The Villainess Lives Again

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So where do I even start!! This is one of the rear stories I have read where the FL is so powerful, intelligent and scheming.

The story is about a noble women(FL) who is very clever and has a naught for scheming the most wicked schemes. She assisted her step brother in becoming the emperor only to be killed by him. When she gets a second change at life she is firm that she will extract her revenge and will not let people she cares about die.

I love how the story flows with FL in charge of all strategic matters and ML in charge of ... keeping her humane. They complete each other and have the most intriguing conversations where no one is forcing their views on the other. The are so different but they try to understand each other to do what is the best for them and the people around them.

This is more of a political story than a romance. Although there are many fluff moments but you will find yourself engulfed in how the politics of an empire work and how much dirty work is involved in everything that happens in the kingdom.

I also like how there are side characters that have their own strong personalities and are actually an important part of the story.

Overall if you are someone who enjoys politics with some hints of romance this is the manga for you!!

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[The villainess lives again] is a Political intrigue focused Otome Isekai. Romance takes a backseat to politics and scheming in this female power fantasy, but it is never forgotten. I recommend it to fans of the genre who does not only read Otome Isekai for the romance.

Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story struggles in the beginning when attempting to showcase the skills of the protagonist. She is meant to appear cunning and strategic, but very little is shown to the viewer. Which means we as the reader is supposed to just trust the ... author that she is intelligent.

Once the story gets past its initial growing pains, it turns into a competent female power fantasy, and the story shines when the protagonist's plans come together, and there are some very satisfying payoffs. She lives up to the title of the manhwa, and she can be quite ruthless with her tactics.

Romance: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It has a green flag romance, but there is not a lot of natural attraction between the two at the start, which is not helped by the artstyle.

Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The art is not particularly beautiful and at rare times have detracted from the story by failing to convey the emotion of a scene. It can be hard to tell if it is the protagonists just lack expressions, or if it is the art that makes the story lack impact at times. It is slightly beneath serviceable.

strong starting with very good characters with their own interesting traits and a backbone, but the plot gets way too confusing. it can get a bit lengthy for some but overall enjoyable premise where the FL turns back time accidentally but tries to make amends of past actions.

story 5/10 - i really couldn't follow most of the plot and politics as it just gets so intertwined and confusing with a bit too many characters introduced at once and too many arcs too quickly.. we wont really get any resolution arc by arc and the whole political scene just seems a bit too messy and much ... for me to handle.. stayed on to really see what happens + how the characters handle it
characters 9/10 - its so satisfying to get a smart and strong female lead and a good looking and strong ML which are both in their own rights characters that hold their own. character development can be a bit slow as FL still healing from past trauma but you can't help but like most of the characters
romance 8.5/10 - usually gets interrupted by the politics and messiness of the story but when there are those romance moments between ML + FL, its amazing.. it doesn't feel like it is empty romance as well and there is depth and reason towards the words and feelings of the characters
art 10/10 - beautiful characters (even the mother + brother..)... enuf said: the characters are drawn stunningly

overall wouldn't say this not fantastic for a first time reader - maybe it may be enjoyable for those who want to delve more into political + isekai reads and it may NOT be for everyone. was on the fence on whether to recommend but will leave it as a recommend for the strong start