If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love Manga Drags Out Its Premise

One of my pet peeves, when it comes to anime and manga, is when a story beat is drawn out. You know, like when there’s a pertinent part of a protagonist’s personality that is critical to what’s going on and keeping the story from really advancing, but the creator’s gone multiple volumes without getting to it. In a shojo manga like If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love, you would think that issue would come up with the romance element, but instead by the end of volume 3 it’s with an issue having to deal with Brigitte herself.

Editor’s Note: There will be some light spoilers for volume 3 of the If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love manga adaptation below.

 If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love is a series set in a world where magic is a big deal, as is your place among the kingdom’s various classes. This means there are multiple plot points at play. One is the typical romance plot that involves Brigitte being a former fiance of a prince and involved in a love triangle between him and another nobleman named Yuri. Another is the whole school-life element at Otoleanna Academy of Magic and Brigette struggling to fit in there due to both bullying from her former fiance Prince Joseph and his new love interest Lisa and her status. But the big one is the fact that people in this world end up forming contracts with spirits, and Brigitte supposedly is tied to a weak, “no-name” one. 

Here’s the thing. Throughout the first two volumes of the If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love manga, we’re basically told that Brigitte is more than she seems. It isn’t just her being so dedicated to prove her value and connect with spirits that she excels at school. Everything flat out says that her spirit is actually a powerful one and she is remarkable in a way people aren’t seeing yet. It was completely reasonable for things to remain mysterious for the first two volumes. However, given how critical the reveal is to starting to resolve the other two plot points, I genuinely expected to see that start to be covered now.

Except it doesn’t. If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love volume 3 ends on another cliffhanger instead. Which is incredibly frustrating! We get a major situation in this installment that would have involved a scenario perfect for some sort of reveal during a critical confrontation. Failing that, some of the later chapters could have resulted in a quieter reveal and introspection that helped Brigitte confirm for herself her own strength. 

It isn’t the absolute worst, I know. This set up does mean everything will resolve in the fourth volume. Especially if someone is already aware of the series and its progress. However, there’s something about this format for everything that makes it feel a little more obvious here. I suspect it is because the other elements tied to challenges Brigitte are resolving in such a smooth and swift fashion that this one stands out all the more. Brigitte has made two solid friendships by this point. She’s already connected in fantastic ways with Yuri, with both pretty much accepting and acknowledging their feelings. The Lisa and Joseph portions are keeping up at a great pace too, as are misconceptions at school. 

The thing is, this is also an issue that I find is unique to the If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love manga adaptation! I think that’s why it feels like such a sticking point here. Harunadon’s pacing in the original light novel, which Yen Press also handles, is honestly pretty great! By the time the third volume rolls around, we’re past the hiccup we’re still facing in the manga. Brigitte is completely aware of her spirit contract. Because of that, some absolutely fascinating plot points are coming up. It also even means there are great romantic developments between her and Yuri. 

I still think the manga adaptation is If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love is fun in its way. There’s definitely a lot of merit to it too. Not everyone enjoys light novels and instead prefers manga. Chiru Ukai and Yomi Sarachi’s art is lovely. I just feel like the execution and pacing is better in the light novel adaptation. So maybe this is more a situation that involves picking one version and sticking with it, rather than going through multiple ones. 

Volume 3 of If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 4 of the manga on September 23, 2025.

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