This is another Isekai manga, but what makes it unique is that a middle-aged salaryman’s soul ends up in the body of a young, beautiful villainess from the Otome game Love & Beast.
The story begins when hardworking salaryman Kenzaburou Tondabayashi saves a boy from running in front of a truck. Instead of the boy, Kenzaburou gets hit. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself in the body of Grace Auvergne. Apparently, Grace had fallen from a horse, hit her head, and lost consciousness. When she wakes up, Kenzaburou has taken over her body.
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!, Volume 1. Kenzaburou (left) is inside Grace’s body.
Like many other Isekai stories, the villainess Grace was once harsh toward others. She would scold the servants but supposedly never once thanked them. However, with Kenzaburou now in control, her personality changes, and people begin to warm up to her. Since Kenzaburou is both a father and a workplace manager, he interacts with others at school from a parental perspective rather than as an equal. Because of this, the other students see Grace as exceptionally kind, mature, and caring.
Soon after Kenzaburou takes over Grace’s body, Grace meets Anna Doll, the intended protagonist of the Otome game. Grace’s original role was to interfere with Anna’s life, including sabotaging her love interests. However, with Kenzaburou’s personality in charge, Grace naturally attracts people, and her role as the “villainous noblewoman” gradually crumbles. In fact, Grace and Anna become close friends, and Anna grows to admire her. Interestingly, Anna’s supposed love interests, who were meant to be drawn to her because of her tragic circumstances, find themselves falling for Grace instead.
The Japanese title of this manga includes the word Tensei, meaning reincarnation. However, this isn’t a typical reincarnation story because (without spoiling too much…) Kenzaburou remains somewhat connected to his previous life as a salaryman. This adds another layer of intrigue, making it enjoyable not only to follow Grace’s journey but also to speculate about Kenzaburou’s fate.
At the end of volume one, there’s a message from the manga’s author, Michirou Ueyama. A veteran manga artist with about 30 years of experience, Ueyama has serialized works in both shonen and seinen magazines. Because of this, he never imagined he would one day write a story aimed at a female audience. It all started when two of his series were canceled back-to-back. Realizing he needed a fresh approach, he studied current manga trends and binge-read a wide range of popular Isekai stories. He became particularly fascinated with the “villainess” sub-genre and thought, I’d love to read a story like this next. So, he decided to create one himself and uploaded it online, where it unexpectedly went viral. This led to a commercial serialization, a collected volume release, and eventually, an anime adaptation. I really admire his willingness to dive into a new genre with such creativity and courage. I’ve also been watching the anime, and I really like it. It stays true to the original manga, and the Japanese voice actors for both Grace and Kenzaburou are perfect for their roles. If you enjoy lighthearted and funny Isekai stories that emphasize friendship and family, I highly recommend both the manga and the anime.
Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan (悪役令嬢転生おじさん）- From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! by Michirou Ueyama
