Responses
Yes! Thank you! Getting readers to like, relate to, and root for a character is an art form—and it takes TIME. Showing that they have suffered is great and all, but it isn't enough. Readers become more invested as they see the character working to overcome and using their strengths and experience. A big party of what makes 'Who Made Me a Princess' so fun was Athy's attitude in the face of adversity, and her justified suspicion even after it eased. Tension is key!
I thought this webtoon showed promise with how it actually tried to get us to relate to and root for the MC by showing her good nature and her struggles, but then after she transmigrates it all goes downhill. I'm sure many have noticed that this takes a lot (A LOT) of inspiration from "Who Made Me A Princess" (heck, the way some panels are planned and drawn are literally ctrl+c and ctrl+v) but here's the thing: it fails. She's reincarnated, what next, I'm so excited to find out! Oh, she's loved by a bunch of characters that keep showing up...oh shit I'm already bored.
See, why "Who Made Me A Princess" worked is because there was tension. It keeps us on edge because Claude wants to kill Athy and she has to struggle to survive. And in that very struggle she gradually becomes friends with characters we learn to care for because Athy cares for them, and we slowly learn to love Claude because we can see clearly how much he comes to care for our beloved MC (and that's why the isekai kinda works because before she was an orphan and now Claude fills that void for her, it makes sense that she loves him) Emphasis on slowly. This story takes all that away in one chapter, and have I mentioned the hilariously brief and cringey outburst of the demon lord? It went AHHHH and oh...okay I guess I'll smile warmly and love her now. LMAO wut? Also choosing to expose all your cards before we get to form emotional connection to both the demon lord and the mother? bad move cause she dies and I'm just here like I couldn't care less about these characters.
TLDR; "Who Made Me A Princess" knockoff dun goofed