English Dub Review: I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss “The Villainess’s Story Begins”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
During her public denouncement, Aileen Lauren d’Autriche suddenly remembers her past life. She’s the villainess from an otome game she once played that will die in terrible ways! She must survive! The best way to ensure her survival? Tame the last boss!
Our Take:
It’s not every day you get reincarnated into a hero in an isekai world. However, living a new life as a villain is a different experience altogether. They’re feared by many instead of loved, and they die in multiple ways by their heroic adversaries. But this bad girl is about to change that for the better or worse.
The first episode of the latest isekai series starts with Aileen remembering her previous life after getting dumped by Prince Cedric Jean Ellmeyer during a banquet. She also realizes she got reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game, which puts her on a path toward her inescapable demise. The story later showcased that her death comes when the demon king and Cedric’s half-brother, Claude Jean Ellmeyer, transform into a dragon during the game’s final phase and kills her. To prevent this bleak future from happening, Aileen sets out to change her destiny by doing the impossible: marry the game’s final boss.
At first glance, the formula involving reincarnation and isekai isn’t entirely new, especially when it has ordinary characters being heroes. But it usually spices things up by having one reincarnated into a bad guy. I’m the Villainess is no different, with Aileen becoming one of the villains in a video game. Despite the tropes used in other isekai shows, I can see potential in the series being enjoyable based on the first episode alone.
“The Villainess’s Story Begins” did a suitable job introducing viewers to Aileen, both in her villainess form and her regular form in her past life. Aileen is represented as a diligent and empowered woman who takes advantage of her knowledge of the game to make her way toward Claude’s heart. However, she’s also the only female in the wealthy family in her previous life, meaning she didn’t get the recognition she deserves compared to her brothers. The trait may have also applied to Aileen’s role as the villainess, who’s only here to get her heart broken and die at the hands of the Demon Lord. Her determination to get recognized and to write her own story should provide more interest in the character as the season progresses.
Additionally, the episode offers a beautiful animation style from Maho Film and a few comedic moments. One of those moments involves Aileen baiting Claude to eat a cookie with a love potion inside. Unfortunately, the show’s isekai elements aren’t entirely inventive, so it has to rely on its execution and charm in the later episodes to make it a must-watch for isekai fans. Luckily, its first episode did enough for me to see where Aileen’s quest for love takes her next.
