Every hardcore weeb has inevitably played a visual novel at least once. After all, the aesthetic appeal and story-driven narrative closely mimic anime. Between Nekopara, Yosuga no Sora and Doki Doki Literature Club, there is truly something for everyone in this genre. Yet, it is undeniable that the most successful category of visual novels is the dating simulator, especially the otome game, targeted towards young women. Such games often involve a female lead who has to juggle between several potential male love interests with the choices that the player makes determining what kind of ending the main character will be subject to – good or bad. Did you ever wonder what it would be like to play as the villain though? Welcome to My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Season 2.
“While My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! might be yet another videogame isekai, it certainly brings its own flavour to the genre.”
Every hero needs a villain and otome games are no exception to this rule. Typically, the villain in an otome game is a mean girl, whose entire mission is to be a nuisance to the hero. If the player doesn’t make entirely poor decisions, the hero will have a good ending. However, the villain suffers humiliation, defeat and even death. Even among bad endings, the villain doesn’t always win. That is the premise in which this show takes place.
While My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! or Hamefura for short (derived from the Japanese name), might be yet another videogame isekai, it certainly brings its own flavour to the genre: the main character is the lead villain. That is, besides the fact that Catarina is the only protagonist who keeps adding members to her harem unintentionally, and is completely oblivious to everyone else’s feelings – male and female alike – towards her. This has earned her the nickname of Bakarina in the fandom, but who can blame her? She is supposed to be the villain after all.
‘‘Enter Catarina Claes as she tries to prevent her own doom and change her fate.’’
The story follows a student who was running late for school after playing Fortune Lovers, a fictional otome game, all night and was hit by the one and only Truck-kun. Enter Catarina Claes as she tries to prevent her own doom and change her fate. Having been reincarnated into the world of Fortune Lovers, as a noble’s daughter, she realises that she is the villain after regaining her memories. As a result, Catarina decides to use her extensive knowledge of the game to survive at any cost.
She does so by relinquishing her role as a villainess entirely and training to face her fate head-on. Yet, in her desperate struggle to save herself, she also ends up helping those around her without knowing it. This includes Fortune Lovers’ actual main character, Maria Campbell, who Catarina is supposed to torment and foil at every turn.
‘‘However, the second season is about to throw a wrench in Catarina’s plans of living a peaceful life with her friends as a new threat emerges!’’
After the first season of My Next Life as a Villainess, Catarina had managed to survive by befriending all her potential detractors in her de-facto bisexual harem. She thought she had reached a secret ending where everyone lives. However, the second season is about to throw a wrench in Catarina’s plans of living a peaceful life with her friends as a new threat emerges.
The first episode doesn’t really give much information about what is to come other than presenting some new characters to the audience and emphasising Catarina’s lingering misguided paranoia about triggering doom flags; events that will accelerate her demise. However, the trailer does imply that Catarina will get into trouble this season too. Our main character will have to use her five trusted brain cells to get out of this mess once more. But how far will her in-game knowledge take her this time?
The success of isekai in the latest era of anime has prompted the adaptation of many mangas of the genre. For the same reason, it takes a fresh take to keep viewers interested. To that end, Hamefura is a great balance of both serious and not-so-serious moments combined with a lovable cast of characters to keep anyone entertained every episode. Will our dear Bakarina survive this second season?
You can watch Hamefura’s first season here.