I'm in Love with the Villainess is a comedic girls’ love series.
Rae is too obsessive over Claire.
Fans think the series has an unhealthy portrayal of lesbian relationships.
I'm in Love with the Villainess (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou) is a fresh isekai comedy anime that follows Rei, who finds herself reincarnated in her favorite dating game. Her character, Rae, is the main protagonist, and she is completely smitten. Not by the main male romantic interest, though, but by the villainess of the game, Claire.
Girls’ love with a taste of obsession
I'm in Love with the Villainess sounds like a super fun and hilarious girls’ love anime, but some fans see real issues with the series, saying that it portrays LGBT people in a weird and inappropriate way.
The thing is that Rae is overly obsessive with Claire. And while it’s such a minor and gag-generating thing for most of the comedy anime, fans feel like it’s not such a good idea when it comes to lesbian relationship portrayal because gay people have suffered enough and have been trying to build their reputation for ages.
Rae is over-the-top
Rae stalks and harasses Claire; she forces the villainess to interact with her. No matter what Claire says or does, Rae is always there. It provides a lot of humorous moments, but it portrays lesbian relationships as something obsessive and unhealthy. On top of that, fans remind us that Rei was initially a grown-up before she was reincarnated, and Claire is a student.
The series itself addresses this issue, and Claire says that she feels in danger because of Rei’s sexuality. And yes, I'm in Love with the Villainess is not afraid of using the “gay” word, and Rei admits that she’s never been romantically interested in a guy. However, the anime makes Claire’s worries look homophobic.
It provides a comparison. If Claire is straight and she’s interested in a boy, it doesn’t mean that she’s a danger to this boy or that she’s about to harass him. Other characters explain that this is how sexuality works.
No matter what gender you are attracted to, it doesn't mean that you’re going to be dangerous to them. It’s like when straight men are afraid of interacting with gay men because they’re afraid of being harassed by them. The series says it’s inappropriate to think this way, and this is a very important message.
Still, Claire really does have something to be worried about. And despite the initial message of the series being good, calling her homophobic because she expresses her worries over Rae’s obsession is unfair. And it feels like the anime tells us that being harassed by people is okay if they’re gay. Which is, of course, completely untrue.
Is the series trying to promote a wrong message?
Summary:
I'm in Love with the Villainess is a comedic girls’ love series.
Rae is too obsessive over Claire.
Fans think the series has an unhealthy portrayal of lesbian relationships.
I'm in Love with the Villainess (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou) is a fresh isekai comedy anime that follows Rei, who finds herself reincarnated in her favorite dating game. Her character, Rae, is the main protagonist, and she is completely smitten. Not by the main male romantic interest, though, but by the villainess of the game, Claire.
Girls’ love with a taste of obsession
I'm in Love with the Villainess sounds like a super fun and hilarious girls’ love anime, but some fans see real issues with the series, saying that it portrays LGBT people in a weird and inappropriate way.
The thing is that Rae is overly obsessive with Claire. And while it’s such a minor and gag-generating thing for most of the comedy anime, fans feel like it’s not such a good idea when it comes to lesbian relationship portrayal because gay people have suffered enough and have been trying to build their reputation for ages.
Rae is over-the-top
Rae stalks and harasses Claire; she forces the villainess to interact with her. No matter what Claire says or does, Rae is always there. It provides a lot of humorous moments, but it portrays lesbian relationships as something obsessive and unhealthy. On top of that, fans remind us that Rei was initially a grown-up before she was reincarnated, and Claire is a student.
The series itself addresses this issue, and Claire says that she feels in danger because of Rei’s sexuality. And yes, I'm in Love with the Villainess is not afraid of using the “gay” word, and Rei admits that she’s never been romantically interested in a guy. However, the anime makes Claire’s worries look homophobic.
It provides a comparison. If Claire is straight and she’s interested in a boy, it doesn’t mean that she’s a danger to this boy or that she’s about to harass him. Other characters explain that this is how sexuality works.
No matter what gender you are attracted to, it doesn't mean that you’re going to be dangerous to them. It’s like when straight men are afraid of interacting with gay men because they’re afraid of being harassed by them. The series says it’s inappropriate to think this way, and this is a very important message.
Still, Claire really does have something to be worried about. And despite the initial message of the series being good, calling her homophobic because she expresses her worries over Rae’s obsession is unfair. And it feels like the anime tells us that being harassed by people is okay if they’re gay. Which is, of course, completely untrue.
