Mayo Momoyo is the author of the original work behind the light novel and manga series Always a Catch!: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince, which has been adapted into an anime television series. Momoyo is credited as the original creator of the franchise, with the series written solely by Momoyo and illustrations provided by Itsuki Mito for the light novel edition. The series began as a short story written by Mayo Momoyo on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on October 21, 2020. A sequel to the original short story began serialization on the same platform in December 2020. The growing popularity of the work led to its acquisition by publisher Square Enix, which began publishing the story as a physical light novel series under its SQEX Novel imprint on August 6, 2021. The light novel series remains ongoing and had released five volumes as of December 2024. A manga adaptation illustrated by Kaki Nagato began serialization on Square Enix's Manga Up! platform in April 2022, and the manga had been compiled into eight tankōbon volumes as of the anime's announcement period. The franchise had surpassed one million copies in total circulation across its various formats. An anime television series adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment and animated by Troyca studio is scheduled to premiere in the second quarter of 2026. The story of Always a Catch! follows Maria, the daughter of a duke who spent her youth mastering martial arts instead of pursuing romance, believing she would inherit her family's title. When the birth of a baby brother strips her of her position as heir, she suddenly finds herself needing to find a husband and travels abroad to study in a neighboring kingdom, where a case of mistaken identity with a crown prince leads to an unexpected romantic connection. This premise reflects a recurring thematic identity in Momoyo's work: a blend of action-oriented romantic comedy that subverts traditional noblewoman expectations by centering on a physically capable, headstrong female lead whose martial prowess becomes an integral part of her romantic appeal. The work incorporates elements of fantasy, aristocracy, medieval settings, and comedy. In comments made upon the announcement of the anime adaptation, Momoyo described the series as a cheerful romantic comedy full of happiness from beginning to end and expressed gratitude to the production team and fans whose support made the multimedia expansion of the franchise possible. The franchise represents a successful trajectory from user-generated web novel to professional publication to manga and anime adaptation, exemplifying a common career path for contemporary light novel creators in Japan.