An anime television series adaptation by Studio Bind aired from January to March 2023; it gained high ratings, although it received a mixed reception from foreign critics.
Nekotofu began self-publishing Onimai on Pixiv in January 2017, and later on Niconico Seiga, where it became significantly more popular.
It is produced by Studio Bind and chief directed by Shingo Fujii, with Michiko Yokote as head writer, character designs handled by Ryo Imamura, and music composed by Daisuke Achiba and Alisa Okehazama.
P Maru-sama, while the ending theme song is "Himegoto*Crisisters" (ひめごと*クライシスターズ) by Marika Kōno, Kaori Ishihara, Hisako Kanemoto, and Minami Tsuda.
[43] Shoki Ota, writing for KAI-YOU [ja], said the series was remarkable for its meticulous depiction of everyday life, and said, "While it might not be for everyone due to its gender swap themes, it feels like a condensed work amid the recent 'anime festival', making it a must-see this season".
[44] In early English-language coverage of the series, the critical response to Onimai's first few episodes were mixed[45][46][47] despite the high user ratings.
[48] Some reviewers criticized the first episode's premise and lolicon themes, and perceived incestuous overtones, while praising the animation and music, which was near-universally deemed to be of exceptional quality.
[45][49][47] Rebecca Silverman was softer in her criticisms, describing the fan service as "relatively toned down" but stated that the narrative premise was too "mean" for her to enjoy and squandering its potential.