Isekai and time leap manga/manhwa have become popular in the last 5 years, especially with the emergence of popular titles like Overlord, That Time I Reincarnated as a Slime, Tokyo Revengers, Re:Zero, Shield Hero, Tales of Gods and Demons, and many more prominent titles.
The chance to reset and live in another world is just enticing. And to be able to return to the past to redo your mistakes is just something also most of us probably wish for. Maybe that's why I've been absorbed in these genres recently. I do still pick up my usual manga favorites like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, or Demon Slayer but when I'm not reading these you can find me reading one or two Isekai or Timeleap Manhwas.
I for one greatly enjoy these genres. The shonen types just make you feel overly excited and hyped especially when you have an overly powered MC who was previously weak or considered a loser. Most of the popular Isekai titles are in the shonen category. As much as the next girl, who enjoys seeing a hunky handsome strong man beat the shit out of their bullies, I also have the taste for strong women MCs.
When I say strong, not particularly physical. Strong female leads in wits, strategy, and emotional control. The common shoujo manga I always came across when I was young was just women surrounded by flowery sparkling men. I am glad that's no longer the case nowadays. Lady Baby, Doctor Elise, The Duchess' 50 Tea Recipes, The Remarried Empress, Raeliana, and I Belong To House Castelo are some of my favorite titles with strong main characters.
The Villainess Turns the Hourglass
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So many titles mentioned above and yet I will choose to write about my recent favorite shoujo manhwa -- The Villainess Turns The Hour Glass.
Aria's executioner - her step brother
Nearing the end of her life, Aria the villainess accepts her fate. To atone for her sins, it seemed fitting for a villainess to be beheaded. She thinks of her past and all of her wrongdoings especially to her saint-like stepsister Mielle. Being a daughter of a prostitute who was married into a noble household. She was able to live her life in luxury and extravagance while constantly bullying and harassing her stepsister which later on led to her execution.
But what if... all this was a ploy by Mielle?
Saintess?
Mielle reveals that she tricked Aria into building a bad reputation which resulted in her acting as a villainess. As the sword lifted into the air, Aria's acceptance turns to anger. She pleaded and wished she could turn back time and change everything-- To ruin Mielle and the family that put her through so much.
Mielle's true colors shocked Aria
She sees an hourglass as she nears death. She awakens at a time that was around ten years ago. Will Aria be able to utilize the same strategies Mielle did against her now that she knows what lies ahead? This time, to exact her revenge, she will become a true villainess.
LOL Talking about revenge but look at the sparkly background haha
Perhaps because I find revenge stories to be so entertaining, The Villainess Turns The Hour Glass is one of my faves. This brilliantly illustrated and colorful Manhwa contains a strong main character, humor, romance, calculated vengeance, emotional conflicts, magic, and two-faced deceitful b*tches. What more could I ask for?
I really enjoyed the process of Aria's revenge. She started out by improving herself mentally, learned etiquette to fit in high society, and learned economics to back up her future knowledge about trade and war. She also used people around her as pawns, and yet she actually cared for them. What she receives from them she gives back like how she groomed her maids to become people that are capable to marry men of higher standing.
Knowledge is power~
I liked Aria's tenacity. Her knowledge of the future was used at the right times and moments. She also had the power to turn back time once a day for 5 minutes and wisely used this in decision-making and information-gathering. Her actions in the present caused the future to change but she managed to adapt to the information she has of the past and the future. Although she became scared and troubled that the future was starting to change so much because of her meddling, she realized that she didn't need to know about the future to win against Mielle. Aria was smart and capable but her abilities were shadowed by her stepsister.
She put in the effort to slowly build herself up to take everything Mielle has. At the same time, Aria's second life made her appreciate and enjoy small things like drinking a cup of tea with her mother.
Mielle's selfish, naive, and self-centered character made this Manhwa enjoyable to read. You know a good villain when you feel like cussing every time you see them. We can't help but cheer on our MC so we could see Mielle's frustrated or troubled face. At times, our MC takes losses which can be annoying.
At some point, you can't help but think. Even if this was the past, could Mielle have changed for the better? In a sense, Aria died in the first place because Mielle had manipulated people around her. Planting seeds of anger, jealousy, and doubt into Aria as they grew up. I find this Manhwa fascinating because Aria was molded into a villain by someone else. This could also happen in real life. People like Mielle who appear saintly outwards are villains within. People around us can cloud our judgment. Imagine growing up to be someone you're not just because you were manipulated. That's kinda scary.
So if you're into revenge stories and don't really want to exert so many brain cells but still be entertained, this might be a good read for you as it was for me. Villain v.s. villain. Who will live in the end?
This is my official entry for Community Contest #8 : Manga And Manhwa Review. Thanks to @cthings for introducing me to this community. @tpkidkai you can probably write a review in a day right? haha
Yey! When I came across the announcement, it reminded me of you. I'm glad you were able to participate 😄
Strong female leads are such a 💖 This one sounds like a must read/watch. I'll definitely add it to my list.
Thanks, C! I really enjoyed writing this. It was a nice change of pace ☺️ I needed this.
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