I'm in Love with the Villainess

Episode 7

Hot damn everybody, we've got ourselves a plot! After spending the whole first half of this season faffing about at school and getting into gay shenanigans, we've at last started digging into some of the foreboding drama Rae has been alluding to ever since she became Claire's maid. What's more, it's a pretty interesting story, with some rather unique potential within the Isekai Villainess space.

One of those details that just comes part and parcel with most of these shows is the fact that 90% of the characters are from the upper crust of the upper crust. That is, of course, part of the appeal of the kind of dating sims the Villainess sub-genre is playing on. You're not just romancing a bunch of hot anime boys, but rich hot anime boys, whose power and wealth come with complications, but provide a level of comfort and luxury that wouldn't be available to most living in even a vaguely historical fantasy kingdom. Facilitating that power fantasy generally requires not bringing up things like, say wealth disparity or political corruption, lest the audience lose the ability to relate with the characters. Depending on how serious the show is, there might be some scheming nobles or a villainous monarch, but the actual concept of a noble class isn't likely to be called into question.

It's pretty neat to see that idea being challenged, even if it's not fully fleshed out. There's an active movement within the common people to push for equality – though what form that would take is a question we've yet to see answered – and even students within the school campaigning for it. Rae's major concern is keeping Claire safe from whatever dark fate awaits her, yet even she expresses some sympathy with the cause – which makes sense, considering her previous life was that of an overworked cog in the machine. Considering how often isekai protagonists decide to just go with the flow and buy slaves these days, I shouldn't take Rae sympathizing with the common folk for granted. It puts our characters in an interesting place as class tensions keep simmering. Claire is on the side of the nobility. Will this issue present a divide between the pair? Will Claire have to contend with her privilege? Has the guillotine been invented in this world? All important questions that will need to be answered.

Admittedly, the possibility of class war makes up but a small portion of this episode, coming in during the last quarter to kick things into gear. Everything before that is focused entirely on I'm in Love with the Villainess's patented style of goofy hijinks, and it brings its A game. Lene as Maid drill instructor is wonderful, and it's fun to see which members of the cast commit to their cross-dressing assignment. The ladies look uniformly (heh) fantastic, which should only be expected from this show, but the Princes provide an entertaining range. Yu takes to a dress like a duck to water, while Thane is quietly bashful, and Rod is so incapable of traditional femininity that he owns the look in an opposite way from his youngest brother. Of course, Claire as the refined and handsome butler steals the show – Rae wouldn't have it any other way – and it's nice to see her not just tolerate Rae's shenanigans, but actively come to the commoner's defense when she's in a bind.

That's what puts this episode over the edge for me: seeing Rae and Claire have some genuine, unguarded moments of affection. Claire demonstrates her kindness by protecting Rae from a situation she couldn't finagle her way out of, and despite her protestations, it's clear that something about Rae's attention is starting to affect her. That moment of sincere thanks, when Rae calls Claire her heart's “savior,” pierces right through her defensive posturing, and it's wonderful to see. Both of these women try to protect themselves from hurt – one through outright denial and the other through irony-poisoned honesty – but every so often they let down those walls just long enough to lock eyes, and sense a connection that goes beyond the personas they inhabit to survive.

After weeks of waffling around, it's a wonderful, romantic reminder of what makes these characters and their relationship engaging. Combined with some playful fanservice – Claire's right, Rae does look good in “servant's clothes” – and our first concrete storyline, this feels like a strong turning point for the show. It's been fun so far, but I'm very interested in seeing what I'm in Love with the Villainess can mature into.

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