My Next Life as a Villainess Review: A Girl Realizes She Is the Villain of an Otome Game and Desperately Tries Not to Get Her Bad Ending
by Satoru Yamaguchi (story) / Nami Hidaka (art)
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Quick Take
- The otome game isekai comedy where the protagonist is the villain trying to avoid being exiled or killed — and accidentally becomes everyone's most beloved person while panicking
- The comedy works because Catarina is genuinely trying to survive, not to be charming; the charming is an unintended side effect
- Complete at 8 volumes (manga); the light novel and anime are also available; a genuinely fun comedy across its run
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want isekai comedy with genre self-awareness
- Fans of otome games who want manga that uses those conventions as comedy material
- Anyone who wants completed light fantasy comedy manga
- Readers who want an unusually cheerful isekai protagonist
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Very mild content; this is a gentle comedy
One of the cleanest entries on this site.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★☆☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★☆☆ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★☆ |
Story Overview
Catarina Claes is a noble girl in a fantasy country. After hitting her head, she remembers her past life — she was a Japanese high school girl who played an otome game called Fortune Lover extensively. She realizes she is in that game.
The problem: she is the villain. In every route of the game, Catarina gets exiled or killed. The heroine gets the prince; Catarina gets destroyed.
Catarina's solution: befriend everyone. Prevent all conflict. Pursue farming as a backup career. Make sure no one has reason to destroy her.
Her methods produce unexpected results: everyone, including the heroine, falls in love with her.
Characters
Catarina Claes — Her specific panic — she knows how her story ends in all versions, and she does not want that ending — drives every interaction she has. Her genuine effort to be kind (to avoid her doom) produces genuine kindness. She is unaware of how universally adored she has become.
The Captured Targets — The boys the original game asked the player to pursue; they all, somewhat bafflingly, find Catarina more interesting than the game's heroine.
Maria Campbell — The game's heroine, who finds Catarina baffling and then endearing. Her perspective on the situation is the series' best secondary comedy.
Art Style
Hidaka's art is clean, attractive shojo work — the fantasy noble setting is rendered with appropriate visual richness, and Catarina's expressions (mostly panic, occasional pure joy about agriculture) are the series' most reliable visual comedy.
Cultural Context
The "villainess reincarnation" genre — isekai where the protagonist is the antagonist of a game or novel they were transported into — is a significant subgenre in Japanese light novel culture. Bakarina (as Catarina is nicknamed online) is one of the genre's founding works and most beloved protagonists.
What I Love About It
Catarina's agricultural ambitions. Her backup plan for exile — she will become a farmer if the noble life falls through — is both the series' most consistently funny running joke and a genuine character element: she finds real peace in gardening, and this unexpected passion produces several of the series' best scenes.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers who found this through the anime describe the manga as a reliable, warm comedy — Catarina's obliviousness is funny without being frustrating because her intentions are always genuine. The villainess reincarnation genre is cited as one of the more interesting isekai subgenres specifically because of this series. The ending is warmly received.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The sequence where Catarina realizes, slowly, that the "original game's routes" have all been resolved differently than she feared — not through exile and destruction, but through everyone choosing her — is the series' most satisfying payoff for its comedy premise.
Similar Manga
- The Devil Is a Part-Timer! — Comedy fish-out-of-water fantasy, similar lightness
- KonoSuba — Fantasy isekai comedy, similar genre awareness
- I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince — Comedy isekai, similar fun premise
- By the Grace of the Gods — Gentle isekai, similar warmth
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Catarina's memory recovery and her initial panic establish the premise in the first chapters.
Official English Translation Status
Seven Seas Entertainment published the complete 8-volume manga. The light novel series is also available from Seven Seas.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 8 volumes, complete
- Catarina is one of isekai's most genuinely likeable protagonists
- The comedy premise is consistent and well-executed
- The genre self-awareness adds a layer the genre usually lacks
Cons
- Light on plot — the comedy formula repeats across 8 volumes
- Character development beyond Catarina is limited
- Readers who want stakes beyond "will she get exiled" may find it thin
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Manga (8 vols) | Seven Seas; complete |
| Light Novel | Seven Seas; longer, more detailed original |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get My Next Life as a Villainess Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.