Reviews for My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

It’s time. And by ‘it’s time’, I mean it’s time for an otome isekai to take the world by storm. We’ve had so many different types of isekai these years that this was destined to happen. A show of this nature requires not just a colorful story but a character cast hammered to their roles. I tend to think Hamefura as a gift that any fan of isekai would be grateful to receive. It’s Bakarina time. The original novels gained a fan following and I’d assume popularity would surge more after this adaptation. Hamefura is based on the light novel of the same name featuring femaleprotagonist, Katarina Claes. She is reborn as a villainous character in a game known as ‘Fortune Teller’ and fate has it that she will die by destruction flags regardless what route she takes. Sounds eerie, right? Not quite. Hamefura is not a show to be taken too seriously despite the initial premise. By routes, we have Katarina playing her life like a game in this world with a variety of characters and circumstances. ‘

Before dissecting the show, I think it’s important to watch this with an open mind. Make no mistake as Hamefura has tons of moments of comedy, character gags, and is prone to open shipping wars. Katarina is a single woman after all and the male cast is made of gentlemen of high class. In fact, many of the male characters she meets are wish-fulling guys you’d see from an otome game. Katarina is not the type to chase after them for romance because she’s got way bigger problems on her mind. And let’s be honest, she’s so dense that they'd practically have to say ‘I love you’ to get her to notice. But besides that, Katarina has a rather peculiar mind evidenced through the surrealistic court hearings we see often throughout the show. It’s a running gag that plays on Katarina's psyche and shows how her mind works in a very peculiar fashion. That’s not the only running gag as we also see the younger version of Katarina although both retains the same personality. This same gag applies to many of the other characters including Alan Stuart, Keith Claes, Mary Hunt, and among others.

A big question to answer is how much should we care about Katarina. Do you want to see her avoid her doomed fate? Would you like to see her enter a serious relationship with one of the main male cast? Or do you want her life to just be normal again? You don’t need to think too hard about these questions as the plot plays out naturally. From the first few episodes, we see Katarina adjusting to her life as a villainous protagonist. Armed with knowledge about Fortune Lover, Katarina takes chances at making meaningful relationships with important characters. She even becomes a gardener as part of her plans. In essence, she’s not just living in this game world but playing it. Katarina herself is the anti-thesis of the game version of her character. After regaining her memories, Katarina becomes a humble person willing to help others although she remains oblivious to others’ feelings around her. To put it simply, she is a dense black hole. Through character interactions, we see that she tries to change her relationship status with the male cast to avoid certain game endings. In contrast to her game version character, Katarina goes out her ways to fix mistakes such as being a better sister for Keith. Furthermore, Katarina’s actions causes others to view her differently compared to her in-game character. At its core, it can be said that Katarina is described as socially gifted but an academic failure in all respects. No wonder she is known by the community as “Bakarina”.

An otome also has its fair share of female characters as we are introduced to Mary, Sophia, and Maria. In the present timeline and story, Katarina builds important relationships with all of them, a sharp contrast compared to her antagonistic connections from Fortune Lover. It’s because of Katarina’s selfless nature and compliments that earns her friends and to no one’s surprise, she also gain their admiration, or perhaps a bit even more. But make no mistake, this anime isn’t fully committed to romance but rather aims its focus at Katarina at very chance. Let’s also not forget how dense she can be towards other people’s feelings that sometimes, it can seem like a meme. Watching Hamefura takes an easy mind to enjoy and honestly, it’s a show that delivers what you see.

Helmed by studio Silver Links, there’s an elegant charisma bestowed upon the characters. We see the studio dress the characters into noble clothes to fit their aristocratic status, especially for the male characters. In fact, this is an anime based on a fictional otome game so naturally, the male characters has the look of bishounens. Katarina herself is also an eye catcher with her lady-like behavior during important episodes. There are episodes that depicts her as more elegant than others especially during dance sequences. It gives a certain level of mystique look to her character when she has a mask on, or it can be rather plain and simple as when she is in her role as a gardener. The world fiction contains colorful architectures, void of modern technology. And finally, I do want to praise on our main heroine’s voice acting. Katarina may originally be a spoiled brat but in the present timeline, she manages to be very convincing as a humble woman. She even seems like a princess at times and wants to be treated as such despite her overwhelmingly dense personality.

Oh Hamefura. The time finally came for an otome isekai to show what the world it can do and with just 12 episodes, it managed to be convincing enough to pull the trigger. Watching this show gives me hope that more otome isekai will be animated in the future. With Season 2 announced, we're in for more of Bakarina.

When I first heard of My next life as a villainess: all routes lead to doom! I thought it was a pretty good idea at first and to be honest it had a very good first two episodes or so. The setting is in an otome game---which is like those story-telling visual novel games that appeal to young women---and I thought this could possibly be the next big thing for isekai anime because of its two major differences as compared to all the other generic isekais every season, that being: 1. It is a story-telling type game with multiple potential endings that all end in hellfor the villainess (MC), and

2. It appeals to both men and women instead of just the men being showered with anime tiddies

To my disappointment, this series was only good at the beginning. It was really funny seeing the MC desperately struggle to avoid her inevitable doom and they even had these cute moments of her various personalities debating their next move in her brain. It was also funny because the MC is a teenage girl in a child’s body which adds more drama and makes things really consistent with its humor.

All of this, however, was lost after the timeskip which signals the beginning of the actual otome game. I find it really ironic how the MC just seemingly stops to care (or care a lot less) about her “inevitable doom” as it draws nearer and nearer. The entire middle part of the show is just her eating sweets and enjoying her time with her friends. The entire plot that was being built up before the timeskip is completely put on hold and then brought back at the final 2 or 3 episodes. It was so painful having to sit through that as I keep telling myself every episode that it will come back to its former glory of its first episode but just never does.

The art and animations are nothing special either and are in fact actually extremely mediocre and dull due to the low budget. There is no memorable score either and the OP isn’t that well directed with matching the appropriate music with the actual scenes, not that any of those were any good anyway.

The magic system was hardly ever touched upon (not that it mattered because of the nature of the show but if it bothers you that there is a magic system that is just there doing nothing for the most part then don’t bother with this show).

Although all the middle episodes were absolute garbage, the show does get better at the final few episodes where they actually bring back the focus of the main storyline. It also has some good plot twists and a lot of character development for the side characters, but still no comedy despite it giving off a comedic mood at the very start. It’s a very unfitting genre change that can be described as illogical.

The main criticism for this show is the lack of consistency with its humor where it starts off really good but just has a massive decline and just entirely disappearing really. I really hate it when a show has a good start and gets you all excited to look forward to something every week but then just turns out into a complete disappointment for the most part.

Not gonna lie, I went into this thinking this is going to be yet another shitty reverse harem show. I’m glad I was proven wrong. Not only Hamefura isn’t a mindless reverse harem, it is also one of the rare actually original isekai shows. It does have a female protagonist, sure, but that isn’t that much groundbreaking (Honzuki is airing during the same season, after all). What’s different is that instead of being put into the role of a hero and getting tasked with saving word or something like that, the protagonist is instead thrown into the role of a villain and it is herself-determined goal to deflect the fate of villainess. What’s more, this goal isn’t some end game that the protagonist gets to eventually after having their deal off side adventures – it is something the Katarina, the protagonist, is consciously working on and her main focus. This is both a point of interest as we can see her plans unfold and a source of comedy, as her tunnel vision gets her in position she not only appears in unintentionally, she doesn’t even notice those situations. This makes the harem way more watchable – it doesn’t fall into the protagonists lap, the protagonist doesn’t chase after others even though they have more grave things to worry about. Instead, it forms naturally as the protagonist has positive effect on the world and people around. It also turns out that romance not being in mind of the protagonist is another thing that might make reverse harem anime enjoyable, not to mention the inclusion of both sexes in the cast of the harem, greatly increasing the potential demographic of this anime.

The comedy is actually entertaining and doesn’t get stale within the number of episodes this anime has. Story progression is present as well as character growth – that is mainly affected by the Katarina’s survival planning, to both her intentional and unintentional extent. The cast is likeable and doesn’t feel just like generic group of bishounen. There is no problem with the animation and opening is catchy.

Overall, this is definitely the most pleasant surprise of the season.

An awesome isekai that implicitly teaches about the limitations of one's choice within a game and in reality. How dating simulators have only several choices in contrast to reality where unlimited choices can be made freely. Otome Game is hands down a good anime. Despite being an isekai, our totally beloved genre. The show shone brightly and eased our minds with its relaxing and tranquil story development and pacing along with a mix between Shoujo & Shoujo Ai to appeal to both genders. Accommodated by a fucking catchy Opening, I could proudly say that this is possibly the best isekai of Spring 2020. The conceptof this anime caught me ever since it was released. As this is according to the extent of my awareness the first dating simulator isekai. I was always interested in this show and couldn't wait for it to finish airing so I could binge watch it in one day. And oh I am not disappointed.

Season 2 needed. Recommended to everybody.

This is an isekai with a twist. Instead of doing the usual moving to a new world, just as you with usual additions thrown in to make you the hero of the story. But this show does it differently. Instead of being the 'hero' you are technically the 'villain' With knowledge that all routes will end in her down fall, which is quite the twist! As for rest of the story, it's looking very interesting with each episode, as I continuously wonder how our main will try to work their way out of the supposed downfall they will suffer come the end of the 'game.'For characters? Well they each bring something to the table, but also what you would expect from posh rich families. Someone nervous, someone hard to befriend at first etc. A good mesh of characters that fit well together.

The art is wonderful in terms of colours. Really well done, same for the sound honestly. I cannot wait to see more of this show, and I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I!

Fun is a subjective term. While it can mean a variety of things, it is generally agreed upon that describing something as fun is a positive thing. With that said, My Next Life as a Villainess is the definition of fun. The story is anothing isekai type story, but with a genuinely interesting twist. Katarina gets reïncarnated in a Otome game where she becomes the villain. She played this Otome game a ton in her previous life and she knows that with every ending in the game she is either killed or exiled. So in this isekai world she does everything in her power to changethe world and the characters as to not die. I know Otome game isekai aren't a new thing in manga and light novels, but in terms of anime this series is really refresthing for Isekai and its concept made me really invested in the story early on.

The characters are damn fun too. The main character Katarina is the Obvious crown jewel and the anime knows that. She is an eccentric girl who constantly is worried about her future and also has a big heart. She is also pretty dense, but as to why I won't spoile for now. The other characters only highligh how good of a character Katarina is (and they even have some interesting background stories too).

This is the kind of anime that while watching I just can't stop smiling. Katarina's way to prevent getting killed/exiled is to become friends with everyone. While every introduction basically boils down to ("Hi I am depressed and ugly" "No you are not" "Okay" [+1 "friend"]), it never gets old due to the background stories the other characters have.

My Next Life as a Villainess is the most fun I have had this season so far. A refreshing take on the isekai genre with delightful characters and can't-stop-smiling moments makes for an anime I can't recommend enough.

Now I've seen a fair amount of isekais, and I know many things in that genre seem repetitive and that many people seem to look over it, but this story isn't like any other isekai I've seen. I came across the manga of this story a while ago, and the "isekai with a twist" genre really stood out to me, but I never really took the time to read it. When I found out it was getting adapted, I decided to check it out. Still, I was worried that this brand new concept would be bad, but I completely changed my mind later on. Itwas far more interesting then I anticipated. The pacing of the story is very good. It gives you enough time to understand the other characters but doesn't drag it out long enough for you to lose interest in them. The events that happen are

So I give it an 8. Of course, it wasn't the best and there could always be things that would make it better but all in all, it's very good!

This is airing during a tough time, and I appreciate that the company that is making this and other anime that are currently airing (or going to air) are working hard even during a time like this. But because of this, I can't be very critical than I am already. The art and animation are fair. Not so good that it's a masterpiece, and not so bad that it's not enjoyable. The music and voice acting are the same case as the art and animation. I really like the voices they used for the characters, and I think that they fit very well. I really liked the OP, and the rest of the OST is quite good. (But in the end, I'm not very good at reviewing sound and art so I have nothing else to say about them other than they're good I guess)

Just like the story, the characters are very good themselves. I find myself really connecting to them (and by that, I mean really wanting to give them all hugs cause they're all so darn cute!) and it's really enjoyable seeing them interact with each other! The main character actually isn't that bad, and she may even be one of my favorite characters in the show. Which is strange for me, because I barely ever find myself liking a main character that much. I guess that's what the manga/LN readers call "The Bakatrina Affect" (or so I've heard). But in total, the characters are very good and I like them very much!

Now I was debating whether or not to give it a 9 or 10 for enjoyment, so would say a 9.5, but since you can't really do that on MAL, I just rounded it to a 10.

The show is comedic enough to make you chuckle but not entirely funny. It feels more wholesome than most anime of this season and I'm always in a good mood during and after watching it. This show gives me a strange sort of sitcom vibe and I don't know how to explain it other than it's strangely relaxing in away. Again it may have something to do with the fact that it's a brand new concept I've never seen again but it really feels like a breath of fresh air.

This show is honestly very good and far better than I expected! If you're looking for something new that you've never seen before you should really check it out! I might write another review once the show finishes airing but knowing how lazy and forgetful I am, I might not. I hope this review makes you consider checking out this show, and if you don't enjoy it as much as I do, that's ok! In fact, I'd love to hear your opinion on why you think its bad, so you can message me if you'd like. But please consider checking it out. Thank you for reading this!

This is an average show to - entertain you for a while, and forget afterwards. It can be recommended for light entertainment. But isn't anything to put on your list, if you're looking for something good/great. And it does not deserve a rating of 7+ in any category (so far). Don't expect an Isekai! Or much of anything from the description, to have a strong presence/impact on what you actually get to see. - The main premise of the show basically evaporates in the first episode(s). So you'll be watching a different show, from what you might expect. - While it is somewhat acknowledged that the situation haschanged for the heroine. Her thoughts do not really reflect this change. A contrived way of keeping the premise going.

- Some characters are introduced as having negative personality traits, but we never get to see any of that. Everyone is nice.

- Sometimes the main character makes an evil face/grin for no apparent reason. It's "out of character" for her, and has no consequences at all. An attempt to artificially inject the "villainess" theme? Why? She is not a villainess.

- The show tries to sell itself as isekai. But if you pay attention. That element actually does not contribute much to the plot, or shape the world we see. It feels unnecessary.

- There is a general tendency to just skip around between scenes/sketches (overall mediocre presentation). This includes: a pointless confusing beginning without text inserts (to explain what, where, when). And 3 episodes of characters being introduced as children, after which the story simply jumps ahead to their late-teens.

Just to point out some good aspects:

+ Characters and situations might be cliche, but it's nicely restrained.

+ Dialogues aren't bad (you don't see that often).

+ What is supposed to be funny, usually is.

+ If you don't mind harem and "slice of life" elements, it is pretty enjoyable to watch overall. (though my standards have dropped a lot recently)

Art/Animation/Sound/Story/Jokes/... it's all "ok", but not great.

Since others have vastly overrated the show, I have set my rating a bit lower for the moment. But considering the show itself proclaimed to be beginning at episode 4 (essentially labeling the first 3 filler). Who knows where this is going.

Whenever someone I know criticizes the isekai genre, I'm usually there to defend it. However, even I will admit that many shows within the genre fail to progress beyond an exciting premise and end up being disappointing. Unsurprisingly, Otome Game no Hametsu, or "Bakarina," also fails where many other isekai have as well. Otome Game no Hametsu is no better than your standard isekai: it relies on its premise far too much, and the plot develops predictably. Even worse, the story feels pointless with how the protagonist, Katarina, can do nothing and avoid her "bad ending." If that wasn't bad enough, Katarina still acts like she'sat death's door and in a tough predicament, only for her to solve it with ease. The plot's progression is virtually the following: introduce a character who triggers a "death flag"; Katarina helps them; they fall in love with Katarina, unbeknownst to her. This setup comes off as repetitive, and due to an already uneventful premise, hinders the viewer's enjoyment. Now, I don't mind having a harem in any show as long as it treats its characters respectfully, but "Bakarina" fails to do so. In the end, the plot's pointlessness, combined with its predictable progression, leads to an unsatisfying story.

The cast, while likable, are flat personalities with an unoriginal backstory lacking enough substance to be significant. This flaw becomes apparent when they conveniently resolve their backstories within minutes. Leading me to believe the backstories were mere plot devices. The author does not lend enough insight for the audience to grasp the depth of their characters. I understand they're mimicking otome game archetypes, but that doesn't justify lazy and uninspired writing. Each character's interactions with Katarina only consist of misunderstandings as well as activities both parties enjoy. The harem fights over Katarina while she remains clueless-like every other harem protagonist-and this denseness becomes unappealing quickly. For some, this is enjoyable, but that is not enough to warrant the praise it has received while consisting of an uneventful cast resulting from a lack of creativity.

Quite simply, the art does its job by fitting the setting's climate. Unfortunately, the character designs are generic, adding to their already flat personalities. It feels as if they were all lazily based on a preexisting template and simply changed the hair and eye color. The backgrounds are detailed and evoke a mood you would see in an otome game. Overall, the art is like any other isekai except with a couple of improvements.

While the music blends well with the premise, it's like any other anime and is hardly noticeable except with an entertaining opening. Like always, the voice acting suits the characters. My one complaint, however, is they downplayed the amusing jokes but would exaggerate the dull ones. However, this is likely the studio's fault, not the voice actors'. The worst aspect, by far, was the ED that takes the story too seriously. The tone at the end of every episode feels out of place as a result. Honestly, aside from the opening, the overall sound is average and won't impact your enjoyment much.

Even though I like most isekai, my enjoyment here was somewhat limited. Other than the premise which eventually became irrelevant, there was nothing satisfactory. The lazy dialogue executed the already unoriginal comedy in a subdued fashion and felt dull as a result. However, it may just not be my type of comedy, and I can see some enjoying themselves watching this show. At the same time, though, I find myself asking why I'm watching an underwhelming harem comedy isekai when I can get an improved version of all that and more in shows like "Shield Hero" and "Overlord." Unless what I've described in this review appeals to you, you're not gaining anything by watching this isekai.

Overall, it's merely your run of the mill isekai. I don't think only having a relatively fresh concept deserves anything above a 6/10. Don't go expecting too much and try not to take the show seriously if you're bent on enjoying this to the fullest. With that said, I understand why a lot of people have given it a high score. After the first two episodes, though, it is apparent that it is another isekai that doesn't evolve from a unique premise.

I don’t know why so many people are gushing over this series thinking it’s original or unique. There is NOTHING original about this isekai. Actually, this is probably the most unoriginal an isekai can get, which is really saying a lot for an isekai. If you’re familiar with the shoujo genre then you’d know there are WAY too many of these manga/light novel with the EXACT same story with the exact same plot and the exact same characters. MC gets reincarnated as the villainess of an otome game and they have to escape from the bad routes. It always starts when they are children andthere is usually a catalyst for them to remember their past lives (eg. injury or illness). They are always the fiancee of the main guy who obviously likes them even though they’re too dense to realize, and at some point they enroll in a magic school and meet the actual “heroine". These stories are so lazy they don't even try to be different. It is ridiculous how unoriginal yet prolific these types of stories are but since this is the first of them that got an anime it’s understandable why everyone thinks it’s so novel.

Look, I get its appeal because it is quite a fun and light guilty pleasure (which is why I am a closet fan of shoujo manga). But that’s all it is, and there’s no way it deserves this high of a rating. Trust me when another one or two of these isekai get an anime adaptation people are going to see how terrible they actually are.

Notice: My review will contain a few little "spoilers", though they have little connection to anything and spoil nothing. However, proceed with caution. "My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom" is mediocre at best. This is your usual pleasant casual romance, fun to watch but when it comes to the story this anime drops flat. Story) Katarina is reincarnated as a villainess in an Otome Game and she has a simple goal in mind: avoiding her preestablished destiny of death. There is nothing extraordinary about the story, and whenever something serious happens, the mood doesn't fully adjust. When most of themain cast got trapped in a book the only two characters that can save them aren't taking it seriously. It is considerably unorganized how the story can jump back and forth like this. My next point is the story also relies on its otome game premise but does nothing with it, the death flags/romance flags are mostly a device they make no use of. The escaping death flags are what brought me to this series at first. The reverse harem was fun while it lasted but eventually, it got old and it felt slightly boring. It's really humorous how Katarina just apparently stops to care about her "doom” during the middle part of the series.

The settings are dull, the story could take place anywhere but it's another genetic town/magic school/castle. For a fantasy world, they sure spend time farming and doing normal stuff. The game premise makes no sense either, Was there a design in the game to trap the characters in the book, etc

How does the secret route of the game even work out? As far as we know Katarina can't be changed to become friendly in the game, So how does this path unlock?

Episode 10 is finally where the climax of the series is happening, the episode ends on a cliffhanger and I was becoming excited. However, in the next episode, six sets of flashbacks take place. Did we need a reminder on how the characters started to love Katarina? (especially when there were only a few episodes) This killed off my excitement, the flashbacks are extremely tedious. They shouldn't be recapping near this point of the series, there are so many other things to be focusing on. For example, the many unsolved questions just from Episode 11 alone - How did Katarina even get back to her real world? How is she talking to Acchan? It's not even clear if Katarina's friend Acchan is Sophia or just inside her.

Characters) The story had a chance to create unusual personalities that copy game characters but instead the cast are standard harem protagonists. Katarina is entirely oblivious, furthermore, making her a complete dumbass, but that reasonably makes the series enjoyable. Katarina mostly carries this show single-handedly. The other characters have their moments that are entertaining and engaging, but also sometimes bland.

Entertainment) This is where the anime shines. It's pretty lighthearted and fun to watch. Also quite calming and refreshing if the cast isn't being clingy to Katarina.

Art and Sound) The animation in this is pretty good. Granted, they don't have to do much with it since most of the series takes place in a rather generic world. The animation is soft and solid and the characters look cute. Intro song and ending were good, I loved the closing song with the visuals. Voice actors fit their characters strongly.

Overall) This isn't to say that I don't like My Next Life as a Villainess, because I honestly do like the show and I’ll stay around for season two. If you like simple, entertaining, well-made stories, My Next Life as a Villainess is worth viewing for you.

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Story - 4

Characters - 6

Animation/art - 7

Sound/soundtrack- 7

Enjoyment - 6

Overall - 6 or 5

This is mediocre at best. Like many others, I picked this up because it was isekai so it's pretty much an obligation to watch even if it's complete trash, and this show did not disappoint. At first the story was pretty interesting. Being stuck in a game playing as the main character isn't original, but the twist the author puts in makes it pretty good. Unfortunately, it quickly turns into a harem of guys and girls all going for the mc. The show is ridiculously boring and there aren't any really good reasons to watch it. The animation and sound quality are good, but the charactersare bad. The mc is really outgoing and is willing to help others which is fine and all, but as someone who has already played the game, she acts like a complete dumbass

[spoilers]

She just casually steals scenes from other characters and "remembers" them like she had forgotten or something. huh? She does a bunch of random things to try to escape her "doom" which clearly isn't going to happen. Everyone around her is practically screaming I love you but no she's even worse than a dense male mc in a harem.

The isekai genre is, as many are aware, an overused and dying genre of Anime. Especially recently there has been an influx of one pun gag isekai anime that only have one unique aspect of them, but then proceeds to make an OP MC with his harem of girls. This harem usually consists of a tsundere, the mother of the group with big oppai, and of course the loli that the MC picks up along the way. A good example of "trash isekai" would be summer 2019's worst anime of that season: Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? Now onto Otome gameno Hametsu Flag shika nai akuyaku reihou ni tenei siteshimatta... (This title is way to long for its own good.)

The otome game iseaki anime is a breath of fresh air in the isekai genre. With you MC being a female who regains knowledge of her past life, is not overpowered, and is an entertaining and unique character that gets along with all other characters. This anime has an actually good plotline that tells and actual story instead of the usual "fantasy world" that we see nowadays.

This anime is an absolute blast to watch, I highly recommend this anime to anyone sick of the current isekai world, and wants something much more unique and original.

It was the first time I watched the Reverse Harem. This story about Katarina Claes, a nobleman's daughter who has bad behavior especially to the maid who helps her. One day when meeting with Gerald Stuart, one of the princes in the country. Katarina tripped and hit her forehead on the ground. That's when memories of Katarina's previous life appeared. Katarina was previously only a high school teenage girl who had an ordinary life. She has a hobby of playing otome games, games targeted at women. At that moment she realized that she was now inside the enemy body of the Heroine.These figures are usually called Villainess in the game.

With that in mind, Katarina immediately confirmed that it was true that she was currently in the world of otome games. She unpacked the books in his home library and it turns out that she is currently in the world of Fortune Lover's otome game. Katarania could not help but have to devise a plan to avoid the Bad End for her.

The anime Isekai reappears in a new format. If the Isekai anime usually contains MCs that are OP and have a Harem, this time we will be presented with a quite different anime. Different from usual, this anime will be thicker in the comedy and romance genres, because this time Isekai comes from an otome game played by the main character in his previous life.

I was quite surprised by this anime. Initially I did not expect much for the anime Isekai. Moreover, this genre is quite new, namely Isekai with the genre of romance and reverse harem in it. But I was surprised because it turned out that this anime was quite enjoyable and I really enjoyed every minute when I watched this anime.

In terms of artwork, this anime is arguably above average. Each character is well illustrated and his face is also quite clear. Moreover, Katarina's often changing expression was described quite well. Although for this episode all the characters are still chibi, so it is still uncertain whether when they grow up the quality will still be the same.

This anime background is also pretty standard, but not too detailed. Backgrounds like this are usually used for anime Shoujo in general, so it is not too disturbing comfort when watching this anime. Because for this type of anime the focus is more on dialogue between characters.

Seiyuu in this anime also works so good. Especially because at this time the main characters are still children, their voices are still cute. Every dialogue that occurs is voiced so good that we feel empathy for the character. Besides that, the soundtrack and OP / ED are very charming, I'm sure you will be surprised if you watch this anime further, this is a promising anime and worth to watching.

The supposed reincarnated villainess "Catarina Claes", does not face any real challenge or anything being called worthy of a flag of doom throughout the entire series. Even the ending doom flag, feels like it was kind of forced. The antagonist had no real purpose of going against the villainess. Revenge is stated as a reason but the object of revenge was not the villainess to begin with, so it makes little sense as for why she was targeted. The real problem of the series is the MC kinds of befriends every doom flag that is supposed to appear in the years before they actually appear.She wakes up at the age of 5 which is very early to harbor any kind of bad reputation or anything of that sort and proceeds to intentionally or unintentionally befriend anyone that will likely cause her to be flagged as a villainess in future. Thus when the actual plot, the academy story line beings, the situation is such that no matter what happens, she is not going to be cast away to begin with.

This lack of challenge which you would kind of expect in this genre of stories, is what makes this series disappointing for me.

So, a rare bad rating from me and obviously I will not recommend anyone to watch this series being fooled by the title.

My review is a bit biased because I am reading the manga but this is the story that introduced me to the whole isekai otome game sub-genre. I feel grateful that the first story I read was the best in the whole genre. This is just a sweet and lovely anime. Do not come here with preconceived notions on what a good story should be cause it will kill your experience. Let yourself enjoy this new thing and follow along the adventures of "Bakarina" as she tries to prevents herself from meeting a bad end. Although the anime fast forwards a bit it still shows us eachand every single character's personal development. Katarina is the focal point of the story and everything revolves around her just being her. That is to say a cute dumb, clueless and mischievous young girl.

The art is beautiful and the voice acting really reflects the nature of the characters. This type of show is really a hit or miss, I don't think there's a middle place. You either watch it and enjoy it (which you should) or you simply hate it, because reasons.

But that's enough rambling. All I hope for is that it opens the door for other otome game/isekai shoujo stories to get adapted. And if you want more details on the story, you should definitely read the manga.

Making good lightweight entertainment is actually a pretty tough balancing act. On the one hand, you can’t go ham on suspense and drama and give your audience an aneurysm with constant tension all the time by incessantly keeping them on the edge of their seats like a Kuroko no Basket match. No, the conflict has to be simple, laid back, and not all-too-dramatic, just warm and pleasant, not unlike a summer breeze. That said, conflict does have to exist. You need drama to tell a story. If you make that conflict too easy to resolve and forego tension entirely, then the story loses all meaning. It’sdifficult to invest in something when there are no stakes. An example of how to do this wrong is the Smartphone isekai. That one never came across to me as a story about an overpowered protagonist, but rather a story about a regularly-powered protagonist in a world set on babyshit easy mode. Everything just sort of works out for him in that world, even with little to no intervention on his part. In a way, he feels a lot like Indiana Jones in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, except, you know, minus the part where he is a cool character in a good movie.

What is needed is a sweet spot between teeth-gnashing tension and meaningless child’s play. In other words, what I’m saying is that you need to create the illusion of a high-stakes conflict, and then slowly but surely resolve it in a relaxed, fun, and pleasant way. And that’s what’s difficult about it. It’s difficult to sell an illusion as believable. If you don’t sell the illusion hard enough, and if you’re not subtle enough with the resolution, then the curtain falls away and you see the Wizard of Oz for what he really is. It’s a sleight of hand, but it can be very effective if done right! HameFura offers just that.

We open on a day in the life of a spoiled young lady, the daughter of a duke in a magical, pre-industrial revolution medieval land. Her name? Catarina Claes. Then, upon unexpectedly suffering a head injury, the trauma makes her remember her past life as a Japanese otaku girl who died in a car crash at the age of 17. What’s more, she particularly remembers a dating sim she used to play, Fortune Lover, whose world and characters bear a striking resemblance bordering on the identical to the world and characters of the world she currently lives in. What’s more, Fortune Lover has a main villain character who, one way or another, suffers an unpleasant fate in all of the game’s routes, be it death, exile, or worse. Her name? Catarina Claes! Upon realizing that she was reincarnated as the detestable villain destined for doom, she endeavors to change the course of history and spare herself a sticky end. Will she succeed? Watch to find out!

Aside from being an instantly magnetic premise which makes use of a gimmick I haven’t seen before, it’s the perfect balance of a conflict that is meaningful and important and also simultaneously rather simple to resolve. You might already intuit what she needs to do. I mean, it’s really not that hard to figure out, right? All in all, it’s a genuinely pleasant and fun show, and seeing Catarina encounter characters from the game one after the other, and changing the way she interacts with them, thus fundamentally changing the way they develop as people was nothing short of a delight.

If it has any weaknesses, other than being light novel shlock, it’s the fact that it doesn’t have much to offer beyond its original premise. Point and fact, whenever the characters deviate towards a side-quest that doesn’t directly have to do with altering Catarina’s fate for the better, I found myself losing interest. I also felt that the ending was the weakest part of the anime, seen as it introduces a completely new antagonist character out of nowhere, rather than paying off a threat it was admittedly building throughout its run, but never really went anywhere. Unfortunately, I can’t go into any more detail without spoiling. There’s also some dark magic mechanic that tries to sell itself as ominous, but I found wholly uninteresting and superfluous.

If the basic premise does not attract you, then you can safely skip this, but if it does, then by all means, enjoy it because it really is a lot of fun. Personally, I would strongly recommend it, but I want to be sensitive to isekai exhaustion. It’s one of studio Silver Link.’s weaker shows in terms of visual presentation, but it never looks anything less than perfectly presentable.

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching My next life as a villainess: All routes lead to doom and while care has been taken to minimise story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a popular light novel series of the same name Otome Game No Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta which is better known by its much shortened English title My Next Life as a villainess All routes lead to Doom is a comedy, romance, school and fantasy genre anime that givesus the unique opportunity to see what will happen if one day a teenage girl were to after meeting an untimely demise be transported and reincarnated within the world of her favourite Otome game Fortune Lover.

The overall story of the series takes place within the kingdom of Sorcier a country that while being able to provide safety and economic security to its people was also one that featured a deep social division due to the social struggles that exist within its society. In this world no matter what one’s ability was within society only those within the noble class can advance up the ladder that is society. While the Isekai genre in recent years has seen a massive boost in popularity due to the release of celebrated series such as Re Zero and Saga of Tanya such series while demonstrating well what otherworld knowledge and magical application can do on the field of battle these did little to show the kind of impact it can have on changing the social injustice that can also exist in class-based societies. In this, while My next life as a villainess’s story is one that focuses on romantic comedy in line with its genre and not a serious attempt to address the social issues present in its world I felt that its unique attempt to address this in the form of forging friendships and bonds that transcend social classes and in the process change the direction of not just their fates but also Katarina’s own was a unique idea that served to make me an instant fan of the series. The first episode of the series I felt was an interesting one that while doing well in introducing the series main premise and setting also did well to showcase the unique quirks that are present within the series main heroine Katarina that serve to make her an example of an atypical noble on account of her wiliness to take on hobbies that will be seen as strange for her as well as her desire to befriend others in an attempt to save both their lives a combination that served to make her pretty endearing in my eyes.

Katarina

Katarina portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Maaya Uchida of Charlotte and Danmachi fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A teenage girl from the prestigious Claes family Katarina on initial appearances and before the regaining of her alter self-memories was seen to be a mischievous and rather temperamental person that seems to take particular delight in taking advantage of people around her. However, after regaining her memories Katarina’s personality shifts for the better. While still maintaining her confident and determined nature Katarina also as a result of her realization of the truth of the world around her also began to treat those around her differently treating them with not the pasted on fake kindness and care that standard nobles would show but with kindness, friendliness and politeness that was genuine a fact that soon allowed her to meet and befriend many new friends among her peers. While kind and considerate to her friends Katarina was also shown to be someone willing to go the extra mile in helping them deal with issues that would often give people pause a fact that reflects well on not just her preference to deal with matters directly but also her determination to help those around her a fact that I felt was admirable of her.

While Katarina’s personality shifts did well to make her realize the beauty that can come from having friends and comrades that she can count on within both school and society these shifts also served well to aid her in her efforts to improve her given route in the book called Katarina’s life. Within the series, this is perhaps best shown in Katarina’s sudden interest in gardening as well as her preference to learn more about the world and improve her innate skills by learning from others. While certainly aspects that will be frowned upon by both her fellow nobles and her mother these aspects, I felt served well to reinforce the fact that while Katarina may not be the ideal daughter that they want that to Katarina this was the kind of life and freedom that she wanted to experience in her life one that was full of smiles and happiness that was borne out of having an enjoyable time with friends that are linked together with genuine bonds of friendship and trust. Overall the character of Katarina Claes I felt was one that was both well designed and developed with her development from a mischievous child who had all the hallmarks of one that will grow up to become a terror to those around her to someone that was not only kind and caring towards her friends and fellows around her but someone that will go the extra mile for them to help them overcome their struggles being especially well done. While Katarina’s atypical hobbies of gardening and learning about the world by interacting with commoners on equal terms served to cause relations with her mother and fellow nobles to fluctuate I felt that this openness, when used in conjunction with her klutzy nature, served to make her not only more entertaining but also more relatable to both the audience and to her world’s inhabitants as well an aspect that served well to resonate with the series core themes of changing one’s fate by forging bonds of friendship.

Gerald

Gerald Stuart portrayed by voice actor Shouta Aoi is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Katarina’s circle of friends within the series. A prince of the kingdom of Sorcier and the brother of Alan Stewart Gerald on his initial appearances was seen to be a kind, calm and curious person by nature that had all the hallmarks of being someone that can be said to be a perfect example of royalty being both polite, honourable and someone that looked out for his fellows. While shown to have some degree of pride within him as can be expected of being a prince Gerald unlike his fellow nobles was seen to have little in the way of arrogance and was someone that treated others with respect regardless of their social class and was someone that preferred to work hard to achieve his aims that showed well both his determination and preference for honesty over the mind games that are prevalent within the nobility of the kingdom.

After the time skip Gerald while still retaining his base traits starts to gradually change as a result of not only meeting Katarina but also his circle of friends as well. In the past, due to the training that he received as part of his prince duties, Gerald was noted to be someone that while calm and composed was someone that preferred to keep his true emotions and thoughts hidden and interact with others with all the grace and humility that is expected of a prince of the kingdom. While the training that Gerald was provided with proved sufficient for the task this also created a sense of loneliness within him as despite being a prince he had no real friends that he can count on for both advice and friendship and as a result while maintaining a surface mask that served to fool others in his heart Gerald saw his life as one that was both boring and tedious. However as a result of meeting Katarina and later her circle of friends this belief of his gradually starts to change as for the first time in his life he was able to not only meet but also befriend people who while being nobles treated each other not with false words but with genuine honesty, respect and trust and for the first time in his life Gerald was able to let do of his mask and interact with them on even terms a fact that is best shown in the playful competitions that he has with Alan and Keith and in the genuine laughter that he exhibits when interacting with his friends.

Keith

Keith Claes portrayed by veteran voice actor Tetsuya Kakihara of Fairy Tail and Occultic Nine fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of the members of Katarina’s circle of friends. The adopted younger brother of Katarina Keith on his initial appearances was seen to be someone that was quiet and nervous by nature but yet was someone that was noted to be surprisingly perceptive for someone his age. While preferring to stay away from potential sources of trouble Keith was noted to be someone that while wary of those around them was shown to be someone that was calm and intelligent by nature and was someone that was shown to be able to see the bigger picture of a given situation quite easily which for a kid is an impressive skill. Unlike his adopted older sister Katarina Keith was noted from an early age to have the talents that would enable him to become a mage however for Keith this life-changing opportunity soon served to make his childhood traumatic thanks to a case of loss of control of his powers that caused him to be vilified by others and ensure that he was nothing but an outcast to his fellows that was better to be avoided. However, after being adopted into the Claes family and meeting his new adopted older sister Katarina the darkness that has been Keith’s life since the awakening of his powers was soon replaced by a bright light that was filled with warmth that came from being accepted as part of the grouping that society codifies as a family and for the first time in a very long time Keith had finally found a place where he can belong and a person that he can both look up to as well as shower his affection on.

As a result of both meeting Katarina as well as seeing the lengths that she will go to help those dear to her Keith’s personality gradually starts to change. While still retaining his quiet and calm nature Keith gradually becomes more self-confident and becomes far more willing to both interact with others and express his views on matters that concern him unlike how he was in the past. While serving to allow him to gain no small amount of friends and admirers within the academy this development also allowed Keith to finally gain the trust of his family and bestow him the duty of watching over his dear elder sister as she goes through her education at the magic academy an aspect that I felt served to marry both his earnest desire to protect her as a brother while also allowing him to remain by her side and if the fates allow to transform their relationship into something more. In overall, the character of Keith Claes I felt was an interesting character that was pretty well designed and developed as the series went on with his adult self and newfound personality shift serving well as the moderator within both the Claes family and within the circle of friends that serve to mostly keep Katarina’s impulses at bay.

Maria Campbell

Maria Campbell portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Saori Hayami of the Irregular at Magic high school and Owari no Seraph fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of the members of Katarina’s circle of friends. A classmate of the magic academy Maria on her initial appearances was seen to be a friendly, positive, and hard-working young woman who shows kindness, care and consideration to all she meets. As a result of these qualities Maria was shown to be relatively popular within the academy and indeed was elected to become a member of its student council following her ascension to it. However despite gaining entry to such a prestigious body at such an early point in her education Maria instead of showing pride and arrogance as some would seemingly preferring to focus on carrying out her duties as best she could while quietly remaining within the background as if to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

As the series goes on and Maria’s personality is gradually expanded upon it can be seen that despite being able to attend the prestigious magic academy that many people would only dream off that Maria’s time within it was far from being an enjoyable time for her. While certainly skilled at both magic and at handling the affairs of the student council Maria had since the gaining of her magic as well as her entry into the school had been forced to wear a mask that acted as both a shield that allowed her to interact with others readily while also keeping her protected from the worst insults and bullying that the nobles would throw at her on account of her lineage for unlike them Maria was born a commoner the very class that the nobles of the kingdom would look down upon with scorn. As a result of this hard life that Maria was forced to live while seemingly getting along with her peers Maria was shown to be wary of those that tried to befriend her and in the first instance would create walls that she will hide behind when encountering such people.

However, as a result of meeting the unusual noble named Katarina Claes this aspect of Maria that she was forced to make use of for so long was at last finally allowed to retire as unlike the other nobles that she had met and defended against within her life Katarina rather than being rude and arrogant as others of her ilk was instead kind, caring and honest and her offer of friendship was despite Maria’s wariness one that seemed genuine and heartfelt. As the newly formed friendship between Maria and Katarina progressed Maria for the first time in her life was able to appreciate both the happiness that came about from being able to interact with friends who not only cared about her well being but were also on hand to help her confront personal issues that until now she had to shoulder by herself and for the first time in her life got to appreciate the beauty and joy that comes from having friends that she can rely upon and make memories with within the academy. For the first time in her life, Maria was able to look toward each new day with not despair but joy and anticipation of being able to have a fun time with Katarina and her circle of friends as they take upon the new day together.

While the character of Maria Campbell was one that was both designed and developed as the series went on I felt that Maria as a character served as a perfect example of both the social injustice that class-based societies create on account of the bullying that she receives from the nobles within the academy as well as serving as the perfect demonstration of the kind of impact that a little stubbornness and a desire to help someone overcome their fate can have on opening their eyes to the joy that can come from having friends that they can both have fun with as well as count on for advice.

AMV

In terms of animation, I felt that the style that was used within the series was both clear and made great use of warm colours that served to enhance both the locations shown within the series as well as the designs of its inhabitants. Characters design-wise I felt that while the designs of the characters themselves were relatively simple ones I thought that they made great use of bright colours, simplicity, and style that served to not only differentiate each character featured within the series but also complement their personalities as well. One unique aspect of character design within the series that I felt deserved mention was the council of Katarina’s that are often featured when their master is at a crossroads in their attempt to overcome the fate that is in front of them. What makes the council so unique in my eyes I felt was the fact that each member while being very loyal to their master also represented the different character archetypes that exist within the anime medium that serve to make each of their meetings a blast to see thanks to their often hilarious and contrasting opinions as they analyse the situation and try to come up with countermeasures. In terms of location variety while the series only featured a small number of locations I felt that these served to represent well not just the different parts of Katarina’s journey but also served to show well the many friendships and happy memories that she had made as part of her quest.

In terms of music, the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Otome No Route Wa Hitotsu Janai that was performed by the veteran pop band Angela and Bad end which was performed by Shouta Aoi. Both of these songs while being excellent ones I felt gave off slightly different feelings that served to complement the show with the former being a catchy and positive one that through the skilful usage of its lyrics and accompanying visuals introduced the viewers to the cheerful and unique noble Katarina who despite her station is someone that will make use of every available means to overcome her fate be it taking up gardening or striking up friendships with her former route targets. In contrast to the upbeat and cheerful opening theme, the series ending theme Bad End I felt was markedly different in the feelings that it invoked for while the song was dramatic and grand it and its accompanying visuals served to showcase well the fruits of Katarina’s labours in this new world for in her determination to avoid the bad end she had not only served to change her own fate but also in the process changed the fate of everyone that she had met in the world by forging strong bonds of friendship with them and tying their fate threads to her own and ensure that their happiness will remain as long as they are together in this new world.

Voice acting-wise I thought that the main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether they were main or support characters. In particular, I felt that Maaya Uchida, Shouta Aoi, Tetsuya Kakihara and Saori Hayami all did an excellent job at portraying the characters of Katarina, Gerald, Keith and Maria respectively. While I did not cover them within the review, I also felt that Miho Okasaki, Inori Minase and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka also did an excellent job of portraying the characters of Mary, Sophia and Nicole respectively. While only featured briefly and having only brief lines until near the end of the series I felt Azumi Waki deserves special praise for her portrayal of Katarina’s loyal maid Anne as her recall of both her origins as well as the changes that have been brought on to her by Katarina’s own development as a person as she matured being especially well done and reflected well on Azumi Waki’s skill as a seiyuu.

Overall conclusion

In overall My Next Life as a villainess: All routes lead to Doom I felt was an excellent anime that had among its strong points an interesting premise that presented a unique take on the traditional Harem anime via the usage of a reverse harem, an excellent story that proved to be both entertaining and heartwarming, well designed and developed characters and excellent voice acting from a talented voice cast.

While the overall premise of the series from first glance appears to be identical to your standard Isekai anime that has a human being transported to another world after death I felt that when this simple premise is combined with both the series overall narrative and its themes of friendship and the changing of fates that the series serves to transform into something else entirely. For while the series is not a combat anime like other Isekai series being transported into another world is always going to be a risky affair that is full of unexpected surprises. While Katarina may have survived death in her world being reincarnated as the villainess of the story that is on the road to doom is perhaps one path that she did not expect to be deposited on. Yet even on such a path, it can be said that humanity is a resilient species that will persevere no matter the odds arrayed against them and in this Katarina’s decision to use her in-depth knowledge of the game to overturn fate by befriending her would-be enemies and forge a new true route of friendship, I felt was a novel idea that served to not only free her from the path of doom but also change the fate of her friends and the society around them and in doing so lay the foundations for change that will make people realize that social class is nothing more than a label that serves to place unnecessary restrictions on one's life and that true friends are those that interact and have fun in each other’s company regardless of whether they are from the same class in society or not.

Overall in terms of final score, I would say that the series would deserve a 10/10 on account of its unique premise, excellent story that proved to be hugely entertaining, excellent characters and excellent voice acting. While only intended as an entertainment medium I felt that the series core values of overcoming adversity via the forging of friendships and bonds of others and in the process break down the social classes that separate people is as relevant to Katarina as it is to the world that we live in.

My Next Life as a Villainess is now my favorite anime of all time, and I honestly feel weird saying that. I've seen anime that are better in terms of objective quality, but I've never felt a connection to an anime quite like this one, and given that I'm not well-versed in the isekai genre AND I've never touched an otome game in my life, I think that really speaks to its strengths. One of Hamefura's greatest strengths is, of course, its characters, without a definitively unlikable one in the batch. The fact that there are so many great romance options for Catarina is greatfor a harem anime, but it's the fact that we get a firm understanding of why each and every character is attracted to Catarina that makes the story really shine.

This is the first anime to make me tear up after the FIRST EPISODE. I went into Hamefura expecting another everyday comedy harem, but I ended up with a strongly-written, emotional story that struck a chord with me from the get-go. What really helps the show as an isekai is that Catarina isn't acting nice towards the other characters out of obligation. While the conversations in her head might give off that impression, that's just the kind of person she is naturally, and the juxtaposition between game events and real-life events as they happen makes this abundantly clear. Catarina's childhood arc was especially strong, giving me some of the best individual episodes I've ever seen.

Add in plenty of actual character development, a plot twist that surprised me when it happened but was obvious in hindsight (perfect for a comedy anime), a complete absence and/or subversion of the tropes I despise from typical harem anime, story beats that don't depend entirely on the magical school setting to happen organically, and a mountain of heartfelt moments, and you get My Next Life as a Villainess, my new favorite anime that probably shouldn't be. While other anime I've seen like Kaguya-sama or The Promised Neverland are certainly stronger when viewed through an objective lens, there's never been a series that's pulled me in from the very beginning the way Hamefura has. It's definitely one of the most pleasant surprises I've encountered in anime so far, and it certainly gave me a lot to talk about. I'd easily recommend this series to anybody who enjoys the isekai genre... or the harem genre... or romance... or anime.

If I had to describe this anime, it would be overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's quite enjoyable but I feel as if people are overhyping it. It's similar to last season's Bofuri (incidentally, same studio) where the story is quite generic but it was somehow thought to be extra funny that the character was OP. In this case, Catarina AKA Bakarina is ultra dense and while that is funny at times, it goes overboard. The character is just plain stupid and the whole story goal of "avoiding the doom flag" seems kinda pointless since it should be obvious from the start that she already hasavoided it. I mean, she could have simply not got in the way of any relationship and everything would have worked out.

TLDR, it feels kinda forced that she doesn't realize the doom has been avoided. I would prefer if there were actual obstacles on her way to avoid her doom.

On the flip side, the characters (except Mary) were quite interesting and each had their own backstories and personalities which were explored throughout the show. The reason Mary is annoying is because her obsession with Bakarina is well, annoying. She even tries to get in the way of her fiancée just because she wants her for herself.

Overall, a decent show with some flaws but many fun moments.

I hope in Season 2, they can at least have a good story or at least focus more on the relationships between the characters, an area which was largely left out especially in the second half