| ANIME - My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! |

SYNOPSIS: Katarina was reincarnated inside an otome-game where originally she plays the role of the villain who ends up dying or getting exiled. 

GENRE: Comedy, Isekai, Harem 
NUMBER OF EPISODES: 12

RATING: 6.5/10

If you came to this anime because you want something with a story, this is not the anime for you. This anime is one of those that you decide to watch when you don't want to think about anything. Absolutely nothing happened with the story, we only get to see the relationship between the characters develop. The first few episodes were wonderful. The setup between the characters was shown, and I wished they could've stayed as children a little while longer. Afterward, we saw them in the academy interacting, and it just felt like fun fillers. We got to see them use some magic, though, so there's that. The last few episodes were the downfall for me. It tried putting a little more conflict for the characters, but it didn't even feel threatening or dangerous. Mostly, it felt irrelevant and stupid. Still, overall, I enjoyed watching this. It was funny and entertaining at times. 

In terms of art, I liked the scenery. Even though it didn't look realistic, it looked beautiful to me. The character design was adorable but inconsistent. There are times when they looked weird. Sometimes the character design and the background clashes because of how simple the characters looked compared to the background. Also, I got annoyed because of how much focus was given to Katarina's forehead. I was glad that it lessened over time. 

In terms of characters, most of them were okay, but after getting their confidence, nothing much happened to them. If you like dumb/dense, but likable characters, you will enjoy most of them, especially Katarina. Her helpful, humble, and friendly nature was pleasing. However, for a protagonist that's supposed to die or end up getting exiled, she was the densest and most unobservant character here. Her nickname, Bakarina, really suits her. Her only priority is food, which is honestly, relatable. I was exasperated with her. She was less annoying here, though. I wanted to hurt her in the manga, and I've only read nine chapters.

In terms of the relationship between the characters, I enjoyed their bond. They were all adorable together. Most of them helped and supported each other a lot. I get that this is a harem, but I just wanted most of their relationship to be platonic. The harem was very entertaining, especially since it doesn't discriminate between genders, but there were times that it felt too much. Some of them were quite obsessive and clingy. Also, if you expect there to be any progress on the romantic aspect, you'll be disappointed.

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT: If you think you'd enjoy something that doesn't really have a storyline, or you don't want to overthink, then yes.

WOULD I WATCH IT AGAIN: Honestly, no. 

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SPOILERY THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS

CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP THOUGHTS:

• I found Katarina adorable sometimes. She was relatable because of the fact that she's like a typical teenager: likes foods, sleeping, and reading novels, and she dislikes studying. She's very kind to others and seems like a fun person to be around. It just sucks that she was so dense. Being dense around a romantic interest is normal for an anime, but not knowing if someone wants to kill you or not is on a whole other level. Her decisions in life make no absolute sense if she wants to survive. I think she lacks any sense of survival. Natural selection wouldn't pick her. 
• I honestly love Gerald. He didn't grow up to be the sadistic bastard he was in the game. With Katarina's influence, he began to enjoy life without thinking about playing others. You could feel that he genuinely likes her, and he doesn't really push her to feel the same. He's just waiting for her to acknowledge romance in her life. He also tolerates her antics, which are sometimes too weird. Who wouldn't be offended when someone throws something you dislike at you? It was funny that the worst thing he did to her was that he told her mother about the tree climbing and all the other things she shouldn't be doing. However, Gerald! Snitches get stitches! Alan's amusement was adorable, though.
• I loved Keith when he was young. He was so adorable. It was bad that he hurt his relatives, but honestly, they deserved it. Those birds weren't doing anything to them! I had mixed feelings about grown-up Keith. He grew up to be the opposite of his character in the game, which was great. However, I hated that he was so meddlesome with Katarina's relationship with Gerald. Sometimes it was too creepy and too clingy. Also, for some reason, I find Keith's grown-up voice, disturbing. He sounds like a pervert.
• It was amazing how carefree Alan grew up into. From someone who was traumatized when he was young because of how their relatives treated him, he became strong and independent. By the simple thing that Katarina said to him when they were young, he grew up to be better than everyone here. I love that he developed a passion for playing the piano, which made him stand out. In your face! (Towards the people who shunned him for being second best towards Gerald). Also, I love that he didn't have a rivalry with his brother anymore when they were grown-up. He had acknowledged that he didn't have to be like Gerald and that he could go do his own thing. It was funny and in-character that he didn't even know that he liked Katarina.
• I love that Mary found someone who acknowledged her green-thumb, but she was the least likable among all of them. She went too far with wanting Katarina for herself. I hate that she deliberately pushes Alan to not recognize his feelings for Katarina. Her intensity was off-putting.
• I love that Katarina and Sophia bonded over romance novels. They were adorable together, and it makes sense because Sophia is the reincarnation of Katarina's best friend in the past life. I honestly don't understand how that could happen, but I like it. It's just weird that even Sophia is part of the harem. Sometimes she cheers her own brother, yet it also seems like she wants Katarina for herself. I don't know what she truly wants. It would have been better if she wasn't part of the harem.
• I love the vibes that Nicole was giving. However, I think there's not much substance to him. It seemed like he was just there to be a mysterious character. You don't even understand why he likes Katarina. Maybe because she welcomed them? But it was too much. Still, I love that he was happier whenever he's with them. It's just weird that sometimes he tells intense things to Katarina out of the blue, like the part when he told her he wanted to stay by her side when they were waiting for Sophia.
• Among all the girls, Maria was the one I loved the most. I understand why she was the main character of the game. She was honestly lovable and pure. She just wanted to be friends with other people who wouldn't shame her because she has powers, even though she was a commoner. I hate that her family had to go through so much because of how strong her power is. Such bullshit thinking that just because you have powerful magic, you have to be from a noble bloodline. I love that Katarina was the one who defended her from the bullies and that she acknowledges how delicious Maria's cooking is. It gave me warm feelings.
• I love Katarina's relationship with Anne. Anne had to endure so much in life (I hate her father), I'm glad that she found someone who appreciates her in life. Even though their relationship is a servant-master, sometimes they act more like sisters. I honestly love Katarina's relationship with their staff. She treats them kindly and acts like their friends. I believe that each and every one of them would defend her if need be. 
• I love the relationship between Katarina's parents. They were always there for Katarina and Keith even though most of the time we get to see their mother scold Katarina. I'm glad that Katarina was able to mend their relationship when her mother thought that Keith was an illegitimate child.
• I think that Raphael/Sirius was such a useless character. I don't get why he's so antagonistic towards Katarina. At least with the other characters, you'll understand why they hated her (in the game). His story was only focused on I think two episodes, yet it felt like such a long time because it was so confusing and boring. I feel bad for him, but I couldn't care less. Who the fuck would kill everybody just because they were associated with Katarina? 

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• It was funny and absurd to me that Katarina turned into a life of farming to help prepare for her doomed ending. From someone who played a lot of video games in her past life, she focused on doing some hard labor. This seems like such an honorable thing to do. It's just so funny that her mother gets stressed out by what she's doing because she breaks the stereotype of nobles, and that the only thing she's afraid of is her mother's lectures. 
• The conflict felt forced. It just seemed like they had to turn something into an issue just so we could have a sense of danger, which didn't work. I hope that if this gets a second season, we will get something that would have more sense. I'm not sure if I'll still watch it, though.
• I'm still curious about what or who saved Katarina inside the ruins. Was it Nicole? A-Chan? 
• I wish that Katarina's powers got stronger.  

THINGS I LOVED:

• Katarina acknowledged that it was her fault that Keith's powers got out of control, and she didn't let it get to him. She even pushed him to come out and stop blaming himself.
• Katarina managed to steal phrases and scenes from characters because she already knew by playing the game in her previous life. Her comforting Mary, and her saving Maria from the bullies.
• Katarina's 15th birthday party. I love how wholesome it was. Everyone danced with her, and Katarina's wish was just to remain with all of them peacefully. Keith told her that Gerald’s kiss on her neck was a bug bite, and Alan got embarrassed when she talked about her underwear. 

• Gerald invited Katarina to his room and gave her food because he knew that was what made her happy. He even got new desserts just for her.
• Alan agreed to a recital because Katarina wanted to hear him play, and the actual recital. Katarina remembered the songs that he played before and was surprised to hear the new one. It was adorable that he didn't even realize it was for her.
• We got to see Katarina comfort Keith when he had a nightmare back when they were young.
• Alan and Katarina hanging out on top of a tree. It was such a beautiful scene.
• The uniform of their academy. I found it badass.

• Their magical powers. They were rarely used, but I love seeing them.

• Alan saved Mary inside the ruins. I honestly wish they could have gone on their normal route in the game. Katarina was cute with Alan, but I just want Mary to stop bugging her.
• I love that Gerald knows what Katarina wants as a gift. He didn't shower her with things that she didn't need because he knows her well. It's just sad that everyone knows too. HAHA.
• Maria was so fierce when she defended Katarina from being blamed as a bully. She managed to threaten them without revealing their identity.
• Katarina appreciates Maria and Joana’s cooking, even though they weren’t noble or anything fancy. 
• Gerald kissed Katarina! I mean, it was to give her water when she was in a coma, but still!
• Alan realized his feelings for Katarina when she was in a coma.
• Katarina gave Nicole a bouquet of vegetables during his graduation. It seemed like a joke, but Nicole appreciated her.
• Alan and Gerald playing instruments during the graduation ceremony was such a wholesome scene. I love the brotherly bonding.

THINGS I FOUND FUNNY:

• Alan confronted Katarina when they were young because she was hogging Mary's attention. He told her that she was seducing Maria! What young child tells someone that. HAHA.
• Katarina's mother objects to her hanging out with other people because of her manners or lack thereof. They had to make Keith babysit her even though he's not their actual child. 
• Katarina still eats food from the ground and even brought up the 3-second rule from her previous life.
• Katarina associates Maria's face with food because Maria always gives her food.
• The book of desire gave them up because it couldn't satisfy Katarina's desire for food. It was such a mood.
• Anne got threatened by Gerald to agree that Katarina still has a scar on her forehead so that she would stop asking him to give up their engagement. Anne didn't know what to do with herself. XD 
• Everyone objects to Katarina's engagement to Gerald because she's a mess and not suitable for a prince. 
• The scene where everyone defended Katarina when she was blamed for bullying Maria ended up as an insult to her. HAHA. 
• Katarina's mother got stressed by her farming in the academy, creating farming noises (when she was trying to praise her), and anything else related to farming. I'm glad that she didn't ban it, though.
• Tom is Katarina's accomplice in making the snake toys. It was hilarious that she even trains to throw it. Anne was weirded by her. Also, by the end, the toy really did look like a snake. 
• Maria used her confession scene to Katarina, and not any of her love interests in the game.
• 'Killed you with my butt' is a funny line. I love that she used it in her past life when she met A-chan, and she used it again when she fell on Keith.

THINGS THAT ANNOYED ME/MADE ME ANGRY:

• Katarina thought that Keith and Gerald were such close friends when they were trying to make each other stay away from her.
• Katarina in Episode 4. She was so stupid in thinking that just because everyone met Maria, they immediately fell in love with her. I don't understand why she thinks that Gerald and Keith were in love with Maria based on their reactions. 
• Every time that Katarina's inner monologue thinks of something clever yet it doesn't reflect on what happens in real life. Such wasted potential.
• The bullies resorted to violence towards Maria. They should have been arrested for that! 
• Maria's classmates ignored her when she baked them cookies just because she had strong powers. What bitter bitches!
• I love the Lake trip in the manga. It was such a wholesome scene there, yet in the anime, they turned it into one of the harem scenes. We got to see more annoying Mary scenes.
• Keith blamed himself for not checking if Katarina did her homework during the summer vacation. What is he? Her keeper? She should have remembered that on her own. Where is your sense of responsibility woman! I get that nobody wants to finish homework, but you still should have remembered that you have tons of them. I was forgivable if she only had one, but she had a lot of them! 
• Honestly, how could Katarina even go to the academy with such weak earth powers? Who in the world thought that it was a good idea to put her in a dangerous practical exam when her power was useless. She was so stupid for pushing all of the traps inside the ruins even though everyone REPEATEDLY told her to be careful. 
• Prioritizing looking for food when you are stranded is a good strategy, however, she didn't even recognize that she found poisonous mushrooms. That would just speed-up her doom.
• Mary actively spied on Alan and Katarina to make sure that they weren't getting closer than she would've preferred. God, what the fuck Mary?
• Even going to the library is a harem event.
• Keith's cookie-scene inside the book of desire was disturbing as fuck.
• Katarina's compilation of stupid pajamas. How does she even have those?
• Katarina still had the nerve to eat as if nobody accused her of bullying Maria. Amazingly, she was unnerved, but also stupid. 
• Most of Katarina's dense qualities were endearing to her friends, but it seemed annoying to me. 
• After being warned by Gerald, Katarina still provoked and asked stupid questions towards Sirius. Honestly, where is her sense of survival? I didn't see it. That was the only time she was observant of her surroundings, yet she said the wrong things. Who would directly ask a person you suspected of being a villain if they have dark magic? You probably would if you had back-up, but she was alone. For god's sake.
• I think that Sirius is stupid for attacking Maria's light magic with his dark magic. Also, how the fuck does he have vials of chloroform with him? Why does that even exist there?
• I was so stressed out by Katarina during the confrontation scene because she was so chill there! She seemed more stressed at the party for the sophomores.
• Katarina realized that there could be a reverse-harem route in the game, but she didn't even realize that it's currently happening in her life! It felt like the creators were just pushing that Katarina is still ignorant about everyone's feelings. 
• Every time Katarina overthinks whether she made something sound threatening or not. 

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

1. Katarina Claes, the daughter of a Duke, suddenly remembered her past life after hitting her forehead. She realized that she's reincarnated inside an otome-game world, where she will end up being the villain who is exiled or killed at the end of the story for bullying Maria Campbell. 
2. Prince Geordo proposed to Katarina because he blamed himself for her head injury. He always visits her.
3. Keith was adopted by Katarina's father. He was bullied by his siblings because he was the son of a mistress. Katarina decided to adore him so that he won't be lonely and fall in love with Maria. She comforted him about his powers. Their other relatives referred to him as monsters for hurting his cousins, while protecting a bird's nest.
4. Katarina's plants became withered. She met Mary Hunt, a girl with Greenfingers, and asked for her help. They became friends after she told Mary that's amazing because of her green thumb. Mary became very attached to her because she was always abused by her sisters. 
5. Alan, Mary's fiance, and Geordo's brother confronted Katarina about Mary. He was jealous because Mary is always talking about Katarina. They had some personal contest to prove their worth, and Katarina ended up comforting him and making him realize not to have an inferiority complex towards Geordo.
6. Katarina became enamored with novels. She befriends Sophia, who shares the same hobbies as her, and Nicole Ascort. She was able to help Sophia by telling her that her looks don't look cursed and that she wanted to be her friend.
7. Katarina celebrated her fifteenth birthday. She prepared for the start of the academy, where they will meet Maria Campbell.
8. Katarina befriends Maria by telling her that she wants to eat her sweets. She defended her against her bullies. They were bullying her for trying to interact with the nobles when she was just a commoner who has rare light magic.
9. They spent their time together in the student council room, and during the summer break. Keith and Katarina went to Maria's home. Maria's mother was happy that she was able to gain a wonderful friend. People didn't treat Maria well. They think that she's an illegitimate daughter of a noble because she has powerful magic, which isn't true. Everyone tried to make a move towards Katarina, but she was too dense to see. The lake, shopping with Sophia, and Alan's recital. 
10. They had their practical exam. They had to go inside a dungeon and find a magic stone. Katarina got lost, and everyone was worried. Nicole and Sophia were able to locate her using wind magic. She almost fell off a cliff, but a mysterious wind saved her. Maria noticed that a shadow presence was watching Katarina.
11. They prepared for their exams. Everyone got sucked into a book that shows your inner desire, except Mary and Maria. Everyone wanted Katarina, while Katarina wanted food.
12. Someone tried to frame Katarina into being labeled a bully. Maria and the others defended her. Maria tried to investigate the shadow presence and ended up being kidnapped. Three days later, Maria remembered that there's a hidden character in the otome-game. It was the student council president, Sirius. She confronted him, and he ended up using his powers on her. He had dark magic, a magic that can only be obtained by sacrificing human life.
13. Katarina fell into a deep sleep like a coma. In her mind, she relieved her past life. Everyone grieved about their relationship with her and prayed for her to awaken. Sophia found out that she's the reincarnation of Katarina's best friend in her past life. A-chan was able to call her from her subconscious. She told Katarina about the hidden character, Sirius, because she already played that track, and where Maria is.
14. Sirius was revealed to be Raphael Walt. Sirius' mother decided to kidnap Raphael to perform dark magic on him. The real Sirius' body was sick, so his subconscious was transferred to Raphael. Raphael's mother was used as a sacrifice.
15. Raphael was possessed by the dark magic-user who performed the subconscious transfer. He tricked Raphael into thinking that he wanted revenge. He was able to get rid of the spirit that possessed him using his will. He turned himself in for his crimes and reported Sirius' mother.
16. The second-year had their graduation party. Raphael joined her harem. Katarina managed to evade her doom, and still thinks that nobody is in love with her. She thinks they are all just friends. 
17. A new season will start that doesn't follow the otome-game.