The anime My Next Life as a Villainess follows an ordinary high school girl in Japan who wakes up as Katarina Klaes, the villainess of the otome game Fortune Lover. She needs to escape her character's eventual doom by changing the entire course of the game. Whether the original protagonist Maria Campbell gets her own happy ending or not, Katarina is headed for disaster, and the new Katarina can't allow the game to play out like it's meant to. How to change the future? By changing everyone's relationships in the here and now.
Katarina's been so successful at changing these relationships, however, that the characters' new situations may be going in directions Katarina never intended.
The Progress Thus Far
Katarina knows the future, so she adjusts everyone's relationships to foster strong friendships early on, and make sure everyone gets along. She becomes a positive role model and the anchor of everyone's social life, unlike the selfish bully she was meant to be in the original game. Katarina boosts her stepbrother Keith's courage and resolve, and even prince Alan Stuart has been molded into a fine young man, who hardly envies his popular brother Geordo at all. Meanwhile, Katarina has stepped up as the lonely Maria's best friend, shielding her from bullying and mocking from the other students.
All this is meant to keep Maria from falling in love with one of her potential suitors, such as Geordo, Alan, Keith or Nicol, and so far, it's been working well. Maria has many friends, but no lover just yet, and these happy characters are pursuing their own interests instead of desperately turning to each other for much-needed love and comfort. But Katarina's success may take flight and change things again soon.
Joyful Lovers
If the characters, like Nicol and Alan, aren't seeking love for comfort during a hard life, then they will simply seek it for other reasons. Katarina has kept Maria happy but single (as planned), but these characters are drifting closer to falling in love anyway. They all have smooth and successful lives, and they have very little to worry about. Nicol and Sophia Ascart are feeling pretty good (which contrasts with the original game), and Nicol feels bold enough to start hitting on Katarina and declaring that he wants to spend more time by her side. If Katarina keeps him at arm's length, he may turn to Maria instead, and share his joy with her.
Prince Alan is another good example of this among the boys; he's feeling great about his life, and he puts on piano recitals for anyone who will listen. He even admitted that when he plays a love song, he has his actual love interest in mind. Katarina isn't sure whether this mystery girl is Mary or Maria, but hopes that it's Mary. If it's Maria, then Katarina's efforts to cultivate a happy Alan will totally turn on her.
Finally, there's Maria Campbell. She is overjoyed at having this strong circle rather than being an outcast, and she's even making subtle "I love you" hints at Katarina herself. If Maria does pursue this route, that would help Katarina avoid the doom flags, but perhaps it would inspire jealousy among the boys, and they would try to win Maria over. If they succeed, then Katarina is headed for doom after all.
Katarina has created a strong social circle of happy friends, but this plan could turn on her at any moment and set off those doom flags in unexpected ways.