I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss (Manga), Vol. 1

悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました (Manga) #1

by Anko Yuzu (Artist), Sarasa Nagase (Original Story), Mai Murasaki (Character Design)

Avoid the at all costs! bad ending. When her fiancé breaks up with her in front of the entire student body, noblewoman Aileen d’Autriche is devastated-or she would have been, if that wasn’t also the exact moment memories of her past life came crashing back! Turns out, she’s been reborn as the villainess of a dating sim…and according to the story, she’s slated to die at the hands of the demon king in three months! But Aileen’s already got a plan: Step one, get Demon King Claude to fall in love with her. Step two, live!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2018

About the author

Name (in native language): 柚アンコ

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun, although nothing special in its genre. I have, however, noticed that these "villainess redeemed" light novels/manga tend to fall into one of two categories:

Befriending the Original Heroine:
My Next Life as a Villainess
The Male Lead is Mine
As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy Bad Endings

Original Heroine BECOMES Villainess:
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter
Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends
I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

Outlier:
I'm Not the Final Boss' Lover

Not that anyone besides me cares, but I find it very interesting. :)

[angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. This was a super cute manga that I would 100% recommend to fans of the 'isekai' trope. I'm so excited for the upcoming anime! The main character was hilarious and funny. The romance was a bit lackluster for me, but it was cute enough in my opinion. Moreover, this had a found family trope in it that was really adorable. It gave me what I wanted which was something lighthearted and fun. Not that dramatic but full of funny antics and endearing fluff!

[SHOMPA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is ridiculous enough to be funny and definitely cute. The whole reincarnation storyline isn't new, yet the way each character is portrayed is incredibly unique. I love it! I gotta say though, I enjoy the anime version more than the manga.

(NOTE: This review is about the whole series, not just this one book)

[Elley Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun spin on the very popular isekai (genre? trope? I'm not sure what to call it!) where the heroine (sort of...) wakes up as the villainess in a dating sim game. Determined to avoid a bad end, she tries to recall the various flags and possible game routes to get the best ending for herself. Her best best - romancing the final boss, the demon king! This manga is so fun, and I really fell for both Aileen and the Demon Lord Claude very quickly. I DEFINITELY ship them, and can't wait for the next volume! I love that the story has all sorts of twists and turns you're not expecting, and you really do end up rooting for these characters that are supposed to be the "villains" of the story. It just goes to show that everyone (even the villain!) is the hero of their own story. This first volume ends with a bit of a twist and I cannot wait to see where it goes in volume two.


A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.

Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got tricked into reading a manga adaptation of a light novel again, but gosh darn it if I didn't enjoy it again too. (I'm thinking of the equally weirdly titled "The Ideal Sponger Life" and "If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord.")

Aileen is the female antagonist in a fantasy dating video game, and once her prince has broken off their engagement for the commoner with whom he has fallen in love, she becomes self-aware enough to have a flash of a sick person IRL and prescient knowledge that all her outcomes in the game lead to death in three months. With everything closing in around her, she realizes the only way to escape her fate lies in gaming the game and unlocking an ending she will write herself.

A fun subversion of fairy tale cliches with a strong, go-for-broke female lead.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/DzVfzQBblHE

SO MUCH FUN!!

I don't usually pick up reads with demon kings (in fact, this is my first one), but when I was at the bookstore a while back I was strongly in the mood for a "villainess" manga. Since the ones I wanted they didn't have, I decided to try this one in store and it was SO worth it!

I laughed A LOT in that first quarter! Aileen is a very fun main character and was cheering for her right from the beginning! I loved her spunk and go-getter attitude to go ask Claude if he would marry her followed by all her antics. Deeply looking forward to seeing what she will do next and appreciate how she takes matters into her own hands.

For Claude being a Demon King, he was nothing like I expected! (I expected I think more dark magical elements but there were none at in this first volume. There was barely even any magic as it was!) He is a cinnamon roll character and seeing his emotions being "on display" was a hoot! (Even more so when Aileen doesn't realize what they mean. LOL!) Plus, his "right-hand man" is priceless and really liked Keith too!

I really enjoyed the overall cast, though that plot twist had me like "ummmm…" Yeah, definitely NOT liking that one character! :p But I am hyped for volume two!

This was a deeply enjoyable read!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I thought this was a cute fluffy romance read

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!

Read 3 volumes

This was so cute!! I loved Aileen and her turning things around. I was intrigued by the "heroine" and wish we had a little more detail about her character, but I love that Aileen really took over as the heroine and captured her man! And speaking of Claude... HE'S SO CUTE! I loved him! I wish there was a kiss tho. But a very good and short series!

[Of Butterflies & Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga was a big surprise to me. I know the whole isekai villainess plotline is big right now but I thought this was a really fun, engaging, and distinct enough manga from its predecessors like My Next Life as a Villainess. I think a big aspect of this manga that sets itself apart from My Next Life as a Villainess is the main character. Right away we learn about Aileen's past life and how it has shaped who she is as a character. I also thought her interactions with the Demon King and his demons are actually kind of adorable. If I were to give a comparison, this manga is like My Next Life as a Villainess meets The Devil is a Part-Timer.

[Natalie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

November 2023
Kindle edition
Manga

I'll be good next month. Promise. This is one of my faves, the villainess that fights back going straight to picking the demon king. The two of them are stubborn but sweet. Romance wise they both seem to be clueless. Entertaining and funny. Something dodgy about the heroine but isn't that always the case. Found this one whilst checking if there was a release of Within the villainess.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Fun take on this trope, though the villainess in question is a little more conniving than I am used to.

[Leila ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, por ahora la historia es average. Estoy en depresión post culiada por un parcial así que espero que la historia mejore así olvido mis problemas ahr.

3 de 5 estrellas.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya'll, I have re-discovered my college era love of manga and NOW there is something JUST as good or even BETTER out there and it is LIGHT NOVELS, basically manga with only a few GORGEOUS pictures and the story written out as a prose book.

It is my book version of dark chocolate. I have an affinity for the "otome isekai villainess" genre, where the MC h is a contemporary Japanese female, usually teen to young adult, who is whisked away to a usually fantasy type European style world that the protagonist realizes is based off of an otome game that she played when she was in Japan and that she is now the villainess of the game and is trying to avoid the "death flags" so she survives to a ripe old age, rather than to be used as the stepping stone for the "heroine" to have her "happy" ending.

This book 100% fit the bill for me. The stories tend to be on the formulaic side, but if written well and made different enough, I really enjoy them. This is one I really enjoyed, to the point that after finishing this, I pre-ordered this and the next one on Amazon.

(Not going to lie, I brought it with me to work to read during my lunch break. I have only ever done that ONCE with another NG book. THAT'S how well this one wrapped me up in it's world. I was SO SAD to hit the end, MOR MONSTER WANT MOR!)

So. Yes, this is similar in structure to other books in the genre, but it does a good job of being distinct and OMG the hero is just PERFECT. Highly recommended if you are interested in this genre.

5, how could I give it anything less and do I want to pauper myself by getting the manga as well, stars!

My thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press/Yen On for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[☽｡⋆ Naidah ₊˚ෆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update (09/05) 4 ⭐️

Gotta say, reading it the second time made me enjoy it a little more so I’m giving it 4/5 now. I can’t wait to see what happens next

————

3.5 ⭐️

Lovely art and story is funny. It is however the same as all villainess stories in some sense.

You have the villain - who’s name is lady too-hard-to-pronounce-cause-it’s-a-European-name-of-some-kind - who remembers her past life or wakes up in a dating sim, she doesn’t want to die, so when she’s rejected by her fiancé, the villainess is like “yeah cool bye”

She does what she can to avoid death. Queue in other love interest/male villain/childhood friend/demon king etc however the story goes and that is what happens. Expect he rejects her advances, we all know where this is gonna go 😏 ya know what I’m sayin.

Then there’s a dash of the annoying fiancé and ditzy heroine who is somewhat evil or just a real ditz 🙄

——

Despite that, I enjoyed this story cause I think it’s so cute how the demon king’s emotions connect to his powers. When he’s flustered around her, flowers grow 🤣 his expressions are so cute

Last panel of manga I thought one of the characters was Levi Ackerman ahahaha. Same hairstyle.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read up to ch. 5 Completed.

Amusing characters, lovely story, strong MC but the antagonists sucked big time. Specially the crown prince Cedric who committed some serious atrocities like kidnapping and attempted rape but was only demoted to second prince as punishment. I dont know why he was let off the hook too easily but I didnt like it at all!! /TДT)/

I also didnt like how once again the ‘heroine’ of the game turned into a two-face biatch. So cliche.

Overall; I wish the manga explored this cool concept and a MC who is ACTUALLY A STRONG ONE more but the novel is still running so give it a chance if you want to read what happens next.

[Curious Madra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was nice at first to see the FL and the demon king getting use to each other but yeah the story just dragged on for me to continue….

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another dating sim isekai…but it’s really cute when the Demon King gets flustered! I hope volume 2 is even more fun.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh ho ho, what if your death flag is the demon lord? Then you woo him and try to make him fall for you. Yup. Seems like a perfect plan. XD This was a lot of fun to read and I am definitely rooting for our MC (who has a sad life before coming to this game so I can imagine that she wants to go all out on having a good one). Didn't like the prince, but then again that is the case in many of these stories XD. The demon lord though, yes. Also his attendants/demons were fun.
Oh ho ho ho *chuckles* that last panel I DID NOT EXPECT!

[kinzazawu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Цей перший том манги просто вражає своєю динамічністю та милими персонажами! Романтика та інтриги тут на кожному кроці, і це просто неможливо не помітити. Візуально манга неймовірно красива, що додає історії ще більше чарівності та магії. Загалом, “Я стала лиходійкою, тому приборкаю фінального боса” Том 1 - це чудовий початок серії, який обіцяє безліч захоплюючих поворотів сюжету та розвитку персонажів. Якщо ви обожнюєте історії про магію, романтику та сильних героїнь, ця манга точно для вас!

[Оксана Лесіцька · Rating 5 out of 5]

В отоме-іграх може бути все. Ейлін чудова дівчина. Добра та цілеспрямована. А Клод одне задоволення після історій про жорстких і наглих чоловіків.
Давно не бачила героїні по типу бізнесвумен, яка свідомо все прораховує і хоче вкласти власні фінанси в хорошу справу.
Мальовка чарівна, антагоніст накльовується цікавий. Надіюся, буде міцніша прив'язка з реальним світом.

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot - 4 ⭐
Character - 4 ⭐
Writing Style - 4 ⭐
World Building - 4 ⭐
Art - 4 ⭐
Cover - 4 ⭐

Overall - 4 ⭐ / 5 ⭐

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Fast and enjoyable read. I was delighted and enjoyed the faster pace

[Лізочка Sulffuur · Rating 4 out of 5]

ЯКА НЯШЕЧКА

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this because I thought it was just another twist on My Next Life as a Villainess. I was so mistaken, it is wonderful in its own right. I love the lead girl and the interaction with the Demon King had me laughing out loud. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

***after finishing***
⭐3.5 rounded down.
That was fun! Nothing too deep but the art enhanced the jokes, the main characters are adorkable and there is even a hint of something sinister. I don't think anything shocking will happen but if it continues to be this cute I will have a new series that can function as a pick me up.

***before reading***(This whole part is a mess. I'm so tired. Making sense isn't high on my priority list right now.)
I have fallen to the Isekai genre. No wait trope? Let's go with that.

But I've discovered, like with every trope, there is a lot of dumb stuff out there. It feels like there is more when it comes to Isekai. Almost like a paint by numbers thing but every person in a fandom knows that will be the case with everything. I mean how many twists can you find in the Star Trek books?

Nope, you know what you get if you read a long ass title with the word villainess in it.

Funnily enough I do like the villainesses more than an overpowered main character. I think it's because of the drama. Plus the dresses.

[Joldettori · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of these guilty pleasures. I saw the anime so i had to read this one for isekai month. Truth be told the VA's in the anime elevated the manga reading experience.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond cute! I giggled like a fool when the demon king summoned thunder bc he was flustered by Aileen's proposal 😬
Oh and the scene where they watch the stars fall around them and he tells her he would love to be the one to make her cry..? Priceless 💞👌

[Sha · Rating 3 out of 5]

23 December 2022
3.5 stars as the Combined Rating for Volumes 1-3.
Vol 1: 4 stars
Vol 2: 3.5 stars
Vol 3: 3 stars

1. V01: was a pretty fun book! I mean, yes it was pretty cliche for the genre but the ML was adorable and the FL was competent and the world was interesting enough so I was filled with good feelings.

2. V02 unfortunately steered things to a more cliche direction, especially re: the OGFL who is the worst kind of mindlessly evil white lotus there is. I did like the FL's team of hypercompetent lackeys (Issac and Jasper are favourites) but they didn't get enough screentime. Plus, I felt like a lot of things were glossed over too much. This story was not letting itself have enough time to do all the character development stuff. Also, would it have killed the plot to have one (1) of the lackeys be a girl. There are TWO named female characters in this mess and one's the protag and the other is the villain.

3. I will not forgive V03 for that horribly conceived attempted rape scene. It mutilates characters, emphasizes purity culture, and the perp gets away with it with barely a slap on the wrist. Also, this is the point where the ship started making less sense to me because there were too many heightened emotions and it does not fit with how little they actually know each other.

4. Anyway. A potentially fun plot derailed by some questionable choices. Still not what I'd call bad though.

[Selenita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Historia cliché y olvidable sin nada que la diferencia de todas las que hay por el estilo. Además todo sucede demasiado rápido y no se profundiza en el elenco ni se desarrollan sus relaciones de forma creíble ni hay construcción del mundo. No obstante, la habría dado 2 estrellas por al menos servir para pasar el rato si no fuera por los siguientes puntos que me han molestado mucho: 1) siempre la misoginia y las mujeres siendo muy malas y compitiendo entre ellas, 2) que se traten como bromas asuntos serios tales como echar droga en la comida de alguien y, 3) estoy hasta las narices del tropo de la violación sólo para dar morbo porque como la protagonista es una mujer pues parece que la tienen que intentar violar, algo que se trata como si nada y no hay consecuencias psicológicas.

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the reason why I like this manga is that Aileen, even when she regains some of her memories from her past life, she's still prideful. Her motives is selfish even when it's good for the demons and people, which Aileen is upfront about. She's fun to watch, even if her actions are questionable.

I do like most of the characters in this manga, but the villain's are rather boring. Lillia could of been better developed as the main villain.