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Originally created as a light novel series that launched online back in 2017, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss by author Sarasa Nagase and artist Mai Murasaki was popular enough to yield a manga adaptation also published through Yen Press. The series delves into the popular ‘reincarnated in a villainess character’ that is so popular in the isekai genre and features a young woman who realizes that she’s now living inside the world of one of her favorite otome games–as the villainess baddie who dies a horrific death!
Now as Aileen, the wicked noblewoman, she’ll have to work fast to change gears on the destruction coming and her bad ending! Her engagement to the prince ends unceremoniously so she’s placing her bets on the final boss character, a young man shrouded in mystery and interesting backstory. Throw in how our heroine doesn’t quite remember the timing of all the major plot points: she foolishly throws herself into the new plan: seduce the Demon King and avoid a bad ending!
While I have not gotten around to reading the original light novels, I have, however, read and devoured the short manga adaptation. While the author did announce a year ago, on their Twitter account that an anime adaption was in production, it is only recently that we’re getting a trailer. Finally seeing the trailer for the upcoming anime series coming later this year made me think back on the quite charming, hilarious, and memorable series that I read and think about what I’m looking forward to seeing the most in its newer adaptation.
Very minor spoilers to follow
SCENE #1: Aileen and Claude’s First Meeting
Sure we get a glimpse of it in the trailer but I think the full scene of Alieen and Claude’s first meeting will be such a hilarious treat to behold when animated. Our heroine’s memory is fuzzy on some of the details of the game’s narrative but remembers Claude’s backstory and knows that he’s not a character to underestimate. She’s set on avoiding the bad ending at all costs. Her strongest memories of past play-throughs of the game means she remembers she met ridiculous ends as a villainess noblewoman who has bullied the “true” heroine of the series. Aileen always met such an end while still trying to get back into her previous fiancé’s good graces. But she’s never played through a route where the wicked villainess was an ally or attached to the not-quite-a-villain Demon King Claude. It is their first meeting that establishes that this mysterious young man who has been outed from society isn’t an evil person and yet he is not one to mess with either. Folks who are looking forward to the anime should be looking forward to how their hilarious, high energy first meeting is adapted, and the start of the dynamic relationship!
SCENE #2: The Start of Claude’s Castle Repairs
Aileen and Claude do get mixed up with each other and her hanging around actually does Claude some good: he’s getting some much-needed repairs done to his imposing but squandering castle and surrounding land that is in need of some serious TLC. Through Alieen, she opens up the doors and brings in a fantastic crew of humans to work with the Demon King’s demons to make a plan for not just the castle’s restoration but some ideas on how to make this little fief some commerce. This chapter in the manga brings in some interesting characters from different walks of life, and everyone’s work helps bring some legitimacy to the demon King’s land. I have a feeling that folks watching the anime will get a kick out of all the personalities of the kingdom’s finest who come to aid Aileen at her request and all the fun commotion that happens when the demons and humans start interacting and working together.
SCENE #3: Aileen’s Being Loved On By The Demon King’s Entourage
Even from the trailer you can imagine that Aileen doesn’t make the best first impression on Claude and his followers. That slowly changes starting with several of the young magical creatures and smaller demons that she can bully talk about doing small errands for her–all for the sake of their lord–into doing her work. From a certain flying creature with a sassy mouth who ends up loving sweets to some juvenile magical creatures Aileen saves from snobby nobles, she earns the adoration of the Demon King’s followers. And for some of them, even their begrudging respect as they start to understand that she values their lives even though they live in a kingdom where they along with Claude are persecuted mercilessly by humans. It doesn’t happen overnight and folks who are looking forward to watching the anime will be pleased with all the fighting and bonding Alieen does with the demonic crew to gain their affection and get work done.
SCENE #4: Aileen’s Entrance at the Castle’s Soiree
Towards the end of the short manga series and strumming up to the rising action for the climax of the story, Alieen who is still a noble, must attend a swanky ball at the castle. In the original story from the otome game played, it is a big event where Alieen attends in an effort to win back the affections of the Crown Prince Cedric. Now that the story has changed greatly, she’s now forced to attend by the Crown Prince in an effort to shame her publicly. But she still chooses to go, she still has her pride as a noble and doesn’t want to back down to the dimwit whom she was once in loved with! Plus, she’s hoping to make sure Claude’s reputation doesn’t get any more mud thrown on it. Folks who watch the anime adaptation will LOVE these episodes as there is so much to love: Alieen’s dress, her entrance into the castle, the big showdown fought with words, and a certain someone making everywhere swoon!
SCENE #5: THE FINAL BATTLE, OF COURSE!
Obviously, you should have seen this one coming, right? While there’s one big glaring trope that I hate that takes place in the final volume that leads up to the big finale, the final battle is a layered one with different players and is not to be missed! I think what I loved most about the final battle and the high stakes raised is that Aileen, as a character, continues to shine in a way that reminded me why I was rooting for her so much. While I didn’t become emotionally attached to every character on the page when reading the manga, I was reminded of why cheering on the under dogs is king. I believe the final battle from the manga also had some really insightful narrative meat on what it means not just on what it means to be a ‘heroine” but also a “main character”. Roles, tropes, and stories get subverted all the time, and I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss‘s final chapter being animated will be one that I look forward to watching the most for these characters I loved following around on the page. I can’t wait to watch the anime later this year and hope you’re anticipating it too!
As reported by The Anime Network, the anime adaptation is directed by Kumiko Habara and written by Kenta Ihara, with music by Natsumi Tabuchi, Hanae Nakamura, Miki Sakurai, Sayaka Aoki, and Kanade Sakuma. Maho Film is responsible for the series animation.
I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss premieres this October.
Cover via Anime Geek
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The post 5 Scenes I’m Looking Forward to in the Upcoming ‘I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss’ Anime appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Originally created as a light novel series that launched online back in 2017, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss by author Sarasa Nagase and artist Mai Murasaki was popular enough to yield a manga adaptation also published through Yen Press. The series delves into the popular ‘reincarnated in a villainess character’ that is so popular in the isekai genre and features a young woman who realizes that she’s now living inside the world of one of her favorite otome games–as the villainess baddie who dies a horrific death!
Now as Aileen, the wicked noblewoman, she’ll have to work fast to change gears on the destruction coming and her bad ending! Her engagement to the prince ends unceremoniously so she’s placing her bets on the final boss character, a young man shrouded in mystery and interesting backstory. Throw in how our heroine doesn’t quite remember the timing of all the major plot points: she foolishly throws herself into the new plan: seduce the Demon King and avoid a bad ending!
While I have not gotten around to reading the original light novels, I have, however, read and devoured the short manga adaptation. While the author did announce a year ago, on their Twitter account that an anime adaption was in production, it is only recently that we’re getting a trailer. Finally seeing the trailer for the upcoming anime series coming later this year made me think back on the quite charming, hilarious, and memorable series that I read and think about what I’m looking forward to seeing the most in its newer adaptation.
Very minor spoilers to follow
SCENE #1: Aileen and Claude’s First Meeting
Sure we get a glimpse of it in the trailer but I think the full scene of Alieen and Claude’s first meeting will be such a hilarious treat to behold when animated. Our heroine’s memory is fuzzy on some of the details of the game’s narrative but remembers Claude’s backstory and knows that he’s not a character to underestimate. She’s set on avoiding the bad ending at all costs. Her strongest memories of past play-throughs of the game means she remembers she met ridiculous ends as a villainess noblewoman who has bullied the “true” heroine of the series. Aileen always met such an end while still trying to get back into her previous fiancé’s good graces. But she’s never played through a route where the wicked villainess was an ally or attached to the not-quite-a-villain Demon King Claude. It is their first meeting that establishes that this mysterious young man who has been outed from society isn’t an evil person and yet he is not one to mess with either. Folks who are looking forward to the anime should be looking forward to how their hilarious, high energy first meeting is adapted, and the start of the dynamic relationship!
SCENE #2: The Start of Claude’s Castle Repairs
Aileen and Claude do get mixed up with each other and her hanging around actually does Claude some good: he’s getting some much-needed repairs done to his imposing but squandering castle and surrounding land that is in need of some serious TLC. Through Alieen, she opens up the doors and brings in a fantastic crew of humans to work with the Demon King’s demons to make a plan for not just the castle’s restoration but some ideas on how to make this little fief some commerce. This chapter in the manga brings in some interesting characters from different walks of life, and everyone’s work helps bring some legitimacy to the demon King’s land. I have a feeling that folks watching the anime will get a kick out of all the personalities of the kingdom’s finest who come to aid Aileen at her request and all the fun commotion that happens when the demons and humans start interacting and working together.
SCENE #3: Aileen’s Being Loved On By The Demon King’s Entourage
Even from the trailer you can imagine that Aileen doesn’t make the best first impression on Claude and his followers. That slowly changes starting with several of the young magical creatures and smaller demons that she can bully talk about doing small errands for her–all for the sake of their lord–into doing her work. From a certain flying creature with a sassy mouth who ends up loving sweets to some juvenile magical creatures Aileen saves from snobby nobles, she earns the adoration of the Demon King’s followers. And for some of them, even their begrudging respect as they start to understand that she values their lives even though they live in a kingdom where they along with Claude are persecuted mercilessly by humans. It doesn’t happen overnight and folks who are looking forward to watching the anime will be pleased with all the fighting and bonding Alieen does with the demonic crew to gain their affection and get work done.
SCENE #4: Aileen’s Entrance at the Castle’s Soiree
Towards the end of the short manga series and strumming up to the rising action for the climax of the story, Alieen who is still a noble, must attend a swanky ball at the castle. In the original story from the otome game played, it is a big event where Alieen attends in an effort to win back the affections of the Crown Prince Cedric. Now that the story has changed greatly, she’s now forced to attend by the Crown Prince in an effort to shame her publicly. But she still chooses to go, she still has her pride as a noble and doesn’t want to back down to the dimwit whom she was once in loved with! Plus, she’s hoping to make sure Claude’s reputation doesn’t get any more mud thrown on it. Folks who watch the anime adaptation will LOVE these episodes as there is so much to love: Alieen’s dress, her entrance into the castle, the big showdown fought with words, and a certain someone making everywhere swoon!
SCENE #5: THE FINAL BATTLE, OF COURSE!
Obviously, you should have seen this one coming, right? While there’s one big glaring trope that I hate that takes place in the final volume that leads up to the big finale, the final battle is a layered one with different players and is not to be missed! I think what I loved most about the final battle and the high stakes raised is that Aileen, as a character, continues to shine in a way that reminded me why I was rooting for her so much. While I didn’t become emotionally attached to every character on the page when reading the manga, I was reminded of why cheering on the under dogs is king. I believe the final battle from the manga also had some really insightful narrative meat on what it means not just on what it means to be a ‘heroine” but also a “main character”. Roles, tropes, and stories get subverted all the time, and I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss‘s final chapter being animated will be one that I look forward to watching the most for these characters I loved following around on the page. I can’t wait to watch the anime later this year and hope you’re anticipating it too!
As reported by The Anime Network, the anime adaptation is directed by Kumiko Habara and written by Kenta Ihara, with music by Natsumi Tabuchi, Hanae Nakamura, Miki Sakurai, Sayaka Aoki, and Kanade Sakuma. Maho Film is responsible for the series animation.
I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss premieres this October.
Cover via Anime Geek
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!
The post 5 Scenes I’m Looking Forward to in the Upcoming ‘I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss’ Anime appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
In over fifty years, Star Trek has amassed an impressive catalog of several years-long series and thirteen films as well as a plethora of supplemental material. The franchise has cemented itself as not just a mainstay on our screens but in pop culture itself. It’s massively popular, and it isn’t slowing down any time soon.
But even with all of that, I still think Star Trek can push forward and do more. Am I ungrateful for the gluttonous amount of content that we’ve received over the past few years? Maybe. But Star Trek made me this way, so it’s really their fault.
In addition, I’m here to make the case for why Star Trek should be connected through all forms of media, not just television shows and movies. I’m talking video games, comics, novels, you name it. I want it all to matter (Don’t get me wrong, it matters whether it’s canon or not, I’m just being a brat). I want it all to breathe off of each other.
The MCU Before the MCU
Star Trek has always kind of been a pioneer for connective tissue in multiple properties. They were the MCU before the MCU. In the ‘90s, The Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine aired at the same time, and then eventually Star Trek: Voyager as well. In addition to that, there were movies being released concurrently with the television shows.
While the shows and movies mostly operated on their own, they didn’t shy away from letting the audiences know that these characters all lived and operated in the same universe. They even did crossovers from time to time to remind us all of that. One of my favorites was definitely seeing Benjamin Sisko meet Jean Luc Picard and tell him how mad he was at him for his wife’s death. At the time, Picard had been controlled by the Borg and was responsible for countless lives during the battle of Wolf 359.
To say the air was thicc in that room is an understatement.
Sure, these meetups weren’t exactly Avengers-worthy, but they went a long way in convincing hungry fans that everything they were watching was part of a grand design. It made the world feel more tangible, more lived in. It really was the blueprint for all the connectivity we see in television and film today.
Taking this framework and broadening it into other forms of media wouldn’t necessarily be a cakewalk, but with so many companies doing the same thing at this point, it wouldn’t be like they’d be taking a huge chance on something in a vacuum.
Back Like They Never Left
Culminating with the divisive Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek left television from 2005 until 2017. That’s twelve years if you aren’t great at math, and an entire generation grew up with a massive void in the collective conscious of pop culture. Sure, the JJ Abrams movies began to come out in 2009, but they were aimed at being different than the television shows. They opted for action over diplomacy, which is fine, but there was a lot that fans were missing.
In 2017, we finally got a new Star Trek show in Star Trek: Discovery, which is also divisive, depending on who you talk to. It takes place about ten years before the original series and explores a period of conflict between the Federation and the Klingons, at least in its early seasons. In recent seasons, it takes place in the uncharted territory set 900 years in the future.
With its premiere, Discovery spawned four new shows: Star Trek: Picard, following the story of Jean Luc Picard in his twilight years, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, following Captain Pike, the Captain of the Enterprise right before Kirk, the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks, which follows the less important members of the U.S.S. Cerritos, and Star Trek: Prodigy, another animated show aimed at younger audiences that follows a group of kids who discover a Federation Starship in a junkyard.
I think it’s safe to say that Star Trek has never been in a better spot than it is right now. They’ve taken that nineties blueprint and expanded upon it. We get so much Star Trek content now that there’s rarely a week in the year where there isn’t a new episode from one of the five shows. We are truly eating. And while mostly isolated, they all feel like they’re part of the same world, just at different parts of the galaxy or in different eras. But still, I want more.
We get tie-in novels and comics here and there. But how about an original series of books or comics that take place in and around these shows that feature tangential or even brand-new characters. How about stories that are acknowledged both in the books and in the shows? That’s what I want.
Prime Timeline & The Kelvin Timeline
As popular as Star Trek is, let’s not act like it’s been smooth sailing from the jump. The original show only lasted three seasons after almost getting canceled after two. Then, as I mentioned before, after a long run of 17 years of television with multiple shows, Star Trek was axed again in its entirety. It seemed like we wouldn’t ever see it again, but it eventually came back with 2009’s Star Trek film from JJ Abrams.
But this wasn’t your daddy’s Star Trek. The Trek of old was ask questions first, punch as a last resort. This new Trek was punch first, then phaser, then maybe ask questions. The diplomacy, the thing that so many laud as their reason for clinging to this franchise took a backseat to popcorny pulp, which isn’t a bad thing. The problem was that there wasn’t a balance of both.
But that’s a deep dive for another article. We’re talking about connective tissue here, so I want to talk about how the JJ Abrams movies, which are dubbed the Kelvin Timeline, after the inciting incident on the U.S.S. Kelvin which is responsible for the deviation in events, actually connect with Trek of old, and even the new Trek that we get today. It’s actually kind of brilliant.
JJ Abrams’ Star Trek does take place in another universe, but that’s because after Romulus was destroyed in the main timeline, a Romulan miner named Nero accidentally traveled back in time, intent on making those responsible for his planet’s destruction pay for their negligence. But not realizing he’s back in time, he destroys the U.S.S. Kelvin, the ship where Captain Kirk’s father served when Kirk was born. The destruction of the ship also killed Kirk’s father. This event created an alternate timeline. Oh, did I mention the original Spock played by Leonard Nimoy was also sucked back in time? That happened too!
Doing all of this gave these new movies the space to breathe and operate on their own while also honoring the past stories’ continuity by not ignoring them completely. But wait, there’s more!
Star Trek: Picard’s first season heavily dealt with the destruction of Romulus in the Prime timeline, as Picard is seen culpable for his inability to act and save the people of the planet as their sun exploded, taking them with it. This is a small acknowledgment, but it’s a nod to the fans that they want to show us that they aren’t shying away from multiversal stuff, which is dope.
The final nod that the television shows have had to the movies was in an episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, there’s mention of a man both out of time and out of phase with his original timeline, when probing the Mirror-Verse version of Captain Georgiou and how she might get sick if she doesn’t return to her time/universe. The case study they used to convince her was a man who originated in the Kelvin timeline. It’s another little nod that you’ll miss if you aren’t paying attention, but it made a sweaty fan like me froth at the mouth.
Hope on the Horizon
This article is probably going to be irrelevant in a few months, and I’m okay with that. At San Diego Comic-Con, IDW, which has been Star Trek’s sole comics publisher since 2010, announced an overhaul and relaunch of their ongoing Star Trek monthly series. It will feature a multiversal crew of Starfleet officers, some fan favorites, and some new characters, as they find and confront someone who is out to kill the Gods of the multiverse. It’s big, it’s bold, and it just might be the connective tissue that I’m talking about.
It’s clearly a multiverse story, which means it acts outside of the main continuity of Star Trek, but after everything I’ve talked about so far, it seems that as a franchise, is at the very least opening the door to the fact that their stories take place in a grand multiverse, so it kind of works if you ask me.
There’s also a new game coming out later this year: Star Trek: Resurgence. It’s a decision-based game in the vein of Telltale that aims to give us an original story with original characters. But Spock is there, and it takes place in 2380, which is around the time of the last The Next Generation movie, so there’s room for more cameos and connective tissue there as well, and I’m so excited.
But there’s one hang-up with all this. This new comic, this new game, the integrity of its level of canon is tied to its inclusion or mention in the other forms of media, like the movies or television shows. It doesn’t need to be a massive tie-in event. But drop the name of a character from one of these properties in a line of exposition. That’s enough for me.
We’ve seen what confusing canon looks like with the early MCU and their television shows. It was such a “will they won’t they” affair for years. The shows always mentioned the events of the movies, but the movies never mentioned anything from the shows. It was annoying.
I want better for Star Trek, especially since all this connectivity is already seemingly built-in. And with the advent of the multiverse in literally every major property in existence right now, it just makes sense for Star Trek to lean a bit more into that idea in the future.
All of this might come off snobby and entitled, so I just want to iterate that while I may be a canon crybaby, I understand that at the end of the day, a story is a story. There’s a lot of effort and care that goes into anything that’s manifested from your mind and realized in some type of physical form, so I don’t want my whining for more canonical avenues in Star Trek to undermine the hard work that so many have and will continue to put into stories that fit into their own little corners of the universe, not worried or concerned about connecting to some grander narrative.
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The post I Need ‘Star Trek’ to Boldly Go…Ahead and Canonize Everything appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
For the first time ever, our hosts are recording in the same room all at the same time!
We even have a few friends join us for a recap of all the things at C2E2 and a weekend full of nerdy activities.
Hear about that and more on This Week in Nerd News.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.
Check out other episodes of TWINN here.
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