Title: I’ve Become A True Villainess Chapters 1-3
Publisher: Manta Comics
Language: English
Format: Webtoon
Genre: Isekai, Romance
Publication Date: November 30, 2022
The Story
Nothing is worse than dying, getting isekai’d, and then dying again in the world you came to. That’s what happens here as Seria, in her previous life, died and was reincarnated in a romance novel where her character also dies! Her goal is to try and prevent her death and since she is fully aware of the events of the story, she does so by trying to change said events.
She already knows that Callis is the one who kills her so rather than follow the story, she decides to try and seduce Callis instead. This seems to work but there is something that happens that Seria doesn’t expect… a girl named Lina shows up.
In the story, Seria knows that Lina is the main character so when she shows up, that’s when the events leading to Seria’s death will begin. Her goal was to marry Callis before Lina’s arrival; however, she unexpectedly turns up! What’s worse is that Callis seems to be a bit smitten with her… or at least that is how it seems to Seria! Can Seria go through with her plan and prevent her death? That is the hook and the questions that remain unanswered!
Characters
In the story, Seria was known as a noble troublemaker (aka the villain); however, when her body gets taken over, that personality is gone. Of course, to keep up appearances, the new Seria will act like the old one from time to time; however, she has also exhibited a change in behavior that everyone takes notice of. She is also known as a Sterne… a person blessed by the Gods with power. One of the biggest telltale signs that she has changed is that the new Seria begins to take those responsibilities seriously whereas the old Seria would just blow them off and act like such nonsense was beneath her. It’s a nice dueling personality in the eyes of the characters of the world but to current Seria, it’s all just an act to survive!
This really makes Seria an interesting character. The self-awareness of the fact that she’s in a romance novel that she’s familiar with gives her the edge; however, when things don’t pan out the way she wants them to, she needs to think on the fly to ensure her survival. It’s a cat-and-mouse game with fate and those often make things a bit quirky and entertaining and Seria is the perfect character to act as a vehicle for that!
Lina, on the other hand, looks to be sweet and bubbly at first, but there’s something really off about her. From wanting to watch Seria undress and fit into her wedding gown, to staring at her from the palace window high above, to be jealous of the fact that Seria is a Sterne. It is pretty obvious that jealousy is going to play a role here. The only odd thing is that I can see her being jealous had the story going the original route but since it’s going a different route and Seria is doing everything she can to avoid Lina, her jealousy is due to a completely different reason. It’ll be interesting to see how she develops further!
Callis seemed like a charming guy at first but he made a huge mistake… calling Lina by her first name only… in front of Seria! This strongly hints that there may be something between Callis and Lina and that helps to build a lot of mistrust between them. We even get the classic up-close shot of Callis’ mouth with a bit of a mischievous grin. When you see that, we all know that no good can come from it.
There are a couple of supporting characters, including Bibi… the obvious third wheel and “best guy” candidate, but I don’t want to reveal too much!
Final Thoughts
The isekai genre has gone a bit stale and it needed a new angle to try out and one of those angles has been the self-aware angle. Having a character enter a world they are familiar with and try to alter that world’s (and their own) destiny is a spin on the isekai genre that seems to be growing a bit as of late.
I’ve Become a True Villainess aims to throw its name into the hat of the growing sub-genre and, so far, it’s a pretty solid entry. A lot of stories could easily just change things to benefit the character and use that as a Deus Ex Machina plot device to solve problems but here, the world actually pushes back.. almost as if the story was meant to be told a certain way and it’s embarking on a trip of self-correction. Remember, as Thanos said, balance in everything!
Seria thought she had this in the bag until the world fought back. I could see this as a battle between her and the world itself by way of the characters and their actions. This sets up a myriad of interesting possibilities and presents a series of challenging puzzles to solve to get to the true end. Can the world even be changed? That’s one big question that nobody, not even Seria, has the answer to. It’s a pretty good hook and it has me interested!
The romance aspect of it just isn’t there yet, though. Right now, it’s all about Seria’s survival but what if the world can change? What if true romance is the key to unlocking the puzzle? Who will Seria find that with (already rooting for Bibi!). I have a feeling that’s the direction this series will go in and if it does, we’re sure to be on an entertaining ride!
If you’re a fan of romance and isekai and want to try something new, give this a try! Plus, the artwork alone is worth checking it out! It’s simply fantastic!
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This item was provided for review by Manta Comics. The image used in the header was provided by Manta comics and their respective copyright holders.
