English Dub Review: The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess “A Lavish Ball Is Better Than Obon Dancing”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
To save Konoha from the monster that kidnaps her, Iana triggers her own death flag.  With help from Sol, Ginoford, and the others, Konoha’s rescue succeeds.  Iana barely has time to relax before an invitation to a ball arrives from the capital—the very ball that’s the setting for chapter three of The Dark History.  If Konoha dances with the prince at the ball, it will lead to a death flag for Iana!

Our Take:
Thanks to Iana’s meddling, Konoha is now left powerless against some of the dangers she’ll encounter in the story.  As a result, Iana has now gone from villainous sister to bodyguard, striving to safeguard the heroine she created so that her butler doesn’t murder her.  Unsurprisingly, much like other anime involving redeeming villainesses, her new mission is easier said than done, as Iana encounters two different red flags that could lead to her doom.  The first being the Carnal Beast, a creature she created during her teenage years.  If you know, you know.  The second situation —the royal ball —is possibly the biggest red flag of all, as it is when Konoha is recognized as a Saint, prompting the king to send her on grand adventures.  The problem is that Konoha doesn’t have powers.
This week’s episode further expands on the premise we’ve seen in other similar anime, in which a reincarnated villainess changes history and redeems herself to avoid getting killed again.  Of course, this also leads to the former “antagonist” to confront new parts of the story that’ll force them to rethink their memory of the world they created.  In this case, Iana escapes from a burning castle that didn’t happen in her story, with the surprising help of Sol, resulting in a seemingly blossoming love between the two.  If you enjoy this concept, there’s a good chance it’s right up your alley.  In terms of execution, the episode further underscores the show’s bonkers tone and swift momentum, which may annoy some viewers but generate some pretty fun chuckles through Iana’s goofy expressions.