Hello Lovely Readers!
I was approved for three mangas at the beginning of this year. I decided to put them all into one post since reviews for them are short and they come out in March, April, and May.
All of these came from NetGalley and were provided by the publisher, VIZ Media.
Title: Prince Freya, Vol. 1
Author: Keiko Ishihara
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels/ Romance
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
“To save her kingdom, a simple village girl must live a royal lie.
The powerful kingdom of Sigurd has slowly been conquering all the lands that share its borders, and now it has turned its voracious attention to the small, resource-rich Tyr. Tyr cannot hope to match Sigurd in strength, so in order to survive, it must rely on the intelligence, skill and cunning of its prince and his loyal knights. But should their prince fall, so too shall Tyr…
Freya thinks of herself as a simple village girl, but her idyllic life is shattered when she is caught up in the aftermath of a treacherous Sigurdian plot. She bears a striking resemblance to her country’s beloved Prince Edvard, who lays dying from poison. Without its ruler, all of Tyr will quickly be engulfed by Sigurdian violence. Now Freya must take Prince Edvard’s place and lead his valiant knights in defending the realm!” (Goodreads)
The cover for this one definitely captured my attention. I also was intrigued by the idea of Freya dressing up like the prince and taking over his position. I really didn’t know what to expect when it came to the plot. There were definitely a lot of surprises that I wasn’t anticipating.
Freya is thrown into this mess of warring kingdoms but it wasn’t specifically mentioned why she decided to run and take the prince’s place. She didn’t have much development and most of the time she was crying. I didn’t understand why a few of the male characters seemed to fall all over her.
I did like the brother because I just love when brothers are in stories! They were charming but again, lacked much development.
I am still curious to see where book two goes when it comes to the plot and hopefully there will be more development for the characters.
Rating: 3.5
Continue?: Yes, I will check out book two whenever it is published.
Title: Not Your Idol, Vol. 1
Author: Aoi Makino
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels/ Teens
Publication Date: May 5th, 2020
“A psychological suspense series about a girl who has given up her life as an idol after being assaulted by a fan.
After that day, she stopped being a girl. In the wake of an assault, Nina Kamiyama, a former idol in the group Pure Club, shuns her femininity and starts dressing as a boy. At high school she keeps to herself, but fellow student Hikaru Horiuchi realizes who she is. What secrets is she keeping? The shocking drama starts.” (Goodreads)
Wow! That’s really all I have to say about this one.
I was fascinated by the premise because of her wanting to give up her femininity which I only assumed was to feel safer after being attacked. There is definitely a lot of talk about young women getting groped, raped, and being seen as an idol for anyone to stare at. It’s the harsh reality that many women, young or old, face each day.
I loved Nina as a character and how brave she was. She had her days where it was all too much but she stuck up for those who wouldn’t or couldn’t on their own.
This manga definitely struck a chord in me and had me tearing up a few times. I’ve had unwarranted touching before and the scenes about public transportation had me remembering the days of being cat called and also being called rude names when I didn’t respond. These tough topics are talked about in, I think, a good way and use the language we hear about it, good and bad. It makes you think.
The only bad part (it’s not really bad) is that it ended on such a cliffhanger! I will be dying for the next book because the plot is intriguing and it was hard to put down even when I got tired because it was past my bedtime.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it.
Rating: 5 stars
Continue?: Yes!
Title: Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 1
Author: Io Sakisaka
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels/ Teens
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
“A new romance from Io Sakisaka, leading shojo manga creator and author of Ao Haru Ride!
Four friends share the springtime of their youth together.
Fast friends Yuna and Akari are complete opposites: Yuna is an idealist while Akari is a realist. When lady-killer Rio and the oblivious Kazuomi join their ranks, love and friendship become quite complicated!” (Goodreads)
I wasn’t too sure about the characters at first. Yuna are Akari are opposites. They each see love in a different way. Yuna is also quiet where Akari can be quite outspoken. I loved the friendship that was formed between them and it can easily be seen how quickly it grows throughout. I have a feeling that Akari will definitely influence Yuna more when it comes to gaining confidence.
There are hints of relationships blossoming but nothing has come to fruition yet. Although that ending was intense and I need to know how it all happened and where its going to go. I feel bad for everyone involved.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was my first time reading a manga by this author although I have one of their other ones on my kindle right now. This one has definitely made want to binge everything they have written!
Rating: 4 stars
Continue?: Yes!
What are some mangas that you have tried and liked if you read them?
Find me on Instagram / Goodreads
Title: 
1.) Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1
2.) Takane & Hana Vol. 1
3.) Waiting for Spring Vol. 1
Title: My Dear Cold-Blooded King
Title: Stepping on Roses Vol.1-9