Anime Review: My Next Life as a Villainess~ 2020 The year of Bakarina

Eight-year-old Katarina Claes hits her head and realized she's a teenage otaku who's now living her life inside the Fortune Lover game. And as the title has given away...in a villainess role. She's doing her best to circumvent the routes that will lead to her doom. Warning: Some spoilers ahead. Check out First Impression: My Next Life as a Villainess Episodes 1-3. It's my first time creating one so I don't know how to reconcile the my first impression and the review proper. Repeat what I already mentioned or continue where I left off? In the end, I decided to continue where I left off and dabble a bit of what I said before. Also, I have not read the light novel or manga.

I did not expect this to be reverse harem and a...yuri harem at the same time! But since they're all together I don't know what's the right term anymore. My early favorite was Alan, then  Geordo and then Mary. Oh Mary. She's hilarious! She's the most aggressive from the girls or maybe from the party. They have a very powerful party if they ever go to a quest or something oops they did that actually. I feel bad for Geordo being the fiance after all. There's also a special place in your heart for both their younger versions and their older versions. You get to adore two sets.

The charm of this anime is the heroine I mean villainess...I mean protagonist..there.. or antagonist. Okay, main character...ahhhh I dunno which is which anymore. The charm of the anime is Katarina. She's also the charm that weaves all in the other characters.


It's easy to expect so much after putting it on a very high pedestal. But the story is just simple. And as much as I love Katarina and quirks I got exasperated with her being so dense with their feelings. And everything comes easy for her. No consequences for altering the story. I'm being critical because I watched this right after I finished Extra-Ordinary You kdrama about a girl who realized they are characters in a manhwa and they trying to change the story of the author with adverse effects. So don't mind me. There's a nagging feeling at the back of your head that's she's supposed to be much older now if the time element is the same with reality. Or maybe not.

But after such a long drought of non-otome adaptation (but still about an otome game lol), this is a much-needed change. I think the last one was in  2016 with Kiss Him, Not Me. Whereas game adaptation focuses on the bishonen, in manga and in the same case perhaps of the light novel, the main focus is the heroine.

I cherish the moments that made all characters shine it but did not feel obligatory. I was not happy at first that it's only 12 episodes. I was afraid that I will end up hating it after enjoying 3/4 of the anime. I think I was traumatized with the reverse harem catch up marathon of otome game and mobile game adaptations which all have 12 to 13 episodes. But as we reached the end, I can sigh in relief. Even though the 'villain' to the villainess was a dead giveaway, the use of an otome game element was executed well.  I also read on twitter that the villainess roles do not happen in actual otome games but I think the story is patterned off in romance dramas and shojo mangas? Or is this a thing in isekai light novels?


The news of season 2 perhaps also softens the blow of the finale. I might have been disappointed if that was it as it felt like it didn't progress to anything from a watcher POV and not from Katarina POV. But my gut was telling me that it will have a season 2 announcement in the finale given it has plenty of source material and popularity. I even asked my sons the likelihood of light novels getting sequels since I'm not too updated with the trends.

I was praying for more manga to anime but we got a different answer to which I am a-okay for. I hope the success of MNLAAV will pave the way for more otome isekai light novels adaptations. One of my favorite scenes is the isekai within the isekai episode which pays homage to classic isekai Fushigi Yugi. I always say that I'm an isekai fan because of Fushigi Yugi but I have not yet started my plunge of otome isekai yet except for Lascivious Lady drama. I am so ready now. Goodbye Earth! (I've been saying that for the past 2 years or so.) For non-isekai light novels I've reviewed you may check Saiunkoku Monogatari anime adaptation and Mia and the Forbidden Medicine.

I love the opening credit but not too much of the song but after the anime ended I find myself humming the song it must be because of the feeling that I'll be missing the show. I am thankful for the best spring shows (reverse harem and non-reverse harem) to entertain us in the time of covid19. In the time of coronavirus is there anyone NOT watching this?  I'm not yet ready to add this on my top 10 reverse harem anime but I have a feeling it will be in the future. Halfway through the year, I am now calling it the Year of Bakarina. If you are a newbie to Hamefura fandom like me, this is the nickname given to her by her fans. How did you find the anime? Let me know your thoughts.


My new hobby now is taking screenshots of anime mentioning reverse harem.  If you ever see one for this year even if non-reverse harem, please send it to me. I only started this last year for my 2019 Year in Review. I have one from Hajimete Koi drama and Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy anime. So far for 2020, I have one from Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun and now this.