First off, I want to say DO NOT read this manga if you are overly empathetic of animals or infants and in regards to their... not-life. Such themes are present in the manga and I would be doing a disservice not to mention this forefront.
Spoilers are kept to a minimum, but you are warned.
A 'Poison Princess' is a woman that has poison practically bled into her skin. From birth they were served poison in their milk, in their clothes, and entwined under their cot as they sleep. And by the time they are young, gorgeous women, a single kiss is all it takes for a man to drop dead in seconds. You follow the story of a Poison Princess named 'Lycoris Radiata' (named after the poison she consumed) as she is sent to an enemy kingdom to kill the ruler of said kingdom.
The setup I could feel was very certain of itself, and straightforward. But in it's simplicity was maturity in the questions it posed one's value of life I appreciated more as I got older. Dokuhime is not a happy story by any means, and doesn't try to give you any illusion it is either. You begin the story in the perspective of a woman only valued by her ability to kill, and die for her cause, the horrible people that 'raised' her into a weapon. People that have no qualms poisoning young babies and killing them if it means getting a political edge or any semblance of profit.
She thought it would be a simple mission, until she finds out the king is gone and instead 3, young, smart princes are left at the throne. All three are brothers, but each have a different personality and style. All sharing their raven hair the late king had. The youngest named the 'useless' child. The second oldest being a poison tester for the oldest brother, being rather daring and hates the youngest. The oldest is named the 'Perfect prince' and harbors the burden of the throne, caring deeply for his brothers.
The art style displayed in the manga is quite 'old fashioned' or 'old age' to put it into words. It's very emotive and detailed when it comes to the eyes, hair, and clothing. Actually, it's just simply very detailed in general. It's up to the reader how they feel about the style, but for me, I'd say it's a very delicate and pretty style. It seems to have aged well despite being a 2002-12 manga, looking older than it actually is (but I think that's a good thing). The style itself very much suits the era the story takes place in, as well as the general atmosphere.
The characters can be simplified, but doing so wouldn't be fair to their personalities, each very much different from each other and caused by each other's past and present actions. Their designs are memorable and their stories quite tragic.
