Reviews

Feb 15, 2021
Preliminary (31/40 chp)
Hiya!

I don't often write reviews on MAL, let alone for Manga, but this I feel is a special case. Every now and again, I find that anime that sparks something in me, or reminds me who I have become and where I currently am in my life, this is the manga equivalent. I truly adore this manga so far, mostly for its story, but I will get into that in the individual section review. This is 100% a preliminary review, and I may be biased as I have a deep affinity for Shoujo-Ai content. Enough with the boring stuff, let's get right into this review.

Story: 8
The story itself I believe gets around an 8 maybe 8 1/2. This is purely due to the fact that this plotline has been done before, but I think the characters make up enough for the story (more on that later). Simply put, the really popular girl becomes friends with the nerdy otaku is the fastest way for me to tell someone this mangas plot. I do believe, however, the manga does an amazing job looking at the social construct that exists in high school. As a current High Schooler, I see the way people are rude, mean to each other, fake, brutal, and just downright pathetic sometimes. This manga also shows the "cliques" that form very nicely, as well as the ways these superficial friend groups can collapse in the blink of an eye. Notably, however, are the bullying scenes, as they feel far more realistic than any bullying I have seen portrayed in manga as of my experiences. The author does a nice job portraying the mental toll that a lifetime of exile, self-pity, social anxiety, and the feel to stay in your spot on the social ladder weigh on people. The crying scenes are also extremely well done, as it's not always the "burst into tears" or "waterworks" type crying, in "Failed Princesses" it's more of a slow realization of what has been said or done, and tears start slowly down your face.

Art: 9
I think the art is fine, I am not particularly picky when it comes to such things, so I found the backgrounds and "in the mind of the anime character" scenes to be very well drawn.
...
BUT OMFG I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW CUTE KUROKAWA IS IN THIS MANGA, EVEN AFTER HER TRANSFORMATION SHES SO ADORABLE, I CAN'T. The character designs are probably my favorite things in this manga, I still am baffled at how beautiful Kurokawa is both before and after her transformation, and how amazing Fujishiro looks both as an otaku and trying to look bland, really nice work there.

Characters:10
Truly, I believe that this is where this manga shines its brightest overall. The characters feel so... real. It's kind of scary how relatable Kurokawa is to my own personal experiences, and probably something in your life as well. The feelings that the characters experience are so well thought out and logical it baffles me as I read on. That feeling of fear when someone of higher authority speaks scold you, that feeling when those high on the social ladder mock you and ridicule you, the feeling to want to better yourself, but not knowing how. All of these emotions are portrayed excellently throughout the manga, in almost every scene. There really aren't many moments (thus far) that I have found boring, "Failed Princesses" does an amazing job at keeping you engaged, and the dynamics of the main characters truly do wonders.

Enjoyment:10
Every second I read this manga I squeal in excitement. It's been a long time I felt such a mixed bag of emotions in such a short span of time. Just looking at the covers gets me excited as I still can't get over how absolutely adorable the main characters are.

Overall:10
listen, if we were to always do reviews or scores by math, where the fun in that? A 10/10 anime or manga does not have to be perfect, it has to be perfect for you! I give this a 10, as it hits all the feels departments exceptionally well, and I cannot stop looking forward to the next chapter.
Truly, I love and adore this manga thus far. Its slow burn and heartfelt romance, its beautiful and intense moments, the drama. They all fit perfectly.

If you are a fan of Shoujo-Ai, you have to read this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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