From Bureaucrat to Villainess Episode 1 Review: Ojisan Has The Parent Rizz

The 1st episode of From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! or Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan was playful, funny and a nice watch. Let us see how this episode turned out.

From Bureaucrat to Villainess Overview

From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! (Japanese: 悪役令嬢転生おじさん, Hepburn: Akuyaku Reijō Tensei Oji-san, meaning “The Middle-Aged Man That Reincarnated as a Villainess”) is a unique Japanese manga series created by Michiro Ueyama. Combining elements of comedy and fantasy, the series follows the intriguing tale of a middle-aged man who unexpectedly reincarnates as a classic villainess from a fictional world. This creative twist has garnered attention since its serialization began in March 2020 in Young King Ours GH, a seinen manga magazine published by Shōnen Gahōsha. To date, the series has been compiled into seven tankōbon volumes, with the latest released in August 2024.

Fans of the manga can look forward to its anime adaptation, set to premiere on January 10, 2025. Produced by Ajia-do Animation Works, the anime brings together a talented team led by Tetsuya Takeuchi as the director and Shingo Irie as the series composer. Haruka Matsunae has crafted the character designs, while Yuki Miyamoto has lent their creativity to designing the monsters that populate the story’s fantasy world.

The soundtrack features contributions from a group of composers, including Natsumi Tabuchi, Misaki Tsuchida, Tsugumi Tanaka, Reiko Abe, and Kaho Sawada, promising a vibrant musical experience to complement the narrative. The anime will air as part of the Super Animeism Turbo programming block on JNN affiliates, including MBS and TBS.

The series has already made waves internationally. In North America, Sentai Filmworks has acquired the streaming rights, with the show set to air on Hidive.

From Bureaucrat to Villainess Episode 1 Review And Recap

This was surprisingly a very pleasant episode, and I’m here to tell you why you should definitely check this out. Normally, a girl gets reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game, and we have seen plenty of shows like that. However, this time, it is a 52-year-old Japanese salaryman, Kenzaburou, who becomes the victim of the infamous truck-kun and gets sent to a game his daughter plays. Here, he wakes up as the prudish and proper but very strict Grace, a Duke’s daughter. Now, it is his adventure that we witness where he must live as a woman but at the same time try not to alter too much of her personality.

There are many interesting bits in this anime that, though repetitive, are very entertaining. As a seasoned otaku himself, Kenzaburou actually has a pretty decent working knowledge of the otome game, which helps him out. He also utilises the natural politeness and care of being a father to his benefit, as it translates into the primness of upper-class society in the game. This not only keeps the facade of him being a Duke’s daughter but also helps rebuild his reputation as a dignified woman.

Hilariously, rather than falling for the hero, the heroine of this game actually falls for the parental charms of Kenzaburou or Grace. In the later episodes, this will definitely be a gag where we will see him trying his best to be a fitting villainess, but others, especially girls, fall for him anyway. The animation is pretty nice, and the music is also catchy. Other than that, the pacing of the show is good, and the characters are likeable. Hopefully, we will see more of the plot in later episodes.

Verdict

This is not something you have never seen before, as this concept has been used multiple times. However, it has always been a woman reincarnating in place of a man, and the change here produces endless possibilities for comedic moments. I am specifically interested in watching what might happen later and will definitely keep an eye on this one.

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