Review of I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess by DumplingTheDumpling

Genre: General Romance

Total length: 5 chapters

Writer: DumplingTheDumpling

Update status: Ongoing

Synopsis: Ria steps into her favorite novel as the best friend of villainess Erestelle, who eventually gets executed for torturing the main character (her fiancé) as he dumps her in favor of the novel's female protagonist. Ria's ultimate goal would be to prevent all this bad stuff from happening, but will she succeed?

Author Introduction | DumplingTheDumpling

Not much is known about DumplingTheDumpling. So far, the only story he has penned is "I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess" (the novel under review).

Theme: Redeeming The Villainess

The "Heel-Face Turn" theme is a common trope in Wrestling and rests on the idea that people are good by nature but become evil down the road due to events in their own lives. This is based on the notion - already espoused by Jean-Jacques Rousseau centuries earlier - that human nature is essentially good and that people could live happily and peacefully before the concept of "The State" began to take shape.

In this novel, the main character is introduced into her favorite fictitious world and, bringing to mind the idea we just outlined, tries to save the villainess who was otherwise kind and loving. This aligns with another main motif, which is that of the "likable villain," someone whom readers could relate to despite their antagonistic status.

 

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The Characters: Heroes and Villainesses

Ria is the undisputed star in this ongoing quirky Romance, though we might mention a few sidekicks and, of course, the kind villainess herself.

Let's begin with our lead character:

Ria / Lumine

We're not really given a thorough backdrop on who Ria is or what brought her to the heart of her favorite novel. We only learn that she took on the role of Lumine, Erestelle's best friend from childhood.

Lumine was a bit cruel at times and was styled "The Dark Saint." She was part of the Escar family, who were executed by the Emperor, according to the novel Ria is reading.

Ripley Chess / Erestelle

Ripley Chess, just like Ria, found herself reincarnated as one of the primary characters in the "My Prince" novel.

Erestelle Frost (the character Ripley became) is of noble blood and fashioned as "The Light Saint." She earned this moniker due to the fact she displayed a very amiable and pleasant demeanor for the most part.

However, love has the power to turn someone into either the meekest flower or the most ruthless tyrant. Unfortunately, Erestelle experienced the latter. In an attempt to be with the man she loved (Luke), she resorted to some of the most despicable actions imaginable.

Other Characters

Luke: The Prince who dumped Erestelle for Hikari.

Hikari: Luke's loved one and the female lead in the "My Prince" book.

Point of View: The Narrator Became Non-Existent

"I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess" stands out, in part, due to its unique narrative style. Rather than relying on a traditional narrator, the entire story is told mostly through dialogue lines, so it could be said that it is portrayed from the standpoint of each of the characters involved.

The Plot in I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess

The novel places us right into the action. There is no build-up, no questions, and no explanation. Suddenly, Ria reincarnates into one of the characters in her favorite novel named "My Prince" - more specifically, the villainess's best friend.

She finds herself within a pivotal scene where she first meets Erestelle, a young girl connected to the titled figures known as the "duke" and "duchess." As it turns out, the Erestelle character had actually been assumed by another "real-life" fan called Ripley Chess, but she was not aware of all the intricacies of what would happen to her. Hence, Ria, in Lumine's flesh, proceeds to explain everything that transpires throughout the novel, its sequel, and its spinoffs.

Ria mentions how Erestelle falls in love with Prince Luke, but the latter rejects her in favor of Hikari, who surprisingly turns out to be his sister. Ria also describes how Lumine at first tries to poison Hikari and then how Erestelle ends up kidnapping and torturing her. Then, Luke saves Hikari, and Erestelle is subsequently sentenced to death on that account.

Ria lays out how she plans to save Erestelle from this dire fate by trying to steer the plot towards a favorable outcome, and she rejoices in the fact that Ripley is in control of Erestelle and aware of her destiny, so she can help her achieve this goal.

Hottest Chapters in I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess

We might point to Chapter 2 as the novel's turning point since we get to see how the original story unfolds. We also learn that before Ria stepped in, another person had already reincarnated as one of the main characters, adding an intriguing twist to the narrative.

Writing Style: Befriend an Editor, Please!

As disclosed earlier, "I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess" is almost entirely told through dialogue, which makes it look more like a script than an actual novel.

Moreover, there is no regard for proper grammar and syntax. The author overlooks capitalization rules more often than not, and commas are virtually non-existent, making it extremely challenging to follow the story.

"I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess". Verdict

"I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess" has an interesting theme and premise. Unfortunately, when it comes to the content presentation, there's little in terms of writing quality.

There is some semblance of comedic value in the dialogue lines, but this is the best we can say about this aspect. Not only does the writing fail to make grammatical sense, but readers might struggle to find even the logical sense of certain parts.

To illustrate, at one point, we were led to believe that Luke and Lucas were two different characters, but that was due to the confusing and almost random manner in which the "narrative" (if that's even a thing here) was conveyed. It's almost as if the novel was either written by an underaged person or someone who's not a native English speaker.

We can still see a fantastic novel brimming with potential buried beneath layers and layers of nonsensical blabbing. We're confident that, through diligent editing, we may begin to see the luster. As it stands, however, readers should tread with care and manage their expectations.

FAQs

Q: Who is Ria in "I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess"?

A: Ria is the main "real-life" character, but we only know her as the woman who impersonates Lumile. So far, there's little information about her background and the reasons she ended up reincarnating as the aforementioned fictional figure.

Q: Is "I Became The Bestfriend Of The Villainess" free to read?

A: As of this review, the novel is free to read up to its fifth chapter.