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I have read many Villainess regression mangas, but I find this one quite disturbing. I understand revenge and enjoy many with a good story, but this one is just twisted.
1) Past FL is absolutely stupid and therefore was lead to a tragic death, so maybe she deserves a regression, but to do the same things and victimizing Mielle in a similar way (seeing how a motherless Mielle was brainwashed into victimizing FL) makes her pitiful and deserving of a regression too. The real evil was Mielle's maid Emma who being an adult raised Mielle to despise others based on status. Children are impressionable, their personality - an outcome of their surroundings and upbringing, so the major fault of Mielle's twisted, entitled nature falls on Emma. That's why, I actually thought Mielle's delusion during her execution - where she imagines a parallel universe where the 2 sisters are happy together was the best future, according to me. It's ironic how the apparent evil villainess Mielle saw her folly and wished she had accepted Aria shows a profound character growth even in the final moments of one's life, no matter the futility of the situation. But Aria thinks that such a future was impossible is absolutely stupid and hateful of her. The truth of the matter is neither Mielle nor Aria put in ANY efforts for that beautiful future where both could be happy together as loving, caring sisters. But if Mielle could get a regression, I see the possibility of that beautiful future (BECAUSE of that final realization) but Aria didn't do that even after being regressed. BECAUSE she doesn't want that future. Usually people say, when a person dies, all the bad blood is washed away and they wish they could have been friends instead. But it's pathetic that Aria doesn't think so but Mielle did at the end.
2) I hate both Mielle and Aria. Both are psychopaths and sadists which are unlikable qualities in any FL. Mielle is selfish, self-centred, manipulative and evil and therefore is hated as the villain. But Aria having these same qualities but portrayed as the FL is absolutely hypocritical.
3) Aria is an ungrateful B* - she only sees how the count gives undue credit to Mielle (which I hate him for ofc) but ignores the fact that he was the one who showed her mother kindness and took not only one but both of them in - to the point of going against the accepted societal norms of the nobles. As one having masters in English Literature, I don't remember any noble family of those times in any part of Europe marrying a prostitute! That's just unheard of! It's a huge deal. But the author, this manhwa and even the readers just gloss over the seriousness of this fact and the social stigma that the noble family can face due to marrying a prostitute!
4) The unnecessary addition of tropes like childhood friends, finding long-lost relatives or birth-secret/unknown noble lineage is just stupid because it does absolutely nothing to change Aria's evil personality. The author just added additional perks to show Aria as above others, which personality wise, she's the lowest of the low.
5) Aria's lack of understanding wrt Mielle. The author shows Mielle as this typical one-dimensional villain hell-bent on downgrading Aria and aspiring to become Oscar's wife. Apart from these 2 sides, we don't see any of her life, HER STORY. So to my question - can Mielle be saved, the answer has a huge question mark because we don't actually know, and whatever we know is what the author puts forth as a justification for Aria's revenge story. So even though Aria knows that Emma is the puppeteer behind Mielle, she doesn't try to change Mielle (even by manipulation) into a redeemable character - even just to use as a pawn like Annie. She's so bitter that she wants a fellow villainess in the form of Mielle. Furthermore, she wants one villainess to win at the expense of the other. Which is just twisted.
Until the end, she doesn't spare a single thought (forget about regret) for the 3 Roscents' tragic deaths. We saw at the end that Cain was actually becoming a good character, so why kill him off? Just to drive Mielle insane.
Conclusion: This story has lots of holes especially wrt character stories. I've similar opinions about other main and side characters. Aria is an unhinged psychopath FL. She lacks basic human compassion. I absolutely hated her character. Prime example of "Evil Beauty". Such people only know how to use others for their own benefit, and no one likes such people irl, irrespective of their backstory.
There are people who might not agree with me, but that's ok. You are free to like her, just like I'm free to dislike her.
Note: This manga is a good topic for analytical review.
Stop it, get some help
No need. Happy with analysis. Unhinged characters maybe your thing, not mine. So cheers.
You know I read it all and I want to say I can actually understand other POV that gets repulsed by Aria, but, just a little thing that actually matters, that I wanted to discuss, because I think there are things people are wrong about Mielle and Aria :
Mielle is much more heartless and ungrateful than Aria. Mielle, by her own hands, pushed her father. Mielle, by her cowardice not trying to save Emma. Mielle, being told not to put to much poison, purposefully gave so much poison in the tea. It's all not part of Aria's plan IF Mielle herself is not that cruel. The author showed how Aria, a few times waited for Mielle to show how she is not as bad as Aria think she was, but nope, Mille showed Aria the exact different thing.
Mielle pushing her own father is completely mind blowing even for Aria. Because Aria witnessed how the count adores Mielle, but Mielle is holding a disgusted thought about her own father. Another one, if Mielle actually begged her father a pardon not to kill Emma, I think even Aria couldn't say anything to it. But she never once tried to speak up about it, even though she sees Emma as a mother figure, and Emma loves her so much that she never even once blamed Mielle. She is an ungrateful person. Even without mother figure, only Emma and Emma is twisted bitch too, if Mielle isn't a fundamentally ungrateful person, she won't get that far.
Meanwhile Aria, she is fundamentally kind, but got twisted by the torture. She become a person who is manipulative and kind of selfish, but notice this. Aria has never, ever, brought the people she is thankful of to a trouble, rather she tried to gave them happiness as a form of her thankfulness. Does her mother do many things to her? Nope, she loves Aria but not the perfect mother either. Aria mentioned many times that she is often absent and shown not to care about Aria's daily life. Annie, is a twisted person too, she is jealous and greedy. But Aria is thankful to her for being obedient. Just for by being obedient and clever girl. Jessie, is also one of the person she could really trust, she makes sure nothing harms Jessie and even helped HER BF to be a better person for Jessie. I don't think I need to mention Sarah because it was obvious that Aria melted and is weak against Sarah's pure love.
You see? Aria takes actions not only for her revenge but everyone around her. Millie on the other hand, is busy torturing people around her. Even without Aria manipulating her.
Do you know why Aria said that Mielle is in delusion? Because the Mielle that Aria knows is a heartless, greedy, ungrateful villain. Because she knew that on that day, Mielle will not take her hands, unless Mielle is the one who regressed and realize that herself.
Do you know why Mielle can have such a happy delusion? Because she then understand that IF she doesn't hold bad thoughts against Aria, she could be happy, because in her mind, that's the only way she can be happy. Because EXACTLY that starting point, is what destroys everything.
I agree about Cain and the count though, that's disturbing for me as well, she could take a different way or approach. But also to be fair to the author, from Aria's POV, he's probably a hypocrite, perverted man. She was molested by his gaze and obsession, and was specifically killed by him. And the count is also a hypocrite who only seeks and befriended Aria when he needed it. But perhaps, because she and her mother did have some gratefulness to him, they did take care of him when both of his children doesn't even care, and still admitted him to a nursehousing, and ever since, never lay a hand on him. As you also know, Aria has become a twisted and selfish person, so she won't be that forgiving after all though. Not to that family.
By the way I appreciate your thoughts and I am not trying to deny your thoughts per se. I am just wondering if this explanation could maybe give you another perspective of their differences, on why Aria get happy ending and second chance while Mielle don't. Have a nice day! Sorry if the post is too long ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄ （/TДT)/
Good argument! In defense of my POV, I did say that both Mielle and Aria are unhinged. I do think Mielle deserved execution, I agree 100% but the means didn't serve the end here. Aria is an adult who comes back into the body of a child, and Mielle is even younger than Aria. So here the mentally-adult Aria is harassing a child Mielle, think what kind of a picture it paints. Mielle had lost her mother as a baby, and was brought up by evil Emma, who actually raised her to be the exact Mielle we all know: to be proud of her noble bloodline, to demean commoners, to use others (especially commoners) for her own benefit. Now in context of Aria, Mielle used all these anecdotes to consider her only as a prostitute's daughter, meaning lowly blood, therefore not worth being her sister.
Impact of social stigma (ignored by author): The Roscentes would be at the receiving end of open mockery due to taking in Karin & Aria, as is clear in the manga. Irl there are more adverse effects, but the main one is isolation and getting shunned by the nobility due to association, and this "stain of association" part is present in the undercurrent because that is what Emma wants to groom Mielle into doing - getting rid of Aria, therefore washing away the stain of association. I think the author fails to clarify this point, why Mielle tries to get rid of Aria, why she turns her into a stupid villain, what drives her into doing that, who all played an active and passive part in it. That's why I mentioned that this story has a lot of holes in it.
I'm a writer, so when I make an evil character, it shouldn't be a stock character. You cannot just say that this character is inherently, instinctively evil, because NO human being is such at birth. We are all an outcome of our surroundings and upbringing. So are criminals. Considering Mielle is a criminal, we need to try to understand her background and story as well. Why did she turn out the way she did. Criminal psychology.
Anyway, my point is, this story has a deep psychological angle that no one wants to look into.
Also, Mielle turning into a psychopath was a logical outcome, because Emma was teaching her in steps: harmless spying, then harassing, then hurt/possibly kill (carriage incident), then surely kill by poison, etc. Furthermore, she dehumanised Aria and her pain in Mielle's mind, until Mielle accepted it as something normal. So this negative grooming and conditioning would of course make the individual into a psychopath, who would only think and act for their own benefit. FL Aria also added in driving her further into insanity. That's why, it was no surprise for me that Mielle betrayed Emma and her father the way she did. There's always a possibility for a psychopath to do that for their own personal gain.
Maybe I can give your POV a benefit of doubt and say, there's a chance that Mielle has fundamental evil tendencies, but I absolutely disagree with the statement that Mielle is the sole person responsible for her twisted personality. Nope. She definitely isn't.
That's why, only one incident shocked me in this entire manga: Mielle's final delusion. Because I definitely didn't think someone like Mielle was capable of that. And according to the character portrait of Mielle you have painted, she would never think of such a delusion, because a fundamentally evil person will always think that her execution was unfair, and would curse Aria for her state. Here I pose a question to you: why didn't Mielle curse Aria, but instead introspected herself and her own actions in those final moments? Is a fundamentally evil person capable of introspection? Why would she? Is there any benefit in that, especially at death's door?
My answer: Mielle brought out the tiniest human aspect she had buried deep within her and forgotten about. It was a pleasant surprise. There are very few people who accept their mistake before or even at the moment they die. Nobles are known to die thinking highly of themselves, even those who have sold state secrets and died of hanging. So Mielle thinking of that future brings forth the human in her which she had suppressed because of Emma's grooming. I'm happy, even if it's at the final millisecond of her life. That matters. Humanity should always win instead of cruelty. What an ironic picture it was: Execution is an act of cruelty which finally brings out that tiniest bit of humanity left in the apparently "ultimate villainess" in the form of realizing her first mistake in the chain of mistakes she made! This moment was the highlight of this manga to me.
You already know my thoughts on Aria, there are lots of flaws in her character but at least know that she's not groomed by anyone to become twisted, her tragic death becomes a trauma for her which turns her personality twisted. Yes, she was kind before entering House Roscente, but she had been turned into a selfish brat in one life, and became a manipulative unhinged FL in the second. Mielle is rightfully hated but I don't think Aria is likable either.
Firstly, thanks for trying to understand my POV. Aria deserved a happy end, everyone does. But the way the author transformed a victim Aria into a total psychopath during her revenge journey is so wrong. It's not that hard to be morally right and yet punish the villain. It's ok to be manipulative but to drive people insane in the name of revenge is absolutely nuts. Mielle made her to be an evil villain, but Aria drove her to insanity and pushed her criminal mindset further and further out. Aria herself planted the idea of the tea in Mielle's mind knowing her criminal mindset, and that's a crime through association. Mielle and Aria both killed Cain, just to be clear. Mielle is a villain yes, but Aria is a villain too. Mielle is a villain by conditioning, but Aria is a self-made villain, do you see the difference??
I think Mielle is a victim of her circumstances and Emma, so I wish she gets a regression and chooses to boot Emma for good. That way there's a chance she can actually work on the future for both the sisters to be happy, first step is by accepting the hand of friendship that Aria extended on the first day. But on the other hand, a psychopath can't be redeemed so easily. There are so many possibilities but yeah, I don't think I'll waste my time in reading this manga again haha.
Sorry for my long replies. Have a wonderful day/night!
Reading this actually made me symphatizes with Mielle more! You really look into her character deeply in a different way I do. I can really began to accept that!
But I will still do some justice and deeply into Aria. If going with what you say about Mielle being groomed by Emma, it comes to my mind that Aria is definitely groomed by the assholes maids told by, possibly Emma and maybe Mielle as well, to become a stupid selfish, villain brat she is before she come back to life. I remember Aria saying that she was told that a noble should be arrogant. Her mother was absent so she could only believe those maids as they are the only adults around her at that time. She was ridiculed her entire life, seen as lowly, without knowing what was wrong. All she knows is she is a low birth, stupid bitch who only have pretty face. Then she got painted as a villaines before what really made her twisted was that moment where she actually realized how bad she is and when she did, she found out that Mielle and Emma has groomed her to become that way instead, so she got really mad that she has been played by them all her life and that her whole life was manipulated by them. So she did think and introscepted herself. She realized how she really was stupid and that everything was a plan to simply ridicule and kill her. To be honest, being in Aria's position, I would never start think to befriend Mielle even if I met a child that even though she is still small yet already full of hatred towards me. She was manipulated, so she wanted to manipulate them back.
Here comes her revenge. It is true that Aria is older than Mielle at this time, but I think she would not care as she was also bullied since she was a child. They killed Aria's mother before so she killed Emma, her mother figure back. She was painted as a villainess, so she painted her back as the villainess. Etc etc. Maybe Aria is not likeable for you, but I suppose I just wanted her to get as much justice as you give Mielle. All of this spat is started by the main villain who turns out to be Emma and the AH maids (LOL) and Mielle who got contaminated into one dirty psychopath.
I also still want to bring back my arguments on how Aria treats everyone around her vs. how Mielle treats everyone around her. Aria may have become a manipulative girl but she manipulate in a way that everyone around her can be happy, yet Mielle was taught to manipulate to make the person she hates miserable. This, is apparently becoming the human side that Aria has. It may started from how she wanted to reap something from them, but by doing so, those people become precious. Especially asher, sarah, and jessie in particular. She realized that even she can receive the love she never received before. Those 3 people made Aria stay human.
In the last part you said you are happy seeing the human side of Mielle that hopes for happiness with Aria. I do think that it would be wonderful if there are another universe where they can actually get along as sisters. But, I also thinks that Mielle can have such delusions because she also remembers the pure Aria in the beginning that she and Emma chose to wreck. In the end Aria told all of her sufferings to Mielle, so she knows, and able to imagine "If only I had been good at her..." but Aria cannot. She simply lacks of power against the maid, and she knows that the Mille that she met, has already been the "villain Mielle that Emma created. Aria cannot imagine as easily as Mielle did, she can only blame her past stupidity. Because really, is anything really her fault in the past life besides her being naive and stupid kid? Therefore, I hope you can see the human part of Aria as well. In the end, both just desired to be happy. But one disrupts other happiness for one entire lifetime, so she just did the same, out of hatred.
Yuppp the tile says it all too HAHA the villainess turns the hourglass. The author meant to made her a villainess in saint clothes. I know and never denied how she was a villain but her villain and psychopathic side only shows aggresively to Mielle and those who hurts her before. I also really dont like Cain part though... I think Aria went too far for that one too.
But for self made villain, I don't know? I mean Aria lives longer, and she definitely is suffering from defamation and shame longer than Mielle is. Aria, in my opinion just has a stronger mind, she had her mother killed too in her past life and was framed for the one who killed her own mother. But Mielle's was fragile, that's why she was driven insane just by the death of Emma, with was actually just a reap of what she sowed. Aria too, was driven mad by those people. She never know what love is like Mielle did, yet lost her mother and get fra.ed for doing so. So no, in my opinion, Aria is DEFINITELY not a self made villain.
Aria may be the female lead of the story but I think that was what exactly what the author intended to do. Saying "yes, my FL is a true villainess."
I AM RANTING SO LONG TOO IM SO SORRYYYY!!! THANKS FOR REPLYING TO ME THOOO
Oh and I wanted to add, maybe the lack of sympathy towards what Aria is going through in the past is because her story was hugely skipped through and was not vividly potrayed from both old Aria's POV and the villain's POV, like how we witnessed what Aria did to Mielle. I WONDER IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
Definitely makes sense. The author is just too lazy XD XD She should have provided us with more than just some tid-bits of Aria's pain. Don't get me wrong, it's not as if I don't sympathize with Aria, I really really do. I loved the parts when she was discovering her emotions for Asher, Karin, Jessie & co. What I really hated was the fact that I couldn't come to like her because how she turned out. And I really wanted to like her. I do think her hatred towards Mielle is justified and until and unless she had gone back to the time that Mielle was younger than when they met, before Emma got her evil clutches into her, there's really no way that Mielle would turn out any different. The story would turn take the same route. Aria knew that Karin's death from poisoning in the past was also because of Emma, but that still isn't enough to redeem Mielle in her eyes, which I agree with. It was just so pitiful how much of a manipulative evil villainess she was becoming (albeit for revenge and as a side-effect of the trauma of her death). Aria had become the exact same that past Mielle was, and that was terrifying to see actually. Aria was good to her loved ones, same can be said for the past Mielle, she must have been good to her loved ones as well. The present Mielle turns out this way because she fails at every turn of her life, manipulated so by Aria, and becomes the worst form of herself in the present. So imagine two futures, the previous one where Aria dies: Mielle is happy, her loved ones are happy, Karin is dead. In the present time, Mielle dies: Aria is happy, her loved ones are happy, Roscente males are dead, Isis is dead. So it's just this, they cannot co-exist XD XD one side has to die for the other to survive which is inevitable but still sad.
Oh I actually agree with you on this.
The self-made villain part is partly by choice and partly revenge + trauma, so yes not fully self-made. On the other side, Mielle is a product of negative conditioning in both her lives, it's hateful yet tragic. Here I am feeling sorry for 2 unhinged characters XD
The other comment is a reply for all your 3 comments combined, I only replied for the parts I wanted to clarify, rest all I agree with you.
No need to get triggered by my comment below. I have presented an analytical view of the manga and some characters. Every character can be viewed through a critical lens, and because the entire manga revolves around Aria, she is my prime focus. I have presented a sound argument mentioning some (not all) questionable qualities in Aria. I have read the entire manga twice, first just to enjoy (but found Aria flawed in some aspects) and second time under a critical lens. I wanted to look at characters impartially instead of favoring Aria for her only saving grace as being the FL. No two people can completely agree with everything. I am just acting on my right of free speech and posted my own opinion. I respect different opinions and expect others to do the same. People are free to disagree or dislike my comment. And if they want to reply, they can do so with a good counter-argument rather than personal attacks and derogatory remarks like "you need help" suggesting I'm crazy for 1) maybe having a different opinion, 2) having remarks on Aria's characterization, 3) not awarding Aria as the #BestFL 4) all three 5) other reasons.
Such comments just expose the commenter's own defects in intelligence, clarity of thought and their personality as a whole, so I'd advice people to avoid doing that. Include basic politeness and maturity in your form of expression. Thank you.