Like her friends, our heroine is a big fan of a certain otome game. Unlike her friends, she would choose to be reincarnated as the villainess and not the goody-two-shoes, lip service-spouting commoner heroine. No sooner does she think it, than…she wakes up as seven-year-old Alicia Williams in the world of the otome, destined to become the villainess! Only, never one to do things by halves, Ali, as she’s known to her family, determines to become the most villainous villainess who ever lived! To do so, she’s going to need to do some training: first off, she hits up her eldest brother for swordsmanship lessons, but before he’ll agree to take her on as his apprentice, she needs to prove her seriousness. Seems little Alicia has a bit of a reputation…for laziness, selfishness, rudeness, inconsistency, impoliteness—the list goes on! She’s going to need to sweat a little this time, and sweat she…doesn’t? Turns out, Alicia is a natural at physical training! In no time, she’s doing 500 situps and 300 pushups every evening after studying in the library all day. A villainess needs to know things, after all, and much to her surprise, it seems that Alicia is actually a really, really good student. Pretty soon she’s earned herself a totally new reputation, and caught the eye of both the Prince and the King along the way! Just what kind of villainess is Alicia going to be?!

Yay, another villainess series! I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for these, and this one is no exception. What I appreciate most is the unique twist on the MC’s motivation: rather than seeking to avoid death or somehow steal the ML from the heroine, this villainess is focused on professionalism! Now that’s something I can get behind—especially the way she goes about it. Who doesn’t want to crush it at work or school and in the gym, while leaving a good impression everywhere you go? She is mindful, aspirational, demure. (Probably moisturized too. She is glowing, after all. See above.) So in terms of MC likability and relatability? Check! Interesting twist on the standard genre tropes? Also check! Though I’ll admit I wasn’t convinced by the king’s interest in speaking with a child. Alicia takes it as a “villainess test” but that’s not convincing. I hope this is an intentional mystery and not a plot hole. So in terms of plot? We’ll have to see! But the promise of involvement in international politics on the horizon is compelling. What about the animation? Well, this is where things are a bit patchy. Don’t get me wrong, Maho Film—who was responsible for another rather unique villainess series featuring a double-reincarnation, Doctor Elise, back in the winter season—has produced some nice visuals throughout the episode, particularly key frames focused on Alicia, but, much like Doctor Elise, there are some rather dodgy in-betweens and definite moments where the Prince is off model. It isn’t enough to ruin the fun though, and the bubbly voice acting and cheerful color design keep things delightful. If you’re new to the villainess genre, I’d recommend starting elsewhere though: My Next Life as a Villainess, Endo and Kobayashi Live!, or most recently, Tearmoon Empire. But if you’re an established fan of the genre, I think you’ll find this one a nice little treat in your Fall anime lineup. I know I certainly expect to!

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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claire

Claire is a cultural historian by day and anime enthusiast by night. She grew up watching anime without knowing it, misspent her youth studiously avoiding it, and finally came to her senses a few years ago and embraced it. Mostly because of Boogiepop, Kensuke Ushio and Naoko Yamada.

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