Synopsis

Charlotte Cocoriara: duke’s daughter, fiancée to a prince, villainess, and…NPC? Framed as the villainess in a spin-off of an MMO dating sim, Charlotte suddenly regains memories of her past life as a player of the same MMO. Armed with her new understanding of the world, she happily accepts the end of her betrothal and her accompanying exile. Who needs a cheating prince fiancé when there’s a whole fantasy world to explore? Using knowledge from her gameplay, Charlotte strikes out on her own. Her first task is to switch jobs, something apparently no one else in this world knows how to do. With her new role secured, she’ll make friends, join parties, challenge dungeons, and…! Follow Charlotte as she sets off on a grand adventure, free for the first time in her life! (Source: J-Novel Club)

A Healing Journey Across an Otome World!

Written by Punichan and illustrated by Yoh Hihara, J-Novel Club’s latest title, From Villainess to Healer, tells the tale of the ultimate support skill villainess!

Following the villainess, Charlotte Cocoriara, a brush with memories of her previous life in Japan, finds her all too keen to go through the sentence of exile handed out to her by her ex-fiancee. Finally free from noble constraints and can do what she wants, she sets out on a quest to explore the game world she loved so dearly and to live out her fantasy of becoming the ultimate healer support skill character.

The story begins by setting out the concepts of MMORPGs, the Otome world, and the usefulness of healers. The author’s keen eye for detail is immediately noticeable through these scenes. Often a positive sign in any novel, which it is here, the sheer amount of detail given throughout the first couple of chapters slows the pace a little too much in an otherwise fast, adventure-driven plot.

Once this small hurdle has been overcome, however, the series’ detailed approach to storytelling becomes its greatest success.

As the story progresses, Charlotte loses her noble ties and dons the hat of an adventurer under the name of Sharon. Beginning by joining a team of rookie adventurers, she eventually lands a role as a healer with an adventuring team of heroes. This is where the story starts coming into its own, as Punichan manages to capture the essence of what it means to be an explorer. There’s a lot of unfiltered joy and excitement to be read through Charlotte’s descriptions and dialogue that culminates in vivid, expressive imagery of the different dungeons within the Otome world.

Additionally, the author displays a nice level of foresight as to the overall plans for the series. Dropping small plot threads towards reaching the unique skill of Holy Maiden provides the series with a certain level of focus. However, this is underscored somewhat by the abrupt end the first volume comes to.

Overall, From Villainess to Healer’s first volume makes a strong case for the series’ continuance. Despite a slow start, the story puts the rockets on as it progresses. As the story focused on Charlotte’s adventuring days, the author’s keen eye for detail and vividly imagined world made for an engaging and interesting read. Hopefully, this level of commitment continues into its sequel.

I Give From Villainess to Healer Volume 1: 9/10