Villain stories, whether in the form of novels, comics, or animations, share some basic truths, one of which is that if the “villain” is the good guy, then the “heroine” is actually the bad guy. Narayama Shogunateof Condemned villain travels back in time does use the principles of this genre, but it does so with a slight twist: in her first go-round, Claudia is not a good person. But she’s a spoiled snob, manipulated by so-called heroines, and ultimately punished excessively for actions she herself would never have taken. Fermina, who is considered the adorable half-sister, always Corrupt and manipulative, in addition to righting her own learned wrongs, Claudia needs to use her second life to ensure Fermina doesn’t cause any more harm. She was never really a bad person, whereas Femina always was.
Claudia began to understand this early on. Shortly after the requisite scene of condemnation, in which Claudia is abandoned by her fiancĂ© Prince Sylvester in favor of Fermina, Claudia is disowned by her father and sent to a convent. On the way there, her carriage is attacked, she is captured and sold into sex work, and when she stops to think about it, she realizes that this was most likely not an accident: it was set up by Fermina . Claudia fares well in the brothel, and Narayama paints her time there as middle-of-the-road – she would never have chosen that life, but she did learn from it, mostly through her friend Helen With help. Helen, the daughter of a bankrupt earl, must sell her property herself Visiting a brothel, she quickly becomes friends with Claudia. However, she eventually succumbed to a sexually transmitted infection, which was a devastating blow to her friends. At Helen’s grave, Claudia prays for a chance to save her friend’s life, and after dying of an unknown illness, she discovers that the gods have given her this chance.
This is Claudia’s defining characteristic in both books – she knows when things are going wrong, and she makes it her mission to change them. In the second novel, this means using her knowledge of neighboring Prince Raul to prevent an international incident from happening. Raul once visited her while she was working as a sex worker, and instead of sleeping with her, he treated her as a safe space, a woman who, if he paid her, wouldn’t tell anyone he was against her The constant fear of women and will listen to his troubles. This means that Claudia’s days as a sex worker taught her empathy – she learned the hard way that there was a world outside of herself, and she tried to repay the kindness shown to her by the other women in the brothel. She never paints this life in rose-tinted tones, but she does use it to guide her interactions with others in her second life, although she attempts to separate herself from Fermina’s in the first book. Rescue from an act of predation demonstrates an aspect of her newfound insight, and kindness toward Raul in the second novel highlights the softer emotions she has learned. Claudia’s kindness is not an act, as she learns to become a more perceptive person.
Claudia is a more Rishe-like heroine Chapter 7: The carefree life of the evil girl Than the more typical Katarina Claes model. She’s no longer a fool now, having learned from her past life, she fully realizes that she doesn’t deserve a second chance. Claudia is determined to stop Fermina’s plot, which she believes will not end well for anyone. but Femina, but her first priority in the opening novel is to find and save Helen. She will never forget that it was Helen who gave her the wherewithal to change, and the pain of her loss still stings. Yes, Claudia wants to save her life too, but it’s Helen who really makes her want to be a better person, and she should thank her friends for making that happen.
The main action of the first book comes from Claudia’s efforts to thwart Femina’s plans. We learn early on that Fermina is no sweet and light little girl, and Narayama shows us in no uncertain terms that the truly selfish and mean sister is not (and never was) Claudia. Since Claudia is not content to rest on her laurels this time, she puts her intelligence to good use so that she can discover most of Fermina’s plans before they are implemented. She also decides to use some of the things she learned about men during her time as a sex worker to stop Prince Sylvester from turning on Femina, although we can see that her ruse doesn’t necessarily keep him interested. Yes, he’s a teenage boy in a light novel, so he’s fascinated by her judicious use of her breasts, but he’s more interested in her personality and intelligence. Likewise, her brother Virgil is excited about Claudia’s new life, and the two of them realize that since their mother was very strict and uncaring before her death, while their father was more devoted to his mistress and Fermina, They have no one to rely on but each other. Claudia’s growth as a person drives her relationships and helps highlight Fermina’s shallow, cruel nature.
This also plays a role in the second novel, which takes a more political turn. Here, Claudia works to resolve issues with Prince Raul’s delegation so that his country’s political unrest does not spread to hers. One of his attendants, Lady Restia, often tests Claudia’s intelligence, and her attempts to manipulate every aspect of Raul’s situation, compared to Fermina’s, are interesting. Fermina is ultimately selfish, but Lesteia is convinced that she is working for Raul’s benefit, and she displays the same willfulness that Claudia abused in her first life. As Claudia points out, it doesn’t matter how “good” Lestea’s intentions are; The need to think about the bigger picture is something she’s learned to do and is willing to put into practice, whether it’s saving a young girl from a mean party guest or taking more blatant action in the political realm.
The narratives in the book do involve multiple points of view, but unlike many (if not most) other light novels of the same genre, these novels are in the third person. This eliminates the need to create different voices for each character, which is often where the issue of multiple viewpoints arises. As a result, this production appears more polished than many of its genre while still giving us a clear sense of who everyone is and how they view Claudia, Lestea, and Fermina. This is thanks to the translation, which doesn’t rely on trying to sound too dated or slangy, and the book reads easily and smoothly. The illustrations also enhance the text very well, and the accompanying color images are beautiful. Bonus points for knowing how a cage petticoat (hoop skirt) works.
Condemned villain travels back in time is one of the best villain light novel series. Claudia shows real growth as a heroine, sex work isn’t evilized, Femina is despicable for sure but is still an obvious trope, and Restia is a more subtle antagonist. Villain fans who are starting to tire of the genre can easily pick this one up: it’s both familiar and new in all the right ways.