The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Vol 1 [Manga] Review - Otome Isekai, But Not As You Know It

12:00 PM March 22, 2022

Manga Review [Category]
Fantasy Manga, Shoujo Manga, Isekai Manga [Genres]

Higeki-No-Genkyo-to-Naru-Saikyo-Gedou-Lath-Boss-Jou-Ha-Tami-No-Tame-Ni-Tsukushimasu-manga-Wallpaper-699x500 The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Vol 1 [Manga] Review - Otome Isekai, But Not As You Know It

Otome Isekai, But Not As You Know It

Mangaka : Tenichi (story) Bunko Matsuura (Art) Suzunosuke (Character Designs)
Publisher : Shoujo, Fantasy, Isekai
Genre : Seven Seas Entertainment
Published : March 2022 — present

The otome isekai sub-genre has practically exploded onto the market in the last few years. For the uninitiated, otome games are female-targeted dating games that usually involve a heroine pursuing a love interest and taking down a villainess along the way. One of the most popular otome-themed isekai manga (and anime) of the past few years has been Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shite shimatta... (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!)

As with the isekai genre as a whole, there’s not a terribly large amount of variety in the storylines. Where shounen isekai have magical heroes with a harem of women, shoujo isekai have reincarnated villainesses trying to avoid their own seemingly-inevitable doom.

And while Higeki no Genkyoutonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Taminotameni Tsukushimasu (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior) certainly starts off in that stock-standard pattern, halfway through the first volume, the story takes a drastic departure from the expected tropes. By the final page, we were absolutely addicted, and the cliffhanger ending (pun intended, for those who’ve read it) left us wanting the second volume immediately!

So join us today on Honey’s Anime as we review Higeki no Genkyoutonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Taminotameni Tsukushimasu (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior) manga Volume 1!

Contains Spoilers

Discussion Time

As we mentioned earlier, it’s easy to become a little cynical with trending genres. The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen doesn’t do much in the early pages to differentiate itself, either. Our main character, Pride Royal Ivy (how’s that for a regal name!) awakens her former memories at the tender age of eight. As an eighteen-year-old, she died in Japan, and has somehow reincarnated into her favorite otome game as the story’s villainess, doomed to die in ten years at the hands of her adopted little sister.

So far, par for the course. If you’ve watched or read My Next Life as a Villainess, this will definitely sound familiar to you. But rather than adopting a comedic or romantic tone, The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen walks a darker path. The future Pride does horrible things, particularly to her adopted brother, whom she (in the normal route) forces to kill his own mother under a magically-binding slavery contract.

Awakened to her memories, Pride changes the game’s future, saving her brother and instead earning his undying loyalty. Moments like these repeat throughout the second half of the volume, as Pride truly attempts to rule her future subjects kindly and with love. Rather than just trying to avoid her own doom — as Katarina does, in My Next Life as a Villainess — Pride simply wants to do what’s right, whether that alters her future or not.

The art in Higeki no Genkyoutonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Taminotameni Tsukushimasu (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior) is clean and well-directed, slotting nicely into the modern shoujo style. We were hoping for a few more light-hearted moments to offset the story’s heavy tone, but at the same time, we appreciate an otome isekai willing to get its hands dirty.

Why You Should Read Higeki no Genkyoutonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Taminotameni Tsukushimasu (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior)

1. Flipping the Script

As we’ve said earlier, this isn’t your standard otome isekai, even if the first few chapters indicate otherwise. The sudden shift into a darker storyline comes out of nowhere, but it lends greater weight to Pride’s actions and her desire to become a just, kindhearted ruler. Sure, avoiding her own death is certainly a goal, but she embraces the fact she might be unable to escape her fate — and thus wants to live nobly, without indulgence or fuss, and to be the ruler her people deserve.

Pride’s magical power — precognition — gives her a suitable “out” for knowing the game’s events, but altering the game’s storyline seems to be affecting other characters. Political machinations are also running beneath the story’s surface, and we’re quite interested to see how the story develops — it definitely won’t be how Pride remembered it!

Final Thoughts

If we’re entirely honest, we didn’t expect to enjoy Higeki no Genkyoutonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Taminotameni Tsukushimasu (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior) nearly as much as we did. In a sub-genre saturated with overused starting points, this manga manages to overcome the expected tropes and confidently carve out a name for itself.

If you’ve wanted an otome isekai that’s a little bloody and a little dark, then The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen is definitely going to be a win!

What do you think about otome isekai? Drop a comment down below, and as always, thank you for reading!

Writer

Author: Brett Michael Orr

I'm a writer, gamer, and reviewer of manga & light novels, from Melbourne, Australia. When I'm not creating a new world, I'll be absorbed in a good JRPG, watching some anime, or reading up a storm!