somnia's manga / #Shoujo(205)

This one basically gender swaps the positions of a cold hearted Duke and the lost princess looking to get away from trouble via marriage. So far it's pretty fun and refreshing. The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is our FL constantly misunderstanding people and their interest in her. Maybe that's something personal because I'm dead tired of FLs that can't read other people and misinterpret every little thing just to create artificial tension in the story, but anyway, it's a point to make. Also, I love how the relationship between FL and her sister is established. Their dynamic is interesting and lowkey keeps you on your toes despite knowing they'd never betray the other. Looking forward to future chapters.

Camellia, the bastard daughter of a Marquis, is forced to take on the role of the younger bastard *son* by the marquess, the wife. She is basically live insurance to protect the family's stability until her brother can recover from his illess. You know the drill, the wife is bitter as hell- but at least Lia is able to grow up with care thanks to the Marquis, her brother and the servants being fond of her. Not to mention all these dudes with a high rank that lowkey thirst after what they think is a girly looking him, "Cammelius". Anyway, I really love the story so far. I really want Lia is come into her own and find her mom. But MAN, I don't like that Claude is the main lead. He was such an ass in the beginning, and lowkey I'm disgusted how Lia is blushing over him because he is nice to her here and there, when he's a cold stone slab to everyone and everything any other time. Have you seen how he treats his fiance?? He is just glaring down on her like a mad dog bc she tries to establish a good relationship with him. Maybe I'm being too realistic here but that's a red flag. It's just ASKING for another salty ex faince villainess scenario where she beats down on Lia for stealing her mans or whatever. When I saw that banquet scene it felt like I was looking into the future already. Please tell me I'm wrong, I hope I am.. Fr Claude isn't any different from the princes. None of them really seem to care about her as a person or what she is going through. Giving her candy bc she likes it is WEAK, sorry not sorry. I'm just here to see Lia get to a point in life where she can be happy, all these dudes can go back to their palaces for all I care.

If you think too much about it, you get tired of the plot fast. Honestly, the writer(s?) could've left out the whole thing about her possessing the villainess of a novel and it would still be the same. At first you assume this is about more than just FL, but this story is pretty much just a power fantasy where you're meant to put yourself in her shoes to slay and enjoy the vibes. It's not for everyone, and certainly not for me. The whole thing about the ex being the ML also turns me off. It's refreshing to a FL who doesn't blush or think about her main love interest asap, but their whole dynamic is so predictable, and their chemistry is the equivalant of filtered still water. Ah, another reason why story may get boring for you is how shallow the "business lore" is explained/portrayed. One thing happens and she loses her ENTIRE customer base only to go on a mini mission to gain them all back (and repeat that formula every few chapters)? This is why I said that thinking too much ruins the fun. Later chapters only get worse.

40/ Our MC, Helga, is the young lady of a powerful Dukedom. Her real mother, a maid who served the family, swapped her and her half-sister Hyllian out when they were infants - which was eventually found out by the Duchess. As you can guess, Helga went through hell trying to endure this family. Once Hyllian returns, they expect Helga to just quietly switch identities and give up all her accomplishments. Hell no, to put it kindly. Honestly, I feel this is one of the better "I may be fake or real, but I'll become a menace either way"-shoujo stories. The focus of Helga's revenge isn't Hyllian, despite her inner frustration and salt when they're together. Hyllian is more so a tool to hurt the Duchess. With that said, the bar isn't that high either, idk if I still need more info, but some cosmic coincidences just line up too perfectly sometimes. I have 2 questions: Why did the Duchess not hunt down her real daughter asap instead of waiting however many years? And how did Hyllian find out that Helga and she were gonna switch names/identities just by being told that "Hyllian" is getting married to the Prince? Also, thank god they both ended up looking similar enough to be confused as identical twins, Anime DNA is amazing. The Duchess would've looked even dumber otherwise. There was this annoying voice at the back of my mind, every time Helga brought up her escape plan. It just said "if she did it another, the easy way you wouldn't have to sacrifice your fortune and love interest for the sake of one last petty comeback", over and over again. After she succeeded and escaped I found it hard to keep on reading. At that point you kinda know what everyone's deal is and what side they're on, so guessing the outcome is easy. Despite that, I still appreciate this one for not pitting the sisters against one another, and treating their feelings for each other with respect and depth. Update: So after 100 chapters you can scratch the whole thing about Helga's sister not being made the ultimate bad guy. The author turned her into an opponent after all. As I said after Helga leaves her family the story's quality decreases rapidly. At this point stuff only happens for the sake of something happening, and every plot thread feels useless af.

109/ MC is yeeted back in time after having been betrayed by her fiance and half-sister. She sacrificed herself for her lover and family and, of course, all of them end up being huge, clout-hungry losers who stab her in the back. And this time around she is dead set on never getting engaged to that particular loser, while making sure to get a sweet, sweet taste of revenge. Let me say this. The drama here is should be spelled out in bold letters because god damn it, there's so much of it and most of it is frustrating af. Anyway, the characters have some spicy developments, but I feel like sometimes everyone's feelings are just a bit too dramatic and given too much pov. Why do I need to read about Isabella thinking she's the shit 24/7 when I already know she's just shit and no one asked? Also hate how the author made her some vain little hoe but Ariadne's literal murderer, the man who exploited her and threw her away, gets to have twilight with his boo-hoo-trauma-please-sympathize background AND is the 2nd male lead. Like eh? Can we not for once? Either way, I grew tired of the drama tbh. Ari been working at it, and I like the tension between her and the prince, but otherwise all these crazy people are turning me off. TLDR; Too much delulu yapping and too little screen time for people I actually want to know about.

The first few chapters are entertaining but MC's whole act gets tiring fast, like not even 8 chapters fast for me. I had to choke myself to get past chapter 10. IT IS fun in the beginning - and it got me chuckling here and there - but after a while you get used to the gag and realize that behind the "I changed completely overnight and now everyone's shocked and crushing for me (even more)"-trope, there's literally nothing but a faint breeze of flatness. It's hard to get attached to a story like this when literally every character has the depth and emotional sensitivity of an expired & flat discount coke. After the first bit it's like an inner war in which by the time another joke bomb is released, boredom has already invaded the base and you feel yourself losing consciousness.

MC is a mysterious woman with the ability to tell lies and thruths apart. Additionally good luck seems to pile onto her like crazy before something bad is going to happen soon, which is an interesting mechanic. Anyway, MC is a professional gambler who traveled around and made a name for herself sweeping casinos. One day, she rescues a boy from trouble and takes him home. They become close, bond and go gambling together. But after her ring, which she recieved from a dummy mage, flares up, she ends up 10 years in the future without the kid.. or even her house. So, the thing with the whole gambling pov is that you get a thrill because of the uncertainty of whether the MC will win or not - the higher the stakes the higher the enjoyment for those reading - but this MC wins almost every time, and when she doesn't? It's on purpose or just doesn't affect her much. If she doesn't care, why would you? The story itself is kinda cliche. Stuff is constantly happening (mainly gambling, people cheating while gambling, just bad ppl getting in the way or fluff scenes with male main leads), but the thing that keeps you reading takes its sweet sweet time. The thing I am refering to is MC's dumba** realizing that the kid she took in before her time skip is mortal, able to age, and looks literally the same as the duke dude who's getting close to her now. The story lost its focus somwhere within the whole cruise ship "arc". It's clear that finding him is important to MC and she thinks about this lost chance more than a few times, but the fact that the author themselves avoids it so much to get more chapters out of it, just makes the plot TIRING and EMPTY in the end. I skipped right from FL's first visit to the Duke's (btw her outfit in that chapter is horrid, just to add extra salt) to like chapter 50-something. That's like 30+ chapters and she still has no clue. I'm dropping this.

You know the drill. A reincarnated girl possesses the body of the villainess in a BL novel, who is also said male lead's sister, as mentioned in the title lol. Instead of bullying him and making him an even edgier boy bound for heartbreak, she decides to be nice and change him so he can be happy with his future lover. Eh, yea. Starts off okay. And as you read more it's becoming very apparant how little the plot points actually matter. Only FL does. She doesn't do shit besides act cute with the Duke and ML in her childhood, nothing concerning their abuse and then it's just forgotten about after FL has her trauma moment. And from what I recall ML never got this acknowledged much unless it's from FL's commentary. Turns out she's a saint, color me impressed. I don't want to write another essay on this but let me just say this: what was author's reason for making the og story a BL? To fish for starved fujoshis? Sure, gay people exist and don't have to be tied to the yaoi genre but the implications of healing a broken gay character and making them fall in love with a straight woman is kinda questionable, you get what I mean? Nitpicking but still. I think that just shows what I meant when I say that only FL and her fish matter.