As unlikely as it sounds, Prince Alan Stuart's massive inferiority complex inadvertently makes him into My Next Life As A Villainess's first advocate for gender equality.
As the fourth-born prince of the Kingdom of Sorcier, Alan Stuart has been told since infancy that he is the unwanted extra child who got what little was left of the family talent. He was meant to grow up lonely and insecure under his older twin brother Geordo's giant shadow, nursing his feelings of insecurity. At least, that was the plan in the original Fortune Lover timeline, the game that makes up the anime's world.
With the arrival of the new, improved version of Katarina things have changed. Like Geordo, Alan gets engaged at a very young age. His fiancé is a shy, timid girl named Mary Hunt. But, instead of falling in love with him as she does in the original game, this time around, she falls in love with Katarina.
The fact that Alan doesn't dismiss Mary's infatuation as simply having a close relationship with a female friend is huge. Especially in a world that seems to be in some sort of Regency time period where same sex relationships would normally be ignored by polite society, or simply dismissed as friendships. Instead, he gets jealous and accuses Katarina of seducing his fiancé.
Accusing Katarina of seducing Mary implies that Alan sees her as more than just an expensive political tool or some sort of potentially decorative trophy wife. He sees her as a whole person. Not only that, when he challenges her to a contest, it means that he sees her as an equal. Of course, he isn't thinking of anything except showing Katarina that he is better than she is. But, the subtext is exciting, especially since it is hidden within an otome game.
Even more exciting is the fact that during their contests, Katarina consistently wins. The power dynamic between these two is all about proving women are just as capable as men -- sometimes more so, in fact. Prince Alan's feelings of inferiority and jealousy actually turn him, unconsciously, into one of the strongest examples of a feminist ally that can be seen in an anime at the moment, if you know what to look for.
So far, each episode of My Next Life As A Villainess has defied expectations; going beyond what you'd expect from an anime of its genre to explore important topics related to gender equality, sexuality and mental health. And, even better, it does it all in a really fun way.
