I have never seen a series derail itself this quickly, and it stings. For reference, the first four volumes of “I’m in love with the villainess” were AMAZING in my opinion, a solid 10/10. Even so, it’s extremely hard to recommend this series as chapter 17 derailed everything it had built up so quickly that it’s almost laughable. While I can’t say anything about what actually occurs without giving spoilers, the series completely discards the fantasy game setting which made it so charming in the first place. The big reveal is quite possibly the worst choice that the series could have taken at such a latestage, creating many plot holes and just generally crushing the burning enthusiasm I had during the first four volumes.

While the big twist could have worked alright if it had been introduced as a fundamental part of the series, tossing it in during the second last chapter of the final volume leads to a genre whiplash akin to nothing else I have ever experienced. It retroactively trivialises everything which happened before it - That being about 90% of the series at the point of reveal.

By all accounts, I would have preferred if this series ended at volume 4, as the final book is so out of left field that it’s almost comedic.

It’s extremely hard to rate this series, given that 85% of it is what I would call a 10/10, while the ending completely drags that through the dirt beyond the point of no return (given the length of the final chapter, I don’t even think it’s worth the time sink to finish the series now that my investment in what happens has been completely broken, hence my dropped status).