Are there any otome games with a misunderstood villainess MC?

[ynnaliaa]

I feel like I see this trope all the time in manhwa/manga, but I rarely come across it in otome games. I'm looking for an MC who is seen as a villainess or genuinely disliked by the LIs because they believe she's a bad person, when in reality she isn't.

I'd especially love something where the misunderstanding actually plays a big part in the story, rather than just being there for comedy. I'm looking for a heroine with a strong personality, good character development, and a story that takes the whole villainess premise seriously.

Basically, I want that "everyone thinks she's evil, but she's actually not" experience LOL. Any otome recommendations that fit this?

 

[orionsbestie]

That's not really a thing in actual otome games... It's literally just a bunch of authors copying each other because they've never played an actual otome game.

You might get lucky and find something like that on itch.io, but not on any commercial Japanese or Chinese game.

 

[q1w3e5]

Virtually none. Even if there are characters similar to a misunderstood villainess, they aren't the female lead—they're actual villainesses.

Characters whose appearance resembles that of a villainess might be positioned as the female lead's best friend.

 

[aquil_aleo]

The Villainess Who Did Not Reincarnate Still Doesn't Know of Her Fate
This is more of a short comedy, so it's probably not what you're looking for

 

[Daisy Magnus229]

I really hope there's an otome game where we start out playing as the heroine. After unlocking all the LIs' good endings, we unlock the villainess as the new heroine with a brand-new set of LIs lol. Two heroines!

Now that the villainess has regressed, she's trying to change things in her own route. Maybe this plot is already so overused that it's hard to make one stand out. BUT I WANT ONE!

 

[Sayorin]

Even if tempest maybe? The femal lead can be seen as if she is a villainess by some other LIs in some routes

 

[xopeachy]

ooooh i'd give anything for an otome game where you play as the villainess

but ig it's too much to ask for one where she's actually mean at the start, not just misunderstod, and then she begins to change/go through a redemption arc

 

[fleyrin]

Cinderella Phenomenon?
Lucette is the only character I could think of. At least, I feel like her archetype is more than just a tsundere.

 

[bravelyflee]

It's definitely not a common trope in otome games.

I think the game Majo'ou (魔女王) from Quinrose would fit this trope. The MC is literally a demon and most of the LIs start out thinking she's evil but she's really a big softie inside.

Unfortunately it's only been released in Japanese and got mixed reviews. Up to you if you want to try it.

 

[ufoufufu]

ooooh i'd give anything for an otome game where you play as the villainess

but ig it's too much to ask for one where she's actually mean at the start, not just misunderstod, and then she begins to change/go through a redemption arc

Not isekai (though Snow White the fairytale exists and is discussed within the story, so you might argue there's some meta commentary about being a heroine/villainess) but Narisokonai Snow White is kind of like this!

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

Well, I'm not aware of any villainess games myself, but I'd guess the trope comes from authors that aren't very aware of otoge, except for maybe the visual style of Angelique, as well as influences from 70s shoujo, with the aristocracy theme and all

Most of the time, female characters in otoge are more of a wingman-type characters than rivals ;b

As for recommendations, I second the Majo'ou one! It's the closest game I can think of with this trope. Cinderella Phenomenon doesn't really fit, but it has similar visuals too

 

[sumprrson]

The only ones I can think of are the protagonists of the two Jooubachi no Oubou games (each protagonist is the antagonist of the other game), but that's an eroge (for women) so doesn't really count...

 

[ufoufufu]

Well, I'm not aware of any villainess games myself, but I'd guess the trope comes from authors that aren't very aware of otoge, except for maybe the visual style of Angelique, as well as influences from 70s shoujo, with the aristocracy theme and all

This + the funniest part is that Angelique's 1998 PSX version does let you play as the rival and befriend the heroine lmao. So the modern trend isn't even much of a subversion...

 

[littleswanfae]

depends on how u look at it, manhwas with this trope are usually set so the MC reincarnates as the villainess not the protagonist of the game.So by that logic the game you're playing yourself you would be the protagonist yourself? (the good mc or whatever u wanna call it) or did you mean it more literally like the mc is someone who plays otome within the game itself and then she reincarnates as the villainess within that otome game? i don't know if i explained this well myself lol

 

[RoseGold]

If you want the manhwa trope played straight, I think some indie creator did a kickstarter for a game like that a while back. I think it was called Save the Villainess? It's not one of the projects I follow and I haven't tried it nor kept up with it, so idk how it is or when it's coming out, but if it interests you the demo should be still available on itch io.

 

[Yara010]

It's more a novel/manga/manhwa trope than actual otome tbh
Sometimes I wonder how it's started

 

[incri]

Cinderella Phenomenon?
Lucette is the only character I could think of. At least, I feel like her archetype is more than just a tsundere.

this omg!! i feel like she fits so well... her redemption is SO good, too!

 

[annaqueue]

Having all the love interests act hostile toward the MC because they hate her is directly against the nature of otome games, since the core purpose of the genre is for them to fall for her. Besides, having all of them be hostile from the start wouldn't really work because players wouldn't enjoy that; at least one of the LIs needs to like or be nice to the MC from the beginning, and honestly, that character usually ends up being the most popular one anyway.

Even though this trope works in manhwa, I don't think most people would actually enjoy an otome game with 5 different routes where every guy hates you and treats you terribly. That feels more like a niche choice for emotional masochists. If you look at comments on manhwas, most readers already passionately hate male leads who treat the MC poorly. Experiencing that firsthand in an interactive game would be even worse—unlike yanderes, who at least show an obsessive desire for you, characters who hate you simply because they think you're evil would just be frustrating.

However, if you're looking for stories where almost everyone else hates or fears the MC, titles like Virche Evermore: -ErroR:salvation- or Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk fit that vibe really well. Another classic example where the MC is thrown into an environment where she is actively disliked, degraded, and treated with complete hostility by all the LIs at first is Diabolik Lovers.
Also, if you're open to routes where specific Love Interests start off disliking, distrusting, or acting hostile toward the MC before warming up, here are a few great examples:

• Takeru Sasazuka (Collar x Malice): Extremely distrustful of the MC at first, often calling her ''idiot'' and putting her skills to the test before she earns his respect.
• Ignis (Café Enchanté): Cold and openly hostile toward the MC early on, actively trying to push her away from the café and questioning her presence.
• Abraham Van Helsing (Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~): Blunt, distant, and entirely uninterested in romance at the start, treating the MC purely as an objective or a burden he has to tolerate.
• Jiwoo (Dandelion -Wishes brought to you-): Startles easily and covers up his insecurity by acting rude, arrogant, and outright dismissive toward the MC in the beginning.
• Yang (Piofiore: Fated Memories): Views the MC with total suspicion and dangerous indifference, treating her as a temporary pawn long before any genuine affection develops.