The Villainess Turns the Hourglass

[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.