Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantoudai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story @comic
Tearmoon Empire

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Tearmoon Empire is a great mixture of comedy, misunderstandings, political intrigue, and character growth/development. The series is definitely unique and gradually you'll find yourself rooting for Mia too throughout her antics.

I would recommend reading the official english-translated Light Novels from J-Novel Club rather than the manga. Both are great, but the light novel is much further ahead than the manga and the art in the light novel is also top-notch.

This is for sure my favorite light novel and I recommend everyone to try it! You can read a free preview on the J-Novel Club website or search Amazon for "Tearmoon ... Empire".

Tearmoon is like a delicious hare stew, every ingredient is appetizing in its own right but the synergy between them is what elevates the meal, the same applies to this manga, I have seen every individual element of what it does before and I've seen stories that look similar to it on the surface, however the polished of its ingredient and the way it combines them is what sets tearmoon apart from its peers, in the following review I'll analyze each ingredient individually so I can explain why every factor works so well:

let's start by talking about a very underrated part of the series, ... the world-building, although easy to take it for granted, it really spices up the series and helps give the manga (and light novel) its own unique identity, from simple things like citizens from Tearmon using moon way more own its popular idioms or the fact that the book is pretty grounded with no magic or superhuman moves (the closest thing there is to magic in Tearmoon is a made-up vegetable cake, a tasty fictitious spice and a special pretty wood that is rainbow colored ), its setting resembles actual medieval Europe way more than the worlds of "swords and magic" commonly seen in light novels with medieval settings, having a more realistic setting not only differentiates the series but also fits this french revolution expired story way more, but still, even if Tearmoon is not a fantasy story its geography is still fictional and needs to be properly flashed out considering the book deals with it's politics quite often (even if it's for comedic effect), thankfully it also does that well, for example, there is a harmful structural stereotype in the kingdom against farmers, so they make sure to give a historic explanation for it and how it's harming the kingdom. yeah everything I said so far is pretty simple and not groundbreaking by any means but it still elevates the series even if just a bit, in conclusion, the world-building in Tearmoon is just good enough to serve as a backdrop for its political comedy and spicy up the series it gets a solid but not great 7/10

I am also happy to inform you that the presentation of this plate is also quite good, the art is just as adorable as the illustrations from the novel, the exaggerated facial expressions are always a treat, and the paneling is creative and easy to read, something that originally had me worried but I can thankfully say it wasn't an issue is that they were accurate to the novel and didn't sexualize the child characters in the bath scenes, it's weird to say this for a manga but the bath scenes always have a purpose, for example showing that mia doesn't discriminate against commoners and likes bathing with her maid, it always shows restraints making a scene that other artists would make crepy come out as just comfy instead, the art is great so it's only fair for it to get a solid score of 8/10

the recipe of this stew is also interesting, although the plot isn't the main focus of tearmoon, it is still good, the arcs are very diverse, cycling between; adventure, school life, and regional politics depending on the arc, which not only helps to keep the jokes fresh (since tearmoon is primarily a comedy book and the main objective of the plot is to serve as a good backdrop for the hilarious jokes) but changing genres from time to time makes the relatively simple plot more engaging since one arc might be a more laid back school life while the other can very well be a shipwrecked adventure, overall the plot of tearmoon is a solid 7/10

when you take a sip of this stew you might think it tastes a bit funny, and you would be right because (contrary to this joke) TEARMOON IS HILARIOUS, ahem, bad jokes aside tearmoon's jokes are genuinely technically competent, with unique setups and unexpected punch lines, not only that but the sacartic narator of the series really sets the comedy apart from other books, even if he can be a little unreliable in the extent of how much he dowplays some charcters in order to make a sassy joke he is still riotous, "but what type of comedy is tearmoon" you might be asking, well, if you asked most tearmoon fans to define its comedy I bet most of them would say that it is a comedy focused on extreme misunderstanding (like gamers, Handa-kun, or school rumble) and honestly they would be totally right, however I would like to expend a bit more on that, tearmoon isn't just jokes about misunderstandings but also jokes focused on humorizing the banal, from just boring politics to familiar tropes in media, tearmoon cames up with extreme misunderstanding for everything it touches, that ability to humorizing the banal is present in many great works (from the Japanese kaguya-sama to the American Gumbal) and since tearmoon is a master at that, and never fails to make me die from laughter, I have no qualms about giving tearmoon's comedy a 10/10

err, let's talk about erm... the hares in this hare stew? (the metaphor really fell apart uh... well whatever) most characters start out pretty superficial, but they have incredible hilarious chemistry with each other so they are still likable from the start, and thankfully as the series goes own more and more characters get flashed out, except for Mia, Mia is great from the start and only gets better as the story goes on, she is the funniest character in the series so most jokes involve her in some way (which honestly isn't a bad thing) and she is a genuinely complex character that also gets a great character arc which gradually develops in a very natural way, she slowly improves as a person while still not completely getting rid of her flaws, she stays selfish, but her selfishness stop being harmful and just turns cute, describing it might come out weird but I guarantee you'll also be rooting for Mia and shouting "Sasuga Mia-sama" as you see the girl try her best, tl;dr she is a gremlin but she is OUR gremlin, Mia the protagonist gets a 10/10 but the characters in general get a 7/10

in conclusion, tearmoon is an amazing dish, I highly recommend both the manga and the novel, the novel gets an easy ten and the manga is on the same level, however since the manga has yet to conclude adapting even the first volume I'll have to give it just a nine since it has only 14 chapters so far, but don't be surprised when I change the score to a ten after some more chapters come out, as it is teramoon gets a great 9/10 for me.

Synopsis:
As the Tearmoon Empire collapsed, 20-year-old Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon, who was scorned as a selfish princess, was executed 2 years after she was killed by beheading with a guillotine. However, instead of dying she is reincarnated back in her 12-year-old body. Initially, she believes that the events that are occurring are a dream, before discovering her diary covered in her blood which contains the entries she made before her death. In an attempt to avoid the execution at all costs, Mia decides to correct the corruption that exists in the empire. By not repeating her typical selfish actions, and working to correct the corruption ... in the Empire based on the knowledge in her diary from her first life. Somehow she charms the commoners in the slums and the people around her while working hard to correct the corruption of the Empire.

Originality: 8
The idea of reincarnation isn't original. The unique twist that this author has presented us with is that the protagonist is reincarnated into her younger self and decides to not let the future repeat itself.

Plot: 9
The plot of the manga is constructed with a clear, concise, and compelling storyline that has a recognizable main arc with a convincing conflict and crisis. Throughout the storyline, there are several obstacles for the protagonist to overcome with their conflicts, crises, and resolutions.

Theme: 8
While exploring themes of reincarnation, fear, corruption, nobility, time travel, and how one's actions have consequences, "Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantoudai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story" delves into the complexities of societal expectations and the struggles faced by the ruling party outside the conventional norms. Through nuanced character development and intricate storytelling, the manga provides a stark yet empathetic glimpse into the life of Mia a spoiled princess who in her first life was unaware of how her actions would ultimately affect her future.

Character Development: 9
The main characters are memorable with unique and complex personalities. As a result of the complex nature of the characters, the reader typically has positive emotions for the MC. Throughout the manga, the dialogue contributes to the rich and vivid world created.

Art, Setting, and Atmosphere: 10
Readers will undoubtedly be engrossed in the detailed and expressive artwork that brings the characters to life, while the sophisticated narrative style paints a vivid picture of their experiences. The characters are drawn in the Shoujo art style with large and detailed eyes, as well as having a slender body style. The manga's seamless integration of drama, school life, historical, and slice-of-life genres adds depth and nuance to the overall storytelling, creating an engaging and memorable reading experience. The settings are drawn in a believable and realistic format which is appropriate to the action of the characters.

Mechanics: 8
I do not speak Japanese but in the translated version that I read, it was very easy to follow and understand what was happening with little to no spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors

Passion: 9
The author is very adept at making you care about what ultimately becomes of the protagonist throughout the manga. The author expresses his passion through the development of the plot and the theme of the manga which is interesting. More specifically, the protagonist is reincarnated as her 12-year-old self and is trying to correct the corruption that has taken root in the Empire.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9