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Private Prince #1
プライベート・プリンス, #01 [Private Prince]
His highness the prince of Estolia Wilfred became an exchange student in Eito University. His noble appearance and gentleman’s manners quickly filled the campus with hysterical women’s voices. Miyako also studies at that university and for her master’s thesis, she is determined to interview the prince about his great-grandmother. But when she approaches him about it, she suddenly discovers “the dark side” of his character...?!
Paperback
First published July 26, 2005
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About the author
Maki Enjōji
87 books376 followersName (in native language): 円城寺マキ (えんじょうじ マキ)
Maki Enjōji is a Japanese manga artist. Among her works, Happy Marriage!? is one of the best known and it has been published in English under VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat, in French by Kazé, in German by Tokyopop and in Italian by Star Comics.
Maki Enjōji is a Japanese manga artist. Among her works, Happy Marriage!? is one of the best known and it has been published in English under VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat, in French by Kazé, in German by Tokyopop and in Italian by Star Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 24, 2020
This has not been the first time I've read a manga involving
- a poor commoner & a prince
- a man showing that he's more perverted than his public persona otherwise suggests
- one or both characters encountering opposition to their union
But what I really enjoyed was that the H recognised that h was always able to see him beyond his public persona, and see him for who he truly was. I am honestly a sucker for those kinds of stories.
I deducted one star because the h was so ridiculous. I understood her hang ups about her big breasts (and honestly wished that the H's butler stopped calling her "Miss Melon" >_>), but the author put her in so many situations where she was open and vulnerable to assault.
- a poor commoner & a prince
- a man showing that he's more perverted than his public persona otherwise suggests
- one or both characters encountering opposition to their union
But what I really enjoyed was that the H recognised that h was always able to see him beyond his public persona, and see him for who he truly was. I am honestly a sucker for those kinds of stories.
I deducted one star because the h was so ridiculous. I understood her hang ups about her big breasts (and honestly wished that the H's butler stopped calling her "Miss Melon" >_>), but the author put her in so many situations where she was open and vulnerable to assault.
June 5, 2016
Spoilers ahead.
I didn't liked this manga very much though the art was good but I didn't liked the heroin of this manga, she was dumb really dumb. I think she didn't have any self respect. She was very weak as a woman which is very ironic because she wanted to write a thesis about strong women. The prince almost had raped her and the other day she got convinced to be his school buddy and was eating lunch with him, a strong woman would have broken his nose or at least have stayed as far as possible from him. All over the manga she was used and tricked by him. I have so far read the 2nd Vol but I think I'm not gonna continue to read this.
If you can ignore the issue of heroin being weak you may like this.
I didn't liked this manga very much though the art was good but I didn't liked the heroin of this manga, she was dumb really dumb. I think she didn't have any self respect. She was very weak as a woman which is very ironic because she wanted to write a thesis about strong women. The prince almost had raped her and the other day she got convinced to be his school buddy and was eating lunch with him, a strong woman would have broken his nose or at least have stayed as far as possible from him. All over the manga she was used and tricked by him. I have so far read the 2nd Vol but I think I'm not gonna continue to read this.
If you can ignore the issue of heroin being weak you may like this.
October 9, 2025
Review for the complete series
Miyako is writing her master thesis on Princess Ritsuko - a Japanese girl who married into the Estorian royal family. As it happens, Ritsuko's grandson Prince Wilfred has come to Japan to study abroad. Miyako has her mind set on getting an interview with him to complete her thesis, but Prince Will shows her a different face than the one he wears in public.
In a broad sense, this is your typical royalty falls in love with commoner story, including the fact that Miyako is one of the very few characters who isn't interested in Will being a prince - well, beyond that fact that she wants information of him. The main aspect that's probably different from most of its kind is the fact that Will is said to be a bit of a pervert. To be honest, beyond the fact that he likes large breasts - which is also what made him notice Miyako initially - I wouldn't say there's anything perverted about him. It does make for a more comedic start to this series, though.
Private Prince became much stronger with the later volumes. While the first volumes were more on the comedy side of things and thus quite fun, I struggled to connect to the characters. Miyako is obsessed with her thesis and pretty dense about a lot of other things - Will was definitely the more interesting of the two. Once both had gotten over their pride and admitted their feelings for each other, the plot became more serious and I appreciated how the characters handled all the obstacles thrown in their way.
Rather than being all lovey-dovey, both had their share of doubts and had to give some serious thought in regards to their future. Miyako wanted to continue her studies and felt like this was not possible if she were to remain in a relationship with Will, and of course, he had a lot of things to consider given his title and all. I felt like their relationship developed well and all their worries and solutions were both mature and realistically done. I also started to appreciate Miyako's character a lot more once she wasn't in such denial about her feelings. While I still prefer Will as a character, she did show a lot of backbone in regards to her studies and research.
Private Prince also has a great supporting cast. Miyako's friend Chiri is easily at the top of my list, she makes such a great and supportive friend, has a fleshed-out personality and is an actual functioning part of the plot. For better or for worse, I also liked how Miyako's mother was written. She is far from a pleasant person but she does also show that she loves her daughter and she added some more depth to Miyako's side of the story.
Originally, I only read Private Prince because I enjoyed other of Enjouji's works. It is still not my favourite of hers, but it's a fun story, especially if you enjoy romances with royalty and don't mind Will's quirks about large breasts which seems to be a running joke throughout the series.
February 18, 2014
(Review for whole series)
Well I'm certainly in a manga mood.
This one was better than the last one I read. It was a bit more adult but besides that, the story was really nice and cute. It reminded me of that movie. The Prince and Me. You know, the one with Julia Stiles. That movie was also really cool.
Well I'm certainly in a manga mood.
This one was better than the last one I read. It was a bit more adult but besides that, the story was really nice and cute. It reminded me of that movie. The Prince and Me. You know, the one with Julia Stiles. That movie was also really cool.
November 3, 2015
Robert-saaaannn. <3
Robert ve Miyako'nun arkadaşı da sevgili olsa keşke. :D
Will ve Miyako'nun ilk cildi keyifle okundu ve en yakın zamanda ikinci cildi okunacak. :3
Robert ve Miyako'nun arkadaşı da sevgili olsa keşke. :D
Will ve Miyako'nun ilk cildi keyifle okundu ve en yakın zamanda ikinci cildi okunacak. :3
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August 22, 2019Öf.
May 8, 2017
Okay, so the whole beginning isn't as hamfisted as most stories with similar premises go. The prince and the heroine's meeting didn't seem too forced, and I can get the whole infatuated-with-the-one-person-who's-not-fawning-over-you thing. But . . . can I talk about just how rapey this guy is? I mean, yes, Japan has a very different culture than America (where I'm from). I've been reading manga for years, so I'm used to brash males who act in ways that would be considered sexist and assault if it happened in a Western country in real life. I've accepted that peeking at girls bathing and looking at panties is "a man's way" or some such nonsense that's prevalent in manga/anime. I mean, that kind of thing is so common even great stories might have it thrown in, so you learn to ignore it. But this . . . this is a bit different.
If you've heard of Black Bird or Diabolik Lovers , you're probably aware that abusive guys are written off even in manga and anime romances aimed at girls. I mean, even in America we have Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey . So I don't know exactly why the prince practically raping the main character of this through me for a loop, but . . . for some reason I expected more? I don't know.
I mean, there were obvious signs of how this "romance" was going to go. During their initial meeting, he gets on top of her and despite her protests is ready to have his way with her because "Isn't this what she came here for?" He's interrupted before any clothes come off, but he still tries his best to take advantage of her by promising access to his grandmother's diary for her thesis if the heroine "falls in love with him." It's unclear if he wants unwavering devotion from her or just access to her body whenever he wants, but either way, it's clear he's just toying with her. Naturally, she accepts the challenge (albeit halfheartedly). The rest of the volume kind of sets her up as the sort of girl who has always been weak to men, changing herself or doing their bidding in return for affection. In fact, . She is often reduced to her big boobs, with the prince and his friend/security nicknaming her Miss Melons in all seriousness. Like, the security guy doesn't smirk or ogle her or anything at all as he calls her that. And any rejection she has to her treatment is treated as trivial. The prince's desires trump hers, especially because she "needs" him for her thesis.
So, I guess you're wondering, why three stars? Isn't that a passing grade? Well . . . yes. I didn't hate this. Honestly, this could turn around with both characters growing, the prince reforming his treatment of women and the heroine growing a backbone and refusing to allow herself to bend to the whims of men who find her attractive. That's what I found appealing about Fifty Shades of Grey despite its very obvious flaws. So I'll keep reading this series. It's not too long, anyway.
(Post-completion edit: They don't grow. Miyako just follows Will forever, and Will is generally only less of a dick because of it.)
If you've heard of Black Bird or Diabolik Lovers , you're probably aware that abusive guys are written off even in manga and anime romances aimed at girls. I mean, even in America we have Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey . So I don't know exactly why the prince practically raping the main character of this through me for a loop, but . . . for some reason I expected more? I don't know.
I mean, there were obvious signs of how this "romance" was going to go. During their initial meeting, he gets on top of her and despite her protests is ready to have his way with her because "Isn't this what she came here for?" He's interrupted before any clothes come off, but he still tries his best to take advantage of her by promising access to his grandmother's diary for her thesis if the heroine "falls in love with him." It's unclear if he wants unwavering devotion from her or just access to her body whenever he wants, but either way, it's clear he's just toying with her. Naturally, she accepts the challenge (albeit halfheartedly). The rest of the volume kind of sets her up as the sort of girl who has always been weak to men, changing herself or doing their bidding in return for affection. In fact, . She is often reduced to her big boobs, with the prince and his friend/security nicknaming her Miss Melons in all seriousness. Like, the security guy doesn't smirk or ogle her or anything at all as he calls her that. And any rejection she has to her treatment is treated as trivial. The prince's desires trump hers, especially because she "needs" him for her thesis.
So, I guess you're wondering, why three stars? Isn't that a passing grade? Well . . . yes. I didn't hate this. Honestly, this could turn around with both characters growing, the prince reforming his treatment of women and the heroine growing a backbone and refusing to allow herself to bend to the whims of men who find her attractive. That's what I found appealing about Fifty Shades of Grey despite its very obvious flaws. So I'll keep reading this series. It's not too long, anyway.
(Post-completion edit: They don't grow. Miyako just follows Will forever, and Will is generally only less of a dick because of it.)
December 30, 2018
*This is review is for the series as a whole.
Private Prince is not the most original or exciting storyline. If you've enjoyed other works of fiction with the royal/commoner romance than you'll probably enjoy this as well. I don't particularly care much for it one way or the other, and find it a little boring, so the characters will make or break it for me.
I did not care for the first two volumes in this series. The characters are based around a specific stereotype, especially in the first volume, and I didn't like them much. The second volume is better, but I don't start to get into it until volume three. As I stated previously, this is not the most original storyline, and the obstacles they face are quite predictable. I never got that invested in the characters, but I did get invested in the story itself, eventually, so the predictably didn't bother me. If you're like me and didn't enjoy the first two volumes, try and stick with it through three. It gets better.
Prince Will has come to Japan to study at one of their universities. He's very handsome and is perceived as a very gentlemanly and well-mannered Prince. While it does become apparent a couple chapters in through Vol.1 that he is caring and has heart, he's also a total cad obsessed with large breasts.
Miyako is a student at the University Prince Will is attending, and plans on doing her master thesis on Will's great-grandmother, who was Japanese. When she approaches him, all he sees are her large breasts, and even refers to her as "Miss Melons". He tells her he'll tell her everything she wants to know, but only if she falls in love with him.
Private Prince is not the most original or exciting storyline. If you've enjoyed other works of fiction with the royal/commoner romance than you'll probably enjoy this as well. I don't particularly care much for it one way or the other, and find it a little boring, so the characters will make or break it for me.
I did not care for the first two volumes in this series. The characters are based around a specific stereotype, especially in the first volume, and I didn't like them much. The second volume is better, but I don't start to get into it until volume three. As I stated previously, this is not the most original storyline, and the obstacles they face are quite predictable. I never got that invested in the characters, but I did get invested in the story itself, eventually, so the predictably didn't bother me. If you're like me and didn't enjoy the first two volumes, try and stick with it through three. It gets better.
Prince Will has come to Japan to study at one of their universities. He's very handsome and is perceived as a very gentlemanly and well-mannered Prince. While it does become apparent a couple chapters in through Vol.1 that he is caring and has heart, he's also a total cad obsessed with large breasts.
Miyako is a student at the University Prince Will is attending, and plans on doing her master thesis on Will's great-grandmother, who was Japanese. When she approaches him, all he sees are her large breasts, and even refers to her as "Miss Melons". He tells her he'll tell her everything she wants to know, but only if she falls in love with him.
July 10, 2017
Me pareció horrible. Más allá de que parte de algo muy poco original, el personaje del príncipe es sumamente desagradable: se interesa en la protagonista solamente por el tamaño de sus pechos, la cosifica todo el tiempo y en el primer capítulo casi la viola, lo cual, de por sí, ya es un comienzo imposible para una relación sana.
Por otro lado la protagonista no tiene carácter, da lastima e impotencia lo que le pasa. A pesar de que estudia la historia de las mujeres y su paso por tiempo, no tiene nada de ninguna de las mujeres que pudieron marcar algo en la historia, lo cual me parece un desperdicio en sí.
Esperaba algo que me hiciera reír un rato y terminé muy indignada, tanto que en el primer capítulo ya lo quise dejar y, aunque llegué a terminar el tomo, obviamente no me voy a castigar con el resto de la historia. Es una lástima porque creo que hubiera sido algo bastante divertido de leer si la misma historia se hubiera planteado con personajes menos detestables.
Por otro lado la protagonista no tiene carácter, da lastima e impotencia lo que le pasa. A pesar de que estudia la historia de las mujeres y su paso por tiempo, no tiene nada de ninguna de las mujeres que pudieron marcar algo en la historia, lo cual me parece un desperdicio en sí.
Esperaba algo que me hiciera reír un rato y terminé muy indignada, tanto que en el primer capítulo ya lo quise dejar y, aunque llegué a terminar el tomo, obviamente no me voy a castigar con el resto de la historia. Es una lástima porque creo que hubiera sido algo bastante divertido de leer si la misma historia se hubiera planteado con personajes menos detestables.
June 17, 2023
1.5
Too much sex, not enough substance.
Too much sex, not enough substance.
July 31, 2014
Kurz-Meinung:
Diesen Manga habe ich mir gekauft, weil mir der erste Teil der „Happy Marriage“ Reihe der Mangaka sehr gut gefallen hat und ich bisher den zweiten Teil nicht gebraucht bekommen habe. Daher bot es sich an, eine andere Reihe von ihr auszuprobieren. Außerdem hörte sich das Thema Prinz und Bürgerliche in Kombination mit dem Collegeleben interessant an und der Zeichenstil gefiel mir auch super.
Leider wurde ich etwas enttäuscht. Über weite Strecken ist die Handlung sehr langweilig, es passiert kaum etwas. Miyako ist sehr naiv und Wilfred ziemlich arrogant. Die Charaktere konnten es daher auch nicht rausreißen. Inhaltlich sagt die Inhaltsangabe bereits alles was man wissen sollte, viel mehr passiert aber auch nicht in dem Manga.
Der Zeichenstil gefiel mir wieder richtig gut. Die Linien sind klar, man kann die Charaktere gut auseinanderhalten und mir gefällt die Mimik und Gestik.
Alles in allem kann ich den Manga nicht sonderlich empfehlen, habe es aber auch nicht bereut ihn gelesen zu haben.
Meine Wertung:
3 von 5 Sternen
Diesen Manga habe ich mir gekauft, weil mir der erste Teil der „Happy Marriage“ Reihe der Mangaka sehr gut gefallen hat und ich bisher den zweiten Teil nicht gebraucht bekommen habe. Daher bot es sich an, eine andere Reihe von ihr auszuprobieren. Außerdem hörte sich das Thema Prinz und Bürgerliche in Kombination mit dem Collegeleben interessant an und der Zeichenstil gefiel mir auch super.
Leider wurde ich etwas enttäuscht. Über weite Strecken ist die Handlung sehr langweilig, es passiert kaum etwas. Miyako ist sehr naiv und Wilfred ziemlich arrogant. Die Charaktere konnten es daher auch nicht rausreißen. Inhaltlich sagt die Inhaltsangabe bereits alles was man wissen sollte, viel mehr passiert aber auch nicht in dem Manga.
Der Zeichenstil gefiel mir wieder richtig gut. Die Linien sind klar, man kann die Charaktere gut auseinanderhalten und mir gefällt die Mimik und Gestik.
Alles in allem kann ich den Manga nicht sonderlich empfehlen, habe es aber auch nicht bereut ihn gelesen zu haben.
Meine Wertung:
3 von 5 Sternen
June 4, 2014
The premise was one I generally like, but there was too much objectification of the female character and the tension between the male and female leads is sorely lacking believability. The build doesn't last long enough between them, but then that is the genre. For the author's strong female character, she gave in too easily. It was as if the author had already decided she was in love with him before she (as the character with her own personality) was actually in love with him. The tension that we don't want to see is that of the author with their characters to make them be something they're not and unfortunately that seems to be the case here.
May 15, 2017
Incoming damsel in distress
December 20, 2017
if you want to enjoy this you need to bury your critical thinking skills and feminist lens for a while
June 14, 2018
It's annoying but it's funny.
July 30, 2018
Review for the whole series!
4.5/5 stars! But I really really like this manga! I love the story even though it's another "too good to be true" kind of story but still, the flow of the events is great! I like the drawing/art. It's very consistent and very nice. The author/illustrator is very talented. The story is about a young woman who wants to be a researcher someday and in order to complete her research, she needed the help of a prince, like a real prince who is also a grandson of who she is researching for. I dunno how many times this manga made me laugh. That's what I'm looking for a manga. One that will make me swoon not only because the main character is super handsome, yes!!! Will is super handsome OMG! I caaan't! Hahaha. But also because of the flow of the story.
I can't give this a 5/5 stars though because some parts confused me. Some parts are also lacking some information like what happened to Will's parents? And how did Will persuade everyone that he'll marry first before his brother?
Plus, I'm kind of disappointed that there are no moments with their baby. Sad. I want to see the baby and hoping that they'll be a bonus chapter when they are already a family! (PLEASE!)
Overall, I'm willing to read more mangas from this author if there will be more and I hope to read more mangas like this!
4.5/5 stars! But I really really like this manga! I love the story even though it's another "too good to be true" kind of story but still, the flow of the events is great! I like the drawing/art. It's very consistent and very nice. The author/illustrator is very talented. The story is about a young woman who wants to be a researcher someday and in order to complete her research, she needed the help of a prince, like a real prince who is also a grandson of who she is researching for. I dunno how many times this manga made me laugh. That's what I'm looking for a manga. One that will make me swoon not only because the main character is super handsome, yes!!! Will is super handsome OMG! I caaan't! Hahaha. But also because of the flow of the story.
I can't give this a 5/5 stars though because some parts confused me. Some parts are also lacking some information like what happened to Will's parents? And how did Will persuade everyone that he'll marry first before his brother?
Plus, I'm kind of disappointed that there are no moments with their baby. Sad. I want to see the baby and hoping that they'll be a bonus chapter when they are already a family! (PLEASE!)
Overall, I'm willing to read more mangas from this author if there will be more and I hope to read more mangas like this!
September 1, 2018
(stejná recenze u každého dílu)
Pěkná a roztomilá kresba. Musím kresbu opravdu vynachválit, protože byla opravdu úžasná, jelikož i u sourozenců, kteří normálně vypadají velmi podobně, byly detaily obličejů tak dobře nakresleny, že od sebe byli odlišní a přesto si zachovali podobnost. Vím, že to nedává smysl. :D Líp to vysvětlit nedokážu.
Vážně by mě zajímalo, co bylo s tou celou královskou rodinou. Každý člen byl zvláštní a úplně v jiném směru. To mi ale zas tak nevadilo, protože to bylo poměrně vtipné.
Princ Will a miss Melouny tvořili hrozně roztomiloučký pár. I když se mi nelíbilo, jakým způsobem dostal Will poprvé Miyako do postele. Za to jsem na něj byla opravdu naštvaná a Miyako jsem litovala.
Obálky vypadají pěkně, akorát by na nich nemuselo být tolik světlých prvků, které pak splývají s pozadím, kde se nachází nadpis.
Hodnotím 67% Jazyk: Čj Počet stran 990
Pěkná a roztomilá kresba. Musím kresbu opravdu vynachválit, protože byla opravdu úžasná, jelikož i u sourozenců, kteří normálně vypadají velmi podobně, byly detaily obličejů tak dobře nakresleny, že od sebe byli odlišní a přesto si zachovali podobnost. Vím, že to nedává smysl. :D Líp to vysvětlit nedokážu.
Vážně by mě zajímalo, co bylo s tou celou královskou rodinou. Každý člen byl zvláštní a úplně v jiném směru. To mi ale zas tak nevadilo, protože to bylo poměrně vtipné.
Princ Will a miss Melouny tvořili hrozně roztomiloučký pár. I když se mi nelíbilo, jakým způsobem dostal Will poprvé Miyako do postele. Za to jsem na něj byla opravdu naštvaná a Miyako jsem litovala.
Obálky vypadají pěkně, akorát by na nich nemuselo být tolik světlých prvků, které pak splývají s pozadím, kde se nachází nadpis.
Hodnotím 67% Jazyk: Čj Počet stran 990
November 11, 2025
Okay, das ist eigentlich schon ein ziemlich typischer Maki Enjoji Titel 😂 es gibt zwar nen Plot, der ganz interessant ist, aber im Grunde gibt's natürlich einige spicy Szenen.. 😌 gut, wahrscheinlich gibt's auch tiefgründige Gedanken dahinter, das ist auch so typisch für Enjoji 😄 die Charaktere sind optisch schon mal gut auseinander zu halten und recht detailliert. Miyako wird von Prinz Will “Miss Melone” genannt, aufgrund ihres Vorbaus - das sollte man schon mal vorweg wissen, worauf man sich einlässt (ist aber eben auch ein Markenzeichen von ihr). Gibt also mitunter auch Fanservice, den man mögen muss. Den Charakterzug von Will wird man anfangs wahrscheinlich nicht so mögen, aber das entwickelt sich sicherlich noch. Bisher gefällt's mir eigentlich ganz gut, haha. Ist auch mal wieder eine nette Abwechslung 😄
January 22, 2025
Cette serie a été publiée aussi en allemand mais... la version française et moins chère. Et voila, je vais le lire en français. Je pense que le niveau de difficulté es le même: peut-être que je connait moins de mot en français mais, au meme temps, ils sont très pareils à les mots italiennes. En vérité, j'ai eu moins de problèmes avec cet tome qu'avec les derniers tomes que j'ai lui en allemand.
J'ai deja lu deux series de Maki Enjōji e j'en ai deux qu'esperent que je les lirai.
C'est une histoire qu'est typique pour Enjōji-sensei : un homme qui è très possessif et un peu arrogant et une femme qu'essaie de résister à son charme mais ce n'est pas possible.
Pas de chef-d'œuvre, mais il donne un peu de bonheur.
J'ai deja lu deux series de Maki Enjōji e j'en ai deux qu'esperent que je les lirai.
C'est une histoire qu'est typique pour Enjōji-sensei : un homme qui è très possessif et un peu arrogant et une femme qu'essaie de résister à son charme mais ce n'est pas possible.
Pas de chef-d'œuvre, mais il donne un peu de bonheur.
September 16, 2020
Rating: 2 stars
Review (for the whole manga):
Didn't really enjoy this manga series. Too cliche, perhaps. Just liked the art. As usual for this mangaka, there are some explicit scenes (nudity / 18sx) in this series as well.
Review (for the whole manga):
Didn't really enjoy this manga series. Too cliche, perhaps. Just liked the art. As usual for this mangaka, there are some explicit scenes (nudity / 18sx) in this series as well.
February 9, 2022
•• COMBINED REVIEW FOR ALL VOLUMES ••
OVERALL RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Maki Enjōji never fails to impress!
プライベート・プリンス [Private Prince] is a manga for you if you like your female lead independent & nerdy and your men, haughty, sexy & oh, royal.
OVERALL RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Maki Enjōji never fails to impress!
プライベート・プリンス [Private Prince] is a manga for you if you like your female lead independent & nerdy and your men, haughty, sexy & oh, royal.
March 9, 2018
It’s really funny ^^
August 12, 2020
So far, Maki's mangas just make me very conflicted between being a good feminist and the cultural choc I'm going through.
January 9, 2021
Interesting, but the prince is more a jerk than someone to swoon over so far.
January 22, 2022
tremendo. La protagonista non ha alcun rispetto per sé stessa e il “principe” sembra solo un maniaco. Davvero, tremendo.
February 22, 2025
I am such a sucker for early-2000s somewhat-problematic josei manga romances
June 12, 2016
Original review: https://mikaelaworks.wordpress.com/20...
This is a review for the whole series! This review isn't detailed in it's play-by-play information, but could be taken as spoilery due to character descriptions, so please read with that in mind!
______________________________
The story of a woman catching the eye of a prince and falling in love isn't groundbreaking in the romance genre. But this one is entertaining, and so much fun!! The main character is a great heroine, and the love-interest, with his faults, isn't too bad himself.
Graduate-student Sakuragawa Miyako is stubborn, intelligent, and driven to be the best in her field. Juggling part-time jobs and school is trying on her health, but without the blessing of her mother, she's on her own. Miyako's history dissertation is on Princess Ritsuko, a Japanese noblewoman who fell in love with a prince and traveled to his kingdom, Estolia. She knows everything about the princess, but she needs primary resources: records or diaries, to put into her thesis.
What luck! The great-grandson of Princess Ritsuko, Prince Wilfred, has started his studies at her university. Miyako has no way of approaching the courteous prince with the hordes of admirers surrounding him at school. Finally, connections through her best friend Chiri's father gives her a chance to meet him at a fancy function. No posse of admirers to get in the way!
Upon meeting, the handsome gentleman isn't what his reputation precedes him to be. He mistakes her advances as an attempt to get laid (primarily due to the dress Chiri convinced her to wear), resulting in a less-than-positive first impression. Turns out the ethereal prince has a breast fetish! And the dress she wore showed off her's with little need for imagination.
Miyako's world is turned upside down. Will finds her fascinating because she has little interest in him, just his great-grandmother. He asks her to be his friend, since he doesn't have any in Japan (and he needs to dispel his boredom, the jerk). Like a child, he agrees to give her access to the diaries once she falls in love with him. (Honestly, I've never understood this trope in manga. Shouldn't that be the objective after you've fallen in love the person?)
Chaos ensues! The spoiled prince acts without thinking a lot, resulting in many unfortunate situations for Miyako. All she wants to do it study!
The series is not without problems. Miyako is not a 'normal woman,' being into her research and unaffected by handsome guys advances. When she doesn't give the expected attention to Will, she's reprimanded. Will pushes her even when she says 'no' clearly, and at the beginning of the relationship, he has no regard to how she feels about the situation.
Overall, the series is great. Five volumes of character growth. If the series was any shorter, the relationship of Miyako and Prince Will would've seemed forced and illogical. The problems I listed before are ironed out in a way by the end, something that wouldn't happen in a one shot. They each rub off on each other in all the right ways, becoming better people from their being together.
I've found this series published in Spain--seriously considering buying it from there! I'd really like it to be enjoyed by other people in the USA, though. It's only a decade old. That's not too much to ask it being published here, right?
What's a series you'd love to buy in your language that doesn't exist yet? I'd love to hear!
This is a review for the whole series! This review isn't detailed in it's play-by-play information, but could be taken as spoilery due to character descriptions, so please read with that in mind!
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The story of a woman catching the eye of a prince and falling in love isn't groundbreaking in the romance genre. But this one is entertaining, and so much fun!! The main character is a great heroine, and the love-interest, with his faults, isn't too bad himself.
Graduate-student Sakuragawa Miyako is stubborn, intelligent, and driven to be the best in her field. Juggling part-time jobs and school is trying on her health, but without the blessing of her mother, she's on her own. Miyako's history dissertation is on Princess Ritsuko, a Japanese noblewoman who fell in love with a prince and traveled to his kingdom, Estolia. She knows everything about the princess, but she needs primary resources: records or diaries, to put into her thesis.
What luck! The great-grandson of Princess Ritsuko, Prince Wilfred, has started his studies at her university. Miyako has no way of approaching the courteous prince with the hordes of admirers surrounding him at school. Finally, connections through her best friend Chiri's father gives her a chance to meet him at a fancy function. No posse of admirers to get in the way!
Upon meeting, the handsome gentleman isn't what his reputation precedes him to be. He mistakes her advances as an attempt to get laid (primarily due to the dress Chiri convinced her to wear), resulting in a less-than-positive first impression. Turns out the ethereal prince has a breast fetish! And the dress she wore showed off her's with little need for imagination.
Miyako's world is turned upside down. Will finds her fascinating because she has little interest in him, just his great-grandmother. He asks her to be his friend, since he doesn't have any in Japan (and he needs to dispel his boredom, the jerk). Like a child, he agrees to give her access to the diaries once she falls in love with him. (Honestly, I've never understood this trope in manga. Shouldn't that be the objective after you've fallen in love the person?)
Chaos ensues! The spoiled prince acts without thinking a lot, resulting in many unfortunate situations for Miyako. All she wants to do it study!
The series is not without problems. Miyako is not a 'normal woman,' being into her research and unaffected by handsome guys advances. When she doesn't give the expected attention to Will, she's reprimanded. Will pushes her even when she says 'no' clearly, and at the beginning of the relationship, he has no regard to how she feels about the situation.
Overall, the series is great. Five volumes of character growth. If the series was any shorter, the relationship of Miyako and Prince Will would've seemed forced and illogical. The problems I listed before are ironed out in a way by the end, something that wouldn't happen in a one shot. They each rub off on each other in all the right ways, becoming better people from their being together.
I've found this series published in Spain--seriously considering buying it from there! I'd really like it to be enjoyed by other people in the USA, though. It's only a decade old. That's not too much to ask it being published here, right?
What's a series you'd love to buy in your language that doesn't exist yet? I'd love to hear!
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