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Summary
Webtoon ’s new isekai romance series may just be the subversive masterpiece sports fan of the genre have been seem for and now could be the good fourth dimension to catch up . I Am the Villainby Sejji , is the newest plus to Webtoon ’s Originals catalogue , and it is double-dyed for fans looking for a break from tired old tropes with the potential to originate into one of thebest manhwa on Webtoon .
At first glance , I Am the Villaindoesn’t seem much different from a superfluity of similar rubric , follow the same cliché premiss of being born as the villainess who is destined to be abandoned and eventually killed viciously and thus vows to do anything to forefend her ghastly lot and return to the tangible world at all costs . As such , the first chapter ofI Am the Villainis unassuming and easily like to popular deed likeVillains Are fate to DieandFather I Do n’t need This Marriage .
However , as the story progresses , it quickly becomes manifest that there is much more toI Am the Villain ’s story than meets the eye , asone plot of land twist after the other gradually let out itself , subverting nearly every trope the serial appears to initially make usage of . Only a few chapter in the serial establishes just how unique it truly is , defying expectation at every turn while drawing readers in with its compelling characters and enticing , almost wizardly graphics fashion .
The volume 1 cover of Villainess : reload ! spoil Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons makes it clear this manga is screwball , but it ’s more nuanced .
I Am the Villain Puts a Fresh Spin on the Isekai Trope
Written and illustrated by Sejji
When it comes to manhwa , particularly isekai romance stories , the music genre is saturated with clichés and overused tropes , so much so that it is often difficult to distinguish one serial from another . One such exercise of an overdrive figure is the villainess trope , where more often than not , a distaff agonist reincarnates into the body of the female antagonist of the story as opposed to the booster . As the championship suggests , I Am the Villainis also clearlycentered around thepopular villainess tropebut set a refreshing spin on it .
I Am the Villainfollows Lucy , a regular twenty-first - century young cleaning woman who is seeminglytransported into the world of a novel as Lucia Aurelius , the villainessto whom she encounter to hold a strong resemblance . Much like many other villainess manhwa , Lucy get in before the beginning of the story and begin planning how to invalidate her tragic fate . Unfortunately , Lucy does n’t have the common advantage of being exhaustively acquainted with the world of the novel she ’s been enchant to , having read only the spoilers online .
Though these plot of land element are far from alone amongisekai manhwa , a shocking twirl revealsI Am the Villainisfar from a straightforward reincarnation news report . Lucy ’s design for survival of the fittest begin to fall aside when a letter arrives from the real Lucia reassuring her family that she is doing well despite her disappearance several week prior . Thus , readers recover out Lucy had n’t been reincarnated into Lucia ’s body as the tarradiddle had result them to believe . Instead , Lucy was transported into the novel body and psyche and has take Lucia ’s place entirely due to their like appearance .
Moreover , the novel in question is n’t any random novel but one written by Lucy ’s best friend who happen to resemble the protagonist of the story , evoke that Lucy ’s resemblance to Lucia may not be a coincidence either . To tally to the machination , Lucy is n’t the only one from the real world who has go into the humankind of the novel , which is another rarified concept in the isekai genre . The arcanum that Lucy is from another existence also does not remain obscure for very long , which is again unusual among such manhwa , where the revealing is usually saved until the very last or not revealed at all .
The HIDIVE exclusive series Bibliophile Princess is n’t actually a villainess Isekai , but it deconstructs one of that musical style ’s most brutish moments .
I Am the Villain Subverts the Cliché “Evil Fiancé” Trope
One vulgar trope that accompanies nearly every other series pore around the villainess figure of speech is that of the evil , cheating fiance who is destined to leave the villainess for the protagonist . At first , I Am the Villainalso appears to follow suit as Lucy resolve to fail off her engagement with Prince Arthur to forefend fuss in the future once the protagonist , Claire , arrives .
Prince Arthur ab initio seems to be every part the uncaring , uninterested fiancé and even agree to stop the engagement with a smile at Lucy ’s behest . However , the seriesgradually begins to redeem the fiancé ’s characterdespite him not being the primary love pastime . Lucy substantiate the Prince has done her no wrong just yet and , as she witnesses his vulnerabilities , both she and readers find it hard not to commiserate with his character . The Prince is quite simply burdened by his duties , and though he refuses to end the engagement for selfish reason , the serial never quite turn him into the antagonizing figure typically seen in other pop chronicle .
I Am the Villain is the Complete Package
Besides subverting popular tropes , the series boasts many other enduringness , includingcompelling characters , attractive likely love interests , a fun , bracing admirer , and a dear sprinkle of modern humour . Every fiber is well - written , flesh out , and multi - dimensional and the serial is n’t afraid to give its supporter an impactful , detailed backstory . Lucy is by no means a unique protagonist , but her reactions to entering the unfamiliar , historically - root on worldly concern of the novel and the other characters ' actions are realistic and relatable , piddle her character easy to wish .
to boot , the serial publication has beautiful , captivating art that makesevery control board feel capricious like the pages of a novel come to life . The flabby color pallet also lend the reference , background , and costumes an aery feel . Meanwhile , the exceptional paneling high spot even the smallest of central and actions , reach them more impactful than ever . An excellent example is this scene of Prince Leo bid Lucy farewell and gradually let go of her hand as the sun peeks through from behind which turn a round-eyed goodbye into a truly magical moment .
Overall , I Am the Villainis a criminally underrated series that will surely appeal to fans ofhistorical romance manhwaand isekai story . The serial is also in the thick of its first time of year stopping point , make this the premier time to pluck up and binge the serial publication as the narrative go about a decisive juncture . Despite its generic coming into court , I Am the Villainis far from predictable or cliché and will for certain only get even more impressive from here on out .
I Am the Villainis available from Webtoon .
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Custom Image by Merlyn De Souza
