I'll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History

(12+) Ugh. Another series that could have been a lot better. The premise was fine, the voices and animation is great, but some of the female protagonist's actions are just over the top stupid and make no sense. I am all in for a sacrifice for a worthy cause, person, or goal - but hers just doesn't have a lot of wisdom (or reason) to it in my opinion. Not sure if there will be a second season or not, but I believe the writers have a lot to work with if so and the series could easily improve. If you are a fan of these types of tropes, you will like this series just fine.

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If "villainess" was part of a drinking game, you'd be out cold by the second episode., it's villainess every other word. I have mixed feelings about the storyline. It's engaging but:

Annoying Heroine: The heroine's voice is intentionally made high-pitched and fake, immediately making her unlikable.

Misleading Villain: The so-called villain, who is actually the protagonist, behaves heroically rather than evilly. She's just portrayed as a rude and spoiled child. Essentially she is stealing the heroine's place in the storyline.

Problematic Age Gap: The five-year age difference between the protagonist and her love interest is questionable. She's 13 when she starts school, while he is 18. A closer age gap would make more sense.

5/10 By the time I was on the third episode, I was completely tired of her insisting to call herself a villainess. The character is obviously at least as heroic as the main character from her game, but it just doesn't stop. Villains don't help people. Just stop stop stop with the villainess garbage. We can all see you are a kind person, who cares for the common people. It is just so irritating after about 2 episodes. Start calling yourself a heroine who cares for the people, and ditch the villain garbage on the side of the path where it belongs. No one buys it anyway, so just stop repeating it over and over again.

This anime series opens with a girl finding herself in the body of Alicia Williams, the villainess in a game she used to play. Knowing this destiny she determines to become the greatest villainess in history. Her preternatural wisdom leads to her gaining the ear of the king and befriending many of the nobility. She also takes a surprising interest to the poor in one particular village. When a prophecy indicates a saint has been born she is given the task of watching over her... of course this saint was the heroine of the game, an instantly popular girl.

Recently there have been quite a few anime series centred on a reincarnated villainess. This may not be the best but it is an enjoyable addition to the genre. The characters are solid and nobody is really unlikeable. As seems to be common in this genre our protagonist never seems particularly villainous; she is just in conflict with the designated heroine. This isn't really a problem as Alicia is a likeable character and other characters are fun to watch. Character designs and animation are both pretty good. The final episode seems more like the end of a chapter than an end of the story; if there is more I'd certainly watch. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the genre.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

"Loved it! Sharp, witty, and dripping with clever dialogues - finally a story where the heroine doesn't bow down but rises as the villainess.

"Honestly, I came for drama but stayed because this villainess had more brains, sass, and one-liners than the so-called heroes. Watching her outwit everyone is like snacking on popcorn while the world burns - 10/10, would join her evil squad."