Villains Are Destined to Die Chapter 1: “Normal Mode Cleared!” marks the quiet beginning of a journey that’s anything but ordinary. It’s not loud, not flashy, but it lingers. It asks you to sit with the discomfort, the loneliness, and the quiet yearning of someone who’s been on the outside looking in for far too long. If you’ve ever found comfort in fiction when real life felt too heavy, this chapter might just hit closer than expected.
If you’ve ever been drawn to stories where romance is tangled with trauma, where courtly beauty hides cruelty, and where love feels inseparable from survival, this chapter sets that tone immediately. As someone who finds deep connection in narratives that blend love with resilience and shadows, this series resonates deeply with my exploration of manga. It speaks to my fascination with characters who persist through their scars, crafting a space where their battles seem poignantly familiar.
7-10 minutes read time
- Series Title: Villains Are Destined to Die (Alt: Death Is the Only Ending for the Villainess)
- Status: Ongoing
- Type: Manhwa + Webtoon
- Chapter: 1
- Chapter Title: Normal Mode Cleared!
- Release Platforms: KakaoPage (KR), Tappytoon (EN), Tapas (EN)
- English Release: October 31, 2020
- Official Link: Read on Tappytoon
- Genre: Psychological, Romance, Fantasy, Drama, Isekai, Game
- Content Warnings: Emotional neglect, family rejection, classism, implied trauma
Quick Summary (No Major Spoilers)
Previous Context: N/A — This is the first chapter.
Chapter Summary:
This chapter dives into Cha Siyeon’s lonely, quietly devastating backstory. As the illegitimate daughter of a powerful man, she was thrown into a household that never truly accepted her. Her father’s half-hearted introduction to her stepbrothers—“Take care of her”—only set the tone for years of coldness and emotional neglect. Now at twenty, she’s finally free. Even if her new apartment is practically crumbling, it’s hers, and she’s determined to build a life that’s finally her own.
Enter the otome game Daughter of the Duke – Love Project!—an eerily familiar fairytale that mirrors her own life, but with a warmth she never had. Siyeon finds herself captivated, clearing all of Normal Mode’s romantic routes with ease. But when she unlocks the much harder, villainess-led Hard Mode, she doesn’t hesitate. Instead of paying for the true ending, she throws herself into the challenge, intrigued by the idea of playing as Penelope Eckhart—the villain doomed to lose everything.
Tone: The tone is melancholic with underlying curiosity, a quiet sadness lingers beneath the otome game aesthetic.
Chapter Purpose: This chapter gives us emotional grounding for Siyeon’s inner world before she becomes Penelope. It builds empathy for her, mirrors the otome plot with her real trauma, and plants the seeds of her future obsession.
Personal Thoughts and Reactions to Villains Are Destined to Die Chapter 1
This chapter hit harder than expected. Siyeon isn’t just a vehicle for transmigration; she’s a whole, fleshed-out character with pain that runs deep. I love that the story doesn’t rush her into the fantasy. We feel why she clings to the game. This is what gives her arc such gravity. I also really appreciated the ‘realism’ of being drawn into a game and not noticing the hours pass by and then ‘rationalising’ playing for a few more.
Plot and Story Beats
- Her half-brothers reject her; she spends years isolated and unloved.
- At 20, she gains her freedom and starts university.
- She discovers Daughter of the Duke, drawn in by the similarities to her own life.
- She finishes Normal Mode, unlocking the harder route, Hard Mode starring Penelope.
- She chooses to attempt it rather than pay the steep price for the true ending.
Character Stakes and Conflict
- Siyeon is desperate for control, affection, and escape from a world that’s consistently failed her.
- She doesn’t realise yet that her casual decision to try Hard Mode will entrap her in a new world with real, fatal stakes.
Dialogue and Readability
The dialogue flows naturally, switching between wistful narration and light slice-of-life exchanges (like her classmate recommending the game). It really captures her loneliness and gradual descent into an obsession with game with gentle subtlety.
Pacing and Structure
The flashbacks and present day are transitioned smoothly and are emotionally well-paced without dragging. The shift from grounded reality to fantasy game mechanics is gradual and not jarring. It feels natural.
Themes / Symbolism
Chapter 1 is so layered when it comes to themes, it’s quietly devastating and sets the emotional tone for the entire series. One of the clearest themes is escapism as survival. Siyeon isn’t just playing a game for fun; she’s using it as a way to soothe the emotional wounds left by years of rejection, loneliness, and conditional affection. The game becomes a mirror for her longing, a place where a girl like her can be loved, can be chosen, can win. But the cruel twist is that her escape ends up trapping her in a much more dangerous reality.
There’s also a powerful motif around fairy tales vs. reality. Siyeon once believed her life might follow a Cinderella-like path, but instead, it mirrored the role of the overlooked stepsister or the unwanted “extra.” The game reinforces that same binary: the warm, celebrated heroine Ivonne vs. the cold, condemned Penelope. Siyeon’s story doesn’t just critique this trope; it inhabits it. The final symbolism I’d highlight is the idea of fate dressed as choice. When she chooses Hard Mode, it feels like agency, but in truth, she’s stepping into a pre-scripted narrative where everything, even death, is on the rails. The UI, the glitching visuals, the locked endings, they’re all symbols of how little power she really has.
Art Commentary
First off, it is pretty. The panel composition in this chapter uses a minimalist style when depicting Siyeon alone, emphasising her emotional isolation, while the game scenes are vibrant and ornate, visually reinforcing her sense of separation from that world. The mood colour palette shifts from soft pinks and light tones to stark blacks and empty white space during her trauma reflections, heightening the impact of her memories.
Chapter 1 Rating: 9/10
Deep emotional resonance, perfect pacing, and excellent narrative foreshadowing. It may feel slow for someone expecting action, but it absolutely nails the character setup. The eeriness of the game mirroring her life is compelling. The question “What happens when the villain becomes the main character?” is irresistible.
Characters in Chapter 1
Cha Siyeon is centre stage: we see her loneliness, bitterness, and cautious optimism. Her father and brothers are briefly introduced, but only through the coldness of memory, setting the tone for the toxic “family” she’s about to inherit in the game. Ivonne is mentioned, not shown, but her “perfect heroine” status already sets up tension.
Characters Introduced (in order):
- Cha Siyeon (main)
- Siyeon’s Father (mentioned, seen in memory)
- Two Half-Brothers (memory)
- Background Students
- Ivonne Eckhart (game version, briefly shown)
- Penelope Eckhart (game version, briefly shown)
Quotes from Villains Are Destined to Die Chapter 1: Normal Mode Cleared!
Her mother may be different, but she is still your younger sister. Take good care of her – Siyeon Cha’s Father
I didn’t sleep – Siyeon Cha
How hard could hard mode be? ~ Siyeon Cha
Panel Highlight of the Chapter
It’s the perfect marriage of art and narrative. This moment captures Siyeon in a rare breath of calm, soft colours, gentle lighting, and floating cherry blossoms reflect a fragile stillness before everything changes. It’s beautifully composed, deceptively delicate, and charged with subtle anticipation.
Overall
A soft, painful, and beautifully drawn character study of a girl who just wanted a different ending to her life story, and unknowingly signed up for the deadliest game possible. With every page, Villains Are Destined to Die deepens its tragedy, and this chapter is where that all begins.
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