GARIBEN JIMI MOE REIJOU WA, ORE-SAMA OUJI NADO OYOBI DENAI

DESCRIPTION

CHAPTERS

NOVEL ComedyGariben Jimi Moe Reijou wa, Ore-sama Ouji nado Oyobi denai

REVIEWS

• 

  Dacry

  100/100
  A good antagonist makes the protagonists shine

  Two likable characters with a non-toxic relationship, although at first one-sided, with interesting personalities and lives and surroundings, and the people who contributed to their cool and amazing selves being cool enough that people would be interested in spin-offs (like Sharina's cook, maid and Apollo).

  They are great by themselves, yes, but to showcase it all without a truly hateable and not easily defeated antagonist and villain, the story would ended up as pure lore.

  This is an argument for: Leonard is truly hateable, and that's a good thing.

  (and the way he grows only when it's too late but it still being a scene that shows, it's a valuable scene. It's not about redemption, but to reward the readers that he finally listens, finally learns. Yeah, it's terrible he wants to keep being a prince anyway, but at least he gave up on her and that's a huge step. And he has been raised to be a crown prince since he was a baby, so it's not easy to give up on that.)

  This manga is very, very good. The novel too. The plot is fairly simple but also parodies and criticizes romance, the way you can't follow romance stories with tons of drama as a dating guide. The way the prince is worshiped ever since he was a child, and now he's spoiled rotten to the bone.

  And everyone is supposed to see through mean words and assume whatever they want, to the point of doing that to a few honest people as well. Because, you know, to want someone else other than the one everyone loves, to be someone who goes against the current, an undertow.

  The japanese context is important too. A culture where rice farms created villages, and if everyone hated you and you hated everyone, you wouldn't have rice. So you learn to get along, to when in public like the same things. To disagree is death.

  And Sharina disagrees since she was born. Maybe it's a bad aro stereotype, to find the right person, but I say anyway that she's a good aro representation. Someone who grows up completely alienated, all her friends are super into romance, romance is the rice in her kingdom. The way to keep noble girls obedient and in their places, hoping for a prince to swipe them off their feet. Sharina doesn't understand such a thing at all, until she does, in her own way.

  If I had to describe shipping, it would be a reclamation of what people call a relationship, in both society and fiction. Maybe you don't understand the way people think some stuff is good and others are bad, maybe you like yandere in fiction but understands it's very unsafe or something you couldn't handle in real life, maybe you like cocky and cool guys with tons of power over other people on romance stories, and that doesn't mean you are a bad person until you forcefully push that on people and make it the only portrait of romance possible, all stories being about the very same mean guy and girls whose no is meaningless because his status is what matters but you also can't come across as too slutty by saying yes. Like Leonard himself. Like the Ariarose family. Like the Rose Garden.

  When you talk and talk, and doesn't listen at all when the other side protests, or make sure that it's a desired behavior.

  Sharina is very, very smart. You get to see it better on the novel, the way she plans ahead and comes across as cuckoo until you read and realizes, yes, she's planning pretty well and is very clever. She just never cared about romance before, so maybe she's coming across too strong and silly, but her plans are well thought and would be great for escape if Riol's fail sometime (he wouldn't let it fail, that's why he makes such good plans, but he knows she will back him up and he will not risk her being possibly kept away from him anyway)

  And honestly, it's a hassle for her that her and Riol's story isn't a slice of life. Many readers, when faced with the antagonist(s), think the same.

  But how would you know how smart Sharina is, if she wasn't put in the spot to fight and make plans against those who want to break her relationship for one reason or another? She would only be able to cook for her beloved and hold hands, and their relationship is truly wholesome, but she wouldn't ever be able to shine like she does. You can't ask for smart and cool female characters and not let them show it.

  That's why I like Leonard's presence in the story. He's truly hateable, a creep, a thief, a piece of shit, irresponsible and spoiled, annoying, unable to perceive himself as not everyone's first second and third choice, taking dangerous risks just to get his way, doesn't listen to anybody, not understanding at all. Like a reader said, in another genre, he would probably be a rapist towards Sharina.

  Let's just be glad it's not this genre.

  How would Sharina and Riol fight back such an enemy who also isn't going to back down until he's throughly defeated? That takes up both guts and brains.
  There were moments through the story that I legit thought: This story looks alive. The amount of planning, the way each character had to think and make up plans, from Sharina's best friend Angie when checking what happens in the party (and giving us the chance to see too) to the prince's brother in law trying to make Sharina stop getting with the prince because of his own biases (and failing), to the way Riol plans that are so risky but works out because he has to, or the practical planning of Sharina herself. They are their own selves and thought lines and they feel alive.

  This story is a good deconstruction of the typical fantasy because the characters are allowed to be more than two dimensional. They are not their roles, despite it being clearer on the novel.

  And Leonard works strongly, as they can't fight back by just using brawls, but they cannot run away from the battle either. They gotta show their skills, and while Sharina is seen as a doll with an unworthy owner, Riol as the unworthy owner gotta prove himself to each villain. We know how hard it hurts to make Sharina just accept that treatment and not be able to fight back as someone who is good at magic and can fight back usually, what can be a good example of when your boss hits on you and women and worker rights is not much a thing although desired by some (check out women and worker's rights on Japan lol).

  For a more comprehensive, less annoying prince that would back down easily, however? Most readers would feel second male lead syndrome. The thing where they sympathize and go: "but Riol is cold and doesn't show and speak out his affection properly, also he doesn't have a good position and makes her doubt his love, isn't often reassuring, isn't even that handsome, can't use magic, less troublesome, etc. Sharina should have chosen the prince!"

  There's a reason we don't say that as readers of this story, and it's thanks to Leonard. Thank the author that he's so terrible! So we can properly appreciate Riol.

  The guy who helps out strangers despite being so shy and will work hard until he gets carpal tunnel to prevent the girl he loves from being forced into a relationship she can't bear and knows when to be selfish.
  Without all that drama and the stakes so high, we can't see properly all sides of him. Nothing for Sharina to ask for encore.

  While I don't mind the usual "let's be a cute lady dating a cool prince/duke!", this story is nice because sometimes getting a fill of the crusty, eyebag emo poor baron is nice too. Only girls are allowed to be cinderella in those stories, and I would like to see more unconventional male love interests too. Diversity, not a whole market of pretty boys who are healthy at loving.

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