GL Review: I'm in love with the Villainess (anime)

[haitangkitty]

The anime just finished and I followed it from the very beginning when the first episode aired. I went to it without reading the light novel it's based on, but I'll definetely check them now! This is my first GL anime and it's been quite popular and for a good reason.

Here's some things I liked about it:

- Episode structure: Each episode has it's own well-written plot, unlike some other anime I've been watching recently that hasn't had very strong episode structure. It kept me interested in the story!
- Magical academy: Feels nostalgic because the first gl's I read when I was young were set at all-girl boarding schools (although the one in wataoshi isn't stricktly for girl's only)
- Class conflict: The people are divided into nobles and commoners. There is also an commoner uprising and lot of classism in the story but it is actually discussed and confronted which I found suprising. I think the story will dive deeper into this later.
- One-sided love: Rae is a full on simp for Claire without expecting her to return her feelings. She's like a fangirl who idolizes her crush and keeps herself distant because the possibility of a relationship seems unrealistic. She is only confronted by this in the last episode by a love rival, which I really loved! It also feels realistic portrayal of queer women to have crushes and expect nothing back and just convincing yourself that if they're happy their love interest is happy. It's such a destructive and masochistic way of thinking. Both Rae and Claire evolve during the story although at the heart of their ship is their cat-and-mouse dynamic.


5/5