I'm in Love with the Villainess
I'm in Love with the Villainess (Japanese: 私の推しは悪役令嬢。, Hepburn: Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijō) is a Japanese light novel series written by Inori and illustrated by Hanagata. It was serialized online between January 2018 and February 2021 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō.[1] It was acquired by Aichu Publishing, who published the first light novel volume digitally in February 2019 under their GL Bunko imprint.
I'm in Love with the Villainess | |
![]() First light novel volume cover, featuring Rae Taylor (left) and Claire François (right) | |
私の推しは悪役令嬢。 (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijō) | |
---|---|
Genre | Isekai, romantic comedy, yuri |
Novel series | |
Written by | Inori |
Published by | Shōsetsuka ni Narō |
Original run | January 14, 2018 – February 21, 2021 |
Light novel | |
Written by | Inori |
Illustrated by | Hanagata |
Published by | Aichu Publishing (digital) Ichijinsha (paperback) |
English publisher | |
Imprint | GL Bunko (digital) Ichijinsha Novels (paperback) |
Original run | February 26, 2019 – August 26, 2021 |
Volumes | 5 |
Manga | |
Written by | Inori |
Illustrated by | Aonoshimo |
Published by | Ichijinsha |
English publisher | |
Magazine | Comic Yuri Hime |
Original run | June 18, 2020 – present |
Volumes | 6 |
Novel series | |
She's so Cheeky for a Commoner! | |
Written by | Inori |
Published by | Shōsetsuka ni Narō |
Original run | May 25, 2021 – present |
Light novel | |
She's so Cheeky for a Commoner! | |
Written by | Inori |
Illustrated by | Hanagata |
Published by | Aichu Publishing |
English publisher | |
Imprint | GL Bunko |
Original run | February 28, 2022 – present |
Volumes | 2 |
Manga | |
I'm in Love with the Villainess: Maid's Kitchen | |
Written by | Inori |
Illustrated by | tsuke |
Published by | Ichijinsha |
Magazine | Comic Yuri Hime |
Original run | June 16, 2023 – scheduled |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Hideaki Ōba |
Written by | Ayumu Hisao |
Music by |
|
Studio | Platinum Vision |
Original run | October 2023 – scheduled |
A manga adaptation with art by Aonoshimo has been serialized in Ichijinsha's yuri manga magazine Comic Yuri Hime since June 18, 2020. It has been collected into two tankōbon volumes. The light novel and manga have been licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. An anime television series adaptation by Platinum Vision is set to premiere in October 2023.
Plot
Oohashi Rei, an ordinary office worker, is overworked to death and suddenly finds herself reincarnated as Rae Taylor, the heroine of her favorite otome game, Revolution. However, Rae has no interest in the game's three original romance routes with the Bauer Kingdom's princes. Instead, she sets her heart on Claire François, the game's main antagonist. Using her knowledge of the game's events that are yet to come, Rae tries to give Claire a happy ending before the coming revolution destroys any chance of it happening.
Characters
- Rae Taylor (レイ=テイラー, Rei Teirā)
- Voiced by: Yu Serizawa[2]
- The main protagonist, previously known as Oohashi Rei before she died of overwork and reincarnated as the player character of her favorite otome game, Revolution. As she's gay, Rae has no interest in the game’s capture targets; in fact, she becomes vexed when they pay attention to her. Instead, she aims to give Claire François a happy ending; falling in love with her. At the end, the two get married and adopt twin daughters.
- Claire François (クレア=フランソワ, Kurea Furansowa)
- Voiced by: Karin Nanami[2]
- The "villainess" of the original game and current target of Rae's affection. Claire is a noble who believes in the current aristocratic system within the kingdom and often has a low view on commoners, especially Rae. This only serves to make her flustered and confused by Rae's interest in her. At the end of the story, Claire and Rae are married and working as teachers.
- Rod Bauer (ロッド=バウワー, Roddo Bauwā)
- The eldest heir within the Bauer Kingdom's royal family and first in line to the throne. He is an energetic young man who becomes interested in Rae, much to her dismay. Rod is the most popular capture target within the game.
- Thane Bauer (セイン=バウワー, Sein Bauwā)
- The second heir within the Bauer Kingdom's royal family. Thane is often stoic and feels his abilities are inferior to his brothers, giving him a complex about it. Thane is considered as the least popular capture target within the game.
- Yu Bauer (ユー=バウワー, Yū Bauwā)
- The third heir within the Bauer Kingdom's royal family. A charismatic and attractive prince type who uses charm to mask a cunning mind. Yu is the second most popular capture target within the game.
- Misha Jur (ミシャ=ユール, Misha Yūru)
- Voiced by: Aimi[3]
- Rae's roommate and best friend. Her family was once a noble house, but they become commoners after falling from grace and becoming impoverished. She almost realized Rae is not her old friend anymore; since the other Rei woke up in her, Misha believes something is wrong with her head.
- Lene Aurousseau (レーネ=オルソー, Rēne Orusō)
- Voiced by: Ikumi Hasegawa[3]
- Loretta Kugret (ロレッタ=クグレット, Roretta Kuguretto)
- Voiced by: Sara Matsumoto[3]
- Pipi Barlier (ピピ=バルリエ, Pipi Barurie)
- Voiced by: Minami Kurisaka[3]
Media
Light novels
I'm in Love with the Villainess was originally serialized online from January 14, 2018 to February 21, 2021 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
Five volumes of the official light novel were published digitally by Aichu Publishing under their GL Bunko imprint from February 26, 2019 to August 26, 2021. The light novels featured cover art and additional illustrations by Hanagata. In 2021, Ichijinsha announced that it would begin publishing the light novels in paperback, with the first volume released on December 18, 2021 under their Ichijinsha Novels imprint. In April 2020, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had licensed the light novel in North America.[4] On March 19, 2021, Seven Seas issued a statement that they would be releasing a new version of volume one due to the localization decisions in the original omitting several paragraphs.[5]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | February 26, 2019 (e-book)[6]
December 18, 2021 (paperback)[7] | 978-4758023191 | September 24, 2020 (e-book)
November 10, 2020 (paperback)[8] | 978-1-64505-863-2 |
2 | August 26, 2019 (e-book)[9]
June 17, 2022 (paperback)[10] | 978-4758024150 | January 7, 2021 (e-book)
February 23, 2021 (paperback)[11] | 978-1-64505-953-0 |
3 | August 26, 2020 (e-book)[12]
December 16, 2022 (paperback)[13] | 978-4758024730 | June 3, 2021 (e-book)
July 6, 2021 (paperback)[14] | 978-1-64827-557-9 |
4 | February 26, 2021 (e-book)[15] | — | January 13, 2022 (e-book)
February 22, 2022 (paperback)[16] | 978-1-63858-111-6 |
5 | August 26, 2021 (e-book)[17] | — | July 28, 2022 (e-book)
October 11, 2022 (paperback)[18] | 978-1-63858-646-3 |
Spin-off
She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner! is a retelling of the original series from Claire François' perspective. It began serialization online on May 25, 2021 on Shōsetsuka ni Narō.[19] Aichu Publishing published the first light novel volume digitally under their GL Bunko imprint on February 28, 2022, with Hanagata returning for cover design and additional illustrations. At Anime Expo 2022, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they licensed the spin-off for English publication.[20]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | February 28, 2022 (e-book)[21] | — | January 12, 2023 (e-book)
February 28, 2023 (paperback)[22] | 978-1-68579-697-6 |
2 | December 20, 2022 (e-book)[23] | — | — | — |
Manga
A manga adaptation is written by Inori and illustrated by Aonoshimo. It began serialization in Ichijinsha's yuri manga magazine Comic Yuri Hime on June 18, 2020.[24] In February 2021, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had also licensed the manga adaptation.[25]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | December 18, 2020[26] | 978-4758021937 | March 25, 2021 (e-book)
July 27, 2021 (paperback)[27] | 978-1-64827-800-6 |
2 | June 17, 2021[28] | 978-4758022637 | December 23, 2021 (e-book)
February 1, 2022 (paperback)[29] | 978-1-64827-945-4 |
3 | December 18, 2021[30] | 978-4758023184 | July 28, 2022 (e-book)
September 27, 2022 (paperback)[31] | 978-1-63858-639-5 |
4 | June 17, 2022[32] | 978-4758024334 | January 12, 2023 (e-book)
January 31, 2023 (paperback)[33] | 978-1-63858-894-8 |
5 | December 16, 2022[34] | 978-4758024792 | October 24, 2023 (paperback)[35] | 979-8-88843-019-4 |
6 | May 17, 2023[36] | 978-4758025409 | — | — |
Spin-off
A cooking spin-off manga illustrated by tsuke, titled I'm in Love with the Villainess: Maid's Kitchen, will begin serialization in Comic Yuri Hime on June 16, 2023.[37]
Webtoon
A webtoon adaptation written by Kim Migyo and illustrated by TSTeam began serialization on Somi Media's Ridi Books platform on January 13, 2023.[38]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on December 13, 2022. It will be produced by Platinum Vision and directed by Hideaki Ōba, with scripts written by Ayumu Hisao, character designs handled by Yōko Satō, and music composed by Noriyuki Asakura and Usagi to Uma.[2] The series is set to premiere in October 2023.[3]
Reception
In Anime News Network's Fall 2020 Light Novel Guide the series was generally received positively, though not as strongly as other yuri titles released at the time. However, it was noted that "if Rae and Claire both start off as almost intensely difficult to like, they do undergo enough of a change by about midway through the novel that makes them much easier to root for."[39]
Others had more positive reception to the series. Erica Friedman, the founder of Yuricon, awarded the first light novel an overall score of nine. Friedman also praised the series for its frank discussion of LGBT identity, writing "And then you hit a moment when Misha, Rae’s best friend, roommate and foil, turns to Rae and asks, 'Are you gay?'…and the characters have a frank discussion about sexuality."[40] Nicki Bauman noted that the series open focus on LGBT themes in its characters and storytelling was not typical of the yuri genre and proposed that it might signal change in yuri themes and stories.[41]
In March 2021, I'm in Love with the Villainess placed 5th in AnimeJapan's annual Manga We Want to See Animated Ranking.[42] In June 2021, the series was nominated for the Best Printed Manga category in the Next Manga Awards and placed 17th out of 50 nominees.[43] It was also nominated for the same award and placed 8th out of 50 nominees in 2022.[44][45]
References
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。". Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese). Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 13, 2022). "I'm in Love with the Villainess Yuri Isekai Novels Get TV Anime in 2023". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 12, 2023). "I'm in Love with the Villainess TV Anime's 1st Promo Video Reveals More Cast, October Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- "Seven Seas Licenses I'm in Love With the Villainess Novels, Roll Over and Die Manga". Anime News Network. April 22, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- "I'm in Love with the Villainess Author Responds to Alterations in English-Language Release". Anime News Network. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。【Kindle限定特典あり】 (GL文庫) Kindle版. Amazon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-(1) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. ASIN 4758023190.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel) Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。2【Kindle限定特典あり】 (GL文庫) Kindle版. Amazon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-(2) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. ASIN 4758024154.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel) Vol. 2". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。3【Kindle限定特典あり】 (GL文庫) Kindle版. Amazon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-(3) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. ASIN 4758024731.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel) Vol. 3". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。4【Kindle限定特典あり】 (GL文庫) Kindle版. Amazon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel) Vol. 4". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- 私の推しは悪役令嬢。5【Kindle限定特典あり】 (GL文庫) Kindle版. Amazon (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel) Vol. 5". Seven Seas Entertainment. Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- "平民のくせに生意気な!". Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese). Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- Hazra, Adriana (July 2, 2022). "Seven Seas Licenses Raven of the Inner Palace, The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife, 10 More Titles". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
- 平民のくせに生意気な! (GL文庫) (in Japanese). GL Bunko. ASIN B09T1X4TPZ.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess: She's so Cheeky for a Commoner (Light Novel) Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- 平民のくせに生意気な!2 (GL文庫) (in Japanese). GL Bunko. ASIN B0BPYCP2L2.
- "I'm in Love with the Villainess Yuri Light Novels Get Manga". Anime News Network. May 16, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- "Seven Seas Licenses I'm in Love with the Villainess Manga". Anime News Network. February 2, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(1)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(2)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 2". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(3)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 3". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(4)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 4". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(5)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- "Book: I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 5". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "私の推しは悪役令嬢。(6)". Ichijinsha (in Japanese). Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- Mateo, Alex (May 18, 2023). "I'm in Love with the Villainess Series Gets Spinoff Cooking Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- "내 최애는 악역영애 ~Another Revolution Story~". Ridi Books. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- Rebecca Silverman (November 20, 2020). "The Fall 2020 Light Novel Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- Friedman, Erica (2020-09-17). "I'm in Love With the Villainess, Light Novel Volume 1". Okazu. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Bauman, Nicki (2021-03-30). "LGBTQ Light Novel Review – I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 2". yurimother. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Joseph Luster (March 27, 2021). "Top 10 Manga Fans Want to Be Animated According to Anime Japan Poll". Crunchyroll. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- Loveridge, Lynzee (August 24, 2021). "Kaiju No. 8, Oshi no Ko Win Next Manga Awards Web, Print Categories". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- Morrissy, Kim (June 23, 2022). "Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2022". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- Loveridge, Lynzee (August 31, 2022). "Medalist, WITCH WATCH, Akane-banashi Win Next Manga Awards 2022 Results". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
External links
- Web novel at Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese)
- Official anime website (in Japanese)
- I'm in Love with the Villainess (light novel) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia