Warning: The following contains spoilers for Stuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainess volume #1!
Summary
Anew reincarnation mangacalledStuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainessis so different from other series in its genre because its protagonist, Selene Vixent,actually embraces being evilwhen other villainesses in her situation generally try everything they can to be a hero. Selene might not be like her peers, since she doesn’t start as a normal girl who transforms into a fictional character after getting sucked into her favorite romance novel or anime, but she still experiences many of the same staples of the genre- and yet chooses a completely different path.
That’s becauseStuck in a Time Loopis an example of a lesser-known type of villainess series where the protagonist actually lives in the world where she’s initially demonized before eventually undergoing the ubiquitous rite of passage that sees her being subjected to the embarrassing spectacle of a public annulment.
In fact, Selene’s situation most closely resembles that of Rishe from Crunchyroll’s7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemyfor that reason. Rishe continuously dies and reincarnates right when her fiancée breaks up with her, just like Selene,except Selene finally gives into evil, unlike Rishe and essentially every other villainess.
Stuck in a Time Loop Is Fueled By Revenge
Original series created by Sora Hinokage & Tsukasa Kiryu
The events beforeStuck in a Time Loopfollowed this trend, since Selene Vixent had tried being good the first nine time loops.Each of those failed attempts ended in death, and since she was betrayed every time, there’s nothing holding Selene back now from getting revenge as she avoids death by being evil. Part ofwhat makesStuck in a Time Loopa success lies in the fact that it is as a revenge story, and it’s effective since the first person she seeks vengeance on is not her fiancée, but her father, and, indirectly, her younger sister.
There’s almost nothing worse than being betrayed by a parent, but given that Selene’s is cruel, her revenge is all the sweeter and immediate. It’s even more effective since the manner in which she deals with him complements his initial betrayal. Selene’s vengeance on her father doesn’t just affect one family member either as her sister becomes an unfortunate accessory. This adds a different dynamic to the outcome of Selene’s revenge since her sister was never cruel. Rather than this becoming a two-for-one, it yields a different experience for the better.
Selene’s Polar Opposite Is Further Proof How Different Stuck in a Time Loop Is
WhileStuck in a Time Loopis a compelling revenge story, the delivery is greater because it deviates from the genre. On one level, the manga differentiates itself from its most obvious counterpart,7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!
Although never officially stated,7th Time Loop’s Rishe makes the world a better place through her actions, especially at the end when she must contend with her former master, Michel, who is willing to sacrifice the world for his own selfish means. Meanwhile, the vast majority of villainess series where the protagonist gets sucked into a romance novel or game sees the heroine make a conscious effort to reject their evil ways.
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However, many of these “transformed” villainesses pursue this strategy to avoid their character’s fated death. Undoubtedly, the most extreme version of this is HIDIVE’sMost Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Saviorsince the heroine named Pride is more concerned about succumbing to the evil tendencies of the character whose body she now inhabits because they are wrong, rather than because these actions led to the character’s demise in the original fictional story. The reincarnated Pride’s actions therefore give a heartwarming and sometimes even saddening spin to the usual selfish, albeit understandable perspectives of most unwitting villainesses.
Stuck in a Time Loopis nowhere close to this. However, Selene’s embrace of evil is equally refreshing inStuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainess, if not more so, just because it’s so rare to see such a corrupted character in the lead role, especially since she wants and seeks vengeance so wonderfully.
