Akuyaku Reijou nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita

This is the third Otome-game Isekai I could make comparisons and talk about the others, but it would be unfair to do so, especially as HameFura is such a stand out, and takes some beating.

This anime has a strong start, the first arc is really well done, it is entertaining, well paced and everything you want from a series like this.
The MC is reincarnated into the villainess, she is jilted by her former fiancée, she has to avoid her 'doom flags' as well as recover her social standing and economic standing, so she decides to get engaged to the Demon Lord.
We have quite a ... bit of plotting from all sides, some twists and turns, and a sprinkling of humour, the MC is interesting and there is a decent cast of characters.
So far so good.

BUT, it doesn't stay that way for long, because after the first act we get the issues.

The second act sees a new location, new characters, new storyline, new plot points, and it gets a whole lot sillier
The main issue is that it's fairly boring as we are waiting for the eventual reveal and resolution to the plot as none of the twists are twists because having gone through act 1, none of the 'surprises' are surprises, and the pacing is just 'weird' as the story isn't given enough time to be developed and we don't get that invested in the second arc, which is why we're waiting to get back to the 'good stuff'
If it wasn't for the characters and some of the comedy, the second act would just be boring as you'd just be waiting for it to wrap up.

The third act is somehow worse than the second act, because at least the second act is fun
The third act is a mess, the pacing is dreadful, the plot is confused and doesn't make much sense, the Holy Sword changes from a sword that can kill demons to a MacGuffin that can do anything and everything that the plot needs it to, and I think what is worse for this series, is that it brings in even more characters, that are supposed to be pivotal, and for most of them, we get little to no time with those characters, don't learn anything about them, or their motivations, and they seem to be mostly an afterthought

Act 3 went for drama, it just forgot the essence of storytelling, don't look too closely, don't think about it, don't ask about these other characters or their motivations, don't look too closely at the plot or ask how these things are supposed to work.

I feel like saying "what the first arc and leave it there" because honestly, if I was scoring it only on that first arc, it would be 8/10 easily, however, even as bad as it gets, the MC Aileen, carries this anime and still makes it worth watching.

When I read the title, I thought it might be similar to My next life as a villainess, but as story went on and events took place, I realised that there quite the difference between not only the plots, but also the characters, their backgrounds and stuff.

The story is good and has a lot pf potential. This kind of plot is quite rare so I like it, but it feels like the pacing is too fast. The content they covered in about 4 episodes would usually take about 6 to 7 episodes, so I guess that part needs to be improved.

Overall, it is ... good story and the characters are likeable as well.

I think I already came across another anime with a very similar concept of isekai into a Otome game as its villain character before, nonetheless I did find this show entertaining. The story plot is decent, and our main girl Aileen is a pretty interesting character.

Anyways, the main thing that made me write this review was what seems to be overlooked a lot in these underrated, non-widespread seasonal anime: its OP and ED songs. The OP, sung by Aileen's VA Rie Takahashi by the way, was an absolute banger, and the ED was even better. Quite unfortunate that the show wasn't that popular, 'cause I ... feel like these songs deserve to be on the chart.

The plot progresses too fast. They fit 3 separate arcs into a 1-Cour anime. It all felt very rushed and left little to no time for character development. Didn’t even get a chance to form meaningful attachments that would make me care about what was happening to the characters… should’ve been 3 seasons minimum instead of crammed all into 1.

Honestly kinda bummed with how this turned out bc the initial plot line sounded intriguing… details and fluff are not the enemy in situations like these. I would’ve preferred the story actually go more into depth about the events of the first arc.

Obviously this story is still airing, but the manga is completed. I went and read it all in one sitting after catching up on the aired episodes. The manga is extremely short - probably one of the shortest mangas I've read of this genre (or of any genre, honestly) I believe there is also a light novel.

STORY
I won't spoil anything about the manga, but it seems to follow it. I will say the pacing is a bit confusing - it's hard to tell how much time has passed between events and it seems (in both the anime and manga) the male lead falls for ... our girl very very quickly. Making it fairly straight forward with no love rivals - which is something I generally prefer anyways.

I'm adoring all of the villainess stuff coming out and being adapted into anime - though many seem to fit the same formulas. This one does have its differences, most notably in the antagonistic qualities of the male lead in the game and the female lead...making our villainess heroine and the male lead's brother the actual lead (and good guys) of the story. Versus other similar tales where everyone becomes close friends.

Not much happens in the story. There really isn't much action or conflict in both the anime and manga - making it a super easy watch/read. There is a rather questionable scene in the manga that makes it into the anime, so it's not suuuuper light & fluffy for that reason.

From episode 5 it seems the story is continuing where the manga ended. So not sure what to expect now! / Might be what takes place in the light novel...?

CHARACTERS
I really like the character designs, especially our girl Aileen. She's super cute!! Claude is fairly unique looking as well. There doesn't seem to be too much depth behind the characters (that I've seen/read) just that Claude is your typical shadow of the other brother and cast aside type. I was not too interested in any of the side characters.

ART/SOUND
Quality of art is pretty similar to other titles in this genre, and nothing special. I will say the opening song is very good, which is always a pleasant surprise.

OVERALL
Overall, I do recommend this title to those who enjoy this genre and want to see more of it. I'm hoping we will continue to get more titles tailored for a female audience and with a formidable female lead.

Simply amazing.

I found this anime by complete mistake and i really truly enjoyed, not only are the characters very lovable but the art shines everywhere (spare the few animation goofs and the carriage CGI), The story is divided into 3 parts, ep 1 thru 4 is part 1, ep 5 thru 9 is part 2 and ep 10 thru to the end is the last part, this may sound like stuff does not have time to develop, and in a way it does not, but what it lacks in development it completely makes up for in plot progression.

Unlike other shojou anime the main plot does ... not get hyper repetitive, there are constant foils to the main quest our lead is taking us on, yet she still achieves plenty of "feel good" small victories which really pull you in. That being said there are a few plot holes, you know, your usual ones: "if you can teleport why didn't you do it to do this", "if you can feel whenever someone enters your castle why didn't you do that" and so on, if you are watching this anime WANTING to hate it you'll have a pretty easy time doing so, but honestly it is quite too funny and charming for anyone to really care.

My only gripe with the anime is that it has way too many characters, our protagonist builds a nice little harem of handsome men, which is completely fine, what isn't fine is when people start to feel "useless", where you almost feel like they are accomplishing nothing and just goofing off offscreen, if the number of sexy hunky capable, emotionally available and completely in-love with our MC (yet not telling her cuz they are such gentleman) were to be cut in half i think the story would improve.
That being said i also agree that given the type of story that's being told that would not exactly be possible.

As for the females, they're alright, they're basically glorified men, but instead of doing our MC's whim like the rest of the gentleman they are a bit more against her, not to sound too sexist but its just the usual "girl on girl love foil", nothing crazy.

As for the villains, they are children level villains, they are always super "mean" and the stereotypical "bad" person, the villain to the 1st part is quite bad (hehe), the one for the 2nd part is kinda obvious and extremely well written, and then the 3rd part falls flat on its face with a flat out bad one.

The last episode and the one before that lost a bit of the essence of the show, not sure what happened there but it almost feels as if the writing team was swapped between ep 10 and 11 and then the latter and 12 where just the new guys winging it, but alas, since this anime basically ends 3 times by the end you've already had your fill of good endings.

Overall i highly recommend everyone who's into traditional romance and these sort of games to watch it, i am inclined to give it a 7 or an 8 but given how funny it is and how little the flaws of the show mattered to me i'm giving it an 8, I would love nothing more than to see some sort of part 2 with a different main character and a similar premisse.

Watch the first 9 episodes and stop. The first 9 episodes are 10/10 the last 3 ruin the rest of the brilliance that is this anime. It goes from light hearted fun to trying to drill some twisted dramatic plot and completely ruins the humor and fun of the show. I can't believe I enjoyed what felt like the first 3 seasons cause every to or three episodes feels like a season. you'll see. but the 4th killed it for me.

The story is not quite unique as we have other animes that do the villainess thing and do it well but this does take ... a different approach to world building and comedy. The reverse harem in this game is not as obtrusive as it is in some of the other otome game animes i have seen it is appreciated.

I have very mixed feelings with this. The first third of the show I absolutely loved however the next two thirds just felt like a repeat and poor imitation of the first. It started to feel like a slog to get through. We don’t get enough time to see the characters develop their bond, the main character feels like mild Mary-Sue. She is interesting to watch but she does the absolute bare minimum and it’s hard to see why the characters like her despite seemingly spending so little time with her.

Each third of this anime could have and should have been an entire season on ... its own.

I was a little worried prior to starting this that it was going to be essentially a copy&paste plot of other shows I've watched. While the show's initial setup follows a familiar format, the rest was entirely its own, and I was pleasantly surprised. It ended up being just about as good as I was hoping it would be for the type of show it is!

The plot centers around Aileen, who is awakened into her game world and attempts to overcome her character's unfortunate ending by marrying the Demon Lord. I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode and most of the story's progression. Although, I will ... say that some things were oddly paced, like the relationship between the Demon Lord and Aileen. For me, it happens far too fast.

I always worry, too, when shows rush the protagonist and LI together, that there will only be filler episodes left after the fact. But thankfully, there was a plot carried through until the very end, and it was enjoyable.

The characters are likable enough, although I will say that this story's rival perplexes me a little in that we never understand exactly why she does the things she does. They make a small attempt at explaining it, but I would have liked something more concrete than that. I personally didn't think it justified her actions well enough.

As for the MC, I thought Aileen was a good protagonist. She was ambitious, determined, and proactive throughout the story. She does not let the Demon Lord do much regarding saving the world, which is nice to see! She's certainly not a damsel in distress.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would watch it again, and I would definitely recommend it!

I was mildly enjoying this anime. I really liked it in the beginning. But there was too many ideas and too many storylines for how short of an anime this is. I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more if each part of the anime was split up into a season by itself which would have made this like a three season anime. How it is now just feels rushed and too many chefs in kitchen if you know what I mean. I can't say a lot of people would enjoy this anime but if you're really bored and you just want ... a small pick me up I think you would like it. Even though in my opinion there's much more better things you could be watching in this genre

"I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss" is a fascinating light novel that blends romance, adventure, and fantasy. The story is set in a world where the protagonist, Katarina Claes, is a noble daughter who has been reincarnated into the body of a villainess in an otome game. Her role in the game is to be the antagonist who tries to steal the attention of the game's male lead, but she soon realizes that her actions will lead to her demise.

Katarina decides to change her fate and avoid her inevitable doom by using her knowledge of the game's plot and characters to her ... advantage. She begins to form genuine relationships with the game's male leads, as well as other supporting characters, which ultimately leads her to fall in love with the game's final boss, Prince Geordo. However, Geordo is portrayed as a cold and ruthless character who is indifferent to Katarina's attempts to win him over.

The novel's plot is engaging and filled with twists and turns that keep the reader hooked until the very end. The romance between Katarina and Geordo is heartwarming, and their interactions are both amusing and touching. The supporting characters are well-developed, and each plays a significant role in the story's progression.

One of the things that make "I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss" stand out is its unique premise. The idea of a character being reincarnated into a game's villainess and trying to change their fate is an original concept that is executed flawlessly. The novel also manages to address deeper themes such as self-discovery, personal growth, and the consequences of one's actions.

Overall, "I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss" is a captivating novel that will appeal to fans of romance, fantasy, and adventure. The story is well-written, the characters are engaging, and the world-building is superb. If you're looking for a light novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this one is definitely worth checking out.

Taming the Final Boss has the pacing and plot-progression I was waiting for and never quite got from the second season of HameFura. While it follows a lot of the basic villainess otome tropes, I had way more fun with this show than I was supposed to.

As much as I love Catarina, seeing Aileen work was a marvel. She's still scheming and manipulative in ways (like the villainess she is), but her heart is in the right place. Coupled with her determination, Aileen works as a smart, active protagonist that I can see scheming her out of any death flags. Her relationship with Claude ... is also cute to see develop. The highlight of the show for me was definitely the relationship between Aileen (the villainess) and the game's original heroine. I think it plays with the formula of the story a little more and seeing it escalate was a delight. Almond is also the most precious thing ever. Please protect that cookie-craving crow at all costs.

My main critiques would be the extended cast and the pacing. There's a lot of characters here for a 12-episode anime, so it's easy to struggle to get a grasp of the cast outside of the main key players. It doesn't feel like a deal breaker, since the characters who are important to the story are given enough time. Taming the Final Boss also moves at what feels like lightning speed. Earlier on, this pace seems like a strength of the show. We get to explore characters, delve into different plotlines and see more of the world. However, the plot gets more ambitious in the last two episodes, and that's where the pacing begins to hurt. More characters needed to be introduced but the speed of the show makes it hard to understand who they are, where they came from, and how they got here in the story. The high-pace also seems to skip some details or hinder the flow of the story.

Ultimately, the show is still a lighthearted, funny otome-isekai with great moments and is a fun time. If you wanted some more villainess shenanigans and a slightly different flavor than Hamefura, I'd say Taming the Final Boss is worth checking out.

That was a pretty good show. The beginning felt derivative of My Next Life as a Villainess, but then it went in a completely different direction, concentrating on the romance between Aileen the Villainess and Claude the Demon Lord, and on their fight against the evil "Heroine". There was a lot of focus on political intrigue, some action, and also a lot of humour. In the end, the show felt very charming and I quite enjoyed it.

There are a lot of Otome Isekai like this published as light novels and manga these days, but this is only the third anime made in that genre after ... My Next Life as a Villainess and Trapped in a Dating Sim, so the genre still feels new, and a nice change to the usual isekai tropes. But I think we are going to have a lot more anime like this in the future, there are already a few planned for 2023.

One criticism I could make of that anime is that the pacing felt a bit rushed and the plot was at time convoluted and somewhat confusing since it did not take too much time to detail its worldbuilding. In the end, the show was very much carried by Aileen and Claude charisma and strong personalities. Aileen in particular was a great heroine : she was smart, ruthless, and headstrong, with at time a silly side that was very endearing. You could see why Claude fell in love with her so fast. You don't see so many heroines like that in shoujo anime, so that was very refreshing.

This is a great series within this genre.

FL regains her prior life's memories of which the world she lived in was an otome game she played. Because she was reincarnated into a character who essentially dies in nearly every route, albeit not always literally so, she decides to take matters into her own hands: marry the main villain who was also a bonus romance route.

On top of this, the FL is only one of the two who reincarnated. The other reincarnated person is the true villain of the series as will become obvious by the first three episodes even if it takes a ... moment before it's bluntly said. The way these two are expanded upon is charming and are what make the series. After all, the backdrop is a fairly generic otome world and not everyone is ignorant what that generally entails.

The only issue with this series is they kept it to 12 episodes when the pacing was designed better for 14-16 episodes. Just that much would've allowed the final and third arc of the show flow better and not feel nearly as rushed. Half the episodes are the first arc, then the second-half is split between the second and third.

.

(PS the English version is the better dub in this series to the extent only weebs could disagree. They got a great cast capable of doing the ideal job, so for those that enjoy worldbuilding and nuance, this means a lot.)

Just finished watching this anime and felt that it was actually pretty good in terms of likable characters and interesting plot lines. This was not originally on my watch list but I was bored and checked it out, definitely loved it. Although, there were a lot of arcs (well, three) shoved in 12 episodes, I felt the series could've been fleshed out more to see Aileen's relationships with the other characters grow AND even open up the potential for another season (knowing that the source material is from a light novel, which I remember seeing covers with characters that didn't appear in this). Though since ... a lot of these shoujo/romance animes are just additional marketing content to promote the source material, I fear we won't get another season as HameFlag did. Compared to HameFlag though, the MC is a lot more likable (Sorry, Bakarina!) as she is passionate, STRONG and dedicated to helping others. She might be a bit dense at times, but overall, definitely adding her to one of my favorite protags.

If you're interested in a quick and interesting watch, I highly recommend it! Though if you want a more fleshed-out and slow-burn-like romance anime, I believe this might not be your best option.

I almost didn't watch this due to some bad reviews, but I'm so glad I did!

Not every show is meant to change your life and be super deep, some are here to watch when you want to relax, enjoy and not think too much (but still be entertained).

While this show is nothing groundbreaking; it's really enjoyable from the start! Plot keeps your attention, character designs are cool (love their outfits also!!) - everyone is likeable in their own way (the main character especially!) and the comedy is just right and never feels forced or over the top.

It won't leave you to ponder philosophical questions for ... months but will definitely entertain you and I recommend it to anyone looking for something like that! If you're in the mood for something "deep", then it honestly might not be the best choice right now...but save it for later because it's really fun!! ^o^

I wasn't so sure about this on the first episode, but it's steadily become an anticipated part of my anime viewing every week. The first episode goes at a breakneck pace and throws dozens of names and concepts at you, but the second takes a more leisurely pace and while the overall narrative moves quickly it really finds its footing by episode 2 and consistently gets better.

The real joy of this series is the protagonist, Aileen, I went in thinking she'd be more of an anti-hero since the title does call her the Villainess, but she's more like a clever Machiavellian schemer who uses her ... planning and intellect to achieve wholesome ends. Aileen has a general knowledge of the basic plotline from beforehand, since she's basically been resurrected into this video game she played in life, but things tend to go off script and she does have to use actual resourcefulness and ingenuity and can't just coast by on knowing the game's plot. Seeing the schemes she comes up with and how they payoff is the appeal of this series and seeing a competent, smart protagonist really work things out is fantastic.

The supporting cast initially seem like generic RPG stereotypes at first, but as the show progresses layers are peeled back and they each bring unique and interesting personalities that add a lot of flair and humor to proceedings. It feels weird to say such a fast-paced show is a bit of a slow-burn but the attributes that make this so great are deliberately paced out to play with your expectations. I was a bit lukewarm on this at first, but it's quickly becoming a favorite and I'm eager to see how the rest of the story goes.

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss is not an original idea of an 'otome game isekai', but it feels like it's done better than the others I've seen. Aileen's engagement has been broken off, and as the title says, she chases down the demon lord Claude to convince him to marry her. Aileen is the first of these shows to earn the title of villainess, since she tends to be shrewd and haughty as a noble should be. The show is also very interesting as the plot moves along very quickly, and it could be a make or break for some people's ... enjoyment of the show. I personally wish the material could've been broken up into 2 seasons so we could see more diplomacy and rivalries unfold more naturally since the author seems to be pretty good. Overall, it's better than most in the genre of isekai, and it also comes with a secret twist! 8/10; very enjoyable watch.

It's my first time writing a review on MAL. The community average score doesn't really portray the actual quality of the anime.
Hence, I watched this with expectation it would be decent.
Whole storyline was so forceful, everything is rushed without proper build-up especially Aileen and Demon King's relationship.
FL just approached her fiancee's brother because she got dumped, and so ML and FL just happened to fall in love. It's not even predictable at this point, rather everything is so forcefully put together. I do hope the manga/LN is at least well-put together.

I got recommended from 7th Time Loop, compared to that, this is so ... far behind.
Truly not recommended.

Sadly, sadly, sadly.
Could really have been a pearl.
I really love lighthearted romcom stories like this. I even read the template. (So partly the LN and the manga completely.) And I was curious how the anime will go. I was entertained, but unfortunately it didn't take its time to develop its story. The story presented in these 12 episodes could have been put into 3 seasons. There were 4 episodes for each individual section.
It's really unfortunate that there was obviously a lack of budget or the will to make a season that only takes care of one of the 3 main parts and presents them in ... detail.
This anime will only be "very" good for those who know and like the templates, for everyone else it will be just nice at best.
I hope this anime gets the treatment like Fruit Basket. (So it will be re-released again in a few years and this time everything will have its right time and its own season!)
Art :7
Story :7/8 (because I love RomCom + and the template is promesing)
Sound/Voice :8/9
Pacing :4 (because it works for its own, but you dont really develop connection to any character.
If it would have been 3 Season the character dev. could be better)