Isekai stories where characters are suddenly transported into an alternate world have always been a staple in the webcomics/anime world, but as of late, reincarnation/villainess stories have quickly risen to the top. Some believe that the declining popularity of the pure heroine trope paved the way for a different character archetype: the powerful villainess. Based on the original webnovel written by Flowing HonEy, adapted by Bokyung Kong, and published by Manta Comics, the title I've Become a True Villainess becomes a bit of an ironic misnomer since the protagonist is doing everything in her power to not be a villainess.

I've Become a True Villainess sends the unnamed protagonist into the body of Seria Sterne, the villainess of the novel she was reading before she died. The original Seria in the novel had a terrible reputation and was ultimately killed by the secondary male lead. Desperate to change her preordained fate, Seria tries to alter the events so that she doesn't end up dying once again and vows to not get herself involved more than necessary in the original storyline. However, things don't go exactly as planned.

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i've become a true villainess chapter 1

Reincarnation/villainess stories follow a certain plot line: the villainess attempts to change the story to avoid dying again, and consequently, catches the attention of the male love interest who was not supposed to fall in love with her in the first place. Because I've Become a True Villainess follows this structure, it makes the plot predictable. The majority of the first two chapters are spent introducing the main cast: Seria, Callis, Rouche, and Lina. It isn't until the third chapter that the pacing picks up with the introduction of the main conflict and the world slowly getting fleshed out, allowing the readers to get acquainted with the lore of Saints and Sternes.

That being said, there are enough unique elements that make the webcomic engaging. For example, it turns out that the original protagonist of the novel, Lina, is someone who is also from another world -- just like Seria. Despite Lina supposedly being "good" in the original novel, she's already shown a darker side to her personality. However, therein lies the problem: Lina is what makes the story interesting and not Seria. Although Seria is supposedly a powerful holy being, the readers don't get to see her actually use her powers and therefore don't get a sense of how strong she truly is. Whatever actions or choices Seria is making aren't depicted in detail, thus portraying her as a reactive protagonist.

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i've become a true villainess serias vow

The artwork is clean, with bright eye-catching colors. There's a charm in its simplicity. The artist uses warm and cold tones to convey a change in the characters' relationships and moods. By using softer tones like pink and gold that simply melt into each other, Kong is able to convey the characters' happiness, such as when Seria gets married. Even in single panels where they're drawn far from each other, the artist makes exceptional use of the colors to thread them together.

While Seria isn't quite as interesting as a protagonist due to the lack of depicted action, her inner monologue is one of the most entertaining parts to read. It's clear in her thoughts, and especially when she curses, that she's someone from the 21st century. Yet, even though Seria comes from another world, she has already quickly fully immersed herself in the world of the novel. There is an intriguing dichotomy in Seria's role as both a reader and now a character. Because Seria knows what led to her original character's death, she's able to save herself, but her knowledge of the novel acts as both a power and a curse: every action she takes moves her further and further into uncertainty, transitioning her from character and back into reader.