I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

Episode 10

While last episode deftly subverted expectations by having an undeterred Aileen respond to Claude's amnesia by going all in to win his heart like she did the first time around, this episode is almost a checklist of “amnesia arc” tropes seen in numerous Japanese romance stories. We have Aileen doubting herself and her relationship and a compounding misunderstanding that threatens to drive the couple apart forever. And while these are basically a way to gain cheep drama, they do, at the very least, make Aileen seem more like a normal human with real feelings more than the force of nature she often appears to be.

The real problematic trope used in this episode is the one about having the “loser” of the love triangle getting a second chance to win the main character's heart (since the man she chose isn't in love with her anymore). Now, to be clear, there really isn't a love triangle in the early episodes of I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss. The series starts at the moment of her being rejected—the moment Aileen remembers her previous life on Earth. Any feelings she has for Cedric go out the window as she goes into full survival mode.

That said, the “second chance” trope could have worked if the public denouncement was the worst thing Cedric did. Aileen and Cedric could have rekindled their feelings for each other somewhat or at least had Cedric come to the realization that it was his insecurities that kept the two of them from becoming the power couple they could have been. The reason that it doesn't work in the slightest is because Cedric literally tried to rape Aileen for the sole purpose of making his brother lose control of his powers so Cedric would have an excuse to kill him. That is an act so far beyond the moral event horizon, there is no coming back from it.

Sure, it's nice that Cedric is starting to see Lilia for the psychopathic narcissist she actually is, but having him seemingly start to fall for Aileen when she gives him the pie she made (which she clearly did to make Claude jealous) and then try to support her from behind the scenes just makes me sick. Her calling him trash at every turn is played more like a joke than the disdain-dripping insult it should be.

But while that aspect of the story didn't work in the least, the mystery at the core of the story—how and why Claude lost his memories—continues to be a good one. Up until this point, it seemed as if Claude, bereft of his magical powers, was no longer the Demon Lord. However, in this episode we see that is anything but the truth. His emotional state continues to affect the demons around him—to the point where one even attacks their greatest ally: Aileen herself.

This also gives us a look into Claude's mental state. Without his memories, he sees being the heir to the throne as his main responsibility. He wants to live up to the expectations set upon him—something he clearly thinks he had been failing to do when he was the Demon Lord (likely due to carefully disseminated misinformation). It's only natural that he doesn't want to be tangled up with Aileen and the demons when he can't even get a hold of his amnesic life in the first place. However, it's important to note the difference between feelings and actions. Claude may feel overwhelmed by Aileen but if he actually wanted her gone, all he'd have to do is expose her. And let's be serious here, it's possible for any person to have two contradicting feelings at once. We're complicated like that.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I'm legitimately surprised by how viscerally disgusted I am by every scene where Cedric tries to be a “good guy” for Aileen.

• The return of Selena was unexpected. Apparently, she has lost her reverence for Lilia but somehow thinks Cedric will protect her.

• Do Selena and Auguste have some kind of shared backstory? Because if so, I'm ashamed to say I missed that.

• After these events, Claude has to know he is still the Demon Lord—and that those responsibilities are still his whether he wants them or not.

• I'm happy to see Aileen's allies are working on backup plans to save her when things inevitably go wrong.

• I honestly thought we were going to get a return of duck Aileen rather than boy Aileen.

• I'm not looking forward to the episode-long pity-party likely to come next week, but this series has subverted my expectations before so here's hoping it does again.

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.