I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss may lag in some spots, but it’s inversion of otome tropes are largely successful.
In some romance anime, manga and otome games, the protagonist will have a rival who is there to progress the hero’s story while they are restored to the role of villain. This can lead to said villain feeling more one-dimensional or expendable should a new obstacle, conflict or plot point come into play. This formula is tried and true, seeing the hero triumph at the end of the day while also securing their love interest; however, something like this can get boring after so many iterations of it in varying media, which is why I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss is a breath of fresh air while still feeling familiar to fans of this sort of romance.
Written by Sarasa Nagase and art by Mai Murasaki, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss is about Aileen Lauren d’Autriche, the villainess for an otome romance game; however, this is not the usual Aileen. A woman from the real world, who happens to be a fan of the game, died and was reincarnated as Aileen, so she knows, for the most part, what’s in store for her character, and it’s not good. Using what she can remember from the past, as well as her own wits, determination and charm, Aileen must do what she can to prevent her fated death, even if that includes romancing Claude Jean Ellmeyer — the demon king, an un-romanceable character initially and the source of her death.
Off the back, for fans of Beauty and the Beast like romances, this light novel may be up your alley, as Claude is cursed to become a demon under certain circumstances, thus making him vulnerable to lethal attacks. This gives him a more cynical and cold personality, but Aileen refuses to give up on her plan to save her life through this unexpected romance. While her reasons for pursuing Claude are self serving at first, over time, one buys that these two would fall for each other and make for an ultimate pairing as the villainess and the final boss.
This shift in perspective is also a strong selling point, as the light novel not only makes the villainess the protagonist of the story, but it actively shows how from hers and Claud’s points of views the “real” heroes of the game can be villainous and despicable in their own ways. Aileen and Claud do not lose the charm or cool often associated with villains, but they do gain more empathy and relatability in this version of classic tale. So much so, one is rooting for them to be together and win, even when the heroes are supposed to be perfect and pure.
While the story and leads are compelling, some of the more technical issues with I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss are not as strong. While it’s clear this is Aileen’s story, the perspective it’s written in doesn’t commit to this fully, making certain sections jarring when information is given to us that she would have no idea about.
Along with that, there are large chunks of exposition that bring the momentum to a halt, particularly in the middle. The beginning of I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss can be forgiven for this because it is establishing that Aileen is familiar with the game she is in, and because of that, she does not need to relive everyone’s backstory. However, as the novel progresses, having her cue the audience in multiple times about who is who and what the events are without us seeing them can get tiresome and make the story lag.
Overall, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss delivers a classic romance that inverts tropes often seen in otome games, making it engaging for fans of these two things, as well as those getting tired of the same old same old. While some of the more technical aspects can make it difficult to power through, the beginning is enough to catch one’s interest, and the end is satisfying for those who’ve made it this far.
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