubborn Friend”; Kujo and Grevil are told by Victorique that she already had made research about it and come up with a plan to expose the culprits.
- Episode: “That Drill Eloquently Speaks of Love”; Jaqueline, an old friend of Grevil’s, talks with Victorique at the Library Tower, and tells the story of a mysterious incident from the past where she was falsely accused of murder.
- Episode: “The Cicadas are Heard on Summer Afternoons”; Victorique leaves the library and hangs out with Kujo, even trying to climb a tree and is helped by him when she can’t get down.
- Episode: “A Fool Designates His Own Mouthpiece”; While in the library tower, Victorique stumbles on a pop-up book containing a cryptic message allegedly from Leviathan himself.
- Episode: “A Malicious Frill Denounces a Farting Newt”; Victorique leaves the library and is reluctantly dragged by her teacher to her classroom and is introduced to the rest of her classmates, where she gets in a fight with Avril.
- Episode: “The Rose Colored Life is Buried Under Fresh Snow”; Victorique talks with Avril in the library, with Victorique trying to stop Avril from invading her personal space. Avril tells a ghost story. Later, Avril comes to the library but Victorique is not there, as she has been spirited away by her controlling father.
- Episode: “The Bells of Christmas Eve Toll at the Heels of Time”; Victorique is again shown in the library tower, where she talks to Kujo, and they make plans.
- Episode: “A Christmas Carol Decorates the Windowsill’s Happiness”; Kujo helps dress Victorique in the library. Later, Victorique is shown missing Kujo while sitting on the library floor, and letting Avril use the elevator to leave.
- Episode: “Looking at Infinity over the Grim Reaper’s Shoulder”; Grevil, I think, is shown working in a library and sees a book about Monstrous Charmant. He is shown in the library later on.
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Healer Girl (2022)
- Episode: “Kana Fujii, Healer (Apprentice)”; At the Karasuma Phoniatric Clinic, Kana, and Reimi file records of recorded voices in a library of some kind. The scene is very short and ends pretty quickly before the characters move on.
- Episode: “Can I Take a Picture? Or Maybe a Video?”; Kana and her friends are in library of the recorded sound (which was in the previous episode) in a brief scene at the beginning of the episode.
- Episode: “Cleanup, Run • Run • Run”; Reimi with yellow hair sings in the library while grabbing a record, while Kana, with red hair, another protagonist, is also there, singing in response, while she holds a stack of books. Hibiki isn’t there though.
- Episode: “First Steps, Horror, and a First Job!”; They are shown sorting charts and pulling music songs for treatment at the clinic.
- Episode: “Become My Servant • Russian Food and Sweet Dreams”; Reimi is excited by the sheet records at a nearby clinic, calling it a “treasure trove”, and she has to restrain herself from looking at them to finish the task at hand. In the show’s final episode, Kana gives Reimi a present of old sheet music, and she is very excited by it, perhaps a call-back to this episode.
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Ice (2007)
- Episode: “Day 2: Ruru -Rule-“; Rinne types in a library terminal to try and learn more about what is happening.
“In the process….there are several scenes that show libraries, specifically in the second episode…Some are from the speech by Kisaragi, who leads a group of women who thinks that if it is the fate of humanity to die then let it happen, talking about the failures of men and the lies they have told…”
Read more at “The anime ‘Ice,’ and the library terminal“
Is the Order a Rabbit? aka Gochūmon wa Usagi desu ka? (2014-2020)
- Episode: “Your Lucky Items Are Vegetables, Crime, and Punishment” (s1ep4): Cocoa, Chino, Maya Jōga, and Megumi “Megu” Natsu go to the library to study, and search for a book that Chino wants to read again. The story sheread when she was little is about a rabbit who is the protagonist. Unnamed librarians are shown at the beginning of the episode, sitting around an information desk, and while they shush no one, a character does tell another that because it is a library, they should be quiet. This is at the library at the school that the protagonist, Cocoa, and Chiya go to. In the end, Cocoa thinks she found the book Chino is looking for, but its just Crime and Punishment.
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I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter J, which have a librarian or library as of yet
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Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War (2019-2020, 2022)
- Season 1, Episode 8: “Yu Ishigami Closes His Eyes” segment; Kaguya Shinogama helps Ishigami, the treasurer of the student council by showing him reference books in the library. She admits that she just doesn’t want him to fail and be held back a year. Some students are unsure why they are together. Kaguya threatens them saying that the library is “supposed to be” a quiet place, they warn her about him, and she asks if they doubt her judgment and they walk away. They continue to study in the library together.
- Season 3, Episode 12: “Dual Confessions Part 2″ segment”; Chiki Fujiwara goes to the library in hopes of finding a clue to Arsene’s message. While there one of her compatriots ends up opening a secret passage to a tower. From there, they can see Kaguka Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane kissing one another.
Kampfer (2009)
- Episode: “Destiny ~The Chosen Ones~”; Fight in the library throughout the episode between protagonists and villains.
- Episode: “Glow ~The Fight of Death Starts~”; End of the fight in the library from the previous episode.
- Episode: “Lily ~~The Secret Flower Garden~”; Natsuru retreats to the library, running from villains.
- Episode: “Temptation ~Stealing Ahead~”; Mikoto and Akane practice kissing in the library.
“…In the episode “Temptation ~Stealing Ahead~,” an OVA which was released in 2011 as part of Kämpfer für die Liebe (2011), Mikoto and Akane practice kissing in the library, two times in a row…”
Read more at “From love confessions to smooches: Love in the library part 3“
Kandagawa Jet Girls (2019-2020)
- Episode: “Why They Race”; Rin fails a test, the first time in her life. After being pushed forward by Misa, she studies in the library of this all-girls college in Tokyo.
“I was surprised by the library scenes in Kandagawa Jet Girls…After being pushed forward by Misa, she studies in the library of this all-girls college in Tokyo. When she walks in, she is surprised to see her fellow team member…”
Read more at “Everyone needs to study: Rin Namiki and the school library“
Kin-iro Mosaic a.k.a. Kinmoza (2013-2021)
- Episode: “Aya Nervous in the Rain”; Aya, Alice, and other friends study in the school library together.
- Episode: “Present For You”; Shino, Alice, and Yoko go to the library, with Shino liking the book on blonde girls. Karen is also in the library, rolling dice. Alice is reading a Japanese-English dictionary. Ayaya is also there, calling Alice and Karen as serious about their studies.
- Episode: “The Girl on My Mind”; Short scene in the library where the teacher, Akari, returns a book to the library where Karen and Alice are. She tries to help them with reading old Japanese but is unsuccessful. She is disappointed when another teacher figures it out. An unnamed librarian, seemingly a student volunteer, appears for a brief moment, taking the book.
Kiss Him, Not Me (2016)
- Episode: “The Strange Room And The Four High School Boys”; Kae and her four male classmates study for math and science tests in the high school library, so they do well on tests. Two of them later argue with each other over incorrect math answers and how much knowledge each person has. The other students are annoyed they are so loud so they leave.
- Episode: “Christmas in the Holy Land”; Shima Nishina is shown to have a massive library of boy’s love novels, action figures, and so on which impresses Kae, and later leads Shima to kiss her when she offers her own advice on poses.
K-On! (2009-2010)
- Episode: “Finals”; Yui studies with her friends in the school library for finals. Later, her friend, Azu-nyan brings her there so she can further focus on studying. A librarian, presumably a student librarian, is shown sitting at the information desk.
Kokoro Toshokan a.k.a. Kokoro Library (2001)
- Episode: “I’ll Become a Librarian”; Set on a small library located on an unpopulated mountain, where there is a quiet girl, Aruto, a strong-minded girl, Iina, and a girl who has the same name as the library, Kokoro.
- Episode: “What I Can Do At This Moment”; Library get a book by a favorite author of Kokoro and she, and her sisters distribute a flyer to the town hoping to drawn in patrons. Her sisters are pessimistic about the flyer’s success, she runs away, despondent, comes back to the library and is amazed by the long line of townsfolk who have come to the library, with her sisters also impressed as well.
Komi Can’t Communicate (2021-2022)
- Episode: “It’s just stage fright, plus more” segment; Himeko Agari, a nervous girl who works at the school library as a librarian, is introduced, and she is made nervous when Komi is staring at her. When people look at her, she is unable to function. She is shelving books, thinking about how she admires Komi, nervous in many ways. She agrees to become Komi’s friend.
- Episode: “It’s just a joke, plus more” segment; Komi and her friends come to the library to study, with Agari welcoming them. Gorimi Senpai is introduced, a librarian who hits people with a fan for making too much noise and shushes them, later carrying out Najami for making too much noise.
- Episode: “It’s just a library” segment: Komi goes to local library by herself so she can check out a book, and does so but only nervously. Unnamed female librarians are shown. The same episode shows the librarian, Agari, at the pool with Komi and her friends, the first time we see her outside the library.
Kuttsukiboshi (2010-2012)
- Episode: “Episode 1”; The two protagonists spend time in a library together.
“For today’s post, I’d like to focus on Kuttsukiboshi…They spend one scene in a library within the school library during the summer…”
Read more at “The case of Kuttsukiboshi“
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Laid-Back Camp aka Yuru Camp (2018-2021)
- Episode: “Welcome to the Outdoor Activities Club!”; Rin Shima is reading a book in the library, behind the information desk. Nadeshiko sees her there and tries to say hello, but does so unsuccessfully. Before this she is in the library reading her book.
- Episode: “Mount Fuji and Relaxed Hot Pot Camp”; Rin is in the library looking at her phone when one of her friends, Saitou, comes in and asks her what she is so happy about. She admits she camped with Nadeshiko near Mt. Fiji.
- Episode: “Meat and Fall Colors and the Mystery Lake”; Rin is reading a book and has to close the library. But she doesn’t want to leave because it is warm there. She thinks about her most recent adventure and camping trip. She opens a portable grill at the library and puts it together. Her friend Saitou surprised her and takes a look at the grill, asking about it. They talk about what she would make in the grill. She is even convinced to give Nadeshiko a gift by her friend in the library. She shelves books and finds Nadeshiko sleeping in the library, kicking her to wake her up. She happily accepts the gift from Rin, and even proposes barbeque camp to her which she accepts.
- Episode: “A Night of Navigator Nadeshiko and Hot Spring Steam”; At end of episode, Rin is tired and is sleeping at the library information desk. Saitou plays with her hair while she is there, turning her hair into a mountain of some type, which she doesn’t notice as she goes home.
- Episode: “Clumsy Travelers and Camp Meeting”; Rin is reading her phone while sitting in the library behind the information desk, getting texts from other members of the OutClub. She later is resting in the library and learns from Nadeshiko that their advisor is the “drunk lady” they saw earlier, lol.
- Episode: “What Are You Buying With Your Temp Job Money?”
Rin is in the library with Saitou looking at images that Nadeshiko sends her, and they are trying to decide what to do with their temp job money. Rin teases Saitou about buying a tent for her dog. - Episode: “Caribou-kun and Lake Yamanaka”; Rin is sleeping at the information desk, and has a dream where she can hear the thoughts of every living thing.
- Episode: “Cape Ohmama in Winter”; Rin talks to Nadeshiko in the library, as Nadeshiko prepares for solo camping. Unlike some other episodes she is awake and reading in this episode. Nadeshiko then asks Rin about solo camping. Run then worries when Nadeshiko says she would get her license while Rin rides her moped. It turns out that Rin is doing solo camping as well.
- Episode: “Winter’s End and the Day of Departure”; Rin and Ena are at the library chilling, they get a text from Nadeshiko about the next camping trip. Run says she will go if she can. Ena says that Rin went to the campsite Nadeshiko was staying to check on her, with Rin surprised she knew and is a little embarrassed. Later on, Rin is in the library while Nadeshiko, Ena, Aoi, and Chiaki are all there too and studying for their finals. At the end of the episode, in a post-credits scene, we finally learn how Ena learned about Rin going to the campsite to check on Nadeshiko.
- Episode: “The Izu Camp Trip Begins!” Flashback with Rin and Ena in the library with both on cooking duty for camping trip, and make sure that their teacher, Minami Toba, doesn’t drink, using the money from their teacher which she would use to buy booze to buy the money they need for a special dinner.
Lapis Re:Lights (2020)
- Episode: “Legendary Academy”; Characters visit library and tout it to others, with one character marveling at the number of books.
- Episode: “Luminous Hope”; Lynette goes to the massive academic library and falls asleep. She is awakened by Ratura, who encourages her to do an orchestra.
- Episode: “Instinct Orchestra”; This episode had a number of scenes in the school library, where characters are trying to learn more about the orchestra; there was even a flashback scene which took place in a library.
“Apart from this, a couple episodes in Lapis Re:Lights focus on libraries. In the episode “Legendary Academy,” characters visit the library and tout it to others, with one character marveling at the number of books…”
Read more at “Books, books, and the value of libraries“
Let’s Make a Mug Too (2021)
- Episode: “The Garden of Sky and Wind”; Himeno visits a local museum with her teacher and they go inside, with the curator
bringing them around the local library. They look at a book of her mom’s drawings and photographs of ceramics she made, inspiring Himeno even more.
Library War (2008)
- Episode: “My Prince Charming is in the LDF”; Setting for anime is established, with one civilian, Iku Kasahara, accosted by an MBA (Media Betterment Act) agent who attempts to take away a banned book from her, but is saved by an LDF (Library Defense Force) agent. Inspired, she decides to join in the Library Defense Force.
- Episode: “Library Task Force”; Iku gets in a rivalry with a fellow LDF soldier, with his excellence denting Kasahara’s confidence even though she receives help from her studious roommate to improve her librarian skills. The rivalry ends after Media Betterment Act special forces operatives launch a raid on the Kantō library to locate some banned books.
- Episode: “Odawara Battle”; MBA special forces launch an operation to seize the museum and collect banned material from inside but Kantō LDF units mobilize to protect the facility. Iku is assigned to escort Kazuichi Inamine, a known backer of the Freedom of the Libraries Law and the commanding officer of various LDF units, to a memorial ceremony.
- Episode: “Rescue the Book General”; Iku and Inamine are taken hostage by a pro-MBA faction known as the Bakushukai, resulting in a hostage rescue operation. Iku informs them of her location by a hidden message and the removal of Inamine’s prosthetic leg. Things do not look too good for Iku when she is given a letter from her parents who plan to visit her at the base.
- Episode: “Parental Disturbance Strategy”; Iku tries to hide her real job as a Defense member a secret from her parents, trying to enlist aid of her superiors and friends. The job’s danger is revealed when Iku accidentally catches a thief. Her mother tries to dissuade her from continuing but her father takes her side and says they should respect Iku’s decision.
- Episode: “Library Corps Refrain from Firing”; Iku and Komaki, are on a mission to transport a rare, valuable book when they are attacked by the Media Betterment Act troops. One of the troopers fires at Komaki, injuring him, which causes Iku to reprimand the shooter telling him, he had no right to shoot in a neutral territory and that she would punch him for violating the agreement. Komaki escapes with Kasahara despite his injury and takes temporary refuge in a stationary train. They are eventually caught, during which time, Komaki mentions how Dojo as a trainee, punched an MBA trooper who fired a shot at a child, leading to a fist fight between the two factions.
- Episode: “Reference of Love”; Shibasaki begins having meetings with Hikaru Asahina regarding the Library Force and the library where Shibasaki is employed. Kasahara becomes interested and believes Shibasaki to be involved in a relationship. Iku becomes angry at Sunagawa from the Library Future Planning Committee after he posts a strongly-opinionated review on one of her favorite books. Tezuka’s older brother is the leader of the Library Future Planning Committee, and when Tezuka meets with him, his older brother tries to get him to join the Committee, but Tezuka refuses.
- Episode: “Satoshi Tezuka’s Schemes”; Iku gets interrogated by officials of the LDF’s Administration Faction due to Sunagawa’s claims. Hikaru thinks that his brother, Satoshi, is influencing the Administrative Faction officials to put pressure on Kasahara and the entire LDF in order for Hikaru to defect to his Library Planning Committee. When Satoshi invites Kasahara for dinner and tells her that the LDF must surrender and disband, she tells him that she would not support his idea.
- Episode: “Here Comes the Promotion Test”; Various characters participate in the required promotion tests for librarians. During her time spent on studying, Iku panics when she thinks about how the one who saved her during her time as a high school student was Dojo himself. This revelation cripples her concentration to study until Dojo assists her by helping her prepare for the test.
- Episode: “Explosion of Backing Home”; Library task force is sent out to train a peace-loving library. There, being the first woman in the task force, Iku is constantly bullied by others during the mission. They even go as far as calling up Iku’s mother and informing her of Iku’s activities.
- Episode: “Struggle to the Death! The Defense of Ibaraki Prefectural Exhibition”; Tezuka gets information from his brother that the Media Betterment Act agents will only fight at the art exhibition for a single day, which helps the Library Corps prepare for the assault. Three hours before the exhibition opens, MBA task force units comes crashing in and the defense force holds them back even after the MBA agents try to storm the barricade with full force. Their aggression forces LDF soldiers and officers to kill them, breaking their own policy of using firearms to pin them down. MBA personnel retreat after Iku angrily fires at them.
- Episode: “The Library is for Who’s Sake?”; Public criticism on the LDF, due to the massive MBA casualties, begins to grow against the LDF until Iku is ambushed by a reporter. Kasahara tells the reporter that the people should not be oppressed due to the MBA and their pro-censorship activities. Due to this, public criticism against the LDF dies down and instead, support grows thanks to pro-LDF media and Tezuka’s older brother works in the background to eliminate anti-LDF bias.
- Episode: “Situation Love Handicap”; A man slides up to Iku in the library and reaches to molest her, but Kasahara flips him and detains him. When the team discovers that he picked Kasahara because of a hearing device, Komaki uncharacteristically chews the pervert out. Komaki is arrested by the MBC for an apparent violation of privacy, because he recommended a book about a hearing-impaired girl to Marie. Kasahara brings Marie in anyway and she single-handedly regains her voice.
Little Witch Academia (2017)
- Episode: “Night Fall”; In this episode, Lotte recounts how she found the night fall series at the library and became a huge fan of this fiction series, noting its importance to her, causing her to forget about her own worries. The library only appears for a very short scene, not even 30 seconds long, but a librarian is shown, and the library is a vital part of the story.
- Episode: “Samhain Magic Festival”; In this episode, Prof. Ursula researches at the library about a curse, finding the information she needs is at Luna Nova’s Archive Library.
- Episode: “Chariot of Fire”; Diana is researching about Croix at the library and Prof. Ursula talks to her, unintentionally revealing she knew Croix well, then leaving not long after. Later in the episode, Diana is still reading a book in the library.
- Episode: “Amanda O’Neil and the Holy Grail”; In the intro to episode, Akko and Amanda meet Prof. Ursula in the library, where she is doing research. While she leaves, they spend time in the library, thinking of how they will find the fifth word, and talk with Prof. Croix about it, and they end up going on an adventure while Croix is still in the library.
- Episode: “Discipline”; Akko begins looking for the sixth word in the school library, searching through a series of books and can’t find anything.
- Episode: “Yesterday”; Chariot is shown researching in the school library to learn more magic in hopes of making her shows better.
“Let’s start with Little Witch Academia. Like any anime set in a school environment, there are undoubtedly scenes in libraries. In the episode “Samhain Magic Festival,” for instance, Professor Ursula researches at the library about a curse, finding the information she needs is at Luna Nova’s Archive Library. In that way, the episode has library and archives themes all-in-one!…”
Read more at “Little witches, comedy, and love in the library“
Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club (2020-2022)
- Episode: “The Memory of Dreams”; In the song that Shioriko sings at the end, she is shown going through a library, touching the spines of books, and walking down stairs in the library, perhaps indicating how academic she is as person. She also, during the song, changes outfits in the library and finds a key within a book.
Love Live! Sunshine!! (2016-2017)
- Episode: “Their Feelings”; Hananaru explains that the library has become her quiet place, her retreat, and that Ruby is her dear friend, coming to the library with her. She returns to her world of books, as a librarian, rather than become a school idol. But Ruby and the other school idol members convince her to join. So she becomes a liberated female librarian arguably.
- Episode: “The Time Left”; During a short scene in that episode, Hanamaru is shown in the library again, as a library assistant.
- Episode: “Our Own Shine”; Hanamaru works with Ruby to pack up everything in the library, with the books read at a new school. She also works with Yohane and Ruby, with all three closing the door to the library together, closing a chapter of their lives.
Love Live! Superstar!! (2021- )
- Episode: “Chance Way”; Kanon brings her sister on a school tour of her school, Yuigaoka Private Girls High School, which includes bringing her to the library. While there she learns the school used to be a music school but later changed into another school. It is also said that Kanon’s sister loves books.
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Macross Frontier (2008)
- Episode: “Fold Fame”; In this episode, Michael and Klan, try to find out more about the symptoms of 17-year-old Sheryl and the conspiracy behind it. In the process, they travel to a library for more answers.
“…In the show’s 18th episode (“Fold Fame”), two characters, Michael and Klan, try to find out more about the symptoms of 17-year-old Sheryl and the conspiracy behind it…they travel to a library for more answers…”
Read more at “Cheryl’s sickness and the library in “Macross Frontier”“
Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka aka Mahō Shōjo Tokushusen Asuka (2019)
- Episode: “The Magical Girl Comes Back” [Season 1, Episode 1]: Asuka Otori borrows a book from the library and says that reading is a way to forget her past trauma. The girl with glasses, Sayako Hata, lets her take the book out, happily.
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady aka Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (2023-Present)
- Episode: “The Magic Lecture of the Founder and the Assistant” [Season 1, Episode 7]: Tildy returns a forbidden book to her personal library and talks privately with Euphyllia “Euphie”, asking her whether she should remain the assistant of Anisphia “Anis” Wynn Palettia, or not, to think about what her role should be. Tildy recommends to Euphie that she not stand by Anis with half-hearted intentions, and she takes this to heart.
Makura no Danshi aka Makuranodanshi (2015)
- Episode: “Librarian Danishi”; A beautiful male librarian, Shirusu Mochizuki (voiced by Kōsuke Toriumi) talks to the audience, shelves books and wakes up a sleeping patron. He claims that naps disturb the other patrons and to not sleep in the library. He also notes that he remembers frequent patrons and sees what people are reading in the library. He says he enjoys selecting books for patrons to read. He even makes an exception for the audience saying to rest there until his shift is over. He states that as a result the library can become a place of “emotional healing.”
Märchen Mädchen (2018-2019)
- Episode: “Story Syndrome”; The protagonist, Hazuki Kagimura, who loves to read books she borrows from the local library to get away from the problems in her life and her lack of friends, follows a mage to a magical library, which she was surprised she didn’t know about before. Thanks to a tome stashed in her bag, she is able to teleport to another world. Later she uses the book to shield herself and her body, as she runs, almost naked, away from another student at Kuzunoha Girl’s Magic Academy.
- Episode: “First Magic”; Hazuki travels from the real world to the magical academy through a magic library, using a book she was given in the show’s first episode.
- Episode: “The Hexennacht is Here”; We see a scene of the Orgin Library and the original secret library. Spooky scene in the library, as Hazuki learns about the need to clean the Origin Library. She leaves at the end of the episode, through the original secret library.
- Episode: “Farewell, My Magic”; Hazuki mulls over what to do, after Shizuku told her to go home in the previous episode, “A Place to Be, a Place to Call Home.” She talks, at the secret library, to one of the school administrator, and they have come contemplative scenes about ending her story. The administrator later helps Hazuki and allows her to return to the magic world and help Shizuku and others at the Hexennacht.
- Episode: “Cinderella Doesn’t Look Back”; Hazuki returns to the magic world with a book, realizes she has to save Shizuku, she does and the book comes back to her. She powerfully begins writing her own story an her own book and makes her own magic.
- Episode: “The Allegory of The Honest Man”; Hazuki and Shizuku go to the Origin Library and one of the Russian players traps them in a mitt, hilariously.
- Episode: “Twilight of Der Freischütz”; Personified fleck attacks the Origin Library and the library defenses attack the fleck.
Maria Watches Over Us aka Maria-Sama ga Miteru aka Marimite (2004-2009)
- Episode: “Rosa Canina” [Season 1, episode 6]; Yumi wants to learn about the Rosa catina, so she gets a book about the illustrated history of plants from the librarian on duty, a first-year student doing her library duty, a student who ends up being Rosa Catina herself, the supposed “enemy” of the student council! Yumi doesn’t realize this until someone (Yoshino) tells her and provides her further information about Rose Catina, whose real name is Kanina Shizuka. This student lies to Yumi and says it is a black rose (she later admits this lie), when it is really a white-and-yellow rose, and tells her the book is a reference book which can only be read in the library. A few students are shown working in the library, which seems like a quiet place and she is behind the information desk, helping students. Later, Kanina goes to choir and loses the election to become a Rosa Gigantea, an upper level of the soeurs.
- Episode: “White Pedals” [Season 1, episode 11]; Rosa Gigantea/Sei and Kubo Shiori meet in the school library before they go off on one of their dates. They were deeply in love with each other but Shiori left Sei behind and she had to move on, with their time together only becoming a memory, nothing more, in this flashback episode.
- Episode: “The Yellow Rose at Full Tilt” [Season 2, episode 2]; Yumi reads about a specific type of dinosaur in the school library until one of her friends, part of the school council of sorts, finds her there and talks to her.
- Episode: “Codename Operation OK” [Season 3, episode 2]: Sachiko brings Yumi with her to the school library to return some books. A unnamed female student librarian is working there.
- Episode: “Crisscross” [Season 4, episode 12]: In this episode, Toko is searching in library for cards from Lady Roses. Later Toko is going through books (including those with blank maps), looking for Yumi’s card, and is unsuccessful. She later realizes where it is, runs to the Rose Mansion, and declares to Yumi that she wants to become her little sister. In the process, the location of Yumi’s card, which she was sitting on (which Sachiko tried to get by encouraging Yumi to get up), is revealed. Following this, Sachiko points out that while Yumi didn’t get up when she requested, she did when Toko entered, showing the deep connection between the two of them.
Myself ; Yourself (2007)
- Episode: “The Important Melody”; Sana follows Nanaka to the school library, meeting Aoi there, with Aoi Uribe loving to read books and serving as school librarian for three years. The school library is filled with patrons, who are fellow students.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (2020-2021)
- Episode: “I Became Engulfed by Desire…”; Sophia confesses her love to Catarina in a library and both are pulled into a book world while in the library itself.
“…In the episode, “I Became Engulfed by Desire…,” Sophia confesses her love to Catarina in a library, pushing her against a wall to do so. Somehow, Catarina still doesn’t get it and sees them as friends or something… How?”
Read more at “From love confessions to smooches: Love in the library part 3“
My Roommate Is a Cat (2019)
- Episode: “What Connects Us”; Opening scene in school library. It hints at when Yugo met Nana. Yugo says he is glad that other people read the book he enjoyed, with Nana’s name on the book deposit slip.
- Episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled”; In this episode, we learn that Nagisa Yasaka (voiced by Hisako Tōjō), sister of Hiroto, is a student librarian at her school. Suburu, after some consternation, gives her a book recommendation.
Manaria Friends (2019)
- Episode: “Anne & Grea”; Fight in the library, Anne defeats a monster there; could also argue that library is magical.
- Episode: “Agony of Grea”; Anne travels to the “forbidden archives” of library to get book to help Grea, who is actually just molting a new tail.
- Episode: “Test Time”; Anne goes to the library to get a book, help others study for a test.
- Episode: “Hide-and-Seek”; Anne does hide-and-seek with Grea in the library, takes a book on love potion, tries to seduce Grea.
- Episode: “A Slice of Life”; Grea returns a book to the library and remembers the times she had there with Anne.
- Episode: “The Pair’s Promise”; Grea goes to the library to return a book, goes through the stacks.
“In the episode “Anne and Grea,” there is a fight in the magical library at school, Anne defeats a monster there, encasing the library in ice. She gets in a lot of trouble for the fight, sadly, but grows closer to Grea!”
Read more at “Messy libraries and more fights in the library“
“In the Manaria Friends episode “Test Time,” Anne goes to the library to get a book and helps others study for a test. In the episode, “The Pair’s Promise,” Grea goes to the library to return a book and goes through the stacks. Libraries serving a key role once again!”
Read more at “Books, books, and the value of libraries“
Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood (2018)
- Episode: “Akari’s Friend”; Sophie has a library of all the books she has been signed while she has been alive, a total of 360 years.
- Episode: “The Vampire Goes to School”; Sophie goes to the school library with Akari and her friends, where they all study.
- Episode: “The Last Day of Summer Break”; Sophie reads a book to Ellie in her personal library during the episode.
- Episode: “Cold Season”: Sophie begins cleaning the books she has been storing for hundreds of years, agonizing over which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of; basically Sophie is weeding through her books! Her friends Akari, Hinata, and Ellie help in the process of cleaning, each in their own way.
My-HiME (2004-2005)
- Episode: “Dance of Light and Darkness”; Midori studying HiME in the basement of school library. Later in the episode, Mai meets Nagi in a hidden library on the school campus. There is also a very brief library scene in next episode.
- Episode: “The Moment of Destiny”; Once again, Mai meets Nagi in the library/hideout on her way to defeat the Obsidian Prince.
“There’s another example of libraries being used to research topics. In the 11th episode of My-Hime, Midori Sugiura goes down to the basement of the library to work on their thesis. She is there alone and is pouring through books and documents in order to learn more about the HiME, people who have special powers…”
Read more at “Hilda, hidden information, and research in a library”
“In the 11th episode of My-HiME, Mai meets Nagi Homura at a hidden school library to talk about the monster attacking the school’s students. Apparently, the location of the library is not well known and she only found out about its location from one of her friends…”
Read more at “Authorized books and restrictions in animation“
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Noir (2001)
- Episode: “The True Noir”; Kirika and Mireille go to a library to track down, and kill, Judge D’Estaing, a corrupt judge who let a mafia member get off on a lesser charge. They are confronted with policemen there, but both of them, plus Chloe, fight the policemen, killing them, and D’Estaing is killed by Chloe, with a shootout within the library itself in the episode.
- Episode: “Two Hands of the Soldats”; Kirika researching in a local library in Paris, I believe, looking for information about a copied manuscript that she and Mareille have looked at. Three other library patrons are shown. She stays in the library until late at night.
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Oresuki (2019)
- Episode: “I’m Really Just an Ordinary High School Student”: Amatsuyu “Joro” Kisaragi, a 16-year-old high school student, is resting in the school library and is confronted by Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy”, who has been stalking him and is in love with him. She says she wants to talk to him every day during lunch. He refuses at first, but ultimately agrees.
- Episode: “I’m Attacked by an Impossible Spiral”; Joro calls Pansy a “demonic stalker” in the beginning of the episode. She is delighted to see him but he is depressed that he has to give up his lunch time. He discloses his plans to set up Cosmos and Himawari with another student, Oga, with Pansy.
- Episode: “I Met You Before”; Himawari, Cosmo, and Oga confront Joro in the library while Pansy looks on. They claim he is a liar when he really isn’t. Joro calls out Himawari and Cosmo and thinks he won, but Pansy foils his plans, leading Oga to declare that Joro needs to apologize to Himawari and Cosmo. He is carried out of the library by Oga. Later, Pansy takes down her hair and reveals she was the big-breasted girl that he talked to all that time before, as she had glasses on and a binder holding in her breasts. She kisses him on the cheek. She smiles at the end of the episode.
- Episode: “The Results of My Hard Work”; She sits beside Joro, and says she is delighted that he is indulging her. She tells him to lick her leg, and he says no, as he only likes boobs. She says she dresses buttoned up and held in, not in her “real” form because a “demon” is after her. She is not pleased with his reason for coming there every day. She tells him to reconcile with his friends, but he isn’t sure. She tells him it is better to have more friends than less.
- Episode: “I Thought It Was Working Out Too Well For Me”; Juro calls a meeting of everyone in the library to discuss an article claiming he has three girlfriends. He asks for their advice and asks them to stay away from him for a while but it doesn’t work. He agrees to go with Cosmos to meet a girl going to the flower dance. Later they meet in the library again, with all of them part of the flower dance. Near the end of the episode, Cosmos comes to the library and tells them to stop meeting, which surprises Juro. Interestingly, Pansy agrees and says they should keep their distance.
- Episode: “When I Need to Say Something, I’ll Say It”; Pansy dance together, in which she is not dressed up like a librarian. There’s flashbacks that show library scenes and how Joro helped Pansy out to get more friends. At the end of the episode, Pansy says she hopes to see Cosmos, Himawari, and Ogain the future.
- Episode: “Before I Knew It, My Tragedy Had Begun”; Tsubaki, otherwise know as Chiharu Yoki, a new student, meets everyone in the library. They all have lunch together but the student council president, Cosmos, is nervous to bring hers out. Later Pansy tells him a way to avoid getting her attention and that of Cosmos.
- Episode: “My Conclusion After Much Consideration”; More meetings in the library. But I realizes he is an asshole after he tells Pansy to get lost. He tries to repair the relationship with her, who he calls a “special someone” to him.
- Episode: “Even I’m Useful Once and a While”; Trying to fulfill a plan of Tampopo, Joro tries to get Pansy and Oga reveal their feelings for one another while they are eating lunch in the library. Later, the school reporter, Asunaro, pulls him aside and talks to him in the library.
- Episode: “I May Not Be Needed”; School library is in danger of being closed, but if it receives more traffic it can be kept open. Pansy openly embraces Joro, surprising him after Tampopo apologized to her. Later in the library they discuss ways to save it, as low traffic is a reason they want to close it. They all come up with plans to save the library, by bringing in more people.
- Episode: “The One I Love Is…”; library has more visitors than before, becomes a social hub for students from the morning on., thanks to the efforts of Hose and the two girls, but Pansy doesn’t like this situation, especially with Hazuki around. Later she reveals that she and Oga had an agreement to start dating. She also tells Joro he is more trouble than he is worth and to stay away from the library for a while.
- Episode /OVA: “Our Playball/ Our End Run/ Our Game”; lashback to previous episode, with all of the girls confessing to him, a weird twist, and they make the challenge more complicated. At the end of the episode, she says she is in love with Juro and to be with him forever. In the end, Pansy says they can keep meeting in the school library despite the outcome.
Ouran High School Host Club (2006)
- Episode: “Starting Today You Are A Host” [Season 1, Episode 1]: At the beginning of the episode, the protagonist, Haruhi Fujioka, leaves the library room after she feels left out, and that there are too many people there. It is revealed at the end of the episode that she is a girl, not a boy as it originally appeared.
- Episode: “The Job of a High School Host!” [Season 1, Episode 2]: In the beginning of the episode, the protagonist, Haruhi, is shown studying in the library before going to the host club.
Otherside Picnic (2021)
- Episode: “Wiggle-Waggle Hunting”; Sorawo and Toriko travel to a public library in the human world to learn more about the monsters in the “otherside” dimension.
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Paradise Kiss (2005)
- Episode: “Illumination”; Yukari, studies in a library at her high school to ensure she passes her exams. Additionally, while library also mentioned in the episodes “Kiss” and “Mother,” but it has an important role in this episode.
“…[this anime] includes various scenes in libraries. The protagonist, Yukari, studies in a library at her high school to ensure she passes her exams. This is pictured in the second episode (“Illumination”), which lasts for about two minutes, shows that others are as serious as her…”
Read more at “Caroline’s indecision and the role of libraries in “Paradise Kiss”“
Princess Connect! Re: Dive (2020-2022)
- Episode: “Tea Party in the Mysterious Forest ~Afternoon Carries the Scent of Danger~”; Protagonists come across a character at an elite girls school who lives in a huge library and is trying to learn the truth of the world. Although this character she is not successful in her mission, she gains new friends and more of an understanding of the world around her.
- Episode: “Landosol at Sundown”; Character figures out that the Eustania on the throne is a fake, by looking at books at the library! This is the same character who appeared in the episode “Tea Party in the Mysterious Forest ~Afternoon Carries the Scent of Danger~” to be clear.
Princess Principal (2017)
- Episode: “Case 9 Roaming Pigeons” [s1ep4]; Dorothy talks to an agent inside of the library, learning of their next target, while she grabs a book, which is hollowed out and has a copy of a mission record (shown below) and she is tasked with stopping a device from getting into the hands of the enemy, taking the prototype from them. Later on in the episode, the library is shown again, with Dorothy noting the success of their mission, while various patrons are shown within the massive library, and says the princess is free from being an enemy asset, but her handler isn’t sure.
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I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter Q, which have a librarian or library as of yet
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Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (2018)
- Episode: “My Senpai is a Bunny Girl”; The protagonist, Sakuta Azusagawa, meets a bunny girl, Mai Sakurajima, at the local high school library while he is getting a book. She tells him to forget what he saw and he is intrigued. Also shown are various patrons using the library and two unnamed librarians at the information desk. He later talks to his friend about it. Both the protagonist and bunny girl are aware of one another.
Re:Zero aka Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (2016-2021)
- Episode: “The Happy Roswaal Family” (Season 1, Episode 4), While in the Roswaal family, Subaru Natsuki meets a character, Beatrice “Betty”, an annoying character, and he messes with her a bit. She responds in kind by electrocuting him and weakening him, causing him to be unconscious. He later wakes up in a bed. He messes with her later when Betty is snuggling with Betty’s familiar. Betty is the librarian who oversees the mansion’s library. She has the power to hide the door opening to the library to anywhere in the mansion.
- Episode: “The Morning of Our Promise is Still Distant” (Season 1, Episode 5); Subaru calms down in the library, with Betty annoyed but not hurting him like she did in the time before.
- Episode: “The Sound of Chains” (Season 1, Episode 6); He returns to the library, walking in circles, annoying Betty to no end, even as she realizes he is afraid. Later, Betty tells him there is magic that can cause someone to go to sleep. She also reveals more about magic and that she healed him in the past.
- Episode: “Natsuki Subaru’s Restart” (Season 1, Episode 7); Betty helps him again, and kicks him because he is sleeping inn the library and asks him to be quiet and stop asking so many questions. He quietly reads in the library.
- Episode: “I Cried, Cried My Lungs Out, and Stopped Crying” (Season 1, Episode 8); he talks to Betty again, and asks her about curses. She tells him about the only witch in the world, and believes that Emile is actually the witch Saetella. He later talks with her late at night, revealing that he loves Emile and is walking around in circles, with Betty getting annoyed again. Also, he finds our more about the curse and figures out ways to avoid it.
- Episode: “The Meaning of Courage” (Season 1, Episode 9); He meets with Betty again, still in the library, to determine how to beat the curse that is afflicting him. He convinces her to heal him from the curse, which she does, begrudgingly.
Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)
- Episode: “The Sunlit Garden – Prelude”; Mikage looks at a microfilm machine in “The Boys of the Black Rose,” but the library has an important role in this episode.
- Episode: “Mitsuru’s Growing Pains”; Same academic library as in “The Sunlit Garden – Prelude”.
- Episode: “Troublesome Insects”; Focuses on card catalogs, like the episode “Nemuro Memorial Hall”.
- Episode: “Nemuro Memorial Hall”; Focuses on card catalogs.
“…I stumbled upon scenes showcasing libraries, reference, and much more, time and time again…It’s actually extraordinary as I’ve never seen an animated series feature libraries as many times like this one!”
Read more at “The power of libraries and card catalogs: Revolutionary Girl Utena shines through“
Read or Die (2001-2002) [OAV]
- Episodes 1-3; This anime takes place in a world where the British Empire is a major superpower, with an intelligence agency known as the “British Library” within the actual British Library, ensuring the empire is maintained. It has a special ops division, the MI6, with the OVA following the story of “The Paper,” otherwise known as Yomiko Readman, who is an agent of the library and is part of a team working to track down rare books; many scenes in actual libraries. Some have incorrectly called this a “film.”
“…the OVA following the story of “The Paper,” otherwise known as Yomiko Readman, who is an agent of the library and is part of a team working to track down rare books..”
Read more at “Read or…die?: Paper masters, embers of the British empire, and books galore“
Riddle Story of Devil (2014)
- Episode: “What Comes Suddenly and Never Leaves?”; Tokaku and Hari study at the library for midterms multiple times in this episode; later they even have a fight within the library with a person who is trying to assassinate them, even traveling to a hidden room with closed stacks (hinting at archivy themes?), with Tokaku again defending Hari once more.
R.O.D the TV (2003-2004)
- Episode: “The Seventh Grade Course”; Anita joins a book club at the local junior high school that is located in a library, with Hisami Hishishii as the only other member. She also serves as the librarian.
- Episode: “The Right Stuff”; The library is under attack yet again, with books strewn across the floor; Junior looks for the book there but unable to find it, returning empty-handed; Then, we have another scene in the library where Anita meets Junior, who is an agent for the British Empire, trying to retrieve a book. As they talk, we find out why Anita doesn’t like books: they remind her of painful memories, like the burning of books and a shadowy figure standing nearby.
- Episode: “Seduced by the Night”; Anita and other students trying to find a “poltergeist” in the library and Nenene traveling to bookstores presumably looking for her book; Then, Junior later finds the book, but reports to his superiors that he “can’t find it,” likely looking for an excuse to stay around Anita.
- Episode: “A Christmas Carol”; We learn how Maggie, Michelle, and Anita met. Part of that includes going into a dimly-lit basement library in a house they broke into, and discovering a bunch of books made to look old but are actually newer, with Maggie and Michelle thinking they have been set up.
- Episode: “Goodbye Japan”; Anita goes to the school library with Hisa. Anita later gives up a book she had been hiding, with the villains, like Mr. Carpenter, saying that all the pieces are falling into place. There are a couple more scenes in a library later in the episode as well.
- Episode: “Forest of Paper Leaves (or “Paper Leaf Wood”)”; At one point, we see a library, presumably a branch of the British Library, at one point. Also, Dokusensha is described originally as serving the Chinese emperors but then tasked with guarding imperial libraries through many dynasties, studying literature on various topics. An important plan was put on hold when the British Library was attacked by an unknown person, with the British later withdrawing from the EU and were expelled from the UN.
- Episode: “In the Gray Light of the Abyss”; In the episode itself, National Diet Library appears for a total of about 11 and half minutes, which is about half of the episode! The animators likely worked with/went to the library to put together these animations, which look pretty close to how the library functioned and what was in the stacks. Its pretty awesome to be honest.
- Episode: “Fahrenheit 451”; The episode has an eight-minute scene in the library, with the Joker claiming he bought the entire library, a fight between his goons and them. Their time in the library itself ends with them flying out of the library on a paper bird.
- Episode: “Confession”; Junior is so distraught that he phases into the book and they see the British Library Special Operations Center, for a scene that lasts for about four minutes
- Episode: “The Family Game”; Begins with a one-minute scene of them in this holographic library, and ends with Anita stopping the fire, by using her papermaster powers. Anita runs off, completely traumatized…later Anita tries to figure out why she was at the British Library six years ago.
- Episode: “Bonjour tristesse (French: Hello Sadness)”; A distraught Anita returns to school, visits the library for a short bit, looking for Misa. She finds her, but Hisa doesn’t remember her, sending Anita into a further downward spiral, after the traumatic event earlier that day…
- Episode: ???; This episode includes a short library scene, which isn’t even a minute long. Anita asks Hisa what she would like to be when she grows up, with Misa saying she wants to be a librarian, while Anita says she doesn’t know what she is “good for.”
The last entry I wrote, but do not remember which episode it goes with. When I rewatch the series, I will fix the last entry.
“The 26-episode sequel series, known as R.O.D the TV…in many of the scenes that libraries are shown, there are also library call numbers…”
Read more at “Read or…die?: Paper masters, embers of the British empire, and books galore“
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Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (2022)
- Episode: “Cultural Festival I”; The purple-haired protagonist, Izumi, goes to the school library early one morning, unsure of who will be there, who he will be with for a few hours. Lo and behold, he meets Kamiya, who is shelving books and has blue hair. She is on the library committee and she helps him put away some books. All the books are shown with Japanese call numbers.
- Episode: “Cultural Festival II”; Izumi and Kamiya are in the library for library duty while the cultural festival is going on about a recent movie they both watched. She has a vision or dream before that, at the beginning of the episode that she is losing Yuu to Shikimori, which makes her sad. She later trades a number with Shikimori so that she and Izumi can be together. Later, Izumi continues to help Kamiya until their shift is done, with Shikimori and a friend of Kamiya entering the library too. He leaves the library with Shikimori when his shift is over. There’s later a flashback to a scene of both working in the library together, and how her feelings for Izumi grew in the past. Shikimori apologizes for figuring that out, saying she never intended to hurt her.
Simoun (2006)
- Episode: “Prayer”; Dominūra talks to Limone in the library, noting that is reading a plumbish dictionary, and she pushes her off afterward, causing her to leave.
“Limone, a young priestess (called a sibylla) who is a member of Chor Tempest, often hangs out in the library on the Arcus Prima, as shown in the opening of every episode…”
Read more at “10 other beautiful libraries in animated series“
Smile of the Arsnotoria The Animation (2022)
- Episode: “Sniff…”; Picatrix reads about Devils Tongue, in the library within the castle, in hopes of helping Arsnotoria regain her super-sense of smell by learning about something with an awful smell, hoping it will shock her back to reality.
- Episode: “Sn-…”; One of the characters, Abramlin, is doing research in the library early in the morning and is asked by another character, Paulina, why she is there doing research at that hour, saying she wanted to know something but is only finishing dragments of knowledge. Arsnotoria, I believe, is later shown chasing a being in the library, and looks for a book, even able to smell fresh ink from the library, including climbing library stairs. She mets Paulina there and says she came to see her, with Paulina calling her a shut-in in the library tower. Following this, some elves (or some other beings) clean up the library for Paulina, annoyed she is causing more work for them. Paulina and Arsnotoria have a nice lunch together in the library. There are also flying beings which carry and bring books to people.
- Episode: “Wa—–“; The elves or other beings are surprised, as is Paulina, by a stack of books falling, within the library, possibly because of what Little Alberta is doing, although they can’t be sure. Later, banging by Little Al causes the library to shake.
- Episode: “SSSS—–“; The protagonists, and many others, go through the library, looking for a book, with Paulina helping many people find the right book for them to balance on their heads. The elves or other beings are there as well. They all get books to balance on their heads to practice their skills as students.
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen (2020-2021) [Reboot]
- Episode: “Ghost from the Past”; This is a librarian-less library, although this one is clearly well-used and we see the wide expanse of this beautiful library.
“…In the show’s ninth episode (“Ghost from the Past”) there is, once again, a librarian-less library, although this one is clearly well-used. First, we see the wide expanse of this beautiful library”
Read more at “Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and the case of a beautiful library“
Spy x Family (2022-Present)
- Episode: “Stella”; Loid and Anya in the hospital library with Loid shelving books while Anya is reading manga which they don’t like as they want order and work instead.
Strawberry Panic! (2006)
- Episode: “Etoile”; Nagisa retreats to the library, and Shizuma follows, catching her and again attempting to kiss her before being interrupted.
- Episode: “Hydrangeas”; One of the places they look for Nagisa’s umbrella is at the library.
“…In the show’s second episode, “Etoile,” Nagisa Aoi, one of the protagonists, goes to the library for respite, still not sure how to process Shizuma Hanazono trying to kiss her earlier in the episode…”
Read more at “From love confessions to smooches: Love in the library part 3“
The fandom site for the show says, “the students may go and study for their classes at a library on the lake’s shore. Although only implied in the anime, the manga explains that the library building has another name, “The Secret Garden”. It is well-known on campus as a rendezvous for secret lovers.”
Stars Align (2019)
- Episode: “Episode 3”; Maki Katsuragi studies in the school library with two fellow members of the soft tennis club. They then talk about soft tennis for a bit.
- Episode: “Episode 8”; The tennis club meets in the library, planning how to gain information. Also, Yuu is shown reading in the library a book about LGBTQ people, and says that he describes himself as closest to the term non-binary, but isn’t wedded to that label, during a conversation he has with Maki.
- Episode: “Episode 9”; The tennis club searches across the school, including in the library, for An-Chan.
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Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra (2009-2010)
- Episode: “Bombs, Books, and a Sinking Ship”; Books contain the entire record of someone, everything they were, stored in tablets, with duty of armed librarians to manage and protect them with their lives, librarians can touch fragments and see what happened; chief has an abrasive personality. Librarians include: acting director of the Bantorra Library Hamyuts Meseta [Voiced by Romi Park (Japanese) Shelley Calene-Black (English)], First grade Armed Librarian Mattalast Ballory [Voiced by Toru Ohkawa (Japanese) David Wald (English)], Third grade armed librarian Mirepoc Finedel [Voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese); Shannon Emerick (English)], armed librarian Volken Macmani [Voiced by Yuichi Nakamura (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)], trainee armed librarian Noloty Malche [Voiced by Haruka Tomatsu (Japanese); Cynthia Martinez (English)], director and founder of Bantorra Library Ruruta Coozancoona [Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese); Chris Patton (English)], armed librarian Mokkania Fluru [Voiced by Akira Ishida (Japanese); David Matranga (English)], elderly armed librarian Ireia Kitty [voiced by Akiko Takeguchi (Japanese); Marcy Bannor (English)], previous acting director Fhotona Badgammon [Voiced by Tooru Furusawa (Japanese); Illich Guardiola (English)], Acting director of library before Meseta Makia Dekishart [Voiced by Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); John Gremillion (English)])
- Episode: “Bombs, a Princess, and a Gray Town”; Armed librarians try and determine what happened in the mining colony, one is killed, and the library director goes to investigate; there is some discussion of people becoming books and some library duties, not much though.
Teasing Master Takagi-san (2018-2022)
- Episode: “Studying for the Test” [Season 1 Episode 5 Part 2], Takugi helps Nishikata study at the library for his math test. He believes she has stopped teasing him until she later admits that NONE of the stuff they studied together will be on the test.
- Episode: “Fireworks” [Season 2 Episode 11 Part 2], Nishikata, and, Takagi meet in a local public library. Takagi gives Nishikata a present, and he gives her a present. She teases him, saying that she was thinking about him during the whole trip. He blushes in response, as he often does in response to her.
- Episode: “Library Duty” [Season 3, Episode 2, Part 4], Nishikata and Takagi have school library committee duty together, and no one comes in to check out a book. As a result, they both choose books for one another, with Takagi teasing Nishikata by saying “I love you” while reading a book. They have the duty of coming to the library every week for a time period, again to serve as librarians. A librarian (a Japanese woman) seems to show them what to do at the beginning of the episode, implying they have not been on library duty before.
- Episode: “Knitting” [Season 3, Episode 7, Part 4], Nishikata and Takagi spend time in the library together, with Nishikata reading a book about dogs. Takagi says she enjoys the peace and quiet, and is knitting while Nishikata is reading a book, with Nishikata impressed by Takagi’s knitting even though she says she is a novice. It turns out that she is knitting clothes for a dog, rather than for Nishikata, causing him to feel unnecessarily jealous.
- Episode: “March 14” [Season 3, Episode 12]; Nishikata does school library duty on his own and he feel down, like something is missing, since Takagi isn’t there with him. He later realizes that she was genuine in her romantic feelings, and he reciprocates them.
The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star (2016-2017)
- Episode: “Those Awaiting a Star: Part 1“; The protagonist, Chise Hatori, gets books from a wizard/bookseller, Angelica, and remembers back to a book she read when she was alone and ran away from home following her mother’s death, when she took refuge from evil spirits in a library (library of the forest) with help of a librarian / magician of the forest, Riichi Miura.
- Episode: “Those Awaiting a Star: Part 2“; Riichi thinks of what he can do to make Chise happy, while other beings read books in this forest library. He gets her name and gives her a library card. She is so overjoyed. She leaves to go the library the next day, and escapes an evil spirit. She explores around the library and Riichi later tells her she can read there as long as she has the card. She connects with the librarian over time, he reads to her and other patrons one day, and he lets her stay for one night, with the library sparkling at night. After she goes to sleep, Riichi rips up her library card. The next day, she tries to get in the library and return the book, she does but she leaves the door open, and Riichi dies protecting her from the monster, which devoured all the books in the library. He tells her to deliver the last book to Nikura Mayumi-sun and he…dies in front of her…how sad! The one person who cared about her has died.
- Episode: “Those Awaiting a Star: Part 3“; Riichi, then a lowly student, tells Chise that he had a promise to give a book back to Nikura, daughter of a wealthy family, who tells him “my happiest moments are when I’m reading the last page of a book,” and somehow he was drawn to the library, and he was trapped inside. The library itself is swallowed up by the monster, as is Riichi, who is somehow still alive at this point. She gives the book to Nikura who is happy to receive it and is thankful, hugging a tearful Chise. Later, she goes to where the library was, in the forest, and it is gone. She later moves out, to somewhere else, with the stepmom, while the annoying and hurtful boys are glad to see their dad. In the present, she enjoys the book with her mentor, who tells her the library is like something out of a legend, and she bonds with her mentor, and others over the story, saying she will talk with him about the book again.
The Demon Girl Next Door (2019-2022)
- Episode: “Nightmare or Forebear?! The Doorstop of Darkness Descends”; The sister of the protagonist, Ryoko, travels to the local library and reads a huge book while people look on, confused and puzzled. The library scene is relatively short.
The Executioner and Her Way of Life (2022)
- Episode: “At the Evening Ball”; Momo looks through the records, either in a library or archive, and records what she found, and realizes that something changed two weeks before.
The Mystic Archives of Dantalian (2011)
- Episode: “Turn-up Book”; Huey and Dalian visit a library, bring the magical creatures in the house back into a pop-up book; Dalian can be considered a sort of librarian as well.
- Episode: “Book of Fetus”; Huey and Dalian go to the mansion of one of his cousins, Estella, and look at the collection of books of Colonel Lehrbern in a study, which she kept there as she did not know their value. You could say it is a library of sorts.
- Episode: “Book of Wisdom / Queen of the Knight”; Huey and Dalian are tied up by the robbers in the basement of the mansion. The robbers search through the books down there, in what could be called a library, searching for one book which turns out to be a carnivorous plant of the same name.
“Finally, there’s The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, which I’ve criticized for confusing libraries and archives. In the episode “Turn-up Book,” Huey and Dalian visit a library, bring the magical creatures in the house back into a pop-up book…”
Read more at “Books, books, and the value of libraries“
To Heart 2 adnext (2010)
- Episode: “First Name”; The protagonists, Manaka and Takaaki, work in the book storeroom together, arranging books and they grow closer to one another, as Manaka daydreams about doing stuff with Takaaki time and time again.
The Rising of the Shield Hero (2019-2022)
- Episode: “The Shield Hero”; While in the college library, student Naofumi Iwatani finds a fantasy book and is suddenly sucked into the book and summoned to another world. Librarians are briefly shown in the beginning of the episode.
I do not recommend the above series, and only watched two episodes before I stopped watching it. Read more about the controversy with this series here.
U
I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter U, which have a librarian or library as of yet
V
Venus Versus Virus (2007)
- Episode: “Deep Feelings”; Lucia goes to the library to learn more about her past and finds misfiled papers.
- Episode: “Dark Wish”; Soichiro talks with Sumari in the library about Lucia and her past.
“Let me start with a 2007 anime series titled Venus Versus Virus and one of the episodes, “Deep Feelings” has a few scenes in a library…”
Read more at “Hilda, hidden information, and research in a library“
W
Wandering Son aka Hōrō Musuko (2011)
- Episode: “Romeo and Juliet”: Nitori begins writing a genderbending play, meeting in the library with her friends
- Episode: “Confession ~Each season~”; The library is seen as a welcoming place where Nitori writes another genderbender play, where the girls play boys and vice versa.
“… The transgender protagonist, Shuuichi Nitori, is considered one of the cutest girls at the school but is feeling discomfort related to her gender identity…in this scene, they try to first combine their two plays, Nitori’s original and Chibas’s modern adaption of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, first meeting in the library…”
Read more at “The role of libraries in the anime, “Wandering Son”“
We Never Learn aka Bokuben (2019-2020)
- Episode: “Genius and [X] Are Two Sides of the Same Coin”; Bokuben, Fumino, Rizu, and Yuiga go to the school library in an attempt to study. Fumino falls asleep while looking at equations. He struggles when surrounded by two beautiful women.
- Episode: “A Genius Resonates Emotionally with [X]”; Famino, Rizu, Yaiga, and Uruka in the library studying, during one scene.
- Episode: “What She Wants from a Genius Is [X]”; Famino and Rizu are studying in the library together while she worries about weight gain. She even let’s Rizu touch her stomach. The next day they go into the library, the rival of Yaiga, I think, is there.
- Episode: “A Genius in the Forest Is Strayed by [X]”; Red-haired girl and Rizu study in the library together.
- Episode: “A Former Tutor’s Secret Spot is [X]”; Nariyuki and Fumino study in the library together, but people surround them, thinking they are stating even though they aren’t. Nariyuki helps correct her “silly mistakes”. The other students realize there is no spark between them, then they take out their ear pieces, and decide to study.
- Episode: “Sometimes a Genius’s Every Action Is at the Mercy of [X]”; Naryuki and the red-haired girl, Uruka, are embarrassed after seeing themselves in the tub while on a video call. They all later study in the library together.
- Episode: “With the Changing Seasons, a Genius Experiences the Sorrow of [X]”; Another scene in the library where they are all studying but Rizu is embarrassed by the fact she cut her bangs off by accident, and tries to hide it from Nariyuki. Later scene in same episode where they are studying together.
- Episode: “Sometimes a Genius Struggles with a Limited [X]”; Rizu talks to her friends in the library about getting a new look, with Fumino with the blue hair recommending she go to a salon rather than cutting her hair by herself. Later that day, at the Nanatoh library, Rizu meets Nariyuki with hair extensions and a new look which he doesn’t recognize, thinking she is hitting on him. They still end helping each other with their homework, with Nariyuki describing Rizu to Rizu without knowing it. He still thinks he is being hit on. Later, Uruls and Nariyuki are studying in the library together, telling to practice speaking English, as she is nervous speaking English.
- Episode: “A Heartfelt Gift Sometimes Becomes a Complicated [X]”; At the library, Fumino studis with Nariyuki and her other friends, where they are celebrating her birthday, after she gets an unexpected gift from Nariyuki. They later ask them to be more quiet in the library.
- Episode: “Wherefore Might They Fathom the Aspirations of the Immediate [X]”; Ending scene in library with red-haired girl and Nariyuki in the library, observing those they study with reading books about interviews.
- Episode: “A Genius Secretly Responds with [X] to their Conjectures”; Rizu talks to Nariyuki in the library, hearing about an open campus event. Seiji shows up and they all agree to go together, and have a fun time together.
Whispered Words aka Sasameki Koto (2009)
- Episode: “Whispered Words”; Ushio Kazama works at a school library with Chizuka Nishikigi, who she has a crush on; Later Sumika tells Ushio to let Chizuka and warns her, making Ushio sad; later Chizuka turns against Ushio because a boy in that class.
- Episode: “Cute People”; The library is featured in this episode, buy only a brief scene.
- Episode: “First Kiss”; Sumika finds Ushio at the library and reconciles with her.
- Episode: “Did You See the Rain?”; Azusa Aoi serves as the librarian in this episode, while the Girls Club members go on a treasure hunt to find a message, coming in and out of the library throughout the episode. Later Azuza joins them in their quest to discover what the message means.
- Episode: “Calling You”; Feeling down that Sumika has not called her back, Ushio spends time at a public library reading books and other materials. She stays at the library until it closes.
“In the episode “Did You See the Rain?,” Azusa Aoi serves as the librarian in this episode, while the Girls Club members go on a treasure hunt to find a message…”
Read more at “Lacking “proper, consistent representation”: Librarians in popular culture“
X
I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter X, which have a librarian or library as of yet
Y
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (2015)
- Episode: “I’ll Definitely Change the Future”; Characters visit library club room during this episode.
Yamibou aka Yami to Boshi to Hon no Tabibito (2003)
- Episode: “Jill”; The expanse of the library is shown in this episode, Lillith stops firing her sister, Kogechibi, from firing rockets…Hatsumi also comes to this great library and goes into a book world…they (Lillith and Hatsumi) go back and forth from the library to various book worlds.
- Episode: “Gargantua”; We see Lillith in the library, seeing that Hatsumi and others are in a book world of sorts in a scene…she also looks at other books as well.
- Episode: “Lilith”; Eve rejoins Lillith at the Great Library, and returns Hatsumi to her book world, where she no longer, sadly, remembers Hatsumi or any memories with her.
“…Lilith is a caretaker of the Great Library, a repository that contains “all of the worlds in the universe within books.” While much of the series is her traveling with her crush, Hazuki, searching from book world to book world looking for Eve…”
Read more at “Lacking “proper, consistent representation”: Librarians in popular culture”
“…Lilith in Yamibou, a caretaker of the Great Library, a repository containing thousands of books that contain all the book-worlds of the universe….While she, like Oldham, is not identified as a librarian in the series, the official site of the visual novel that the anime is based on calls her a library administrator…”
Read more at “BIPOC librarians in animated series: She-Ra to Yamibou“
YuruYuri (2011-2015)
- Episode: “April’s Fool”; Kyoko and Yui go to the school library, with a lot of people there studying, and see “Chitose” enthralled in a book but not with Ayano. They come to the library to study. Sakurako tries to annoy Sakurako but it does not work as she ignores her. Yui tells Kyoko to not bother her but Sakurako tries to get her attention, even tying her hair up like a samurai. Yui cries to Kyoko that “Chitose” glared at her, with Yui saying because Kyoko is bothering “Chitose”. Turns out that Chitose’s twin sister is there, not Chitose, confusing them, when Chitose enters the library with Ayano, catching them off guard.
- Episode: “Our Amusement Club”; Chitose’s sister is surprised by a changed Kyoko in the library and runs to Chitose, saying she is scared by this “new” Kyoko, who ended up this way because she bopped her head, which somehow, hilariously chnages her personality, for reasons which are never explained.
Z
I have not watched any shows that begin with the letter Z, which have a librarian or library as of yet