At eight years old, Katarina Claes, the only daughter of a duke, hits her head and suddenly remembers she was once a seventeen-year-old otaku that got isekai’d. She realizes that she is now in the world of Fortune Lover, the otome game that she had been playing before her death. Unfortunately, she is not the heroine, but rather the villainess who usually ends up dead or exiled at the end. As such, she endeavors to change her fate and avoid all doom flags.
Isekai, yes, but an interesting premise and likable lot of reverse harem characters at least. If you are looking for anime recommendations like My Next Life as a Villainess, head on down below.
Anime Like My Next Life as a Villainess – All Routes Lead to Doom
For Fans of Reverse Harems
Kiss Him, Not Me
Chubby Kae Serinuma is an avid fujoshi who secretly ships her male classmates. However, after her favorite anime character dies, she becomes so stressed that she loses weight rapidly. Upon returning to school, her classmates, including the attractive men she ships, realize how attractive she really is. There’s only one problem, while the boys vie for her affections, she just wants them to turn those affections towards each other.
Both series follow female weebs that undergo a change and end up surrounded by handsome men. Both girls end up with actual personalities and that ends up carrying the show since the men are as bland and pretty as one expects from a harem.
Ouran High School Host Club
In Ouran High School, the typical student is a member of the wealthy elite, but not Haruhi Fujioka. Accepted on a scholarship, Haruhi wants to avoid all the glitz and glamour in order to study hard and become a lawyer. While looking for a rare quiet place to do so, Haruhi stumbles upon a host club. Frantic to get away from these weird boys, Haruhi breaks a valuable vase. In order to pay back the debt, the club demands that Haruhi becomes a host. There is only one problem, contrary to what the boys believe, Haruhi is actually a girl.
While fundamentally different aside from being a reverse harem, what these series most have in common is having a female lead that is actually interesting and likable. Furthermore, as you watch, you see the characters develop and then they throw some great comedy in there to boot.
Fruits Basket
When Tooru Honda finds herself homeless, she decides to live in a tent in the wilderness. However, one day she is discovered by a classmate, Yuki Souma, and invited to come live in his house. From there she gets to know many members of the Souma family, not realizing that they all are inflicted by a curse. When they hug the opposite gender, they turn into an animal from the Chinese zodiac.
In each series, both female protagonists find the males in their life beholden to them because they are nice to them. The female helps a guy with their problems, and suddenly they are special buddies for life.
For Fans of Isekai with Female Protagonists
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Motosu Urano loves books. She recently got her librarian certification and was about to enter her dream job when an earthquake caused her to be crushed by her collection of books. She is reincarnated into a new world as the five year old daughter of a soldier. Unfortunately, in this world, books are reserved for the elite nobility. What do you do when your station in life does not afford you access to books? Make your own.
Both series are isekai series that follow women reincarnated as young girls in a fantasy world. They also end up in worlds that are influenced by their interest. In Bookworm, she loved books but there are no books available. In Villainess, she loved otome games and ends up in one. This gives them the knowledge to change their new reality.
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Once one of Japan’s most shrewd salarymen, after being pushed in front of a train to his death by a scorned ex-employee, a man is reborn as an adorable orphan girl after pissing off a mysterious being that calls himself God. While the female form and affinity for magic are not a punishment, being born in a world in the midst of a brutal World War is. Now, Tanya uses her calculating mind from her past life and magnificent magical abilities to spread terror on the front lines of the war, becoming one of the most dangerous people in the imperial army. This is all in effort to earn a promotion that will see her safely back to a life of comfort on the back lines, showing up the God that put her in this world for humbling.
Both isekai series follow female protagonists. However, Tanya was originally a man before she was reincarnated. Regardless, you follow them both as young children who use their knowledge of a previous life to navigate their new reality.
For Fans of Female Weebs
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Morioka Moriko has had enough of being an overworked corporate slave, so she decided to retire herself to the NEET lifestyle. While at home, yearning for the previous connections she once made in online gaming, she starts up a new MMO. There she creates her character, the handsome Hayashi. However, in her newbie struggles she meets a Lily, another character willing to help her and they begin to grow closer to each other. At the same time, in real life, Moriko also has a shocking encounter with a handsome corporate employee.
If Villainess showed Katrina’s life before she was isekai’d, then her life may have been a lot like Recovery of an MMO Junkie, but following a younger otaku. In both shows, you watch uniquely hilarious female otaku struggle against their fate and their nature.
Gabriel DropOut
After graduating high school in Heaven, angels are sent down to Earth to guide humans down a righteous path. Heaven had high hopes for Gabriel, the top of her class. However, when she descended, she ended up skipping classes and getting addicted to online games.
Both series are isekai series in different ways that follow female otakus. The difference is that Gabriel became an otaku after she left heaven while it was the reverse in Villainess. Both series have bright color palates and excellent comedy.
Himouto! Umaru-Chan
Umaru Doma is, by all accounts, the perfect student. She is beautiful, smart, and respectful, at least until she gets home, anyway. Once that door closes, Umaru dons her hamster hoodie and transforms into a bratty, lazy, junk food-gorging otaku that is fully dependent on her responsible older brother, Taihei. Whether it is playing video games or eating the right snack combinations, Umaru knows how to live.
Both series follow female otaku who use their otaku knowledge to navigate their life. However, Umaru is not an isekai anime and Umaru is, quite frankly, a hilarious jerk. Alternatively, Katrina is quite a nice girl for someone destined to be a villainess.
Do you have more anime recommendations like My Next Life as a Villainess? Let fans know in the comments section below.
