I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-loving Villainess Volume 1

Actual rating: 3.5★

Rounded up because when it gets things going, it's a lot of fun.

Despite the premise and the main character's love for cats and animals, somehow I feel like the animals aren't that prominent. This is mainly romance, and the biggest portion of the story is really the romance and everything building up to it. The main character, Amy, is reincarnated into an otome game along with her entire family. The thing is, she's not a fan of otome games so she barely played it and mostly just remembered the illustration on the title screen. She insists that she just wants to live with her beloved cat, Tigger, instead of becoming the prince's fiancée, but the story is obviously heading down that path. Tigger and the other animals do get quite a lot of scenes, but they're not very impactful when compared to the lives of Amy, her family and friends, and the guys who are so obviously interested in her.

In that sense, I feel a bit deceived.

That being said, it's not like this is a bad story or anything. It's actually pretty cute. Amy is a rare chubby main character, and her weight actually works in her favor. It makes her magical power stronger. She's 10 at the start of the book, and 14 at the end. That may make it feel like the story is progressing fast, but it's actually because of time skips. The pace itself is rather slow without them, which makes it feel more like a slow life story instead. Amy is supposed to be a villainess and we also get a glimpse of the heroine, but that's about it. Just a glimpse. Plus, Amy doesn't even know what actually happens in the otome game because she barely played it. To be honest, I feel like the story wanted to accomplish a lot and ended up doing a mediocre job at all aspects. The otome game concept is vague, and there isn't enough animal cuteness. In the end, the most prominently featured aspect is the romance.

In the first volume, we are introduced to four out of six love interests in the otome game. Amy hasn't met the other two, so we might meet them in the next volume. I'm curious as of where the story will be heading next since the slow pace makes it seem like there's barely any progress, but at the same time, I'm also wishing to see more scenes with the animals. While the story is fun enough in a peaceful way, I can't help but hope it'd stay true to the title.