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악녀는 모래시계를 되돌린다
125
—
Finished
Mar 1, 2020 to Nov 4, 2022
7.8/10
Average Review Score
75%
Recommend It
4
Reviews Worldwide
The art is gorgeous!! The author can be a clothes designer the dresses in this manhwa are so phenomenal ✨️ Love the Fl she is one of the strongest and best Fl I have ever seen, and the true villainess (you don't see that a lot in this genre)🥺 Ml is cute too, but he really didn't stand out for me✨️ I also love the side characters. Story is worth staying all night reading for (that's what I did). I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed and unpolished, could have been better but I did have fun reading it so I can forgive bitrushed ending and still give it a 10 . Side stories were interesting but not better than main story as some people say 🥰 So in summary 10/10 definitely recommend reading when you are bored.
As Aria Roscente walks to the gallows, the people cheer, elated to see the death of a true villainess. Her tale is a rags-to-riches story; after her mother married a count, Aria began flaunting her newfound wealth and abusing her status. The people could only pity her saint-like sister, Mielle, who had to put up with such a sibling for many years. But right before she dies, Aria learns the truth—her downfall was all part of Mielle's plan. When Aria reawakens, she finds she is in the past, and beside her is a mysterious hourglass. The former villainess now has only one goal: revenge. From the count's respect to her fiance's affection, everything that Mielle once loved will be Aria's. Using her knowledge of the future and the hourglass' power to turn back time, Aria will do whatever it takes, even if that means using others or faking a smile, to see her vengeance through. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
This is probably one of if not the most interesting manhwa with the villainess/reincarnation theme that I've read. The pace is just right to keep the reader hooked and the author really knows how to build up suspense. My only real complaint would be that the ending of the series seemed a little rushed, and it would have been more beneficial for the author to focus on a fully developed ending rather than adding so many bonus chapters in the epilogue. That's the only reason why I won't give it a perfect 10/10. The main character, while being labeled as a villainess, is easy to cheerfor, and I found myself invested in her success while reading to the point where I was a little stressed at the points in the story where her plans have a chance to fall apart. No matter what she did, I always cheered her on. I think the fact that she has plenty of redeeming qualities, but doesn't lose her desire for revenge really sold her character for me. She's a very well written main character. The male lead wasn't as interesting to me, but there are plenty of aspects to him that would be appealing to other readers. Personally, I was very entertained by the side characters (the main character's maids) and the true villain of the series. The true Villain is extremely well written and so easy to cheer against. This is another aspect of the story that really allows the reader to sympathize with and cheer for the mc. Overall, I highly recommend giving this a try esp if you enjoy the reincarnation/villainess troupe. Even if you're not fond of that troupe, if you're into a great revenge tale, you would probably enjoy this as well.
[More info about my review style can be found on my profile] ▶Summary and recommendation: ----------------------------------------------------------------- [The Villainess turns the hourglass] was my first Otome Isekai, and I am now writing my review after finishing my second read. It is a great introduction to the genre, but it does not excel in many areas. It is a power fantasy / revenge story, and if you can find it in you to root for the protagonist (who is most certainly not a saint themselves) you will find both very satisfying. I usually recommend this to people trying to get into Otome Isekai, but it is far from the bestthe genre has to offer. ▶Story: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The introduction differs quite a lot compared to most Isekai in that the protagonist is a native of the fantasy world, and not from our world. The isekai aspect comes in the form of the main character dying and waking up many years in the past when she was a child, now armed with knowledge of the future. The protagonist was a former commoner, who is now living in the rigid world of nobles. The rags to riches* story follows Aria. A sly girl who armed with the intelligence of an adult together with her foreknowledge sets out on a quest of revenge against everyone who wronged her. She of course does this through political and economic schemes rather than through ostentatious action. The manwha does an excellent job in its power fantasy aspect, and the protagonist rarely meets any challenges she can not overcome with ease. To the point of becoming predictable at times. Where there is contention is the revenge aspect. The villain of the story is a young child who in the present is only a mean child due to her upbringing, but will in the future become cruel and outright evil due to her being easily manipulated by the malicious adults around her. While the villain is most definitely cruel, our modern real world sensibilities would say that her as a child is not deserving of what is happening to her, making it difficult for many to root for the main character. There are also issues with the themes of the manhwa. Where some of its positive themes are subverted later in the story. ▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The setting is unremarkeable. It is loosely inspired by european medieval fantasy. Geopolitics do not have a big role in the story, and the author didn't put that much thought into making the world seem full and expansive. Just whatever was needed for the self contained plot of the manhwa. ▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The main character is intelligent and sly except for when the story requires her to be oblivious to move the plot forward (In particular the romance subplot). She does not go through a lot of character development, as that is not really the point of the story. Rather she is portrayed as a mastermind who skillfully manipulates the board to fulfill her goals. Satisfying if that is what you are looking for. The side characters are fleshed out, with the reader learning more about them at a very well portioned out pace throughout the story. ▶Romance: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Romance is a huge focus of the story, and unlike many Otome Isekai, this is where it differs a lot from other romances. It is the one field where there are some nuance, and things do not always go according to plan. The pairing is quite obvious when you see it, but it takes a while to get there though even though it is quite obvious how it will end. Some commenters have complained about the romance subplot being stretched out too much, and there is some validity to that complaint. There are some oddities with maturity and characters not looking their age due to certain plot devices, that make some of the romance seem off. ▶Artwork: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The artstyle is acceptable. It does not stand out in any particular way, but serves the plot well. Character expressions are well showcased through the art, but it does not elevate the story in any way.
I recommend this purely cuz of the main character. She was brilliant, she planned everything out so well, she was smart, kept learning, developing herself in many ways. She didn't rely on others, she built her own power and knew how to use it. I loved her so much. The guy she is going to fall in love with was also great, although not as much as her. Visually beautiful, side characters were ok, could use more development of their past. The plot was nice and its development as well. The main antagonist was really stupid and annoying, I know we should hate her, butgive her a chance to at least be any threat and give us some emotions when the main character wins vs her... It's not very original, as other isekai stories start the same way and she does end up with one of the main characters, but I still recommend it.