Japanese title: 竜王陛下の逆鱗サマ～本好きネズミ姫ですが、なぜか竜王の最愛になりました～
Romaji: Ryuuou Heika no Gekirin-sama ~Hon Suki Nezumi Hime desu ga, Naze ka Ryuuou no Saiai ni Narimashita~
Direct translation: His Majesty the Dragon King’s Wrath ~I am a Book-loving Mouse Princess, but for Some Reason I Became the Dragon King’s Beloved~
Artist: Kawano Akiko (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen, 2023 adaptation)
Writers: Shikimi Aki
Serialized in: Zero-Sum Online
Number of Volumes: 3
Summary
Princess Ruiying of the Rat Clan has been summoned to the Dragon Clan’s territory. Alongside 12 other princesses, she must compete for the Dragon King’s heart to earn the highest of honors and become his bride — except she isn’t interested in the slightest! Coming from the weakest clan means she has more on her mind than something as faraway as romance or marriage. The Dragon Clan’s extensive library is much more appealing than some pointless competition, and it’s not like the small and unassuming princess of the weakest clan is going to be missed… right?
Spoiler-free Review
I appreciate stories that have detailed, lovingly illustrated art, and I believe this story definitely stands out as having that. There are some beautiful spreads, and in general the clean & flowing line work make all the characters look somewhat ethereal while remaining expressive! I definitely want to check out more of this artist’s work now. Everyone is really pretty & really hot. Nice!
Readers who enjoy the Apothecary Diaries may also like this story, due to a similar dynamic & setting. The Rat Princess just wants to live her life in the library and not draw too much attention to herself. #relatable. But this intense Dragon King has plans of his own! #itshouldhavebeenme. Do remember that this is a josei manga, so of course there’s more flustered moments, sweet words, and romantic situations involved. But that’s exactly what I wanted when I picked this up! It’s something I come back to when I want a light-hearted read. I do sincerely wish it was longer, as I feel like this setting has a lot of potential for some interesting stories!
A note to NA buyers about the series as a whole is that the first volume (at least the one I received) has different paper than the second and third. The first volume has thicker, higher-quality paper that seems resistant to yellowing. The second and third volumes utilize the usual thinner manga paper that seems to yellow over time. I do wish all three volumes were at least consistent, but it is nice to pick up the first volume and still appreciate how beautiful everything looks.
Taking a Closer Look (Spoiler Warning)
I love looking at the faces in this book. I think if I could draw, I would want an art style like this. It’s so pleasing to look at. Here are some of my favorites!
He’s so clingy. So clingy. Can you truly call yourself a loverboy if you don’t long for your cute wife at all times?
Something I do think about is I also would have liked more romantic build-up between the two main characters. It would have been nice to see more of Yawen bridging the gap between him and Ruiying, and more of the both of them expanding their worlds. Ruiying and Yawen have both been so sheltered in their own unique ways. Also, more of Lanlan being badass and shanking people, and more girl-bonding time between the the four main princesses in general.
Thankfully it’s not wholly unrealistic, while I think there’s nothing wrong with a man becoming a wifeguy at first sight (more men should do so, really), even by the end of the series Ruiying has some affection for Yawen rather than outright love (which would have felt a bit rushed/forced). She states “I don’t hate you, but I don’t love you, I just want to be beside you for the time being”, giving them some room to grow some more. I think leaving room for growth is a great narrative choice in a series where the main issue is there’s no enough space to explore everything! Now us readers will have to do our part with our imaginations…
Regarding the plot point with the Bird Clan kidnapping our rat & rabbit princesses, it felt a bit rushed… I would have loved to see more political intrigue & hostile buildup in the series like Yona of the Dawn or The Apothecary Diaries because the setting would have worked really well for it, but we must remember that some series are meant to be short runs rather than long epics. The author probably only had so many chapters to tell their story; sometimes these are just publisher or schedule restrictions. This story feels so close to something I might come up with, that if anything, I can walk away from it with a lighter heart and some inspiration to work more on my own stories.
Thank you for reading!
Support this work!
- Official NA website: Seven Seas Entertainment
- Check a library near you: Worldcat
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