The Villainess Turns the Hourglass by Antstudio, SANSOBEE
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
104 Chapters, 21 Side Stories
Read it on Tappytoon, Tapas
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
After her lowly mother married a count, Aria enjoyed a life full of luxury while harassing her gentle stepsister Mielle. Several years later, Aria is about to be executed when Mielle reveals that she wickedly tricked Aria into building the bad reputation that ultimately brought her to the scaffold. Just as Aria desparately wishes she could change her fate, she sees a curious hourglass that takes her back into the past. Now, Aria can destroy Mielle by using her own tactics against her like a true villainess. The power of the hourglass is on her side… Can Aria take everything from Mielle, or will her actions change the past in ways she couldn’t have imagined? Based on the hit novel.
Review
I remember reading this manhwa before but I think I may not have followed-up on the side stories since it was still ongoing at that time. But even if it’s a reread, The Villainess Turns the Hourglass is still as great as the first time I read it <3 It was really so good!
I always love revenge stories, but I don’t like reading their backstory. It’s because it’s usually tragic, and I want to retain my sanity so I always skip them. Luckily this story didn’t have a lot of that. It only has like 1 chapter detailing her tragic life and on how she ended up like that. There were some flashbacks here and there, but fortunately it was only short so it didn’t make me uncomfortable.
Another thing I love about this manhwa is the female lead. I usually don’t like villainess but she’s a different kind of villainess. She’s a total badass! And I am glad that she’s true to her character all throughout the story. Usually, villainess characters in an isekai or regression stories are only villainess at first but ends up being a saint (well, she has that title but I’ll let you discover why, hahaha) at the end, but the female lead on this story stayed true to her character till the end. She doesn’t tolerate bullsh*t and calls out people who are determined to step on her, but that doesn’t mean she’s out there killing innocent people. She also made sure to see through her revenge till the end. That said, the end of the antagonists were all satisfying to read. Yass!
Aside from her badass side, she also has her moments of weakness especially at the start of the story. She cried and got frustrated but still acknowledges her weaknesses. But despite all of that, she still continued to fight on, which helps to make her even stronger. And I really like reading that! Btw, I didn’t like how she always thinks of using people at the start of the story, but it’s a good thing that she outgrown that one and learns to really have a proper relationship with people. Her growth really is interesting to read.
The male lead on the other hand is a big green flag. I love seeing how dedicated he was to the female lead. His love for her can be a bit too much sometimes, but it felt natural for me. It feels like that’s just how it should be. The FL just deserves everything!
I also love the addition of family, especially highlighting FL’s relationship with her mother. At first I didn’t have a good impression of her mother because she seems a bit negligent. But as I read further, I get to see what kind of mother she truly is. So I certainly agree with most readers that she’s definitely the most accurate representation of real life mothers.
She may not be saintly and affectionate like most commoner mothers in manhwa, but you can’t deny that she really loves the FL in her own way. I was really glad we got to read her own perspective. So her not abandoning the FL after the father left them makes me appreciate her even more. It was also quite fun seeing their interaction together on planning on taking money from the antagonist family, lol.
I feel like the meeting with the biological father was anticlimactic that what I expected. But I guess it just proved that the FL doesn’t need her biological father’s family and influence to be strong. That she can definitely shine and succeed using her own strength. Go girl!
I also read some comments that the epilogue was dragging, but I don’t feel that way. In fact, I love that the epilogue has its different highlight story. The longer the story, the better for me, *wink.
This manhwa also has some sets of likable characters; each of them has unique qualities that I’m sure readers will also love. They definitely made this story even more entertaining!
As for the romance, I liked it. It was not too fast and definitely not too slow. For me it was done smoothly. And I like that! For me, this story just balances everything perfectly. We get to see heartwarming family scenes, sweet romance, and also the dirty and complicated side of politics.
Btw, I didn’t expect the addition of a god and felt like this story could still go on without mentioning one. The reincarnation of the other antagonist was also kind of unnecessary but after seeing the graphics, I can’t help but get interested since it is hinting at a romance to a certain young king. Hmmm, I wonder if the artist will write a spin off.
The antagonist Mielle was annoying, but it was rewarding seeing the FL winning every time so she really didn’t bother me that much. I guess I’m still a bit soft since seeing some of the criminals dying and such still makes me feel kind of bad especially on the brother. I can see that he mellowed down and really changed which I thought at first that it’s impossible. But thinking what the FL went through, he still deserved it.
If you’re looking for an amazing story with an equally amazing art and satisfying end to the antagonists, then The Villainess Turns the Hourglass is definitely a must read!
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