We all know how evil step-sisters can be, but nobody holds a candle to Claudia’s half-sister.
Not long after the death of her mother, Claudia’s father returns to the home where his two children live, bringing with him his mistress and daughter. Though Claudia and her brother were raised in high society as they were the legitimate children of a duke, their half-sister, Fermina, has a lot to learn about the ways of things in her new life. But by the time that Claudia realizes Fermina has something up her sleeve, it’s much too late.
Over the next few years, Fermina usurps Claudia as the crown prince’s fiancé, has her cast out of House Lindsay, and sells her to a brothel, all the while framing Claudia as a heartless villain who bullied her ruthlessly. It is at the brothel that Claudia puts all the pieces of this puzzle together and finally sees how she was manipulated every step of the way. Determined to take control of her new situation, Claudia gains a mentor and quickly becomes the number one girl in the house. Though she’s never contacted by her family again, she yearns for the day she can get revenge. And as fate would have it, she’s given that second chance.
After dying from an illness, Claudia wakes up to find herself getting ready for her mother’s funeral. Though she’s back to being fourteen years old, she still retains the memories from her previous life. Armed with the knowledge of what’s to come, Claudia devises a plan to avoid the horrible end she suffered before, and it does not involve befriending Fermina to change the future. Claudia is out for revenge, and she’ll stop at nothing to ensure she gets it.
The Good
The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain is one of the best villainess isekai manga I’ve read, and trust me, I’ve read a lot. With similar vibes to Villains are Destined to Die, The Villainess Turns the Hourglass, and Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You, this darker story of revenge for the sake of revenge is addictive.
As far as main characters go, Claudia is incredibly entertaining. Though the volume doesn’t give a lot of indication of what happened between the time Fermina moved into the duke’s estate and the events that lead up to Claudia being driven out of the family, we do see how she matures and grows while working at the brothel. Her quick thinking and ability to read the people around her turns her into a master of manipulation, and she uses these newfound skills to great effect.
There isn’t a ton of page space given to Fermina in this first volume, but the scenes she is in give a lot of indication of what’s to come, and how Claudia fell into her trap in her last life. As a cute and innocent looking girl, it’s easy to see how Fermina tricked everyone into believing she was the victim of anything and everything, but the beautiful artwork shows readers another side to this. Her devious personality that hides just below the surface is portrayed in a stunning yet disturbing manner a handful of times. Fermina reminds me a lot of Lilie from Before You Discard Me, which boosted my love for this manga.
The Bad
The setup for the story–pre and post reincarnation–is fairly quick, and it leaves out some opportunity to expand on what happened in the past as well as how Claudia changes her personality to avoid falling into Fermina’s trap in her second life. While it’s not a significant drawback and leaves space open for future volumes to expand on these topics, it would have been nice to see a little more in this first volume.
The Verdict
The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain is an excellent addition to any villainess isekai lover’s shelf. The beautifully expressful art drew me in, but it was the twist of the main character seeking revenge instead of trying to live a peaceful life that kept me reading.
If you liked The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain, you may like…
- Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You
- The Villainess Turns the Hourglass
- Villains are Destined to Die
You can purchase volume 1 of The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.
Credits
Art by Rat Kitaguni
Original Story by Bakufu Narayama
Character Design by Ebisushi
Translation by M. Jean
Lettering by Viet Phuong Vu
Cover Design by H. Qi
Copy Editor Leighanna DeRouen
Proofreader Jenny Mott
Production Designer Brennan Thome
Editor Suzanne Seals
Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment
The Good
- Beautiful and expressive artwork
- Interesting twist to other villainess isekai stories
The Bad
- Some of the plot points feel a little rushed
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