Danica Davidson
May 6, 2024 
In her past life, the main character of The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love was a woman in her 30s who obsessively played the dating game Cinderella and the Kingdom of Magic. She didn’t have any real relationships to speak of, so the game became her world. In her new life, she’s the character Lady Luciana in Cinderella and the Kingdom of Magic. This might sound like a dream come true for her to be in her favorite game, surrounded by handsome men. But there’s a problem: she’s the villainess in the game. And she knows what bad things are going to happen to her.
Now that she’s 16, Luciana is going to a magical school, and she realizes she has some time before the start of the game. Maybe she can change the outcome. She realizes something bad is destined to happen to Lakas, because in the game he limps, but so far at school, he’s not limping. She decides she’ll have to prevent the scenario that causes his injury. The same scenario is destined to bring a lot of suffering . . .
Lakas is the black-haired man on the cover. As for the man with periwinkle hair? That’s not another love interest — that’s Luciana’s brother, Saphir, whom she’ll go to for help. He’s a flamboyant, fun character, but it’s good to see when Luciana really comes into her own in the book, taking charge of a situation where she’s needed. While the original game has a set of boys to choose from, the first volume in the manga gives the impression this story is just going to be about Luciana and Lakas. There’s also a four-page prose story at the end written from Lakas’s point-of-view, where he gives opinions on Luciana and other things.
The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love comes out in the midst of many isekai and villainess manga and light novels. It’s not really breaking any new ground, but it’s an entertaining and likable manga, especially for readers who are already into these genres.
Original Story & Illustrations: Touya and Yoimahi
Art: Ren Sakuma
Adaptation: Shiori Shiono
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
