apopoi's manga / #fantasy(205)

I like this a lot more than I expected. The artstyle reminds me of "Your Throne", even the MC looks like Medea. Their demeanor is also similar tho I would argue that Medea is more heartless and manipulative than this MC. She seems kind and very genuine all around. Her not liking the First Prince makes sense somewhat but after getting his perspective, it feels a bit mean and rude. I feel for him, he is so adorable in his antics to be her friend and practising to greet her by drawing them interacting thereby manifesting it. His relationship with his nanny warms my heart. Oh! Him and his aide makes a cute dynamic too, I just know that his aide is so protective of him and devoted too. His love for MC is so pure and sweet, just pure goodwill from him unlike a certain blondie It feels a bit suffocating watching the interaction between the MC and her aide, with him harbouring such obvious feelings for her and her being blind to it but he seems to be certainly the one she cares about most. The tan prince and that tsundere prince's dynamic is a favourite of mine. The former constantly teasing him and egging him on and the latter responding like how he expects. It's all nice to see. The story setting is not that interesting to me tho I was intrigued initially, it failed to hold my interest. The MC and the priestess is also an odd mix but one I welcome. Her looking out for her and rambling in her presence was so adorable and the MC actually feels like a guy albeit a smooth one from the way she talks, the way she acts, the way she just is from her body language to her expressions. The blondie prince is a yandere through and through, there's no doubt about that. He is obsessed with the MC and is happy and content with even the slightest compliment or touch from her. He is prone to jealousy too with the priestess to the aide. Tho in his defense, those are a bit too extreme with the MC gifting her the present he gave to her that holds much value emotionally as well as in capital terms. The aide I wish could control his emotions more, every emotion he feels is plastered on his face and worse he acts on it. So.. Wait..the story about the Emperor and Empress was so heartwarming. Her being the bolder one with her initiating the kiss, the marriage and so on. She is a Spitfire through and through, the Emperor fell for her at first sight. I don't blame her..she is such a girl crush. Him getting angry at his aide and showing hostility when he told or advised him to stop meeting her telling him that he will let it go now but that there won't be a second time. Him actually killing the person who was responsible for making the drink containing poison that killed her on the spot ruthlessly was so satisfying yet heartbreaking. Him saying that he was not confident in protecting a world that didn't have her in it was..ugh gut wrenching. Him not crying because she told him not to cry..at first when it was mentioned that he did not shed a single tear in her death..I felt slighted and tho it was said that he loved her exceptionally, I doubted his love but I have since then been enlightened. So the Emperor × Empress ship all the way. The prince being curious about his mom and resorting to going to the library and scrounging through the heaps of books there for a description, a sentence or even a word about her after being denied left and right when he asked the palace people was so hard to watch. But the added info of the Emperor using his power to make the moonlight bright so his child can look through the mountain of books is so..I don't know sweet?

The art is incredibly flashy, it reminds me of that manhwa that has something 'siren' in the title. Tho I like the premise of it revolving around the MC who is a child, having a very pretty mother who regressed after her death. The child is smart for her age and loves her mom wholeheartedly but at the end of the day, she is still a child. There is the Emperor's side and the noble's side; with her mother taking the side of the latter during her previous life leading to her death. So that is how we got in this predicament (can we say that?), Her proposing a marriage contract with the Emperor for 8 years until the crown prince is of age to inherit the throne. Apparently this world is set based on animal thingy with the Emperor being a dragon with his secretary a fox, the captain of the guard a wolf and the MC's maid a falcon or a type of bird. The gist is the first Emperor was a dragon and he turned the other animals that we mentioned before into humans, but they have to be loyal and follow their commands otherwise they will revert to their original form. I think there is a bit of something hidden towards the Emperor's and his aides reactions to the MC saying off-handedly that he wasn't human. Their reactions were a bit too serious for the fun conversation prior to that comment. Also the main reason why the Emperor agreed to such a rash contract proposed by the Empress was because of her eyes, he mentioned that the nobles were cowards spewing nonsense while not able to look him in the eyes. He notes that the MC also has that same gaze; maybe unflinching? I do like that nod to the audience over how the MC met with the Emperor and saying "My mother cannot get up in the morning, I don't think she sleeps during the night. She is tired so stop it! Stop bullying my mother!". The aides stifling their laughter by coughing and her following suit by saying "ahem, ahem?" making them laugh harder was gold. The Emperor saying "I'm sure she likes it" was not tact at all, bro. It speaks volumes on how he doesn't know how to interact with normal people nevermind a child. The crown prince is the typical 'crown prince character'. The ML by the comments seem to be the Duke's son, who by the Empress's memory will die three years later. What else to add? Overall I like it but sometimes the translation makes no sense, with spelling mistakes to mistakes in gender or sometimes everything don't line up. I don't know if I will go back to this willingly but it's nice.

Ofcourse the manhwa I have avoided like plague because I thought it to be cliche would be the one that satisfied me. Ah~the sorrow. I like the characters so far, the dynamic between the ml and the Empress is so nice to read, the MC and how she functions is also a treat, the princess is so pitiful. I like the story and how packed it is. The art gets better after every read, it feels just right. I love how the artist draws the muscles and the ml is a treat for the eyes. The MC's affection for people and her kindness is admirable tho I selfishly wish it would extend to my fav character whose name escapes me(the second ml). I do like how he bounces right back tho as he is a man of ambition and is resilient. His past is so rich, he is such an amazing man. I like that we got substance from him and he isn't just a pitiful second male lead who got rejected by the MC. He is a merchant after all, it is a given he has thick skin and balls of steel. The Empress is not a character I'm fond of, a well written one I can appreciate but I still dislike. I like the aide, she at first annoyed me but I get where she came from being a woman in those times, she mistook it for molestation and reacted as such. But she is such a good friend, she has such a motherly nature. I like her and the MC's dynamic. I selfishly hoped that the MC would remain single or be a woman who chose the more efficient route but I digress. I felt stuffy watching her be so nonchalant about the whole ordeal with her and the ML. She is very optimistic in pursuing a relationship with a man of such high status. Nigel outing her enraged me, I guess I took it personal. I tend to get immersed in the situations faced by the characters of a work I like so yeah..he got off too easy. Although I think everything is too convenient, like when the couple hits a rough patch, some situation arrive that forces them to reconcile. Man I'm so bitter but I get that we need to move the plot along.

The MC reminds me of Irene from the K-pop girl group 'Red Velvet', how her face is so still and emotionless, her face barely changes and it feels so off-putting somehow. The story itself is a reverse harem, an otome dating game played by the MC before she transmigrated to it. She has lived 7 times in total with this being her seventh life. The og fl Louise is a sweet girl who is naive, clumsy and caring you know the usual tho it is hinted that there is something more to her. The targets are the three brothers, out of which I think the eldest is the most likely ML tho I like the MC's relationship with the other two more. She is very close and shares history with the second brother, yet she dotes on and cares for the youngest like a mother. She has a soft spot for him, I can tell. I like that the second brother and youngest came around to Louise tho they didn't have the best first impression. The eldest is a bit hardheaded. And is there a secret male lead? It kinda was foreshadowed in the earlier chapters and the young MC (past) was helped by him which made her approach the second male lead and formed their conection. I feel like it's one of the two eldest. The story itself is not interesting, the falling trope, the fainting trope etc is overdone in the shoujo sphere. I mean she did look after them for 10 years so their attachment to her is valid, just why now? Was she not as close to them in her previous lives? The art is so very lackluster. The characters feel like statues, maybe it's the colour scheme that bothers me or the angles, their faces do not have any expressions atleast one that is believable. After willing myself to read 17 chapters, I can safely say that I will be dropping this since I gave it a chance and it failed me.

When this was a promo, I was baited into reading the manhwa because the art was that good! However, after reading through it I became disappointed mainly due to its translation issues and its repetitive plotline with cliches laying abound in every corner of the story. The plot itself is pretty stupid in the first place, how my 16 year old self failed to realise this, I can only blame the lack of originality and truly good content derived from this genre. The MC is straight up dumb, the young lady is a lil bitch tho I got spoiled on her death. That must be why the MC turned to be a villainess. The two brothers, I was made aware that the younger one is the ML. Well deserved. The elder one pissed me off, what with him acting high and mighty because of his nobility status as well as taking the 'leader' role tho clearly not equipped for it and not contributing anything to the table. When he told the MC to know her place, I felt slighted. At least the ML responded appropriately and called him out on his bs. Also the MC blindly following this child's order being much older than him and ignoring the obvious signs was very stupid on her part. I almost screamed "You read the bloody novel!! Think! Dumb bitch!!", Her not coming to the conclusion that they were left to die after knowing the fate of the brothers were irresponsible cuz she admitted to already realising it earlier only denying the reality of the situation because of what? Being afraid? Like Missy!! Why are you so fucking timid and getting pushed around? You might be living in their world but surely that doesn't matter in a life and death situation! Like run out or leave. As simple as that. Honestly it feels like she was made dumb to further the plot and get it to where it needs to be, a trait common among novice authors.

I know that manhwas have their character designs be the same as KBS standard - small face, slim figure, fair skin and what I consider to be a disproportionate body with their head being the size of an egg and the rest of the body being that much bigger in comparison, 1/8 of their body I believe. But the small lips I absolutely abhor, what with the lower lip being heavily prominently with a shiny pink gloss over it with the upper lip nowhere to be found. That was my initial reaction to this manhwa. Now, the second is the plot itself. The MC is a twin; both of them girls raised by a single mother on the run. We later find out that she is the granddaughter of the former emperor; a tyrant that was killed as a result of a coup-d'ètat led by the current Emperor and spearheaded by her father that is the Duke. Now this is followed up with the info that her Grandpa was a tyrant who got his position by killing his sister who was the rightful heir and he planned on doing the same to her son which he failed at because there were royal retainers that assisted in his survival. That is the setting basically. We also see the MC having powers; there are powers like divine power or elemental (?) I forget, but hers is neither. It is later revealed that she is a demi-god, likely because her dad is one too. The features shared by demi-gods seem to be white/silver hair, purple eyes and an emotionless personality (lack of empathy). Her mom is a magician who made potions, which she used to hide her daughter's real hair colour by dyeing it black. So every demi-god has a Tara (the name for their mate), they fall for them at first sight and the feeling is described as 'having your entire world in front of you' - by her dad. They get enamored, obsessed, possessive, you name it. The Duke is the same way and the same fate lies in wait for our MC. Character traits. Duke - obsessed with Mom, loving parents to twins, the Emperor's dog, blunt and acts on his feelings. Mom - selfish, stubborn, feels guilt to the people she hurt, wants apologies from the people who wronged her, puts her daughters first, loves the Duke but does not let that get in the way of her decision-making. MC - smart for her age (puts things together from clues she observes), considerate of her mother and twin, responsible, doting to her sister, a realist, forms a close relationship with her dad after much effort from his side which she acknowledges. Twin - happy go lucky, is like other kids her age, friendly, always has a smile on her face, loves her family, accepts things right away (easily calls the Duke daddy unlike her twin). It is a decent read in terms of this medium of storytelling. Very on the nose in terms of plot and everything, cliche in it's execution, drama is mediocre, setting is similar to other manhwas of this genre. The MC being smart is pointed out straight off the bat but it still feels like she can only amount to that, a child genius nothing more. What I mean is yes she is smart, but she cannot change things based on her whims, she is confined to what a child can do. She is also very emotional in her thinking and thinks on the scale of how much it would affect her family, not much else. I feel like she gets things but she doesn't fully digest it, like what effect it would have, that sort of thing. The mother and father duo if I'm being honest I don't care for. It doesn't interest me but it doesn't bother me, they are not on my radar. But they seem to play a very big role in the story. My hope for this story is to raise the stakes higher - make me tense, excited, cry, sad..just make me feel. Romance to be done tastefully because it is inevitable, don't make the MC swoon over some boy, make her have her own motivations, goals, feelings. Character development for the twin, like I'm still OK with her because she is a child and that is how a child acts..Duh. But maybe not when she is older cuz that will make me drop this so fast. Improvements on the art aspect would also be nice and the writing has to be more tasteful, not basic. Like the writing is so everyday- conversation, like it has no weight to it so..

A cliche reincarnation romance manhwa, that's it. The MC is a D class hunter who used to be C class but got demoted because of an incident. She got hit on the head and remembers her past life, now she expects there to be some perks given to her like in those manhwas with status and whatnot. But she just an extra.. Now I see what this manhwa is trying to do, making her to be the relatable girl who cringes at the side characters corny confessions to the fl. But we all know she'll end up together with the guy she wants to matchmake the fl with so. Will she be dense like the rest of them? A comment said that she was annoying butting into the fl's business left and right, blocking the advances made by the Duke to fit her agenda of returning to a higher position as the ml is her boss' trashy son. I read 2 chapters btw

Aww..I wanted to continue reading it. I was just getting to the good part..the juicy bit. The plot is standard shounen fantasy mixed with a bit of thriller. I like the MC..I was kinda getting worried for a second that he would be merciless or nonchalant about gruesome things or have no morals..but he has humanity. But that doesn't hinder him, he still does what he needs to do but he tries to fix what he can. Him as a teacher suits him like a glove. His bluffing skills are a plus, also there has to be more to his identity. It seems that the nightwalker's commander has a history with him..seeing how thorough the crime scene is. The identity he assumed is causing him so much trouble. But I think that was intentional, you mean to tell me someone of that calibre gets killed by a mere explosion? No..that's impossible. Also the way he talked to the MC was suspicious, he seems to know of him already. Update: Chapter 44. Luckily I got back right into it when I was losing steam and interest over this as I could only watch a chapter a week. My impression on the MC although never bad has improved heaps and bounds to the point that he reminds me of Cale from TCF. It's a very honourable thing to be compared to the individual Cale whom sits at the top spots of my most liked characters. UPDATE (8/3/23): I have read upto Ch48 and things are going according to plan. There is a new character being introduced - Casey, she is Sherlock Holmes incarnate basically. She thinks of our MC as a villain and has intercepted him several times. She seems to be quirky tho, as is her character design. The team has seemingly succeeded in their plan of hijacking the auction house but based on the preview, Hans(?) is feeling insecure and is questioning his place in the team.

The misunderstanding trope...It was fun at the beginning but it is starting to get stale. It is very formulaic. It is not a total misunderstanding per se..he is strong in the sense that he is quick, agile, bloodthirsty and has quick reflexes. He just doesn't have much force behind him, and his weak constitution is to blame for it. He could be a villain with that backstory, he killed his family in cold blood as revenge for neglecting him since childhood and putting him up for the war as collateral. He is a double spy for the Emperor and the Demon King tho his loyalty lies with the Demon King more or less since his hatred for the Emperor is sky high. His older brother is scared of him and asked for protection from the Duke in exchange for him becoming his dog. The princess and prince aren't much. The princess acts dumb and pretends to be head over heels in love with the MC to get people to ward off him and to ensure his absolute loyalty to the Emperor. His memory is split in half, so he has two egos I think. Tho I think this fiasco will be ongoing for a while since this seems to be that trope.

The MC is the Duke, is OP and has all the characteristics of a typical male lead. That also includes the dismissive nature of the one in power, the insensitivity and straight up humiliation they incur on their beloved. Only by seeing the reverse role do I realize how fucked up this is. Talking about the down payment and all...he is truly a sorry sight. One thing to note is that he is always lowering himself before her making it clear that she is the one who holds the reins in this relationship. The King subverted my expectations, I thought that he would betray her after using her for fear of her power but they remain good companions. And I hope it stays that way and that the line does not get blurred. I really hope. The thing about her heart is hardly interesting to me so I won't mention it. But it's cool that she can find a common place with the male lead since he himself has that power too