I’m in Love with the Villainess – 08 – Labors of Love

Well now, our kooky isekai lesbian rom-com has suddenly taken a turn towards the serious and dramatic. Since it’s dealt with serious matters before—like Rae opening up about her sexuality, or Claire’s past family trauma—this isn’t entirely out of left field. But it still toes a fine line, trying to have its usual goofy moments between Rae and Claire while also, say, having them interview a severe burn victim: a commoner named Matt.

As expected, this isn’t a simple matter of a noble lashing out at a commoner out of hatred. The alleged attacker Dede claims he only intended to intimidate, not harm, and his wand malfunctioned. My first thought was that the smirking masked mystery man must’ve made it look like Dede attacked the kid, with the intention of igniting the already shouldering embers of civil discord between noble and commoners.

And hey, it’s working like a charm. Word has gotten out about the attack, and there’s a commoner mob at the gates. Adding to the complication is the fact that it was Prince Yu who was first approached by Matt regarding the commoner movement. As his mother was a former cardinal of the church—a third group in this conflict with its own motives and ambitions which also believes in equality for all, at least in theory—Matt may have thought he could sway Yu.

The commoners want Dede severely punished, but he gets a slap on the wrist instead: one week’s house arrest. That only increases the temperature, ruins the Knights’ efforts to keep the peace, and forces the academy to suspend classes until further notice.

When Rod and Thane (who had a different mother who passed) turn on Yu, who tried and failed to get an audience with his mom, Claire posits that the church may be trying to create a rift between the princes. The brothers resolve to keep a united front going forward.

Unfortunately, the time for trying to talk things out seems to have passed, and Rae urges Claire to confine herself to her chambers tomorrow. When Claire refuses, citing her duty as a Knight to stay at the front lines, Rae casts a sleeping spell on her. After getting Lene to confirm she loves Claire too, Rae trusts the maid to care for Claire, and tells her not to come out of her rooms no matter what.

Rae knows, not doubt because she played the whole game, that the gate will fall that night, and so it does, thanks to the masked mystery man stunning the guards. But while the princes hold back the mob, Rae heads to Lambert’s magical tool workshop, where he finds him trying to retrieve a monster-summoning bell.

Thanks to her game omniscience, she also knows that Lambert and Lene are in love with one another despite being blood siblings. Even though their family relies on the nobles for their wealth, their more personal needs take precedence, especially when it comes to light Lene is essentially being held hostage.

Rae’s interrogation is interrrupted by Lene, who threatens to cut Claire’s throat if she doesn’t stand down. This is a major escalation, and reveals that Lene values her and Lambert’s agenda even over the girl she’s served practically her whole life.

Thankfully, the standoff is ended by Ralaire, whom Claire has taken a shine to and kept in her pocket. The baby slime bites Lene’s hand and disarms her, allowing Rae to take up a defensive position beside Claire who has since awakened from the sleep spell and heard everything.

Rae and Claire ask the siblings to stand down, but then they’re interrupted by masked mystery man, who repairs the broken monster luring bell and, exhibiting his hold on Lambert, urges him to summon the monsters, or he and Lene won’t be able to leave the country together to start a new life.

Lambert does as he’s told, unleashing a ferocious chimera that shrugs off Claire’s fire attacks. Rae slows it down with her earth daggers, then creates a bubble of water to carry her and Claire (whom she princess carries) out to the courtyard.

After another futile fire attack from Claire, Rae encases the chimera in ice, but knows it won’t hold forever, and shows signs she’s already low on mana (her burning the candle on both ends can’t have helped). Rae takes Claire hand and declares that they’re about to embark on their first “labor of love” together, thus bringing us back around to the premise of the show.

But with all this going on, what I found most interesting is that Rae doesn’t know how this is going to play out. The masked man’s machinations didn’t happen in the game. She doesn’t know what this new story thread is, or even who he is. That’s a nice parallel for our own slight bewilderment over all this serious dramatic plot suddenly being dumped on us.

She may not know who her enemy is, but she doesn’t know who it isn’t: Claire Francois. As long as they stick together, and with some help from her friends (those who aren’t named Aurousseau), Rae intends to come out of this unforeseen storyline as the victor. And victors get head pats!

The Dangers in My Heart – 04 – Big With Me Right Now

Surprise! Upon further deliberation, I’ve decided to get back into Dangers in My Heart, as it fell by the wayside in a very crowded Spring 2023 season. I didn’t dislike it, I just felt I didn’t have enough time to enjoy it. But as it’s maintained a rating well above 8 on MAL with a second season on the way next year, I wanted to finish what I’d started in April, lest I become consumed by FOMO.

I pick up as the gears turn in Ichikawa Kyoutarou’s head, wondering what “liking” Yamada Anna even means. He tells himself that at the very least, he has no interest in going out with her, but he sounds awfully tsundere in his thoughts. During lunch he notices a short-haired girl staring intently at Yamada and Yamada not noticing.

Back in the library, he finds Yamada preparing another messy snack: Puruche, with the milk she smuggled out of class. He can’t help himself from emerging from the stacks to tell her she’ll make a mess, and suggests a bowl from home ec. When she asks him to fetch him one, he does so without hesitation, but she chases after him, saying she was only joking, and wanted to together.

The home ec room is locked so they go to the science lab, where Ichikawa uses a balance to perfect the Puruche-to-milk ratio, much to Yamada’s amusement. When she dips his finger in the finished product, I half-expected her to then suck it, but she has him taste it instead, before chugging the beaker.

When a teacher barges in suddenly she chokes on the Puruche and spills the pale, thick concoction all over her lap. Thus Ichikawa and Yamada end up caught in what looks and sounds like it could have been the middle of a sexual act, but is actually far more innocent, thank goodness.

While on cleaning duty, Ichikawa again notices the short-haired girl attempting and failing to approach Yamada about something. Serina then asks her if she’s apologized yet, adding that she didn’t use to “be like this.” In response to that, Kanaoya (we see her name tag) snipes back that Serina simply clings to Yamada nowadays.

Ichikawa has no interest in getting into the middle of a cat fight, even though he knows Kanaoya is mistaken about Serina worshipping the feat Yamada walks on. Like the rest of her friends, they’re all looking out for her because she’s such a space cadet!

The fact that Yamada and Ichikawa are now interacting more in the library  works against him when he tries to make himself scarce so Kanaoya can apologize. He manages to get out and sees that Serina is just outside the library observing.

Yamada ends up being the one beckoning to Kanaoya to come and see the old face-swapping app she’s behind the times on (but hey, if it’s big with her now that’s all that matters really). This gives Kanaoya the opening she needs to apologize for hitting Yamada in the face with the basketball. Yamada tells her it’s fine, and all is well. Later, Serina apologizes to Kanaoya for being too pushy, and they make up.

Ichikawa is biking along when he passes a konbini from which Yamada emerges and compliments his bike (in a way he thinks sounds like she’s about to mug him, which is hilarious). Yamada then asks for a ride, offering the tippy top of a Papiko bottle in exchange. Honestly, the ride itself is its own reward.

Ichikawa notes how Yamada doesn’t sit to one side like other girls, and is lighter than he thought. You can tell Yamada herself was looking for an opportunity to talk with him, opens up about quitting the basketball club, and considers joining Ichikawa’s data processing club, clearly fishing for a bashful reaction.

To Ichikawa’s shock, Yamada actually gives him the full second bottle of Papiko, now that she knows he prefers the classic coffee flavor. He gives her the tippy top of his just as she did with him, and her reaction is adorable as she heads to the trains.

The next time Ichikawa sees Yamada, he’s having lunch at McDonalds with his big sister Kana. He tries to overhear how she deals with guys hitting on her, but she’s so loudly shaking her Shaka-Shaka Chicken (a menu item sadly not available in the U.S.) he can’t hear.

Yamada spots him too, and eventually overhears how they’re related. Then, when Kana teases him for only having a salad, Yamada goes downstairs to order some Shaka-Shaka for himself. She surprises him by shoving herself into him enthusiastically, while wearing a super-cute outfit that makes her look even more like the model she is.

Yamada thinks she’ll get some soft serve, but forgot her wallet upstairs, essentially betraying that she went down just to talk with him. When she heads back up, Ichikawa has the uncontrollable urge to buy her some soft serve, but when they meet again on the steps, she assumes he’s copying her order again. It’s a fun instance of their mutual inability to discern each others’ intentions in the moment.

Back at school it’s time for Yamada to face the music for her alleged illicit snacking, but Ichikawa is by the door to the teacher’s office before her. She admits she’s scared and asks him to join her, and since he has nothing else to do, he does, explaining to the teacher he’s there to “observe.”

Ichikawa ends up serving as her defense lawyer, establishing reasonable doubt to the accusations levied against her. While at first he thinks he’s going to get yelled at, the teacher praises him for speaking up for a change. He leaves the office with Yamada fully exonerated. He didn’t have to save her, but he did, and she appreciates it.

In fact, she uses this as an opportunity to suggest they start talking more like friends, because as far as she’s concerned, that’s what they are. These two have already come a long way since episode one, and I’m earnestly looking forward to their continued progress.