Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers forI’m in Love With the Villainess, Episode 3, “My Love Is a Series of Ups and Downs,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
I’m in Love With the Villainess haskept its Yuri subtextsout in the open, though the premise remained largely comedic and lightweight. However, the series has pivoted to a more serious direction, taking on a topic that is commonly pushed to the sidelines — LGBTQ+ Prejudice. This tonal shift might seem rather odd after a row of predominantly comedic episodes, yet it still serves as a breath of fresh air in a genre known for mere comical entertainment.
Most anime also tend to subject LGBTQ+ characters to comedic relegation, purposely reiterating a narrative that furthers hate and prejudice towards an already marginalized community. Fans were expectingI’m in Love With the Villainessto follow suit, yet the show has pleasantly surprised viewers by tackling this topic quite earnestly.
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Exploring LGBTQ+ Prejudice
I’m in Love With the Villainesshas surprised audiences with its blunt take on the hate and bigotry experienced bythe LGBTQ+ community. Being an Isekai Otome anime, the show is clearly set to be a comedic experience, yet this tonal shift has given the series a touch of profundity. After Misha bluntly asks Rae if she is gay, Claire leaves a subtle homophobic comment about feeling unsafe in Rae’s presence.
This opens up a mature discussion between the characters, with Misha and Lene schooling Claire over her clearly homophobic comment. Misha explains that simply beingattracted to the same sexdoes not equate to being attracted to every single person of their own sex. This statement is followed by an example, explaining that a comment like that is akin to a man assuming that he would be molested by Claire simply because she is attracted to men in general.
The series does an impressive job of getting the point across in such a simple manner, especially since this narrative is extremely common among the general populace. The LGBTQ+ community is already subjected to hurtful presumptions and false rumors, andI’m in Love With the Villainess’latest episode valiantly tackles these malicious narratives.
Forgoing the Love of One’s Life
The series initially presented Rae as an obsessive stalker willing to do and bear anything to remain by Claire’s side. This image of the protagonist fits perfectly for alightweight comedy Isekai anime, especially with her advances being turned down every single time. However, Rae’s character has been revealed to be much more nuanced than that, and this is tied to her past trauma that arose from bearing same-sex sentiments.
Despite her own clear feelings of affection for the villainess, Rae has invested herself in bridging the gap between Claire and Prince Thane. Her actions clearly deviate from her initial goal of wooing the villainess, though this course of action is rooted in her own experiences as a young gay woman. Every single woman that Rae has fallen in love with fails to reciprocate her feelings, forcing her to keep her own feelings suppressed. To avoid pushing people away, she would simply keep her feelings at bay, torturing herself in the process.
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As Claire does not bear any same-sex feelings, Rae is aware of the fact that it is impossible for the two to end up together. Due to her trauma in her past life, she is more than contemptuous with knowing that Claire gets to have her happily everafter with Prince Thane. Her situation alludes to every single gay teen who has undergone a phase of isolation and confusion, and while this tonal shift may be sudden, it certainly resonates with LGBTQ+ audiences and their experiences growing up.
A Sudden Shift in Tonality
Discussing themes such as prejudice and bigotry never comes easily, especially in a media format such as anime. Moreover, It’s rare for a predominantly comedic series to undertake profound topics, yetI’m in Love With the Villainesshas suddenly pivoted from its lighthearted premiseto a much graver tonality.
For some, this tonal shift may come off as a bit forced since there were no prior hints. However, it’s worth noting that the light novels feature a balanced approach in terms of tonality, with both comical and consequential narratives carefully interwoven throughout the storyline. The anime adaptation has only transcribed some ofthe source material’s actual tonality, meaning the series was already set to pivot in this direction.
While some may hesitate to familiarize themselves with such a narrative, others are elated over the series tackling such pressing topics. The LGBTQ+ community has largely remained underrepresented within anime, with the minimal representation merely being used for comedic relegation.I’m in Love With the Villainessis on track to become a leadinganime in the Yuri category, balancing romcom with a much-needed depth and profundity.
