Villain Initialization (2024)

Synopsis:

In 2048, supervillain Ling Chen (alias Penrose) accidentally travels back to his high school sophomore year in 2030 during a fierce battle with his nemesis, superhero Ye Zimu. After returning home and confirming his time travel, Ling Chen decides that this time he must protect his aunt, who was killed by Ye Zimu in his previous life, and eliminate Ye Zimu. The “reborn” timeline is full of variables, but this time, Ling Chen believes he can change everything!

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Number of episode: 16

Studio: Chosen

Type: 3D Animation

Where to watch?: Bilibili

Douban score: no score yet

Bilibili rating: 9.8 (with > 3k raters)

My rating: Love to Watch

Status: Season 1 complete. Waiting for Season 2 (not sure if there will be any)

Recommended if you like:

Story about superhero and villains
Time travel trope

What I Like

The story is interesting. The protagonist is a villain & he doesn’t really have superpower. He relies on his genius brain to invent gadgets and tools to help him fight his enemies. I always like story featuring brain vs brawn.
I like the girls in this donghua. Jiang Xiao is mature & energetic. Qiao Yi are sometimes childish and delusional, but reliable as a team mate. The aunt is very kind.
It’s quite funny & the relationship between some character is heartwarming.

My Other Comments

To be honest, I think this donghua is pretty entertaining, but there ‘s several things that I don’t really understand. First of all, why Huang Wu was attacked by the Scorpion Cat? The reason is not clear even after the donghua end. All we can see is J has the same tattoo with Huang Wu. Still doesn’t make it really clear for me. Why there’s people who want him dead, and why they do it in such a blatant way? It’s just weird to me when an assasin try to kill people openly instead of covertly.
Another aspect I find perplexing is why Ling Chen displays such inconsistency in his desire to eliminate Ye Zimu. The events of the past is unclear, but through various dialogues, we can deduce that his aunt’s death resulted from Ye Zimu losing control of his powers. Ling Chen is portrayed as a genius. If he truly wanted to kill Ye Zimu, he should be able to devise multiple strategies. However, every attempt he makes to eliminate Ye Zimu seems to only increase Ye Zimu’s strength. Additionally, Ling Chen fluctuates between wanting to kill Ye Zimu, deciding against it because he perceives Ye Zimu as no longer a threat, and then reverting back to want to kill him.

Other Fun Facts

Villain Initialization is adapted from popular manhua.

Link to watch Villain Initialization

Youtube (Episode 1 – 6 Free):

Youtube (Episode 1 – 16, member only):