The Eminence in Shadow

The Eminence in Shadow (陰の実力者になりたくて!) is a Japanese light novel series written by Daisuke Aizawa and illustrated by Tōzai. It began serialization online in May 2018 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Enterbrain, who have published the series since November 2018.

A manga adaptation with art by Anri Sakano has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's manga magazine Comp Ace since December 2018. A spin-off manga by Seta U, titled Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Shadow Gaiden (陰の実力者になりたくて！ しゃどーがいでん), was also serialized via Comp Ace from July 2019 to September 2023. Both the light novel and main manga have been licensed in North America by Yen Press. An anime television series adaptation produced by Nexus aired from October 2022 to February 2023. A second season aired from October to December 2023. An anime film, titled The Eminence in Shadow: Lost Echoes, was announced in December 2023.

Premise
In modern-day Japan, a boy named Minoru Kageno aspires to be a mastermind, exerting power from the shadows. During his clandestine training, an unforeseen accident occurs when he gets hit by a truck, leading to his untimely demise. To his surprise, he finds himself reborn in a fantastical realm as Cid Kagenou. Here, he decides to maintain a facade of mediocrity, intentionally avoiding the limelight while secretly nurturing his dream of orchestrating power from behind the scenes.

As Cid goes about his life in this new world, he encounters an elven girl suffering from a mysterious ailment. Putting his acquired knowledge to use, Cid successfully cures her. Seizing the opportunity, he weaves a tale for the elf, now named Alpha, claiming that this world is under the control of the nefarious Cult of Diablos. Cid, under the guise of Shadow, the leader of the clandestine organization Shadow Garden, assures Alpha that they possess the means to defeat the cult and restore peace to the land.

With newfound purpose, Alpha becomes an enthusiastic member of Shadow Garden, taking on the role of a recruiter and aiding Cid in expanding their influence. Unbeknownst to her, Cid's fabricated power struggle is not mere fiction; it is a harsh reality that he, as Shadow, is now actively engaged in. Under the alias, he navigates the complex web of political intrigue and magical conflicts, fighting against the very forces he had initially only pretended existed.

As Shadow, Cid finds himself increasingly entangled in the conflicts of the fantasy world, with the lines between his fabricated story and the actual struggles blurring. The once-aspiring mastermind now faces the challenge of living up to the role he created and leading Shadow Garden in the fight against the genuine threats posed by the Cult of Diablos.

Light novel
The series is written by Daisuke Aizawa and illustrated by Tōzai. It began serialization online in May 2018 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was acquired by Enterbrain in November 2018, who have published six volumes. Yen Press licensed the series for English publication.

Manga
A manga adaptation with art by Anri Sakano began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's manga magazine Comp Ace on December 26, 2018. It has been collected in 13 volumes. Yen Press also licensed the manga adaptation.

A spin-off manga by Seta U, titled Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Shadow Gaiden (陰の実力者になりたくて！ しゃどーがいでん), was also serialized via Comp Ace from July 26, 2019, to September 26, 2023. It has been collected in six tankōbon volumes.

Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on the fourth volume of the light novel on February 26, 2021. The series is produced by Nexus and directed by Kazuya Nakanishi, with scripts written by Kanichi Katou, character designs by Makoto Iino, and music composed by Kenichiro Suehiro. It aired from October 5, 2022, to February 15, 2023, on AT-X and other networks. The opening theme is "Highest" by OxT, while the ending theme is "Darling in the Night" by Asami Seto, Inori Minase, Suzuko Mimori, Fairouz Ai, Hisako Kanemoto, Ayaka Asai, and Reina Kondō.

A second season was announced during a livestream on February 22, 2023, with the main staff returning from the previous season. It was broadcast for 12 episodes from October 4 to December 20, 2023. The opening theme is "Grayscale Dominator" by OxT, while the ending theme song is "Polaris in the Night" by Ikumi Hasegawa, Maaya Uchida, Mayu Minami, and Ryōko Maekawa.

Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for a North American release, streaming it on Hidive.

Film
An anime film, titled The Eminence in Shadow: Lost Echoes (劇場版 陰の実力者になりたくて！残響編), was announced in December 2023.

Video game
A role-playing mobile game developed by Aiming, titled The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden (陰の実力者になりたくて！マスターオブガーデン), was released for Android, iOS, and Windows on November 29, 2022. Crunchyroll Games launched the game worldwide on Android and iOS on the same day. The Windows version launched worldwide on May 25, 2023, with support for cross-platform play and progression.

Reception
By October 2022, the series had a cumulative total of 2 million copies in circulation; over 3.5 million copies in circulation by December 2022; over 4 million copies in circulation by February 2023; over 5 million copies in circulation by September 2023; and over 6 million copies in circulation by May 2024.

The first Blu-ray volume sold 2,327 copies in its first week of debut; the second volume sold 2,499 copies in its first week.