7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! – Full Season Review

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijō wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyū Kimamana Hanayome Seikatsu o Mankitsu Suru) is the 2024 Winter sleeper hit that took the entire anime community by storm. Adapted from the light novel by Touko Amekawa and brought to life by Studio Kai and Hornets, this single-cour 12-episode series turned the otome isekai genre on its head and delivered one of the healthiest, smartest, and most satisfying romances in recent memory.

Rishe Irmgard Weitzner is twenty years old and has already died six times. In each life she has tried everything: merchant, doctor, maid, knight, scholar, even hunter. Every single time, war breaks out five years later and she is killed. On her seventh loop, moments after being dumped by her useless fiancé Prince Dietrich, she comes face-to-face with the man who murdered her in every previous life: Crown Prince Arnold Hein of the Galkhein Empire, the cold-blooded tyrant who starts the war that ends her existence.

Instead of running or begging for mercy, Rishe looks him dead in the eye and casually asks him to marry her.

What follows is twelve episodes of pure, concentrated romantic and political genius.

This is not another villainess story about revenge or petty school drama. Rishe has zero interest in bullying side characters or slapping her ex. She has seen the future six times and knows exactly how everything ends in flames. This time she’s done suffering. Her only goal is to live a long, peaceful, carefree life, and the fastest way to do that is to marry the man who always kills her and make sure war never happens in the first place.

And Arnold, the supposedly heartless prince who slits her throat in every previous timeline, agrees to the marriage without hesitation.

What makes 7th Time Loop exceptional is how it weaponizes the time-loop premise for character depth instead of cheap gags. Rishe isn’t just “smart” because the plot needs her to be. Every skill she shows (negotiation, medicine, swordsmanship, accounting, even brewing perfect tea) was hard-earned in one of her previous six lives. When she calmly disarms a poisoned needle trap or negotiates trade deals that save entire towns, you believe it because you’ve seen the cost she paid to learn those skills.

Arnold, meanwhile, is the perfect mirror. Cold, calculating, and raised as a weapon by his monstrous father, he has never known kindness without an agenda. Rishe’s complete lack of fear and her blunt, cheerful honesty completely short-circuit his worldview. Watching the most dangerous man on the continent slowly turn into a flustered, protective husband is comedy gold and romance platinum.

The romance is mature, consensual, and built on genuine equality. There are no forced kisses, no “I hate you but I’m obsessed” nonsense. Arnold respects Rishe’s autonomy from day one. Rishe never tries to “fix” him with love; she simply refuses to treat him like a monster. Their relationship grows through quiet moments: late-night talks on palace rooftops, shared meals where she teaches him how to relax, the way he unconsciously steps in front of her when danger appears even though he knows she can handle herself. When they finally confess, it feels earned in a way most anime romances can only dream of.

Studio Kai’s animation is clean and vibrant, with gorgeous costume design (Rishe’s wardrobe is to die for) and expressive character acting that sells every subtle emotion. The soundtrack leans into gentle piano and strings, perfectly matching the “healing while preventing apocalypse” vibe.”

The supporting cast is universally excellent. Michel, the gentle scholar; Kyle, the sickly foreign prince; Kaine, the cross-dressing merchant; even the comic-relief maids all get meaningful arcs and never feel like filler. The political intrigue is easy to follow but never dumbed down, and every move Rishe makes has ripple effects that pay off beautifully by the finale.

The ending of season one wraps up the immediate threat while leaving massive threads open for the inevitable second season (already confirmed in real life). Rishe has successfully delayed war, exposed corruption, and turned half the empire into her personal found family, but the real darkness still looms on the horizon. The final scene, with Arnold finally calling her by her first name and promising to stand by her no matter what comes next, is peak romance satisfaction.

Final Score: 9.6/10 – Instant classic

7th Time Loop is everything the villainess genre should be: clever, emotionally intelligent, funny, romantic, and deeply respectful of its characters and audience. It’s the rare isekai that uses reincarnation as a tool for growth instead of power fantasy, and the rare romance where both leads are adults who communicate like adults.

If you love smart female leads, healthy relationships, political maneuvering with stakes, and the most wholesome slow-burn married life ever animated, watch this immediately.

Stream it legally on Crunchyroll.
And prepare to scream into your pillow every time Arnold does something stupidly romantic.

This is the villainess story we’ve been waiting for.
Season two cannot come soon enough.

Play

Season 1 (Sub)