#and why i am usually a 2nd ml lover

[jelloia]

there's nothing i love more than a good slow-burn... i can read a hundred chapters of it if it's paced well because i will obsess over every glancing touch, every flickering glance, every pang of the heart... the tension in this stage is unmatched

[addictedtojmanga]

Shoujo manga recommendations - otome game isekai

So, after 10+ years reading shoujo manga, I’ve read over 1k titles, admittedly, a reasonable amount is one-shot (or at least a collection of), but nonetheless, over time I had to expand my interests.

Lately, I’ve started reading the otome game isekai genre, and decided it’d be nice to share the ones I thought were best.

Most of them are pretty much the same, but the best ones usually have a twist, so...

! Warning: You’ll most likely want to beat up 1 or 2 characters from each one, but worry not, so do I and the other characters

1. Fiancée's Observation Log of the Self-proclaimed Villainess

Crown prince Cecil was so brilliant that everything in life was easy to the point of boring him, then one day, his fiancée Bertia suddenly said "Prince Cecil, I am a villainess!" Claiming that this world is the same as that of an "otome game" from her past life and that she is playing the role of the "villainess" in it, she aims to play her part well and have their engagement annulled. With that goal in mind, she sets about causing turmoil in Cecil's daily life.

This one definitely takes the gold for me. Super sweet and pretty funny.

2. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play. Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny. However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.

This one takes 2nd place! It has a different result than others, and the FL is great - everyone is, to be fair.

3. Of Course I’ll Claim Palimony

"I'll annul our engagement!" My fiancé suddenly declared?! Apparently he's in love with the recently transferred count's daughter and is planning on making me the villain in order to annul the engagement. Although I have no lingering attachments about the engagement, I do have to claim a hefty consolation fee don't I?

This is sooo good. The FL is spectacular and manages to stand out - even if just a bit - from the rest of the genre.

4. I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss

Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene. Using her memories of her former life, she recognizes flags indicating she's en-route to the bad end, so she makes a plan to conquer the last boss (the evil king Claude), make him her lover, and see if she can open up a new route!

Pretty funny, and the FL is bold. Also, the ML is a bishounen.

It’s one of the few mangas from this genre that has been completely translated, and since it only has 13 chapters, it’s a good way to start out.

5. The Plain & Unnoticeable Me is No More

Elaine Lana Norris, who was born at the top of the aristocratic daughter, was declared abandoned by her second fiancé at the school's founding party. Lana, who has been made a villain daughter, is driven out of her home by a strict grandfather. But there is a secret in Lana that everyone doesn't know about?

I don’t want to give out any spoilers, however, it suffices to say that she accepts her role as the villainess.

Ok, I think these 5 are my favorite, but the ones below have been selected as well, so they’re still pretty good and worth reading.

6. The Villiainess Is Adored by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Kingdom    

Tiararose was supposed to be disengaged and exiled from the country. “This was the Otome game I had played!” She realized on the day before the story’s ending??……. Shall I wait for the judgment? But, I did not do anything too cruel……. Thinking so, the ending continues. But, during the judgement??something that was not possible in the game happened. The neighboring crown prince courted the villainous daughter Tiararose.

ML: 10/10 FL: 8/10 (too insecure for my taste)

7. Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess

She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with herself…!??? She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place.? As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte, the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour. Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée, Prince Siegward. That is where this story begins.

8. I’m the Villainess, but the Capture Targets are too Abnormal  

The villainess, Mystia, remembered her past life on her 10th birthday and has unwittingly turned the characters in the otome game "Kyun Kyun Love School" into yanderes! In order to avoid becoming the love rival of the "heroine" who will lead her to her downfall, she starts making every effort to break off her engagement with her "prince-like classmate"! That’s was what supposed to happen...But, because of her kind personality, her favorability increased instead!

It’s still in its beginning stages, but seems pretty solid.    

9. Though I May Be a Villainess, I'll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness!  

A collection of one shots.

Great way to start out, it has quite a few options, so if you don’t like one, give another one a try!

10.  The Villainess, Cecilia Silvie, Doesn't Want to Die, So She Decided to Cross-dress!      

I was reincarnated into the body Cecilia Silvie, the villainess of an otome game. According to the plot, what awaits me in the normal route is either a slow, painful death or an instantaneous one... Essentially, every route leads to my demise. Then I'll change my fate! And that's why I decided to become a man. However, I made a mistake during a certain event, and the story began to head down an unexpected path...?

I haven’t seen any other like this, and if you like gender bender, this one’s for you!

11.  I’ll Become a Villainess That Will Go Down in History ― The More of a Villainess I Become, the More the Prince will Dote on Me

Alicia is the eldest daughter of the noble Williams family—a bloodline that excels in dark magic. Her jet-black hair and golden eyes command a powerful presence, but her most unique features are, without a doubt, her sharp tongue and malevolent nature. By all means, she is a villainess, but also a fictional character from an otome game!

12. I’m Not a Villainess!! Just Because I Can Control Darkness Doesn’t Mean I’m a Bad Person!

The novel The Saint Beloved by the Prince is set in the land of Lacia, where spirits control the elements, each of which is overseen by a "Spirit King." On rare occasions, these Spirit Kings may bless a single human, granting them immense magical control over their respective element. The heroine, Amelia Logan, and the villainess, Claudia Leitzya, are two sides of the same coin, blessed by the Light and Dark Spirit Kings respectively. However, while Amelia is beloved, Claudia is hated and rejected due to her dark skin, ebony locks, and aptitude for dark magic. After dying in modern-day Japan, Sakura is reborn as an infant Claudia. While difficult at first, Claudia tries to adjust to this new life, all the while accompanied by the Dark Spirit King Gerald. But even this task is far from easy; people fear her at first glance, no matter how she acts toward them. Still, Claudia is set on changing her fate from the novel, proving she is a good person and breaking free from the shackles of a "villainess."

13. Rebirth of the Villainess: The Life of Letizia after the Engagement Annulment      

For some reason, the duke's daughter, Letizia, was plotting to break her engagement with the prince. Her plan succeeded and the prince, none the wiser. But shortly after the engagement was terminated... The King collapsed! In that moment, she recalled her memories of her past life as a nurse and she fully utilised her knowledge & experience as a nurse, to save the King's life. Thinking she had achieved what she wanted, she thought she could finally relax, drinking her favourite beverage and leisurely spend her time, she instead somehow keeps getting involved in incident after incident. The slow and peaceful life is now nothing but a dream!? Lazy daughter, busy seeking freedom and laziness!

14. I Won't Become a Villainess. I'm Just a "Normal" Duke's Daughter!

A Japanese person reincarnated into an otome game chock full of death flags for the villainess, Rosalind. "I'm going to live an enjoyable life in this world!" Making full use of the game knowledge to avoid death flags, for some reason events keep happening one after another?! Contracting with spirits, helping her father (the prime minister) with his work using her modern day knowledge, taking a walk with the holy beast... and on top of all that, even starting up the heroine's event...? Will Rosalind be able to smash through every unknown death flag that comes her way...?! And will she be able to be fluffy lovey-dovey with the supporting beastkin character she liked from her previous life?!

Cute. Has beasts.

15. Milady Just Wants to Relax      

She worked herself to death in her past life, but then she was reborn in another world as the villainess Ronia! As expected, her engagement is broken and she's expelled from society, but now she takes that chance to live peacefully, and even opens a cafe with the help of her fairy comrades, which is becoming unexpectedly popular with beast-kin...?

Also cute. Also has beasts.

16. I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!            

Violette, a proud and beautiful daughter of a duke, commits a crime out of jealousy towards her half-sister. Convicted, Violet faces her own heart with sincerity in a prison cell and regrets her sin. Then time rewinds to a turning point—to her first meeting with Maryjun one year ago. Violette makes a decision. She will not make mistakes this time. Without committing a crime and bothering anyone, she will live an ordinary, plain and inconspicuous life...! However, incidents contrary to Violette's expectations occur one after another...?!

17. I Became a Villain Daughter

On her 15th birthday, Hinase Kaede, a young girl who was working as a part-timer, perished in a traffic accident. Upon her death, a self-proclaimed “God” appeared, declaring that Kaede would be brought back to life. However, Kaede’s happiness was short-lived and her soul was thrown into Erika, the villainess of an otome game! In the original game, Erika became a saint candidate alongside the heroine, committed evil deeds over the course of the candidacy, and ultimately faced condemnation. Thus, Kaede decides that she will not get close to the main characters of the game so as to avoid the bad end, but yet——?

[herkawaiinovels]

MTL Booklist Review Part 1

Novels from my Ridibooks bookshelf.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

(From left to right, top to bottom)

1. [Favorite] I Raised the Beast Well - This is the second series from the same author that I’ve read and I think I’ve noticed a pattern. It’s like this: the ML wants to do it with the FL but is being patient. His patience is so blatantly written and for me, as a reader, it is just frustrating to draw it out for how many chapters. This one I don’t mind so much because I am a bit invested in the couple. UPDATE: Volume 3 redeemed this series and turned it into a favorite. Book 3 is so good. I will forgive this series’ shortcomings and I think I will give the novel below (from the same author) another try.

2. [Recommended] The Marquess is only Affectionate to Her - From the same author as above. I do like the couple but one scene really turned me off. It was when the ML was being so affectionate to the FL and kept confessing ‘I love you’ multiple times and the FL was just like “...” Say what? One thing I really dislike about c-novels is how the ML is usually overly pampering while the FL is just cold and unfeeling. It’s not the case for this one, but I want at least both of them to be have the same level of affection towards each other. UPDATE: Just like the novel above, the last volume saved this one.

3. [On Hold/Did Not Finish] Overprotected Lady - This novel gives the same vibe as ‘For Now, Let’s Get Married’ (described below). I don’t dislike the FL or ML. It is about a high-ranking knight’s daughter, who, due to circumstances in her childhood, becomes overly protected by the people around her. She can’t go out the house without permission, doesn’t attend social events, etc. But, she has a hobby of carving, and consequently, her carvings possess divine power. She becomes entangled with the Archduke, the Crown Prince, the Pope, and the neighboring kingdom’s young and promising academy arts teacher.

4. [Favorite] Moonlight Library - THIS AUTHOR MAN. SHE IS SO GOOD. She is probably my favorite Korean author at the moment (other than the author of Lucia). I’ve read two of her works and both of them are on my top favorite k-novels. I am so excited about the upcoming publication of her next work! Anyways, her novels have pretty similar tropes: contract marriage, angst (”I can’t love you”), strong and smart FL, and overly pampering ML. Trust me on this one! The smut is also so well-written.

5. [Favorite] Shu’s Lady - What can I say? I’m a sucker for the contract marriage trope. This one is about how a knight’s daughter dies protecting the transmigrated Saintess. She goes back in time and this time volunteers to be the Marquess’ wife instead of becoming a lady-in-waiting for the Saintess. In her first life, due to an oracle, the temple was recruiting a ‘sacrifice’ but that sacrifice turned out to be becoming the Marquess’ wife. The FL, being poor and also wanting to prevent the death of her guardian, volunteers for this role. Anyways, she tells herself not to fall in love with the Marquess, since in her first life, the Marquess couple ended up divorcing as he was rumored to be in love with the Saintess.

6. [On Hold] The Tyrant’s Guardian is the Wicked Witch - Currently on volume 1. The ML starts out as a child so I am kind of iffy about any romantic development that would happen between him and the 200-year-old transmigrated FL. That’s like grooming!!! Why did I buy this again?

7. [Recommended] Ever Ever After - Pretty solid. Though it takes a while for the revenge part to happen, the development in between, especially the FL’s growth, was worth the watch. Also, its pretty great to see Clint regret his old flirtatious ways HAHAHA

8. [On Hold, Recommended] Living as the Villainess Queen - From the same author of Lucia. This one, I am waiting to be published/completed.

9. [Favorite] Daisy - From my favorite author, the author of Moonlight Library. It’s so good. Read this author’s works guys. I made a post about this on Novel Updates.

10. [On Hold, Recommended] Under the Oak Tree - I am currently on the beginning of the 1st side story. All I remember is the pain. The couple is so pitiful, especially at the end of the first arc. All I remember is the pain, the various misunderstandings, and especially the angst. Just...please be happy. And please, please take out the trash father ASAP author. Will wait for this to be completed before reading.

11. [Did Not Finish] The Villainess Wants to be a Sidekick - Was not invested enough in the ML and FL by the 2nd volume. It had an interesting premise - very similar to Side Story, which I dearly love - but why did the story go that way? It was an instant-buy for me because of the plot, but the execution wasn’t my taste.

12. [On Hold/Did Not Finish] For Now, Let’s Get Married - I will perhaps continue reading it someday. I don’t have a problem with the FL/ML. They are both decent. The plot reminded me of The Evil Lady Will Change manhwa, that’s why I bought it. The FL, for some circumstances, married the ML who was known as the monstrous duke of the South. At first she thought the ML wanted nothing to do with her, because he kept avoiding her and didn’t even want an official marriage ceremony. Little did she know, it’s because of a family curse he has.

13. [Recommended] History at the Library - A nice, short read. It’s a fluffy and sweet novel with the right amount of angst. Plus, it involves contract dating and cohabitation!

14. [Did Not Finish, Maybe Recommended] I Will Escape the Flower of Trials - I really thought I would like this. The main pairing is the villainess and the pitiful 2nd lead of the original novel. Again, similar to my beloved Side Story. So why... I even made a whole glossary for the various office position terms. So why...why FL...why don’t you let the ML pamper you. This is a cider type of novel.

15. [Favorite] Evil Cinderella Needs a Villain - This one has contract dating, cohabitation, and a bit of angst. I love the parallels between the leads (FL is a former villainess trying to live kindly in her 2nd life).

16. [On Hold/Did Not Finish, Average] I am the Ex-Girlfriend of a Soldier - It’s pretty fun. I think I got busy so I wasn’t able to finish reading it, but now I seem to have no motivation to pick it up again. Maybe I’ll read it once the translations are complete.

17. [To Read] The Villain’s Saviour - I read a little bit...maybe I’ll read it someday, when the story in the manhwa engages me again.

18. [Did Not Finish, Average] Trying to Find a Lover for my Fiancee - The premise is pretty interesting, the FL remembers that her current life was from a novel, and that her character ends up unhappily married to the emperor in the future. However, when she remembered this fact, it was already too late, because their engagement was already finalized. So she goes on to find a replacement lover for him. So what was my beef with this series? Well, firstly, I fell in love with the second ML. Secondly, I couldn’t really understand the appeal of the ML. And thirdly, I felt like the FL needed to mature a bit more before she could start a relationship with the ML.

19. [On Hold/Did Not Finish] I Raised an Obsessive Servant - Maybe it was too dark for me? The FL was really quite traumatized by her first death, and throughout the whole series, she had multiple other brushes with death, making her thoughts a bit dark. I think she really needed therapy. Unfortunately, the middle ages didn’t have such a thing.

20. [Favorite] Materialistic Princess - This one is so much fun! The series reminds me of Little-Miss-Not-So-Sidekick with how much fun the story and leads are.

21. [Average, Maybe Recommended] I am the Villainess - Hmm...I think these cider types of novels just aren’t my taste. I know some people who really love them though. But at least I was able to finish this one. The plot is like this: while in the temple, Natalie gets a revelation that her life was a book and she was the villainess. She tries her best to distance herself from the heroine, but no matter how much she tries, she couldn’t stop the development leading to her doom. My main beef? Not enough fluffy scenes.