In autumn 2023, we got our very first look at the I’m In Love With The Villainess anime. Based on the first two novels of the same name by inori., the anime told an apparently scattered isekai story about Rae Taylor, the reincarnated former employee of an exploitative company, Oohashi Rei, into the world of her favorite game where she is free to woo the game’s villainess, Claire François. The end of the anime came at the climactic moment when Rae makes her love for Claire too clear to be ignored and Claire in turn finally admits that she has a vested interest in Rae. In other words, just as the story was getting good. As fans of the series know, the apparent “scattered” storytelling was always heading towards a very serious conclusion.
Fans of the light novel series and manga adaptation drawn brilliantly by Aonoshimo, (available in English from Seven Seas, and almost a dozen other languages across the globe,) were openly disappointed with the low-budget for the anime itself, but still enjoyed the voice acting from both the Japanese and English casts, and the fascinating multi-part Opening and Ending songs. WataOshi/ ILTV fandom is still going strong…and in recent weeks there has been a campaign to push for a second season of the anime, which would *at least* take the story into, and possibly through, the Revolution arc of the story.
Stepping into this conversation, inori.-sensei just happened to mention that the Tokyo Anime Award Best 100 was open for voting. She gave step by step instructions to assist her overseas fans to vote if they wanted to. By November 3, Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou. (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) had made it into the top 20. It faced some serious competition, like Frieren (葬送のフリーレン) and Delicious in Dungeon (ダンジョン飯), but WataOshi passed both and is now sitting at a strong #2 position behind the amazingly popular #1, Brave Bang Bravern! (勇気爆発バーンブレイバーン) and in front of the Sanrio collaboration with boy band JO1, Jochum.
Can WataOshi push past Bravern to win the top position? It’s not likely given the highly sexualized nature of Bravern and the fact that it is a BL mecha series, so it has cross-genre appeal. As one of our esteemed Okazu Discord members, Rugose noted, “Bang Bravern has the gays and robotfuckers supporting it,” and I can’t disagree with that summation. That said, Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou has so far made a strong stand. Even a #2 finish might convince the powers that be to develop a second season. Like all popularity-driven “best” contests, this contest is absolutely vulnerable to ballot stuffing by using multiple emails. That said, it does indicate the passion of a fandom and WataOshi fans are keeping up the pressure.
Voting is open until December 12 and all you need is an email and a few moments so if you too wish to see (an appropriately funded this time) second season to one of our favorite Yuri isekai, let the Tokyo Anime Awards know what you think!
