I decided to read this on a whim, since I have a ridiculous soft spot for villainess stories, even when they turn out to be horrible, but this series really exceeded my expectations and then some. In fact, it probably ranks among some of the best villainess stories I've read -- and I've read a lot!

In general, I tend to find romance in these villainess stories to be supremely lacking. Namely because the typical "cold brooding male lead who's only nice to the female lead" isn't the type of trope (or character) I like. And I find that these relationships tend to overpower the overarching plot of the story, making it all about the romance, which I'm not really into. Meanwhile, Ginger and the Cursed Prince is basically the exact opposite of all that. It starts with romance from the get-go, and the romantic relationship is really the focal point here. In a lesser story, I would've found that a bit boring, but here it really works -- and it works because the romantic relationship here is actually done really well!

Ginger starts as a bit of a divisive heroine. She's not a true "villainess", more like the small-time third-wheel rival that often appears in shoujo romances, but one of the things I really like in this story is that the author lets her be herself without judgment. Ginger is very, very into cheesy romantic scenarios, and yes, the second-hand embarrassment is very strong here -- hence the divisiveness -- but she really grows on you as a character, especially because, while she's occasionally teased for her fantasies, she's never looked down upon for having them. And letting a female protagonist be as embarrassing and as horny as she wants to be is a rare, rare thing, even in shoujo romances, that it's refreshing to see here.

It also helps that she and Izana have a lot of fun chemistry together, and they're not the typical "stoic hero and his not-like-other-girls love interest". Izana does start off cold and walled-off, sure, but the whole point of the narrative is for him to open up and trust other people, and the underlying message of the story is incredibly sweet and wholesome. It's a very good subversion of some common romance tropes, and watching these two interact in the series is always a delight.

The only criticism I have is Lerazie... Or, more accurately, how she's written. While I mentioned above that the author is good at subverting some common romance tropes, Lerazie is, unfortunately, played relatively straight as the female love rival. She's evil and conniving for seemingly very little reason. I honestly don't understand why she's so insistent on having Izana's love especially after she learned...



It's really a shame, because I don't mind villainous villains, but I would've definitely liked for the author to have spent a little bit more time fleshing Lerazie out as an actual villain instead of just leaving her so... shallow and one-note. It feels even stranger because, while Ginger dislikes Lerazie, she in no way hates Lerazie in the same way that Lerazie seems to hate her, which makes Lerazie's reactions to Ginger even more baffling. It's unfortunate because, while Lerazie's presence is important for plot purposes, her appearances tend to be frustrating and tedious to read about, simply because she isn't a very interesting person.

But, yeah, in general, this series as a whole is still miles above a lot of other villainess stories of its ilk. It might not be as purely good as, say, Beware the Villainess, but it's certainly up there! Definitely worth a read if you can get past the initial secondhand embarrassment. It is, admittedly, a bit of a challenge there.

... Last updated on November 22nd, 2021, 12:20am

Ginger and the ML are great, but they're the only thing that got through this. The drama didn't really go anywhere and the main two getting together didn't really feel satisfying with how other people were involved. I think having their trust issues being more of an obstacle would have made a better story rather than the story ending with everyone forgiving and forgetting.

Does any one know the author or the artist’s Twitter/ or insta, etc. I wanna follow them >< ty in advance.

I love how unconventional the female lead is. She has no filter, she doesn’t hold back, she is shameless, brash, quirky and shallow. But what makes it work is how self-aware she is. Yes she’s a pervert, yes she’s fickle and overly preoccupied by her love rival, yes she fell in love with the prince only because of his looks, yes she’s quite foolish and hopelessly romantic, but she knows it. And that’s why it can be refreshing : a dumb female lead who knows how dumb she is but still pushes through, and side characters who deal with it haha.

There are several moments where you’ll be like “omg she actually brought it up”, or “why is she even thinking it would work/be ok ?” ʘ‿ʘ
Is it confidence or foolishness ? I would say a bit of both, but all in all it’s amusing to read, especially since the side characters are all rather sensible. In fact it’s because the side characters react accordingly that it’s fun to read. The mismatch is entertaining. At the beginning for example, the male lead is as flustered/weirded out by her as you would expect.

Speaking of him, he’s a great character. I was afraid he was going to be very stereotypical, i.e. an arrogant jerk who with love would become caring, but surprisingly he actually is very charismatic, and unexpectedly quite level-headed and easy going (to the point where it’s hard to believe how much he’s supposed to have suffered).
I also like how his feelings don’t fall out of the sky. His chemistry with the heroine is good. It’s understandable that for someone who can read thoughts meeting a girl so open and unfiltered would be weird, and after getting used to it, quite endearing. And I love how he teases her about it. So yeah the build up to their relationship is interesting as well, although she really is simple minded and hopelessly romantic.

Btw, it’s a good thing that she has in fact other dimensions to her character as well. She’s not a fragile flower you see, she’s not a pushover, she’s not useless. She stands up for herself, she is stubborn and brash, she can be petty, she also swears a lot... All in all she is a vibrant and colorful character even if her motivations are extremely superficial.

The female lead will either make it or break it for you.
As you’ve understood by now she’s quite unique. That’s why this story is amusing, although it’s also inevitably cringy. So if you can’t stand second-handed embarrassment you’ll be in trouble here, especially during the first 12 chapters before the story actually picks up.
You’ll also have a hard time if her antics are too preposterous to you. To me it’s entertaining, to the other characters it’s silly but refreshing, maybe for you it may be too dumb or eccentric.
She may also get on your nerves because of her nonsense. She pointlessly omits important facts to the prince several times. She also unsuccessfully tries to deceive him (with the wine for example, or when she thinks he can’t read her thoughts). Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) It can become tiresome and irritating over time.

Anyway, aside from the plot which is rather interesting, the entire story is quite moronic and embarrassing (you will probably facepalm several times). But it’s not supposed to be taken seriously. It’s just a nice light read without drama when you want to laugh at the shenanigans of an unconventional character.

... Last updated on May 8th, 2021, 1:10am

i've lost count of how many times i cringed and face palmed because of secondhand embarrassment gooosh the fl is way too funny particularly her being a simp over the ml that it makes it enjoyable to read. she may be sort of dumb but i came to like her. the ml is hot! YES!!! and a real cinnamon roll. regarding the plot it is somewhat refreshing? or should I say one of a kind, altho the romance is slow but it's still satisfying near the end! all in all this is a gem that im so glad to have found.

... Last updated on April 5th, 2021, 11:32am

..is very funny lmao. I mean, I guess she's not the super smart typical villainess in other villainess genres but, I like her shamelessness and how funny she is.

Ginger is an interesting fl... well my first expression on her is that she’s dumb...

i mean it’s fun that her scheme is good but not good, she doesn’t really think about the possibility of failing which is quite cute...
but it gets quite irritating somehow because i always read a smart, sly, scheming fl... so seeing this it’s refreshing and cute

I generally like smart FLs, but I like this FL she's entertaining and the right fit for the story. A scheming or smart, cautious and scheming FL just won't work in this scenario. Anyway, this isn't a typical isekai.. actually it's not a isekai, although it's disguised as one. Give it a read, its sweet and a nice read. Avoids a lot of cliche because of the ML's secret.

... Last updated on February 27th, 2021, 10:18pm

Pretty much every review centres around the female lead and the reason for that becomes clear the moment you start reading it. Personally, I absolutely love her despite the rough start.
She didn't get Isekaid, or swapped out or Prophetic visions so why would she immediately have a change of heart just because she read a book. And she is a mean girl type villainess with a heart of gold. Seeing her struggling to get out of predicament with her limited resources (and brainpower, let's be real) is ten times more entertaining than seeing Isekaid Mary Sue's "invent" the light bulb and get harems of overpowered men begging them to become Queen for the gazillionst time.
Apart from that, there have been clear signs of character development so I am looking forward to her turning over a new leaf. She will probably stay a hot mess but with a lil' more self-control.

... Last updated on February 12th, 2021, 1:58pm

Its fun i enjoy the comedic so much.. Maybe you all get used to Very smart Fmc in Manhwa so you can't handle this, even tho i think the stories kinda good, actually i love this and enjoy her antics.. reminds me of some Shoujo Manga back then with the trope the Fmc naive and dumb like Itazura na Kiss (adapted to Kdrama Playful Kiss) but in Itazura na kiss the fmc is really really really stupid 😂😂 still very funny tho, or Bakarina from Hamefura, Tearmoon empire etc... And tbh seeing this stories is Refreshing and i like this

... Last updated on January 16th, 2021, 11:28am