De-fetishizing Yuri: I'm In Love With The Villainess

[@ambulance-kun5915]

First yuri anime that basically says "I'm gay. Not the comedic type, not the teasy type, not the tropey type, not the fanservicey type. I'M GAY, STRAIGHT UP"

[@ShadowKoto]

"And I've come for you, Claire François."

[@TylerBerry-s8x]

STRAIGHT up you say?

[@AverageIzutsumiQibliEnjoyer]

You mean Gay up?

[@begummunnujan]

You mean WONKY UP?

[@Eggs_Bennidict_Cucumber_Batch]

1. Book 1 all the above yes.

[@EvyTallWoman]

I feel like Yu's concept portrays gender roles pretty well. If her mother didn't have a foolish motive to how to raise her as a son, then Yu would have been raised as a girl. It highlights that aspect of the injustice of gender roles.

[@viniciuspaiva3578]

It may also be a shoutout to those who want to choose their child's gender as soon as they’re born

[@monke7566]

​@@viniciuspaiva3578except that yu was born as a girl and was *actually* artificially changed, not a simple gender reveal party "assigning" a gender to a child or whatever

[@AleksandarBell]

@@monke7566That happens all the time to intersex children.

[@RobinTheBot]

​@@monke7566Just wait until you find out how society handles intersex kids.

[@Akin42]

Rae's reaction to Yu's secret was instantly like "this obvious trans analogy reminds me exactly of how one of my friends in HS was a trans dude", so it's also that.

[@BigFella117]

This light novel/manga is basically a Heather x Veronica fanfic written by writers on Tumblr, and I’m all for it

[@spencergoth1cgutz205]

Who are they?

[@BigFella117]

@@spencergoth1cgutz205 characters from a play called “Heathers”, and people ship them a lot

[@FaeryPeople]

​@@spencergoth1cgutz205There's a movie and musical called "The Heathers" about the dorky main character Veronica and the 3 mean popular girls that are all named Heather. It's kind of like mean girls but darker.

[@zakoppi777]

they're from a musical, The Heathers

[@tooru-kun4178]

omg thank god I'm not the only one who noticed the similarities! I saw some days ago the manga and my first thought was literally "wow this two are literally Veronica and Chandler"

[@pienoaji]

"oh hey a video about an anime I like because I'm gay" "oh a spoiler warning. I'm sure it's just some shit like they get married or the worldbuilding expands a bit with the neighboring kingdom set up in the first season, I don't mind." "WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT W-"

[@entropy8634]

Ah yes the very predictable romantic comedy plot…. Of being a secretly the god

[@VeinVena]

Lmao real

[@androsstarzv_v]

I too did not expect it to turn into multiverse yuri

[@TestNewphone-f6n]

​@@entropy8634 what The Fuck ?

[@cinny1313]

Same lmao. Luckily it just made me more interested in the story

[@sopapopp]

"yeah sure i'll listen to the spoilers, i'm curious about where this story goes" ........ *"WHAT"*

[@calronkeltaran493]

my thoughts as well and I go with the hope of the video here: maybe the anime ends before this sifi stuff happens. it would be a nice ending overall and I feel we would not miss anything, if the sifi elements get excluded from the anime.

[@Akin42]

​@@calronkeltaran493the anime covered book 1 and the first part of book 2. It's based on the manga, and they haven't finished the Revolution arc (1-2) in the manga.

[@marcellapimentel4460]

OMG! I needed this! I had just read the 1st and second books... I was NOT prepared!

[@androsstarzv_v]

@@calronkeltaran493 considering that the anime practically spoilered rae's future (with a very short shot of rae, claire and their two twins may and aleah at the house as something rae wants in the future), and the fact that it is pretty revelant to the lore and relaire's history, I think it will still be included

[@calronkeltaran493]

@@androsstarzv_v maybe. and after I got quite some time to think about this, maybe I did overreact a bit. I still don't know how thos twist will happen and maybe it is actually well done. but when I first heared about it, I had some immedeate aversion for thos. I thought that suddenly the whole world and many things, that did happen, became unimportant because it was just a better VR game. also I tend to like fantasy more than sifi, so this came on top. so my thought was, that why not just end when Rae and Claire have found their happy life in this world instead of dragging it on with this sifi stuff? but I have heared, that it seems to be realy well done, so now I think more positive about it, when the time should come

[@vintoplad]

I didn't know the author gave credit to the fan translations, that's really cool. It was an interesting experience reading back then, since occasionally the author would leave a comment on the site. You never expect to see author interaction when you're reading an unofficial translation.

[@TheWanderingNeko]

where did they leave these comments?

[@vintoplad]

@@TheWanderingNeko Look up "I Favor the Villainess" and find the translation done by "Jingle and Angela", as written in the author's crediting. As for finding specific chapters Inori popped in on, I don't remember, so good luck.

[@androsstarzv_v]

well since she also has a streaming channel were she talks to her fans and reads all the comments, it's pretty reasonable that she would interact with the unofficial translation

[@CofiBeenz]

I’m glad you brought up Rea’s kinda creepy behaviour at the beginning before the table scene, cause it was bothering me how a lot of people brushed it off

[@csrjjsmp]

It’s ok bc she’s a girl

[@StarGazer4003]

I remember seeing this manga being talked/hyped up about on a subreddit called Otome Isekai. When the anime got announced the users were so happy, it seems to be a fan favourite there, and for good reason. It's such a refreshing read from there usual isekai stuff. That sub is a great place to find some isekai reads that hit different, it's a nice palette cleanser from all the usual stuff that's just oversaturating the genre. I'm In Love with the Villainess is like one of the rare series that aren't yuri bait either so it's a satisfying read.

[@ZenWeiYing]

Ofc its not a bait. Claire only shown a little bit interests in Thane, but she has shown a lot more interests to Rae than what she has shown to Thane. She even end up with Rae at the end and they have (adopted) kids together

[@iforgot6088]

One of the biggest reasons it's different than other isekai is because it isn't one.

[@idontwantmyrealnameonhere5955]

​@@iforgot6088I'm In Love With The Villainess is an Isekai

[@neoqwerty]

Otome in general tend to be pretty good (I got my start in that genre from the Shinsengumi otome, which was really good character-wise and made me Feel A Lot and 100% the routes on my PS3). When someone who's a fan of otome tells you something is good, it is Capital G Good because it goes beyond the standard that's already higher than most romance-driven VNs.

[@robertnomok9750]

Its literary an isekai, bruh@@iforgot6088

[@000Dragon50000]

The thing about the second trans character is to show that it's not just cases like Yuu's, caused by a curse, you can be trans naturally, and that same spell can be a blessing for someone who needs it..

[@000Dragon50000]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 Ah nice whataboutism there. Child Labour and capitalism are both bad and need to be abolished, but that doesn't mean trans people don't deserve rights.

[@numberc101s-h-darkknight8]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 How is this question even remotely relate to the comment

[@neoqwerty]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 I feel that Elon Musk would be more qualified to answer this question by extrapolating from his/his dad's emerald mines than a random youtube dragon.

[@sparklesparklesparkle6318]

@@neoqwerty So you're saying without Elon Musk there would be less black trans kids? Elon is my hero. Elon supports trans rights!

[@gwenmcgarry528]

​@@sparklesparklesparkle6318lol, kid you're trying so hard to be edgy it just seems silly. Go outside, enjoy the world around you, life will be better

[@MenchisMenagerie]

It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on different books, and was especially nice to hear your thoughts on IILWTV. I think my only main disagreement is on Rae's actions in the beginning - the impression I got from the story was that she knew she was being overboard (and dials it down not too long after the important discussion) but at the same time she was scared that if she didn't lean into the stereotype people would view her with disgust than just a pain in the butt, despite knowing she would just be perpetuating the stereotype. I'd have to reread it though, its been a while.

[@kellharris2491]

Yeah. She is acting like a troll on purpose. It's her own insecurity.

[@BrotherAlpha]

I really hope the anime lasts long enough to get through the first two books, but I don't think we need more than that.

[@ma.2089]

Isn’t needed, but would it be nice? I haven’t watched it yet, kinda watching bits of random vids to convince me and the comments are also helpful too. But I wonder if it gets bad later on now

[@yanik5480]

if it gets to the first 2 books, it'll just be contentment. if it gets all 5, it'll be the peakest peak to ever peak, but if somehow, somehow it manages to get ended in the middle of books 3-5 then it'll be a travesty

[@adachivineboom]

as a lesbian i will be working hard to refetishize yuri again

[@TrashTierWaifu]

Best of luck on your endeavor.

[@maracabo1176]

I think a lot of the time fetishize isn't quite the right word. But dehumanizing is. Yeah your characters can be sexy and make out sloppy style, but do they have motivations? How did their relationship developed? Are they full fledged characters or just porn bait? Essentially: Treat characters as human and things will go well

[@Bob-bs9ok]

Us lesbians must refetishise yuri but fetishised for us!

[@headspaace]

Good luck on trying to refetishize yuri, adachivineboom.

[@Gladissims]

​@@Bob-bs9ok Considering most Yuri is actually written by and for women... Idk if that was ever much of a problem. Tbh 😅

[@Derekloffin]

My favorite Yuri is the manga Girl Friends. It doesn't fall into the trap of 'everyone is gay' or such nonsense that just seriously dilutes other yuri, at least in my opinion, and at the same time doesn't make either lead an overeager character either. No, it is just a nice, straight forward yuri about two girls in Japan getting together. No anime or the like sadly, but it is a nice manga read and complete for any that are interested in looking it up.

[@saruwatarisa]

I think I know that and Yeah I would love that to get animated. Hopefully since Yuri animes like Citrus, Watashi no oshi and the other magical isekai thing I forgot is popping... like I hope that Manga gets an anime. If that was the manga I was thinking, I remember like somewhere there was a question of like they're dating but what is the difference between just two girls being friends and hanging out kind of thing.

[@ma.2089]

I’m so glad I’m not the only person irritated by “everyone is gay” in gay stories

[@H-rf3mo]

I remember how popular this used to be amongst yuri fans in the the 2000s. I was excited to have such a long series set in a realistic setting since most yuri mangas are quite short and set in locations (all girls schools, dystopian futures where all men are dead, etc.) that basically turn the characters prison gay, but it was a bit too much high school girl drama for me. By the end, the protag still never really stood up for herself and the love interest never really acknowledged and apologized for how terrible she was to the protag. I couldn't help but think the protag should have dumped her and ended up with someone else.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

​@@H-rf3mosorry, what? How were either of them terrible to each other, are you sure youre talking about the same manga as OP? I also have no clue what you mean by "high school girl drama" as the manga diddnt have any of that from what i can remember. Im drawing a blank as to what you could be referring to.

[@H-rf3mo]

@@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Friends_(manga)

[@dontmindmeimjustcommenting3056]

If I recall correctly, the author did said in the end vol 2 that it's where the original web novel ended and the few next vol is just enterly new things she wrote in countinue to it. That might be the reason why the later story felt weird.

[@Dani_1012]

Good to know where I should stop, thanks 👍

[@Astr0_Man]

as someone whos only watched the anime i wasnt expectin them to basically be in a loop simulation ✋😭 also my main grievance w the anime(before i found out bout the in depth reality of the actual full story) was lenny and her brothers relationship, that shit came outve left field for me and i almost screamed out loud when that part came up bc. . . wtf 💀

[@sopapopp]

I watched the anime and I was SO CLOSE to stopping watching when the incest came up and Rae fucking said "Homosexuality isn't the only forbidden love..." I WOULD RATHER YOU NOT COMPARE THOSE TWO THINGS PLEASE? 😭 thankfully they got banished pretty quick so I didn't have to see them anymore and I ended the anime in a good note, but... The plot gets so crazy I don't think I'm gonna keep following the series after Rae and Claire get married 💀 IMO this series didn't really need any crazy plot, just Rae and Claire's relationship was enough for a great story

[@15kassica]

I was searching for comment like this, thank you. I'm so sad bc they OF CORSE made this awfulnes sugestion "homosexuality is ok, trans is ok, so incest is ok too". Like agferefef IT'S NOT THE SAMEE, whyyy.

[@slavishentity6705]

I like how creative the author got. Too rarely in fiction are gay moms allowed to save to save the world.

[@WhynnterDusk]

I think it's actually more along the lines of "in plays, homosexuality isn't the only type of forbidden love portrayed" but the context kinda changes depending on the media. That's the line in the webnovel. I feel like it's what the author wanted to say. I'm partial to the webnovel coz that's what I read first lol

[@Justasandylover]

She didn't say that lmao she said "can you believe some say that Homosexuality is the forbidden love and here you are with ____(idk how to spell her name) and she's your blood sibling" ur just trying to find something to complain Abt ✋😭

[@grisaier]

waaaaah ibchest waaaaaaah im braindead waaaaah good plot cant follow smol brain waaaaaaaah

[@doglover1neo]

The ending looping paradox reminds me of Concubine Walkthrough. It is, also, and isakai, where you're transported into a video game and they turns out to be a looping timeline. It's been a spoilers I won't ruin the ending. But getting stuck in a hyper-intelligent video game is not as good for everyone as it seems.

[@tobiasaugustodeoliveiradia9417]

I have only read the manga, and holy shit, the plot goes wild

[@XanaverForge]

I definitely like this video because I love seeing this series talked about and promoted more and more, but I can definitely understand why someone might find Vol 3-5 to be something of a drag. The points I disagree on most, though, would probably be about the Lene/Lambert relationship and Lilly's relevance to the story. Lene and Lambert's relationship definitely isn't right, if I remember correctly even in the novel Rae acknowledges that incest is wrong. But trying to end their relationship after as far as its gone wouldn't help anyone really, it would just be to punish them. They've been given the worst punishment short of the death penalty, and cut out from their family, so they've already been punished for the crime they committed. Both Rae and Claire don't oppose the relationship because even if Lene and Lambert's love is wrong, Lene is effectively family to Claire, and neither want to hurt her. Lilly's biggest role in the story is a bit subtle, but she represents a bit of an "easy ending" for Rae. This is most easily seen when the new history TAIM makes involves Rae and Lilly being married, but it's also directly stated by Lilly and Manaria both that things would be easier for Rae if she loved another lesbian like them, an idea rejected by Rae herself still standing by her devotion to Claire. I definitely didn't really get invested into either Joel or Philine in either reading I did. I was more impressed by Inori having multiple trans characters in the story by introducing Joel, but I honestly forgot about them after volume 4 on my first reading, and forgot a lot about Philine in the time between 4 and 5's release.

[@kellharris2491]

See my problem with the the whole Lene and Lambert thing was I didn't understand why they didn't just sneak off on their own. Their family had money. I know they were being manipulated but the plan seemed very convoluted when their ultimate goal was just to be together.

[@XanaverForge]

@kellharris2491 Well, "manipulated" doesn't really begin to cover it, as they were under a form of literal mind control. Lambert had moments of knowing that the plan was nonsensical, and that it didn't actually make any sense that it would help him and Lene live happily, but also couldn't follow that line of thought further because Salas's magic let him place a psychological suggestion to never question it.

[@slavishentity6705]

@@kellharris2491 You would need a second season to get your answers and they would disappoint you : It's just mind control.

[@serenitysilvermoon]

Even in the anime Rae says something like 'Homosexual attraction isn't the only kind of forbidden love'

[@LunarSniperWifle]

I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this! I got into the series thanks to the anime, then got all the LNS and read the core 5 in less than a week I was so in love with it. I def agree volume 5 felt kinda. Weird (i was kinda cool with the sudden scifi twist/its not an isekai thing) but TAIM turning on them just felt a bit too much for me and kinda made me feel it got dragged on longer than it needed to. We could have had those pages of them being happy post war T_T instead we got drama and sure big 'their love is real and extends beyond the control of god basically' but. I wanted to have a bit more soft wholesome moments to the end with how serious it got. The fact the series is so gay (especially as a trans lesbian) is a breath of fresh air. It felt amazing, seeing Rae and the other characters be themselves, have support, and live more freely despite the generalist attitudes around them. And it wasnt just a joke!! It was serious, every time, even Joel, which made my heart soar. I think it was important too, since it showed that the trans experience had like, different circumstances in this world. Yu's was because she was /forced/ to be a boy via the curse being put on her, and Joel as a more like 'traditional' trans experience of being in the body that doesnt match, pushing yourself into the more gendered expectations and having that sadness only get worse (the whole 'as my muscles got bigger i got sadder' sentiment she had). I think it was nice they were able to help her via the curse as well (that it on its own isnt always a bad thing and can be used to help people live more freely, while in cases like Yus its truly an awful curse). Not only that but just Rae in general taking the time to explain sexuality and gender dysphoria felt great. Im sure a lot of LGBTQ+ people might see it as a bit more basic/base line, but even so, to have it be taken so seriously AND matter so much to the main character???? God it felt nice. And even Rae acknowledges or gives the vibe that this is just her understanding of it, and that for many its up to them to define how they relate to it. Im excited to continue experincing the story through the manga, claires POV LN (Which omg that too is great having new information and scenes!!) and of course the anime. I really hope the anime gets to tell the whole story. I think my only like, meh about the anime so far? Is that i miss some more of the 'Rae is reflecting and telling us this story' that we got from the LNs. Which was something i found super fascinating about the LN, she does it with the whole 'this is a game these are the princes oh no the flags' stuff, and maybe we will see it later in the anime as we get to more scenes, but having her go for a paragraph or two about her internal thoughts more and the 'but thats a story for another time/i would later learn how wrong i was' type things I find really interesting in this. Even in Claires POV, especially in hers, she self reflects while telling us the story (same with Dole, we get a scene from his POV in claires where Rae tells him all about her past and plan to save Claire during the maid interview section). I do think its also very fair for people to be a bit like, off put by Rae's constant teasing/advances being VERY strong, but im excited that were starting to see even the early parts where Claire has grown and is growing accustomed to it and her thoughts and feelings about Rae changing. Similarly understand ppl offput by the incest in the story. While not a lot, and only really shown off with Lene/Lambert, it was still very weird. I still havent really grasped why its included (could very well be cultural, as well as maybe a way to include more taboo types of relationships to draw attention to the fact they suffer through things too and its not always like heinous but can contain genuine love?). Ive come to very quickly love this series a lot, and it makes me excited to see more and more people love and enjoy it and discover it. Though im afraid ive set the bar a bit high now since Im gonna compare future things to it a lot expecting them to also be genuine or serious about LGBTQ+ characters/topics and have, what was to me, an extremly fulfilling romance and love story that blossomed (and only was able to do so from the characters being honest, pushed to be honest by their friends who care for them, and to let their hearts be open and vulnerable).

[@bowlOnudel]

I think we deserve this sort of story and setting the bar high after reading and watching iilwtv will only show how we want more authentic queer and trans experiences in anime and manga. Really liked your comment glad to see another trans person (I'm trans masc) enjoying this manga ❤

[@LunarSniperWifle]

@bowlOnudel We definitely deserve these stories!! It made me a lil disheartened how (at least what Ive been able to find so far manga wise) theres very little sapphic trans fem stuff out there. At all. Maybe some LNs have it more, but where i read manga and searching it up comes up with like nothing T_T. It really makes ILTV that much more precious to me. Im so glad when I see other trans people enjoying this! I wish we would have had more trans masc rep in the magic loop era, Misaki's story was really heartbreaking just as a trans person, but for my trans masc siblings it wouldve been wonderful to have a lil bit of happier rep there too from another character (even if the ILTV story is primarily about queer women, theres some nice guys there too). Hmmm now that i think abt it there was the kid that gave Joel her crosswire curse, I think they were referred to as a young girl at first (the quiet one that cozied up with the pope when she took raes spot?) I could be misremembering but maybe he was a young trans boy in the same vein as Yu being transfem. Anyways! Maybe the continuation series Inori has started (Mae and Aleah are the mains i think! Still need to read the few things that she put out already with it) there will be more trans masc rep.

[@rendi-luvs-anisha]

There’s a lot of things that made me uncomfortable in “I love the villainess” (I still like the anime if I js forget abt the bad parts) Rae is an adult in a minors body. I mean in the anime she’s shown as an adult coming home from her tiring office job and gets isekaied into the game. The thing that rubs me off about this is that Rae is technically an adult and Claire is a high schooler (I think she’s 16 yr in the anime) which is already weird. Honestly she could have been a teenager in school before she reincarnated but the cliche “office worker isekai bc overworked” is used and THE SWEET HOME ALABAMA SIDE-CHARACTERS the brother and Lenny did not need to be sibling lovers (like I know it’s suppose to be “forbidden love” BUT ITS FORBIDDEN FOR A F-NG REASON😭💀) they shoulda just be criminal siblings (no romance love needed) and that white hair girl that looks like a guy and is Claire’s childhood friend (idc to remember her name). Eghhh she’s so gross and annoying bc ITS LITERALLY IMPLIED THAT SHE FORCED HERSELF ON A COMMONER MAID THAT SHE KINDA WATCHES AROUND like hello?? Just cause she’s a commoner does not mean she want a noble like girl you didn’t even interact with her that much😭🙏 IF THAT B- HAS NO HATERS IM DEAD and the fact she threatened Rae that she will steal Claire from her and USE CLAIRE. She talking like Claire is an object to be used and even if it’s a joke or to make Rae more jealous that’s TOO far man. (Btw this is all my opinion there are good things about this anime and I’m js listening things that rubbed me off in the anime)

[@cinny1313]

About the white hair girl: the point of that 'forcing herself on her maid' story was that it was wrong of her to do so, the story acknowledged it. I don't like her either but i don't think that particular criticism is valid. The purpose of that story was to illustrate her state of mind during that time. With fiction you have to look into why certain details exist, cause everything was put there for a reason, it isn't as simple as looking at someone in real life who has done a bad thing

[@zs4580]

Enjoyed seeing you discuss the full series but disagree a little bit about the later books. I loved them and the weird final fantasy sci Fi stuff. Lol I especially absolutely loved the final book, certain revelations about the nature of their world reminded me of revolutionary girl utena slightly. And the Demon Queen reminded me of Homura from MADOKA MAGICA. It all tugged at my heartstrings in just the right way. I love those kinds of wacky shifts where you wonder if the author lost their mind. Lol Also I got to say I disagree with the notion that that cheapens the romance in first two books. If you look at the demon Queens memories, her experience with Claire in the first version of Bauer were different from our Rae. Yeah, she did save her from the revolution but in that life, Rae only convinced Clare to run away. She was only able to convince her to selfishly give up everything and run off together. It's not like our Rae who helped Claire become the best version of herself and become the actual hero of the revolution. TAIM also states that our Rae's memories in her past life of her trans friend are her own memories and not that of the original Rei. She may be genetically the same person and her soul may be a copy of the original, but she's had different life experiences and is a different person, who is much more supportive of Claire and far less selfish.

[@zechnasmaou6172]

THIS THANK YOU. while rae taylor is technically a fragment clone of the sort, she is essentially a different individual from loop 0 rei oohashi demon queen also ur comment about wondering if the author lost her mind made me laugh cuz like... i feel volume 5 has made ME insane i cannot. I CANNOT consume this series anymore without going "omg volume 5..." episode 12 of the anime w rae going "i will love you all my life"? holy shit volume 5... "regardless if the scales of love and god-" holy shit volume 5... that one ending of the anime where it sounded kinda tech-y retro game-y computer-y at the start? omg volume 5 is this TAIM? yeah volume 5 made me INSANE i love it so much

[@slavishentity6705]

@@zechnasmaou6172 There's a promotional image of the characters in a modern-day setting that made me go "science-based society" 💀

[@bowsercake3336]

I also get why people dislike volume 5 for somewhat taking the focus off of the romance, but but as someone who’s obsessed with both yuri and weird sci-fi stuff, it’s perfect! And I love the stuff about the demon queen and Rae being very different from each other despite being close to the same, it really makes you appreciate Rae’s development as a person in the first few novels. She’s much different from the demon queen and her almost one-sided relationship with Claire. I honestly can’t get over how the first Rei kinda forced Claire into a relationship (even if it did work out), while our Claire makes a point of how our Rae has never been overly forceful in their relationship.

[@korrasamifan3223]

omg yes thank you 🤩!!!! I LOVE THE ENTIRE SERIES FROM START TO FINISH AND I NEVER ONCE THOUGHT THAT THE LATER PLOT WAS UNNECESSARY!!! 🤩 In fact in my opinion the later books have allowed us to better understand how they have evolved thanks to their beautiful relationship 🤩😍. Also I love how our Rae’s relationship with Claire is so different from the Demon Queen’s relationship with her Claire 🤔. In fact I can almost say their relationship was kinda toxic and it never really fundamental changed 🤔 in a way. For example the Demon Queen got with Claire bc she would have endangered the survival of the human race if she quit her job so Claire believed it was the only way to keep mankind alive. Then they got to know each other better and fell in love slowly. While Claire fell in love with our Rae bc she supported her and helped her evolve to become the best version of herself she could be. She didn’t choose our Rae bc she was desperate but she chose her bc she was an amazing supportive gf ☺️. Ofc I’m not saying the DQ wasn’t a supportive gf in her own way, but her Claire didn’t start noticing until it was close to the end since OG Claire was so sad she never got a chance to tell her “I love you” before she died. Really in end of all my rambling I truly think this series is one of the best I’ve seen so far and it deserves to be enjoyed by lots more people 🤩!!! And ppl should really pay attention to the later volumes bc they really are worth it since it enriches the overall story as we know it 🤩🥰👏👏!!!

[@lukelehmann4783]

It's always cool to see you without hiding behind thinly valued metaphor

[@Mitskimusiclover]

Im actually very happy to hear your thoughts about IILWTV it’s my fav recently

[@TestNewphone-f6n]

Thanks for going through it I thought the spoilers would mess the story. But its more about stretching it out

[@blauelilie2049]

The Light Novel was the best way I have ever seen these topics handled

[@peted2783]

1:49 WHAT, that's *insane* , I favor the villainess managed to place higher than Spy x Family, Onii-chan wa oshimai, and Komi san? I'd been reading this for a good while before the anime was announced, but I never knew it was regarded this highly.

[@JuniperGreen162]

Was the first light novel series I read and basically what truly got me into wanting to collect light novels. I agree with quite a number of the criticisms, however I found myself enjoying all of the books immensely and didn't really think about or notice some of the more glaring issues at the time, but even knowing thinking about them in retrospect I still think the entire series is very fun to read through. You talked about how the story lacks tension, but I think the moment they introduce the demons into the story, things become very tense, because the demons are portrayed as being wildly stronger than Rei and Claire. They largely become dependent on other characters in various battles, flipping the script from our sorta overpowered character who knows everything to "we're underpowered and I have no idea what the hell is going on!" While you can say "it lacks tension because we know the characters will win in the end" I feel that's a criticism with little weight to it. Most stories end with the heroes winning. I mean I can re-watch movies like Jurassic Park and *still* feel tension when the velociraptors close in on the kids despite already knowing how it ends. It's more about the journey than the destination.

[@Kenfoxxy]

As someone who started roughly reading in 2020 I will say Amazon marketed this to me. I was also able to get digital and printed copies too which added to the convenience of reading this particular series

[@NintendoHighSchool]

ngl what got me started was her literally saying "step on me harder" in episode 1

[@memeinatorun-official144]

EXCUSE ME TIME LOOP EXCUSE ME WHAT

[@princesshannah7]

I actually worked on the audiobook preproduction for the light novels, and I remember talking to my coworkers after I'd been through the first volume and gushing a bit about "this is a yuri story with actual queer theory and exploration in it!!!!" What a treat 💕

[@Charles-mi7yv]

3:32 Yeah its just a otome yuri isekai, I don't mind a few spoilers... 8:25 Get me off this fucking ride!!!

[@alexgutierrez4125]

I read this when it came out english read book 1 & 2 completely and felt satisfied. Then book 3 came out, i got it and stopped in the beginning of it. And eventually forgot about it. Then i heard that it got an anime. Was so exited because i genuinely loved the plot. Now watching your video i just found out that it has 5 books now... wow

[@echiko4932]

Fr i finished book 2 and was like "aint no way this has a continuation, unless someone stirs up some shit", someone stirred up some shit. The dramatic politics plot was fine but i mainly read it for wholesome vibes with May and Aleah. They didn't get enough scenes outside bonus stories T^T

[@vickyvansane5092]

The scene where she bluntly ask " are you a homosexual" - I had to stop, turned to my girlfriend and was like "Did they really do that?!" I was sooo happy! Like this anime is so funny and cute but at the same time also very real. Would absolutely recommend (oh and the Light Novels too)

[@daikontan]

6:08 Everywhere I go I can never escape Miku (it makes it worse that everytime I see her when I'm not expecting it, it's either her PJSK 3d model or PJSK sprites)

[@sarah2cold377]

I legitimately didn't even know this story had any other volumes after volume 2's epilogue for the longest time, and even after finding out I chose not to read them because the story already felt complete to me. It was by far one of my favorite novels i've ever read so I was kind of surprised I didn't want more. Now even just hearing the summary of the next 3 volumes I feel very justified with that decision.

[@Kaylakaze]

Well, you're not and you missed the best part of the story.

[@0mniessence548]

i tried reading the next volumes 3-5, but i got bored; it's like a total genre shift; too much political and scifi stuff... i got into this show cuz of the cute romcom aspects and that's what i was looking for (yuri romance); but after they got together, they didn't even have many scenes together afterwards, and it all got so plot-heavy, i lost interest; i still love the series, but yeah... for me, it ended at volume 2 xD

[@MrKrazygamer13]

I recently read through the entire story, I love Rae and Claire so much! But man that Synapsis xDD Seriously I think you should've said something like "No for real, this is HUGE spoilers, do not under any circumstances listen to this if you desire to read through this yourself" haha, it shocked me so much as well, what a journey, can't wait for the second season of the anime!

[@thewrathfulsloth2384]

I just finished volume 5 2 days ago Ironically this is the video that got me to listen to the light novels

[@djdtor]

I think I'm gonna save this video and come back to it *after* I finish the novels hhhh

[@RobinTheBot]

Me, a once avid reader of Yuri: "I bet OP is basically God" Me, mildly shocked: "Oh. LITERALLY this time?" This is pretty normal for the genre

[@davidward2520]

I fell in love with the anime and basically blew my budget to obtain all the published works. That being said, I agree with almost everything you said BUT you forgot an important element: Rei being a masochist. Basically, more could have been done with this (like Claire reward/discipling Rei with the hairbrush she was going to give to her mother) but it was treated more like a joke instead of a genuine plotline which was implied in the very beginning. This lack diminished my enjoyment but overall I'm still happy I purchased the books. I do believe a major plot hole is how the mainframe, that stored the digital souls, is maintained. You would think, after a few thousand years, entropy would seriously start being a problem. To keep the series going, a good off shoot would be Rei/Claire during a science loop. Just my thoughts.

[@TheDannyschoofs]

So... Recap is that this is a Yuri Otome version of the Matrix in the end?

[@AnonSeacat]

I'll speak somewhat in defense of going through volumes 3-5; while I do think they have problems I was very enthused to get some "domestic yuri" between Rae and Claire. I like it when works continue after the "chase" ends and with the couple getting to be a couple. The plot's whatever, it's an excuse to keep things going. I find as I get older I sweat that sort of stuff less, because like you said, I'm here for the characters and not really the plot. With that said, if the anime intends to go on I do hope they stop at the end of volume 2 (with some epilogues/bonus chapters from volume 3 maybe included) because there's no way they can cover all of the later three volumes and stopping in the middle would be weird. And I do agree that I think the story tells a mostly complete arc in the first two volumes and the others aren't strictly "necessary", I just enjoyed them because of my personal tastes and the characters. Also, this is a bit of headcanon perhaps, but I think the reason Rae behaves the way she does in volume 1 is probably because of her intimate knowledge of the game world. She doesn't act like a "person" and she doesn't treat the other characters as "people" because it would be incredibly difficult to, as she has a semi-omniscient perspective on their lives and personalities. Also, she's just totally fangirling because she's obsessed with Claire and has been since before she even "met" her. It probably doesn't even feel "real". As time goes on Rae becomes more integrated and comfortable in the world, and her relationships with the characters change. Now, this is stuff that isn't really hinted at in the material itself so it would probably be unfair to say this is definitely what the author intended, but I think it helps to explain some of Rae's early cringe.

[@grahamdamberger7130]

The last volumes sound like the final 2 episodes of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off meets Endless Eight from Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This is what happens when authors try to cram too many details into a single story and the final product doesn't come out as stellar as it could have if the unnecessary stuff was left out.

[@Euphamia]

I been watching the anime and been liking it. Watching this video though Im pretty sure the anime will never get past the revolution.

[@tuumef1799]

Thanks for your thoughts. From the first time I saw this novel series, I was on the fence about it. The premise was interesting, but seemed a bit too... let's say generic for my tastes. It doesn't help that the isekai/transmigration genre is bloated as all get out. But your analysis has helped me to see the depth of the books. I may just give them a shot. Thanks!

[@slavishentity6705]

It starts generic and gets weird. Then it gets weirder until it peaks and somehow goes even further beyond.

[@kingmisery3560]

i saw the thumnail and title and just went *"youtube......have my watched history finally crossed the theres no turning back line"*

[@alliethetheatreswiftie]

literally the first thing i said when i saw the manga cover was “omg heather chandler????”

[@graysonmiller5615]

I was like “oh I watched the anime I’ll be fine the spoilers can’t be that bad” Anyway what the fuck

[@obviouslyyoucare]

lesbian getting into yuri and I was LOOKING for this type of review. ur like, an honorary lesbian for the day. also now reading the novel because I had no idea that was a thing. finished the anime and manwha in one gooo. fuck my grades.

[@kaiser9598]

This video is considered a reward in our industry. ;D

[@elv3302]

just a note: read/watch bloom into you, honestly, it's not only the best yuri that i've ever read, but also the best romance in general.

[@floatingfroggy]

Could Claire be classified as a Kamidere, because she thinks so highly of herself?

[@foundingdeer]

Ngl the ONLY thing i actually really hated about this series was incest 💀 i liked the story but i dont think it should really qualify as a yuri after 2nd volume. What i absolutely love bout this is its touch on trans issues (saying it as a trans person myself). Its also one of few yuri that actually states sexuality of main characters (lesbian and bi in that case) which i really like, in lot of other yuris its stated that someone just fell for the same gender without clarifycation of their sexuality which i find really annoying. Overall its like a good 8/10 enjoyable but definitely has flaws. I recommend it tho

[@rattled6732]

Damn i didn’t think it would derail like that, what was the author smoking when they introduced the godamn Matrix?

[@omegacloud99]

...jesus christ i was just done reading the manga (all chapters i could find) but oh my god it jumps the shark so fucking hard.

[@popburnsy3207]

Wait whAaaaaaat?! I did not expect it to go that direction

[@Saber-vf6rh]

The things I enjoyed the most in novels volume 3-5 are the bonus stories. Honestly though, just read the post story to read more Rae and Claire interactions and domestic life, rather than plot. Read it for the slice of life. However I did enjoy the flashback of the original Rei and Claire’s story. It’s a beautiful tragic love story.

[@addymant]

I just want to add that, while I loved this story with all my heart, it definitely jumped the shark in the second act, and created a ton of problems in the process. Rei (and Claire to a lesser extent) was given the power to design an entire world! They had so much power to limit suffering, and they created a world with an aristocracy and a deeply impoverished working class. I realize that Rei seems to care very little about politics, but this is not caring to an extreme degree. How many people have been forced to die gruesome deaths on loop for an eternity? Even setting the politics aside. Rei created a world where the default state of being is that Claire, the love of her life, would be executed within the year, sacrificed by her father to bring about a revolution. A world where Claire was forced to live with the fact that the last thing she told her mother before she died was that she hated her. A world where one of Claire's closest companions, Lene Aurousseau, would be exiled or executed after betraying her. She created a world where her and Claire's country was deeply homophobic. Just... why? It's not like we needed an explanation for why Nur was doing what it was doing. A warmongering empire is not exactly a foreign concept. All that being said, I did enjoy the interactions between Claire, Rae, Aleah, and May. I wish there had been more of it. And as you mentioned, it treated the queerness of its characters with real respect that is deeply lacking in a lot of queer fiction. It was really refreshing to see a story like this actually challenge the instances of prejudice that come up instead of just parroting it uncritically.

[@echiko4932]

Ya it seemed to lose itself around the end. I haven't read vol5 since I do audiobooks, but the highlights of vol3 and 4 were when the family was together, especially the bonus stories. I adore the wholesome vibes. I can hear their voices now, "Our mommas are gonna save us! We aren't scared!" Too cute The political shenanigans are already filling the plate, Sci-Fi time loop stuff seems a bit much.

[@Loremastrful]

Thanks for the review. I don't know if it's history will change my opinion but I appreciate it nonetheless. I just picked the anime so I'll talk as an anime only viewer. Without preamble, the story ran out of steam by about episode 7. The Commoner movement and the arrival of Sailor Manaria both felt tacked on and rushed. It felt like the whole protag chasing after the villainess didn't carry the story as far as the author hoped so insert these two elements for outside drama. Hearing how the rest of the series plays out kinda confirms that. The author set up a solidly binary choice (either Rae's love is accepted or rejected) and realized the corner they painted themselves in halfway through. Commoners Lives Matter could have been a strong thread throughout this tale especially with the threat of the executioner's axe looming large in Claire's future. Sailor Manaria feels even more forcefully inserted. They wanted to add a rival like a real dating sim so just copy Rae and up her stats to 11. All that was missing was for her to ride in on a motorcycle. I was disappointed both Rae and Claire grew so little. Claire followed 'Taming of the Shrew' Katherine pretty closely. But she is the villainess. She doesn't need a crybaby backstory and she isn't in need of a wubby. That is amateur fanfic territory. Where every villain is just an earnest lover's undying affection away from turning things around. Rae's over-the-top pronouncements reminded me of Petruchio but once Manaria stirs the pot it mad me realize Rae had no plan. No plan to save Claire from her fate or earn her love just simp it until she makes it. It had a great opportunity to shake them both from their dramas but couldn't take it. I guess I'm disappointed that with so much it could have done with the premise. A light rom-com that eventually loses itself in an overcomplicated narrative feels like such a downer.

[@mariajizelledizon5858]

I hope they will make more sequels to this masterpiece! 🤍

[@blockshift758]

15:20 twitter always turns it around for every time

[@MiguelGomez-k4e]

I'm in love with the bonus is technically in the Sky because it is an anime in which the character be a sum form of passing out it's transported to another world although it could just be a Dream considering that she only fell asleep while playing The Game

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

This is blessing love this Romcom series

[@bowlOnudel]

If i had a nickel for every yuri where one of the partners becomes god id have two nickels....which is weird but okay

[@TheIslandofLesbos]

God I hope you're talking about PMMM

[@duelbuster123]

Beside inc*st side character plot (not just Lene but also later characters in the book) I love everything and will pretend inc*st plot does not exist

[@toast0011]

Sounds a lot deeper then I gave it credit for.

[@zakoppi777]

you should see the scene where Rae explains what being lesbian is like in her experience to Claire and the maid, loved the scene in the manga, loved watching it again in the anime!

[@IvanAlejandro99]

Jesus christ i didn't know the history went that route, i am glad i stopped at volume 3.

[@JonFawkes]

This review definitely convinced me to check out this series

[@ThezillyestIdiot]

Yk what I’m just gonna decide to pretend the story ends when they get together:D

[@haloharry97]

My god, video other then Ascendance of a Bookworm, has this man abandoned the Gods in name of Yuri

[@kirbybie]

these comments abt the spoilers got me a bit terrified

[@kirbybie]

what the hell that was so convoluted

[@tek5403]

Considering the fact that all fetuses technically start female and are differentiated male later in development, Yu's story actually makes a lot of sense. She just had it happen after being born edit: apparently i'm wrong someone in the replies goes deeper into it

[@neoqwerty]

/biology nerd AKSHUALLY here (I'm sorry but I did a deep dive into sex determination and it's my personal mission to throw my info bricks at random passerbys) Fetuses start off intersex, with versions of the organs that will develop and atrophy differently depending on testosterone levels (technically, all androgens, but testosterone has the most documented effect-- and yes, it can and will disregard your chromosomes, chromosomes only happen to tell the body how much androgens to make and react to so it can go wonky the second a mutation forms in a gene that has to do with testosterone production or detection). It's super interesting because the ovotestis (the gonads) start off near the abdomen, and for guys it literally drags up abdominal muscle fibers down with it as they descend, and that's why guys can control their.... jewelry purses... voluntarily, because it's technically two slivers of abs going alllll the way down there. Guys also have a vestigial uterus (mullerian duct), and girls have cells that are diffused in a region of their insides that are concentrated in the prostate and can ALSO produce what was thought as exclusive to men for the longest time: a specific seminal protein. If you look at the anatomy of female body parts you also can track down that it's basically a much more deeply-embedded-in-the-pelvic-area phallus. We start from an intersex configuration and differentiate after, not from a female config as most people think of it (if we did women wouldn't have a clitoral structure, because it's closer to the male one and atrophies instead of developping).

[@tek5403]

@@neoqwerty oh sorry guess i was off i'll add an edit to the comment

[@lorefox201]

​@@neoqwerty regardless of "configuration" All embryos have either XX or XY sexual chromosomes, and therefore a predetermined physical sex.

[@Rikarikun]

today I learned how genitalia and associated organs develop

[@lana-ana-ana]

@@lorefox201 hoo

[@alexlau7115]

the novel is really really good. i think the comic and anime is more of a comedy based on a yuri couple. while the novel is more of a full scale yuri love story with a taste of comedy to spice it up. little change, huge difference. in comic and anime, Rae is a funny dude who is really into claire. in the novel, rae is a determined lover who is ready to do anything for claire, and happened to be a funny dude. again, small change yet huge difference.

[@Lizzysinyourhouse]

6:08 HATSUNE MIKU?!??! :O

[@Tolinar]

How to power-wash strong emotions without watering them down.

[@kayokoswife]

all the time loop and stuff in the 5th book was a little over the top for me, but overall this yuri has become one of my favorite LNs

[@MarioMoto5939]

finished it yesterday and i am complettly agreing with you and i love I am in love with the villaines

[@bluelfsuma]

Aw man, I totally want to read this. "A brother and sister get married." WHAT, NO- "It's finished up pretty quickly, though." Well, okay, I guess I can just ignore- "Also a mother and her child." *_NO NO NO NO. NOOOOOOO._*

[@walnut6684]

Don't worry, the mother and child thingy is just a brief mention. They never went with that route

[@graysonmiller5615]

Magical Gays will forever live rent free in my head

[@CatOnACell]

it really sounds like the author had the thought "shit people like my series, I have to do something important with it." sometimes you just do not have the right platform for taking on specific types of political and social commentary without destroying what people came to your series for in the first place. not saying I hate when light-hearted shows have a hot-button political crisis as the main plot hook, but they are kind of limited on their political topics by their subject. touch on LGBTQIA+ issues all you want in a Medieval Yuri novel. but the transcendence of humanity through digital upload, and existential questions about nuclear waste are reserved for the sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fantasy aesthetics.

[@nakayoshi93]

LN5 nearly ruined the series for me, tbh. The central romance being an echo of a toxic romance really stung. I had to restructure how I relate the main characters to the Rei and Claire from the past.

[@sabrinadossantos8883]

is de-fetishizing because it's not made for man. It doesnt mean that there is not fetish. Fetish is not just a bad thing, everyone has different fetishes good and bad onesb because its a desire. The problem starts when you cause other people harm.

[@fatimacastro8354]

As someone who basicaly didn't even finish volume one the future thing sounds completely bonkers.

[@echiko4932]

I at the very least recommended finishing vol2 if u haven't, the end has closure and it's fucking adorable.

[@Modie]

Really? I'm in Love with the Villainess as an example? Like don't get me wrong, I like the show, but how can that be used as an example for de-fetishizing when Rae is constantly gushing over Claire's body to a point they even mention that she sometimes feels uncomfortable about it? That's the definition of fetishizing imo. If you want a real example, try Whisper me a Love Song. I read the first 5 volumes and it's the complete opposite, just pure wholesomeness. They even have a moment where someone says "maybe love is about you wanting to hug and kiss them" just for them to disprove that. When the MCs become a couple, they don't suddenly start to go further, they even mention that they didn't do much new compared to when they weren't a couple.

[@Zakgo_]

Lowkey similar to Muv Luv fr, did the author play the games? Like both story starts of as fun lighthearted romcoms in the first entry, and then switch to a post apocalyptic scifi in the sequels.

[@sassafras_rl]

just found ur channel!!

[@bananaborn4785]

first i stopped watching anime, then manga, try to read the novels but dosent go that well ither, dunno whats up with that but audiobook format works better, meaby its the hole no atention span problem we all having

[@whade62000]

15:15 OK but doesn't that get pretty much obliterated by the fact that she IS pretty much a stalker, your stock obsessed lesbian anime trope with no sense for consent or private space

[@Eggs_Bennidict_Cucumber_Batch]

I pictured the empress to be like Urbosa...

[@rallaa941]

Holy crap, this series really goes off the rails.

[@Trustworthy_McLegitimate]

The Spinoff of Claire's POV is kinda dissapointing. Its not fully Claires, The story glosses over A LOT of important points that SHOULD HAVE BEEN longer and in Claires full POV. like, the POV where Claire saw the beggar children were NOT Claires POV, but Mishas. It should have been Claires POV! Thats what I bought the dang book for is to see this in Claires POV. And then that part when the Commoner Movement in school was beginning, ya know, the part where Claire slapped Lene's face just for asking Claire to see the situation in the point of view of the commoners? yah, that part wasnt there, nah,it got skipped. The Spinoff books CANNOT be consumed their own, People unfamiliar will have incomplete knowledge of whats going on.

[@Cooki_Cat]

Why would I buy the books? I don’t need two copies.

[@SomeRandomUser-dr8bc]

Yes you do

[@victoria001av]

Hey @TrashTierWaifu what you think about Please Bully Me Miss Villainess? It has an anime, manhwa, light novels, etc Is kinda the same story and protagonists, intead Yvonne (the villain) is the reincarnated one, and Rae is the protagonist. However protagonist go find the villainess after the doom ending. And the story begings, 300 chapters the light novel and is the same, they reach "the new path of Love between Protagonist and Villainess but... The system restarts, and the one responsible was an old version of the protagonist because she loses the villainess in a war... pretty intense. And now this one is reaching that point.

[@snipermagoo]

Thanks for the spoilers.

[@ThomasPontier]

I stopped reading 3/4s into the 5th LN. The Loop plot is really out of control. It is unreadable.

[@Ender11037]

Heck it! *Refetishizes your Yuri.*

[@corialantebich]

Wish they'd cut off that incest plotline but overall good anime

[@Otomachi_UnaNo.1]

If only help could be spared to yaoi, that place is a hell scape

[@liandoaethend2403]

This stury aint even a yuri, this is usually a shoujo ai tagged, yaoi and yuri are both hard like that, there all kind of yaoi, some have plot before segs, or non at all Shoujo ai and shounen ai more like fluffy love, theres plenty of those manga, manhua and manhwa, it causes diabetes

[@ggblobiaon7429]

Come on we’re talking about nobility and royalty here. It was very common in age they were portrayed to be in within our world, so why wouldn’t it be a possibility there either? so I wouldn’t really find it all that off