I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

Episode 7

A lot happens in this episode. We have Aileen's confrontation with James, the church's terrorist plot for the fighting tournament, and preparations for the upcoming dance where the belle of the ball gets some demon incense as a prize. There's both action and comedy in spades here—and most importantly, a big revelation.

While James is no longer the leader of the demon rebellion like he was in the game, someone is using his name for nefarious purposes that neither he nor Aileen understand. This marks the first major change that doesn't seem to be related to Aileen's actions in any way—meaning that someone else is almost certainly a reincarnator altering the plot for their own gain.

Because of this, Aileen has lost her greatest weapon: her knowledge of the future. While the outward events are similar, the inner workings are not—leaving her just as much in the dark as anyone else. However, the thing about Aileen is that, while she acknowledges the mystery, she doesn't dwell on it. Instead, she focuses on the more immediate threats (namely those revolving around the demon incense and the school festival) that she can actively do something about.

This stems from Aileen's nature as a stereotypical villainess. She is literally designed to be someone so prideful and driven that she will relentlessly bully the heroine and not repent even in the end—so self-assured is she that her actions are justified. However, Aileen's past-life memories and personality have blunted that pettiness and superiority complex, and what remains is a woman of action. When she sees a path to victory, she takes it. It doesn't matter if she fails. She'll simply try again. She knows no fear—well, except in those brief moments where everything falls apart and she sees just how foolhardy she has been. This is why she can take a sword to the stomach, face down a murderous demon, or blackmail church assassins into following her lead.

All this leads us to the episode's climax, which sets up one of my favorite tropes of villainess stories. There is always that moment where the reformed villainess embraces what she was meant to be. Selena may have thought that by pushing Rachael down the stairs, she had rid herself of her rival—the only person with a chance of outshining the heroine. Yet, all she did is leave the position vacant. While Aileen has taken the role of a heroine fighting for peace between heroes and demons, that's not what is needed right now. Rather, it's the time to show Selena what it's like to face a villainess in all her glory—and that's something this sad excuse for a heroine is in no way ready for.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Aileen is the master of deceiving without lying. She never outright told James she was a demon, but summoning a monster from her shadow sure does imply it.

• Duck suit kabedon. 'Nuff said.

• We basically got the duck suit Power Rangers this episode.

• I like that the male leads were all skilled enough to make sure that Claude “accidently” knocked them into the demon incense-filled lamps.

• I feel sorry for Rachael. She's supposedly a villainess but she's done so little in this anime that she's never really had a chance to shine. She's almost a non-character at this point development-wise.

• It's good that Claude is unraveling the mystery on his side of things as well. It makes him seem like Aileen's equal rather than a hopeless “damsel in distress.”

• Is Aileen going to the ball as Aileen or as a cross-dressing Ailey?

• Assuming Claude and his entourage don't appear at the ball, I wonder if anyone will recognize Aileen. She's rather infamous after all.

• I hope we get the reveal of the mastermind and/or learn the specifics of the evil plan soon. If this arc goes on all the way till the final episode, I'm afraid it's really going to start to drag.

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.