I’m in Love with the Villainess Spoiler-Filled Review

I’m in Love with the Villainess, also known as ILTV, Watashi, or Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijō, is a yuri isekai and romantic comedy anime. It’s based on a Japanese light novel series by Inori and illustrated by Hanagata, serialized between 2018 and 2021. It was later adapted into an ongoing manga, novel series, and other spinoffs. This anime is directed by Hideaki Ōba, written by Ayumu Hisao, and produced by Platinum Vision, a newish Japanese anime studio. As a warning, this review will discuss sexual harassment, violence, electrocution, attempted murder, and other related themes.

This romantic comedy has the typical story of an isekai: a worker named Ooshashi Rei (voiced by Yu Serizawa) dies as a result of her office work (known as Karoshi in Japan) for a small business. She finds herself in the life of Rae Taylor, the protagonist of Revolution, her favorite otome video game. Pushing aside the original romance routes with the princes of the game (Rod, Thane, and Yu), she sets her heart on the game’s antagonist, Claire François (voiced by Karin Nanami). She uses her game knowledge, as a dedicated otaku, so she can give Claire a happy ending before the revolution happens.

Watashi is not alone. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, is also a yuri isekai, although less so than this anime, as is The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Popular non-yuri isekai such as My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Ascendance of a Bookworm, and I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, share some of the same characteristics. They feature characters with knowledge from another world who try to apply it in a new world, either for their benefit or for others. Other isekai such as Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, and I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level do not have those same qualities.

Similar to how Arcane or Ouran High School Host Club depict class structures, Claire is a noblewoman who thinks little of the “lower lifeforms” (as White Diamond termed them in Steven Universe: The Movie). She believes in the existing aristocratic system. This is easily overcome by Rae. She catches an unprepared Claire, who is unsure how to deal with someone who has a crush on her. Rae is helped by her roommate, and friend, Misha Jur, who recognizes that Rae has changed.

The first episode throws the viewer into the action. Rae meets Claire, who is caught off guard. She declares she will not accept the flirtations of a “mere commoner.” She becomes more incensed when Rae demands that her bullying continue. Whenever she has a chance, Rae declares she loves Claire. Her roommate, Misha Jur (voiced by Aimi Terakawa) is confused, wondering what Rae is doing. In hints of what is to come, Claire says she personally wants to “take care of” Rae and begins blushing when talking to Rae. At the same time, she has feelings for Prince Thane (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa), which Rae knows, causing her embarrassment. Later, Rae wins a contest (in magic and general curriculum) against Claire, even though Claire beat her in the etiquette exam.

I have to disagree with those who criticized Watashi‘s first episode as breathing new life into “stale romantic archetypes by putting a queer spin on them.” I understand why some see Rae’s humiliation of Claire as uncomfortable. However, these comedy gags, are an intentional effort by Rae to break away at Claire’s tsundere nature. They are nothing like Vill’s sexual harassment of Komari in The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess. Instead, they are purposely over the top. Rae loves Claire because of her “overdeveloped sense of noble pride and the twisted way it comes out.” She doesn’t expect her feelings to be reciprocated. This leads Rae to become Claire’s maid, alongside Lene Aurousseau (voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa), a maid for Claire’s family since she was younger.

Rae’s love for Claire goes beyond personal looks. She loves Claire’s personality and popularity, with Rae saying she has a sense of love rather than loyalty. This is why she tells Claire to vow to never give up, no matter the circumstances, and that she will fight until the very end. At another point, she ignores romantic attractions from the Princes toward her and washes Claire’s hair. She confides, one night, that she will try to make Claire believe that she is in love with her.

The ending sequence of each episode often shows Claire and Rae speaking to each other with talk bubbles, or only individually, depending on what happens in each episode. In the second episode, some argued that when Rae saw Claire, with only a bra on, it indicated that Rae wasn’t on the same “wavelength” as everyone else and still sees the world as a “toy” to play with. Although this is a possibility, Rae could be putting on a facade instead. On the other hand, Claire may deserve it, on some level, after trying to humiliate Rae. After all, she is getting the attention she “needs.”

The third episode of Watashi is a high point in the series and in yuri anime as a whole. After Rae almost beats Claire in a game of chess, Prince Yu (voiced by Yoko Hikasa) defeats her, and many others, in a game of Poker. Rae almost gets Thane and Claire to kiss, and then makes a bold declaration. She tells her roommate Misha that she is gay, following Lene’s attempt to caution them to not talk about this subject openly. Claire thinks the discussion is a “mess.”

At another point, Claire feels she is in danger because Rae is a lesbian. In response, Misha exposes Claire’s prejudice and adds that no one lusts after everyone all the time, despite their sexual attraction. In a line that hints at what happens in later episodes, Lene adds that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to love, and that people can happen to fall in love with a woman (or a man). For Rae, gender does matter to her. She says she wouldn’t fall in love with a man.

This discussion ends with Rae noting that some people never have a chance to un-learn their prejudices (and can’t help that). She remarks that admiring Claire every day makes her happy. Although Claire pushes this off, Rae admits she has, in some ways, given up on Claire. She believes her feelings won’t be reciprocated (in the past, in her previous life, she was hurt by unreciprocated love), and says she only wants to support Claire’s love for Thane.

She claims that Claire isn’t her end goal, that she wants Claire to remain happy (even if Claire is with Thane rather than her). In her internal monologue, she admits that the latter is painful. In another foreshadowing moment, Claire pours water on two female students being lesbophobic. Lene claims that Claire didn’t defend Rae (who she claims that she still “hates”). This follows Misha’s surprise at the fact that Claire defended Rae.

Watashi is produced by a newer animation studio, Platinum Vision. It is known for series like Love of Kill, Servamp, and Devils’ Line. None of the series previously produced have been yuri, making this a new experience for the studio. However, the show’s director, Hideaki Ōba, previously directed two anime produced by the studio: Love of Kill and Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist. As such, some animation is “basic,” although I agree with one commenter who said that the animation quality “all looked very nice,” even if I’m not always the best at judging the quality of animation.

This experience is strengthened by the fact that script writer Ayumu Hisao is well-known in the anime industry, writing for series such as Spy x Family, Nekopara, and Tokyo Mew Mew New. Character designer Yōko Satō is known for working on Wondering Son and R.O.D. the TV. One show composer, Noriyuki Asakura, composed soundtracks for series such as Rurouni Kenshin and Knights of Sidonia. The other composer, Usagi to Uma, appears to be new.

To sneer at this series, note its potential, and say it is “mired in uncomfortable gags,” in which Rae ignores Claire’s boundaries, is faulty. For one, Rae’s behavior is supposed to be in your face. It is supposed to make Claire uneasy. She purposely enters Claire’s personal space, since she believes that her romantic affection will be unrequited. On the other hand, she “unintentionally” interrupts a romantic moment between Claire and Thane, after which Claire admits she is worried about Rae and claims she isn’t getting affectionate. Following this, Claire praises Rae for fighting a “monster.” Rae blushes, as this praise was unexpected.

Similar to other series this year, like Yohane the Parhelion, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Tokyo Mew Mew New, and Otaku Elf, magic has an important role. Magic stones are at the center of every tool. As an expert game player, Rae knows that Claire’s family manages the kingdom’s magic stones. As such, she effectively uses magic, as a multi-caster. This means she can use any of the magical attributes (Earth, Water, Fire, and Air) at once. This comes into play in the fourth episode, when Rae attempts to take down a “monster.” She is saved by Claire, with an assist from Thane. The former overjoys Rae.

Using her game knowledge, she tames the “monster” and makes it her familiar. She names it Ralaire, which combines her name with Claire’s. I liked the funny scene where Misha is terrified by Ralaire, at first, but is soon charmed. The same is the case for Claire, who is annoyed by the name and even wants to kill the creature. She is angry that Rae didn’t get her approval before adopting it. However, when Ralaire emulates her form, she accepts it.

The Academy Knights arc, in episodes 5 and 6, is one of the best in Watashi. Rae, Misha, and Claire easily pass the written Academy Knight exam. Once again, Rae and Claire have a contest, this time to test their magic abilities, with Claire exuding over-confidence. All the while, Prince Rod (voiced by KENN) almost kills Misha in a battle, with continued fire magic attacks making her oxygen deficient. Symbolically, when Rae puts a rock wall around Claire, she melts it away. This could mean her protective/personal walls are melting and that she is falling in love with Rae.

Although Claire is skilled with fire magic (and is named the Red Lotus Queen as a result), Rae easily outmatches her. Since Claire was her favorite character in the game, she knows her magic attacks in and out. The fifth episode ends with Claire falling into a hole, following her use of a flame technique reminiscent of Prince Rod’s magic attacks, and a special magic ray-blast. It could represent that she has fallen for Rae. To Claire’s chagrin, Rae wins the contest. Claire pledges, again, to never give up, abandon hope, and fight to the end.

The sixth episode takes it further. Rae’s off-hand comment to the fellow Academy Knights leads to a cross-dressing cafe: female students dress up as butlers, male students dress as maids. Although some of the boys don’t like this idea, Yu wants to dress as a girl (hinting at the fact that Yu is a trans woman). Claire falls in-line after learning that Thane will be dressed like a girl, as she still has a crush on Thane. Rae and Claire bond over food, with Rae sharing her homemade chocolate cake. Since Claire is scared of ghosts and dark hallways, she sleeps side by side with Rae.

There’s flashbacks to Claire’s troubled childhood when her mother Melia (voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi) died in an accident, with Rae wiping her tear. As a result, Lene cared for her, even giving her a comb to brush her mother’s hair, but she never got to use it. Later, Rae gives Lene some recipes as insurance, in case she needs it. In an internal monologue, she admits that although these days are blessed, and wishes this would last forever, they won’t continue.

Throughout Watashi, societal fissures are on display. By the sixth episode, there are fights between commoner and noble students. Flames of discontent are brewing. Claire finds it beneath her to wait on people. She goes on to declare that nobles never “go back” on their word. The episode that follows, episode seven, is a major turning point. Claire and other Academy Knights are taught by Lene, in a scary session, that maid work is about service and devotion. This comes in handy when she saves Rae from an annoying customer who makes impossible demands, which surprises Rae. In the same episode, Rae annoys Claire to no end when waiting her table. Claire says she is used to “putting on a front” for others and hiding her honest self. She agrees to go with Rae on a date-not-date through the school fair.

Claire’s privilege is directly shaken. She dismisses the Commoner movement, which wants equality between nobles and commoners, as “utter foolishness.” Her dismissal causes them to become even more radical and revolutionary. Rae boldly declares that the movement’s ideas aren’t foolish and that she will continue to serve Claire whether she is a noble or a commoner. Later, Claire says they are only “noble” and “commoner,” and nothing else. In a post-credits scene, Claire, Lene, Misha, and Rae come back from a shopping trip and learn about an incident where a noble attacked a commoner with magic, which leads into the eighth episode.

For Claire, Lene is particularly important to her. She started working in Claire’s household as a maid, with Claire thinking she’d be unable to deal with her selfish demands and quit in a week. But this does not happen, and she accepts her as a maid. Claire and Lene became close. At one point, Claire defended Lene, like she defended Rae, to annoying customers. Following this, she told Lene that she hated royals like the ones who harassed Lene and called Lene the highest-ranked royal in the kingdom, asking her to take pride in this fact.

The eighth episode of Watashi is one of the main series climaxes. It is revealed that the attendant of Prince Yu, Dede Murray (voiced by Takahiro Yoshino) attacked a student named Matt (voiced by Rikuya Yasuda) in the Commoner movement. This punctures the oft-belief that everyone in the royal academy is treated equally, leading to an understandable outcry from commoners. Interestingly, Matt declares that Rae is a commoner “tainted by the aristocracy,” which is only partially true. Rae is only dedicated to Claire, a noble. She has no affinity for any other part of the nobility. He explains what happened and why he was attacked. Later, Yu defends meeting with Matt although the other Princes call him “foolish” for doing so. Claire begins to sympathize more with the commoners.

This episode is the height of the Commoner arc, with social commentary on religious power and light punishment against Dede (only house arrest for a week). This series is not unique in criticizing the church, likely based on the Catholic Church. I Shall Survive Using Potions! and The Executioner and Her Way of Life both depict religious leaders as villains, who are only out for power. In Watashi, the power struggle between the Church and Bauer royal family has played out through the church fomenting animosity between nobles and commoners in order to push out the royals, even encouraging a rift between the Princes. The weak punishment for Dede is reminiscent of how wealthy individuals are treated differently in criminal systems of Western countries, especially, as compared to those who have little income. This reaches a high point in the episode.

The academy’s closure doesn’t prevent commoners from breaking into the academy. Nor does it stop Lambert from attempting to steal a demon-summoning bell. Rae confronts him, knowing he messed with Dede’s wand and is stirring up noble-commoner antagonisms. She is surprised to learn that Lene is in on it. Rae, who put Claire “to sleep” for her protection, thought Lene was trustworthy. The opposite is true. Lene kidnaps Claire and holds her hostage. To make matters worse, a mysterious man (voiced by Junta Terashima) reforms the demon-calling bell. He tells Lambert that he can run away with his sister, Lene, so both can be incestual lovers. Feeling he has no other options, Lambert summons the monsters. Some on social media believed that Rae is equating homosexuality and incest. Instead, Rae is saying that both are frowned upon in the society shown in this series.

After the shadowy person departs, Rae and Claire are drawn closer to each other. They fight together against the chimera, with Rae calling it their “first labor of love.” Notably, Rae saves Claire with a princess carry. Hilariously, Rae calls Claire a “tsundere.” In the episode before this, Claire had praised Rae and claimed that Rae’s explanation for why she is romantically obsessed with her (she says Claire saved her heart) isn’t a truthful answer. In another example of Rae’s internalized self-destructive behavior, she believes that Claire’s happiness is more important than her love being realized!

Watashi is more than a comedy. Its one of the best series of 2023. It was one of the most anticipated anime adaptations, especially by yuri fans, and other anime watchers. Inori, the manga’s author, remarked that she is aware that incest is a “very sensitive topic” and added that, in her view, love is “less a matter of active participation and more something that one inevitably falls into at any given moment” and notes that she leaves “the judgment of whether this is correct or not to the readers.” So there you have it! I’d say this series is pretty anti-incest and that’s not a bad thing.

Watashi‘s ninth episode is as strong as the one before it. Rae and Claire beat the Chimera, then Thane gets injured when trying to protect Claire from a mysterious noble-hating enemy. Rae heals Thane. While in some stories, this would make Claire realize her romantic feelings for Thane, in this story, it brings her closer to Rae. In fact, while dressed in their finery, with Rae’s outfit made by a tsundere Claire, they support each other when talking to the King and Queen. Due to the society’s hierarchy, she speaks on Rae’s behalf and makes a request to spare the lives of Lene and Lambert. Thane assists them. He argues that a harsh punishment could inflame more anti-royal sentiment, since the insurrection happened because injustice was committed in favor of nobles.

This episode has a strong ending. Claire even happily dances with Rae. In a touching scene, Lene, whose assets have been seized, like Lambert, talks to Rae and Claire from behind an iron fence. She thanks Rae and Claire for stopping her and her brother. Rae gives Lene notes with recipes so she can make money. Claire wishes Lene the best of health wherever she goes, and says they will meet again, bringing tears to Lene’s eyes. Rae hugs Claire, as she cries since she doesn’t want Lene to leave. Later, Rae adds “we can’t even love the one we want to.” This alludes to her “one-sided” love for Claire. The latter calls her “incredibly audacious” for a commoner. This might be hinting at the spin-off manga, from her perspective, entitled I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner.

This Watashi episode ends positively. Rae claims that Claire “finally” understands her. She proposes they get married (which does happen later in the manga). Predictably, Claire pushes this off. Even so, they walk off together, with both smiling. Surely, this episode has some fuzzy areas with consent. However, it is not as insidious as Vill’s sexual harassment against Komari throughout The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess. That ruins its watchability. Claire, Rae, and the other characters are more relatable than any of those in the aforementioned show. In fact, one of the best parts of this series is how diametrically opposed the personalities of Rae and Claire are, but they still are drawn to one another.

The final three episodes comprise the Love Scales arc of Watashi. Rae’s romantic feelings for Claire are directly challenged. Before this, Rae was content with openly displaying her love for Claire without reciprocation. She thought that if Claire was “happy,” that was fine. Manaria Sousse (voiced by Nana Mizuki), princess of the Kingdom of Sousse, challenges and smashes this mindset into a thousand little pieces. This causes Rae to take extreme measures to prove her feelings. Manaria is a childhood friend of Claire. She comforted Claire following her mother’s death ten years before. More directly, she positions herself as Rae’s love rival. At the same time, it’s hinted in Claire’s diary that Manaria’s attraction to Rae, rather than her, stirs up jealousy.

Very quickly, Rae realizes that Manaria is causing trouble. Girls at the academy treat Manaria as a celebrity and are overjoyed to see her. Manaria attempts to reach out to Rae. She talks to her telepathically through wind magic. Rae doesn’t want to talk. She pushes off Manaria. This has the opposite impact. It makes Manaria even more interested in her. In some ways, this reminds me of the unfortunate romantic triangle in Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, which could have had a polyamorous triad instead. That’s one of the earliest anime (and manga) to have a trans lesbian as a protagonist. In the past, I’ve written that such romantic triangles are preferable to heterosexual ones. While that opinion has value, these days, I am preferring polyamory as a storytelling feature rather than romantic triangles.

Later on, Prince Rod is defeated by Manaria in a battle, thanks to her Spell Breaker spell. Claire says that if Rae can put an offering of the Flowers of Flora at the Amour Ceremony, it will make her romantic feelings clear. Claire hurts Rae when she declares that she prefers Manaria over Rae. She even says she’d believe Manaria’s declaration of love! With all this pressure, Rae completely loses it. She becomes uncomfortable with the entire situation. This has led some fans to dislike Manaria. I understand that perspective, but Manaria’s presence is the final push which leads Claire to realize her feelings for Rae.

The 11th episode is even more heart-breaking. Manaria continues to annoy Rae. She flirts with Claire in front of Rae. Misha shows she doesn’t understand Rae by claiming this is a “good opportunity” for Rae to wean herself off Claire. Rae refuses to do this. At another point, Claire’s lackeys Pipi Barlier and Loretta Kugret, voiced by Minami Kurisaka and Sara Matsumoto, plead with Rae to protect Claire from Manaria. They know she is up to no good.

Rae begins questioning herself. She decides to fight Manaria, with the right to have Claire as a “prize.” However, she loses badly. Blood pours out of her head, making Claire worried. It’s implied that Manaria’s full-out attack nearly killed Rae. In fact, Claire even chastises Manaria for going too far. As a result, Rae believes she lost and that it is time to give up. From her perspective, this makes sense. It also shows how much she has downgraded her own happiness.

This reaches a crescendo when, in a post-credits scene, Claire tries to talk to Rae. In response, Rae snaps that she has Manaria, so there’s no issue. She then reveals the truth: the duel between her and Manaria was over Claire. As a result, Rae states that she doesn’t have a right to be at her side. What follows is one of the best points in Watashi: Claire says she isn’t some “prize to be won.” This is diametrically opposed to messy messaging in Tokyo Mew Mew New. In that series, Ichigo’s boyfriend, Aoyoma, puts a collar, with a bell, around her neck. He wants to know where she is always. His “true form” is a villain named Deep Blue. Later, he tortures her with lightning and almost kills her. In this series, on some level, Rae treats the world like her toy, but also realizes recognizes it is real.

In many ways, this episode ends sadly. Claire tells Rae to take back her words about Manaria, but Rae refuses. Claire claims she is sulking like a child and losing her nerve because she lost. If that isn’t enough, she takes this one step further: she says Rae isn’t fit to be her maid. In response, Rae quits. This shocks Claire, who begrudgingly accepts the resignation. She tells Rae to go, apologizes for her “selfish demands,” and wishes her happiness in the future. Rae sees her departure as a fatal mistake she can’t take back. Claire says she is being “left alone,” due to Rae’s resignation. She calls Rae a “liar.” In some ways, Claire is right. On the other hand, Rae is right to call out Claire for her closeness to Manaria. Claire is acting happy and giffy around Manaria without realizing how this impacts Rae.

Manaria serves an important storytelling function in Watashi. Even so, she is a terrible, conniving person. Manaria’s function to the story doesn’t make the Love Scales arc any less painful. In the final episode, Manaria and Rae talk to each other again. Manaria tells her that Claire was crying all day because Rae left. Once again, Rae says she will stifle her feelings if that is what is good for Claire. In response, Manaria tells a story of how the same thing happened to her. As a result of this discussion, Rae decides to challenge Manaria at the Scales of Love. She wants to show how much she loves Claire.

Manaria gives the condition that Rae and Claire are “hers” if she wins. Rae accepts these terms. She is determined to win without fail. What she doesn’t consider is how Claire will react. When she hears of this contest, she looks for Rae, but doesn’t find her in her room. She learns that Rae is trying to complete tough monster quests.

Claire considers her feelings for Rae. Manaria thinks she is victorious after finding a Flower of Flora and is about to kiss Claire. Rae interrupts, refusing to let this stand. While the flower is weighty, the branch of eternal love, which Rae carries with her, becomes a tree. This causes Manaria to lose badly. As a result, Rae goes on one knee and asks Claire to be her girlfriend. This lovely moment is disrupted, predictably, by Manaria, the tomboyish princess. She admits that all along she had a crush on Rae rather than on Claire. She pulls Rae toward her and tries to kiss her. Horrified, Claire boldly declares “Rae belongs to me! You can’t take my things from me!” Although the dubbed version has a slightly different version, the same point comes across.

Typically, Claire tries to deny her feelings, after making this declaration. Rae and everyone one refuse to believe it. This surprises Rae. She doesn’t want to let Claire go. In a post-credits scene, Manaria departs for Sousse. Rae believes that Manaria wanted Rae and Claire to begin a romantic relationship from the start. Many of Claire’s friends (like Misha, Loretta, and Pipi) and the Princes, wish Claire the best. They root for her and Rae to marry. Claire likes this idea, saying that Rae would be her bride, before attempting to take it back. Later in the manga, both characters marry. Hopefully, that would be animated if this series is renewed.

In another powerful scene in Watashi, Rae refuses to reveal who she is to Manaria. She says, in an inner monologue, that she is doing all of this to prevent a future tragedy. She shakes Manaria’s hand and agrees to take care of Claire. They are some other nice moments. Rae teases Claire. She blushes like nobody’s business, since she is having fun with Rae teasing her. The series ends happily for them and was crafted to give them a “happy ever after.” However, as Steven Universe told Spinel in the 2019 film (which has conflicting messages on happy endings), “there’s no such thing as happily ever after. I’ll always have more work to do.” The RWBY Volume 8 theme declared, “Happy Ever Never After Again.” Both are applicable here.

A possible second season could involve new twists, like Rae’s plan, which echoes Mia Tearmoon’s efforts in Tearmoon Empire, to avoid Claire’s execution (her “downfall ending” as one Q&A puts it). Characters like Lilly Lilium may appear. Storylines which accurately portray sexuality would continue. The latter isn’t surprising. The manga’s author, Inori, is a lesbian (is possibly trans) and is influenced by various yuri works. She has another recently published yuri novel. It’s entitled The Girl Who Wants to Become a Hero <me> and the Girlfriend Who Should Become a Hero <you>. It’s not known when an English translation will be available.

I’d love to see some trans characters and have some Claire-centered episodes. After all, there are light novel series entitled I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner, from Claire’s perspective, and “Claire’s Diary” which some fans happily translated. Other fans have even translated all the opening and ending sequences, TV spots, promotional content, Q&A, and more. I highly doubt there would be any criticism of marriage as an institution. Nothing in a future season would, probably, echo Young Love. On the other hand, this series is more positive on lesbian romance than others. This is no shock. Rae, throughout the manga, has four women interested in her: Claire, Manaria, Lilly, and Lana Lahna! At one point, Claire even calls Rae a “womanizer” as a result, which surprises her.

Unlike some other anime, the subbed and dubbed versions aired simultaneously. Surely, the Japanese voice actors, including Yu Serizawa and Karin Nanami for Rae and Claire, and Nana Mizuki for Manaria, did an excellent job. Serizawa voiced Mutsu in Love Live! Sunshine!!. Mizuki voiced Airi Amano in D4DJ First Mix and Riko’s mother in Love Live! Sunshine!! The same can be said for Princes Rod, Thane, and Yue. They are voiced by Ken’ichirō Ōhashi (also known as Kenn), Daisuke Namikawa, and Yoko Hikasa. All three are talented voice actors. The same is the case for Aimi Terakawa, Ikumi Hasegawa, Sara Matsumoto, Minami Kurisaka. They voice Misha, Lene, Loretta and Pipi respectfully.

Aimi is known as Kasumi Toyama in the BanG Dream franchise and Kyoko Yamate in D4DJ. Hasegawa voiced Sorane Matsuyama in If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Desumi Magahara in Love After World Domination, Koito in My Master Has No Tail, Ikuyo Kita in Bocchi the Rock!, Kotoko Nogisaka in Ippon Again!, and Shizuka in World Dai Star. Matsumoto voiced golf mafia boss Charlotte in Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story as well.

English dub voice actors, like Hannah Alyea, Lindsey Sheppard, Corey Wilder, Oscar Seung, Ciarán Strange, Marisa Duran, Kara Edwards, Erin Nicole Lundquist, Abigail Blythe, and Katelyn Barr, are talented too. Alyea, a non-binary actor, who voices Rae, did the dubbed voice for Aoi Inuyama in Laid-Back Camp and for Lumi and the Great Big Galaxy, an indie animation. Sheppard, who voices Claire, is known, in part, for voicing Saphron Cotta-Arc in RWBY, Amy Sibble in Wild Card: The Show, and Kaede in Sasaki and Miyano. Like Alyea, Duran, who voices Misha, is also non-binary, and of Spanish descent. She’s voiced a variety of roles. Wilder, who voices Rod, is a non-binary Black man, voiced a wide array of characters.

This also the case for Seung and Edwards. They voice Thane and Lene. Strange is a talented trans non-binary man. Lundquist is Latina, queer, and “military veteran voice actor.” Blythe describes herself as a “demi lesbian.” She said that voicing Pipi is a “dream come true,” noting she’d been a fan of the manga, and was overjoyed to voice “a sapphic character in a sapphic anime.” Barr is a seasoned voice actress known for roles such as Hina Hikawa in BanG Dream! and Chiaki in Laid-Back Camp.

While I have criticisms of Watashi, it remains the stand-out series of 2023, with amazing music, and is fun, goofy, serious, deep, and very queer at the same time. Avid viewers and fans may encourage Ichijinsha (the publisher of the light novel and manga) for a second season, per Erica Friedman’s suggestion on her site. This series comes when there are many yuri series in 2024. This includes possibly yurish Pon no Michi and Metallic Rouge in January. By April, others with yuri themes will include Nijiyon Animation season 2, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, Laid-Back Camp season 3, and Whisper Me a Love Song.

I’m in Love with the Villainess is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.