Reincarnated otome game heroine Alice is more than a little surprised when Dark, the demon earl she loves but denies that fact in front of others, comes to her with a problem: he can’t leave London. Somehow, every time he goes to depart, he finds himself suddenly back going the way he came. It’s not a huge priority for the supernatural investigator and her fellow demon-blessed team, especially since Dark has no issue staying close to his beloved Alice.
However, a real life-or-death situation occurs when her butler, Jack, is arrested for murder! She knew there was a Jack the Ripper-inspired event in Evil Alice’s Lover, but while she thought she would head off that flag, things didn’t go as planned. Can Alice prove Jack’s innocence and free Dark from whatever spell he’s under?
I Reincarnated as Evil Alice, So the Only Thing I’m Courting is Death volume 2 continues shortly after the events of volume 1, and compared to some other releases, I didn’t have any trouble reintegrating myself into the world and its characters thanks to the prologue and first half of the first chapter. Those sections also indicate a darker turn, and while it’s debatable the novel reaches that level of drama due to a lack of battles, the setting, setup, and the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland influences remain just as cool as before.
Jack’s absence and Dark’s staying means even more opportunities for Dark to spend time with Alice. She can be very tsundere around him, but I do like how the manga touched on an idea that often gets ignored in these type of video game isekai stories: favorite love interest in their past life versus the current life. This isn’t dived into too deeply, but compared to most where the protagonist is the villainess and is too busy running away from her fiancé/other romantic interests, Evil Alice is a bit refreshing in showing a heroine not with her head in the sand regarding love. The illustrations are full of adorable moments showcasing the two of them.
Love is also tied into the murder mystery: a witness places Jack at the scene of the crime, and during her investigation, Alice discovers loyal Jack has been keeping secrets.
Still, this isn’t a hard whodunnit case due to the limited number of new and returning characters — not to mention a court case with Ace Attorney levels of flexibility. But the tragedy has its own intrigue since not every question about the events leading up to the murder is answered. The case has a distinct shoujo feel that fits the story: an antagonist who is not 100% villainous and also has parallels to Alice’s life.
That’s where I think Evil Alice continues to succeed — having that cozy familiarity without being too identical to other stories. Like, there is a character who is obsessed with time, but his name isn’t Inspector Rabbit; it’s Inspector Dodo. Plus, the mirror theme, but then we have the supernatural aspects with the demons. The end of the novel teases one of the classic novel’s most iconic characters, and it also looks like the death flags may be more difficult than they were here.
But that’s for later. And while I’m very excited for the next entry, as for volume 2, I Reincarnated as Evil Alice, So the Only Thing I’m Courting is Death is a little light on death flags, but it is heavy on pure fun.