At first glance, I fell in love with the evil girl Anime isn’t a huge game changer. It takes the oversaturated “villain” trope and applies a yuri twist to it, which is like… neat, but not unheard of in anime. I will be a villain in my next life: everything leads to destruction! and The Reincarnated Princess and the Magical Revolution of the Genius Girl Both already contain elements of yuri (and are the core romance of the latter).
but I fell in love with the evil girl It has a strong cult following not only in Japan but also internationally. The reason is simple: this series is incredibly awakening and incredibly cerebral.
I say “woke” sarcastically and quite literally. Portions of the novel’s narrative explicitly address real-life issues affecting members of the LGBTQ+ community, with a particular emphasis on lesbians and transgender people. Anime viewers got their first hint of this in episode 3, in which the character A frank discussion about the definition of homosexuality The protagonist gently counters the homophobic prejudices of other characters.
This is just the beginning of the series’ deep dive into social issues. The theme of the story is “revolution” and the writing does not shy away from the politics involved. Importantly, the plot never sacrifices its entertainment value to address real-life issues. There are shades of gray in the characters, and it never feels like the author is just using the story to embellish a political piece. At the same time, it would be easy to sum up the author’s point as…well…woke.
For example, here’s an excerpt:
I have nothing against the traditional binary system of men and women. In fact, I believe this is a well-established model that explains the undeniable biological differences between people. But I also believe that society has reached a stage where two traditional classifications are no longer sufficient.
Contrary to what the gender binary dictates, I believe everyone has some level of Both Their inner masculinity and femininity. I also know some people who don’t identify as male or female, or who don’t identify with any gender at all. For these people, the enforcement of the gender binary is nothing short of cruel.
Excerpted from Volume 4, Chapter 12: “Ball”
The above is a clear and simple breakdown of the positives and negatives of the gender binary. In context, the protagonist simply explains why she, while not so keen on skirts, still sees herself as a woman. She also explains the concept of gender dysphoria, which becomes a plot point later in the book.
Of course, the author’s point of view is just a way of thinking. There are many other effective ways to address identity issues. You don’t have to write the word “gender dysphoria” word for word to tell a story that resonates with the theme. But it’s still fascinating to see an author using such direct language in an entertainment piece. This language is (sadly) highly politicized, so it’s understandable that many artists and writers shy away from using it, even if they sympathize with the underlying ideas behind it.
At this point I should mention that, as an Australian fan of Japanese media, I don’t necessarily expect these works to reflect my exact worldview. In fact, quite the opposite is true – these works are my outlet for exposure to different socio-cultural perspectives. But apparently there is no problem with LGBTQ+ No exists in Japan, so it’s instructive to address these things from a Japanese perspective. I’m not the only one who thinks this way. This is one of the big reasons I fell in love with the evil girl There are many fans outside Japan as well.
Another reason I think I fell in love with the evil girl It’s succinct because its audacity and fearlessness extend beyond just social justice. I’m going to mention some major spoilers in the next paragraph, so be warned.
Spoilers: Overall, the series has a tendency of continuous development and upgrading. Sometimes the shift in tone is gradual, and other times it hits you almost suddenly with a game-changing twist. By the end of the series, I felt like the story had covered all the possibilities of the yuri genre: romance about school girls, a slice-of-life story about two grown women in a committed relationship, world-changing adventures, and even high-concept sci-fi elements built around an obsessive relationship between two female characters (think Puella Magi Madoka Magica or purple quaria). Spoilers end.
When I think about this series, honestly, what strikes me the most is the mind-boggling aspect. This is one time where I can see the benefits of the web novel format in the hands of a talented author, as it gives the story a loose and experimental structure. The story constantly builds on itself while displaying the full range of the author’s influence. it actually reminds me Mushoku Tensei in this regard.
So, yeah, it’s easy to see why I fell in love with the evil girl became such a hit. The LGBTQ+ elements are a great draw for new players, but you’ll want to stick around because the way the story develops always feels fresh and exciting. Judging from the pacing, I think the anime will probably end after the first chapter of volume two, so it obviously won’t cover all the twists and turns of this five-volume series. But it’s still a great introduction to the series. Even in the first volume there are many surprises and thoughtful moments. After all, Rey has shown herself to be a more nuanced and introspective character in the anime than her fan-stalker persona would suggest.
The story only gets more interesting from here, so get ready!