Anime Review - Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord (2024) Episode 1-3

I am going to be fully honest with you. Anime with insanely long titles means two things to me, one it is based on a light novel and two they are an isekai (a subgenre of fantasy where a character is suddenly transported into a new world). Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord or Villainess Level 99 for short is both which raises a lot of red flags for me. Light levels can be weird, to say the least, and isekai’s while can be executed well I find to be a not for me. So, it is weird to say that after 3 episodes currently Villainess Level 99 is my favourite anime airing this season.

The show follows Yumiella Dolkness, who is hated from birth by others due to her black hair as it is viewed as a symbol of evil. She wants to keep her head down as she is the hidden boss of this story, and she wants to change her fate and live a normal school life. However, when attending the magic academy, it is revealed that she is level 99. Whether she likes it or not she is very much in the limelight.

While I will keep how it is an isekai a secret as I feel the best way to enjoy this show is to go in as blind as possible. it uses the isekai genre to tell effective jokes that are truly hilarious. The show is filled with a very whimsical sense of humour that has me laughing every episode. Across the 3 episodes, I felt that every joke is truly effective and is well set up and executed.

I also feel that our main character Yumiella Dolkness, is truly amazing. Her character design is stunning. While it is not an overly complicated design, she just stands out in a way that is just magical. To be honest all the characters look great. While the animation is not overly stylish or stunning, it is effective for the story being told. I also loved that it is willing to become more cartoonish in style for comedic effect.

The story has me intrigued about where it is heading. Each episode fleshes out the world in intriguing ways and drops in at the right moment so that it is easy to understand and follow along. I also love how each episode tells a complete narrative that builds upon what is introduced in the previous episode. The ending of episode 3 leaves with such a great cliffhanger that I’m dying to see more.

When I watched the trailer for this show in preparation for what shows I was planning to cover I thought the show looked terrible. I will it that I will have to eat crow on this one. Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord, may have the longest and dumbest title I have ever seen but the show is a great time. Liked mentioned before it is my current favourite anime of the winter 2024 season and I hope the rest of the season is just as good.