By Yukiha Kuroyuki and Uodenim. Released in Japan as “Kiwamete Gouman Taru Akuyaku Kizoku no Shogyou” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Ben Trethewey. Adapted by Kylee Yasin.

I haven’t really dipped my toe into the smaller pool of “villain” books, which is to say the genre and basic plot beats are the same, but it’s someone being reincarnated as a terrible man rather than a terrible woman. This also is one of a small number of books where the reincarnated person and the “bad” person they’ve replaced/overwritten actually struggle to see who’s really in charge. Luke was supposed to be another stereotype of these fantasy books – the snobby, coasts by on his family name, rude to absolutely everyone sort. But our new reincarnated guy knows that that is, as Katarina Claes would put it, a path to doom! So he tries to change. Can he be nice?… no. Can he reach out to others to ask for help?… provided he frames it as an arrogant command. This will be tough. Fortunately, he can actually put in the work and study. Also fortunately, the series he’s in is a comedy.

Luke Witharia Gilbert has just remembered that he’s actually a character in a light novel. What’s worse, he doesn’t really remember all that much about the light novel except the basics. He knows that he’s a talented but lazy arrogant ass who is doomed to be killed by the “you can do anything with enough willpower!” hero in a few years. While the real Luke inside his head won’t let him stop being an asshole to almost everyone he meets, he can at least do something about the lazy. So he demands his butler (an ex-soldier) teach him the sword… and he’s brilliant at it. Then he demands a wandering magic lecturer teach him magic… and he has rare and powerful dark magic. He’s told by his father to find himself a girl to get engaged to… and ends up with a talented bombshell who is cold and sneering to everyone… till she meets Luke, and discovers what she really wants in life. Frankly, maybe it’s the hero who should worry.

The author in the afterword straight up admits that it’s tough to take a book in this genre and set it apart from the others. Their solution was to make everyone a “pervert”, though how you define that depends how you feel about such things. Certain Alfred, the butler, is not a pervert in any sense but his desire to see Luke grow to be the strongest in the world. Alice *is* a masochist, as she discovers once Luke effortlessly defeats her in a duel, but her desire to be worthy of staying at his side makes her also a genius who tries. Mia, a young girl who has talent but also a case of the self-doubts gets crushed when she duels… and turns to Luke to make her better. Basically, he’s warping the entire narrative around himself. The hero, Abel, is a nice guy who reads like a Jump hero, but he has no chance in a series like this. I also worry about his obvious love interest Lily. I can see this series going the NTR route as part of its comedy. Luke is just that good. (I was amused that the one time he actually “lost” is when Alice basically stripped naked and started to kiss him. Some things you can’t sneer your way out of.)

If OP characters bother you, steer clear. But I honestly found this a hoot. I look forward to seeing Luke be mean to others and force them to be the best that they can be in the future.