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‘I’m in Love with the Villainess’ release date and where to watch

Oochashi Rei is here, she's queer, and she's ready for romance.

Claire François and Rae Taylor in episode 1 of 'I'm in Love with the Villainess'.
Image via Platinum Vision

Villainess series enthusiasts, rejoice! One of the most entertaining types of isekai anime is getting another addition, but with a twist we don’t see nearly often enough. Don’t get me wrong, 2023 was a good year for isekai fans, but I have to confess that I’m in Love with the Villainess is the series I’m most looking forward to seeing adapted on screen.

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For those who aren’t very familiar with this subgenre, Villainess stories involve a protagonist who is suddenly transported to a romance game, also known as an otome game. Typically, this character ends up playing the villainess in the game and must defeat the odds stacked against her. (As we know, be it in games, movies, or TV shows, the villains don’t tend to get happy endings.)

In I’m in Love with the Villainess, however, Oochashi Rei reincarnates as the game’s heroine, but instead of choosing one of the three love interests that the game designated for her, she falls for the antagonist. Winning a villain’s heart surely won’t be easy, though, so our protagonist will have to pull out all the stops to make it happen. Sounds like an entertaining premise to me, and if you agree, you’ll want to watch the anime as soon as it drops.

I’m in Love with the Villainess release date

I’m in Love with the Villainess will premiere its first episode on Monday, Oct. 2. The anime will first air on Japanese networks such as Tokyo MX and Nippon TV, which comes as no surprise, as it tends to be the case with a large majority of anime.

While folks residing in Japan will be among the first to see this series debut, there’s no need for international fans to worry. We already have confirmation that I’m in Love with the Villainess will also be available to watch on streaming.

How to watch I’m in Love with the Villainess on streaming

Reliable as always, Crunchyroll has licensed the anime for distribution outside Japan and announced that it will be part of its Fall 2023 lineup. Unfortunately, the anime won’t be available in all corners of the world, but you’ll be able to stream it with no problem if you’re based in one of the following regions: Europe, Africa, Oceania, CIS, as well as North, Central, and South America.

If I’m in Love with the Villainess turns out to be as fun as its trailers lead us to believe, we’re certainly in for a treat. And what better excuse to get into isekai anime? That is, of course, if you haven’t already.