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Saw a lot of comments on Liz-hate but I actually genuinely like her character? I don’t think she’s realized she’s using a charm spell, since she’s a bit of an airhead, and if people have been acting that way since birth she probably doesn’t even realize something’s wrong. Plus, she doesn’t seem like a white-lotus demon bitch you typically see in the ‘heroine’s true character’, which makes me like her more.
This entire manga is about Alicia going on to become the ‘Greatest Villainess’, but like she said, you can’t be the greatest villain if you don’t have the greatest hero. There’s a reason we think of ‘Joker’ whenever someone says ‘Batman’, and vice versa.
I like the fact that, as far as we know, Liz is a stereotypical otome game heroine, but we’re looking at it through the viewpoint of reality versus a game. Politics isn't that straightforward. Idealist proposals don’t just magically get pushed through the first time and somehow it all works immediately, they actually discuss things through. Liz actually listens to Alicia when she gives her critique, but she doesn’t back down on her proposals. We see ACTUAL development and depth of BOTH characters, not just a villainess winning all the time because the hero is too stupid or evil to come up with a proper plan.
It’s FUN to see them fight. They actually feel like rivals. They feel more real BECAUSE they have lots of flaws. Do I like Liz as a ‘person’? No, although I can respect her resolve. Do I like Liz as a character? DEFINITELY. Alicia wouldn’t be able to shine as much as she does without Liz’s character being as well built as it currently is, and Liz wouldn’t be becoming the heroine she’s meant be without Alicia constantly pushing her. The brighter the light, the darker the shadows.
I love Alicia as she is, by far top 5 favorite villainess protagonists, but it wouldn’t feel right if she didn’t have the other side of her coin. I can’t help but feel that this is what female rivalry done right looks like.