This is one of a few rare 10/10 otome isekais I’ve encountered. (I ‘plan to read’-ed this one a year ago but the art cover does not leave a really strong impression in me, I even thought it is some modern school life shoujo)
The story plot is typical and cliché: High school girl died and incarnated into a villainess in an otome game and the adopted step brother + savior trope (I literally just read the same thing this week in a OI called Koukando ga Agaranai/It’s Virtually Impossible to make this boy like me), the only thing that is different is that instead of the best friend incarnating into the OG fml, her sister from previous life did).
However, who says us girls don’t love cliché stories?, especially if they are so well written and perfectly executed? This is how this series is.
Personally, I’m just here for the romance, the fluff and that tingling feelings when one of the male leads get jealous (lol). Andd this shoujo has all the shit i signed up for. (sob)
In the first few chapters, I was like ‘omg I love Gilbert!!!!😕!’ but then when Oscar the Crown Prince and his back stories (how he met her, how he tried to contact her for over ten years, his letters to Cecilia) are introduced, i was like ‘Ughhh Oscar is kinda cute too’…Plus, as we go further into the manga, events like how nice and kind the person Oscar is to Cecil (Oscar making space in his bed for Cecil, considering they’re just being friends recently), bro questioning his gender lol, his super cute pure-maiden interactions with Cecil (I’m a sucker for blushing fluttering boyss)… makes my heart can’t really choose its better favorite… I like 2 boys equally… and I decided I’d just enjoy the story as it is having no particular ship in mind)
On the other hand, traits that i like in Gilbert’s and his pov and story are his tsundere-ness (mixed with some spicy possessiveness and obvious yandere-ness and the unrequited romantic love for Cecilia lol): Despite being super sassy and sharp-tongue, he cares for Cecilia deeply… He’s always been there for her and helped Cecil with her special circumstances… Not to mention, Gilbert listens to Cecilia thoroughly and believes her… And their time together…
Despite deciding to enjoy the story as it is, as we can see in the manga, Gilbert’s screen time and art cover is definitely more than Oscar’s (plus look at details like, in the fire where Cecil is kidnapped, Gilbert is the one who saves her and has her in his arms while Oscar is fighting in the background). They are, for me, ‘shoujo cues’ that somewhat indicate who the writers tries to influence us readers into emotional invest in the character’s love line more.
However, just when I thought to myself, ‘Well, I wouldn’t complain if Gilbert is the endgame’, after a good night’s sleep, I had time to think and realize the toxic traits in Gilbert’s character. The one thing Gilbert has done that is hard for me to kinda accept and swallow is the fact he burns or rips all of Oscar’s letter to Cecilia in more than ten years (?!). I know this is just a fiction, and therefore this action is just a detail for the plot to keep going and to be ‘more entertaining’; and don’t get me wrong, I love Yandere Males, but… I just think this is so mean to poor Oscar, and if we look at this on a more realistic view, this behavior is extremely controlling and disrespectful to both the sender and Cecil… Like imagine your family member did that to you…
Even though Oscar’s love for Cecilia feels a bit forced, like why would someone pin on a love for that long (12 years) just because of a conversation with some kinda motivational, caring, loving, one-of-a-kind, never the same lines from a cute girl (now that I write this out, if I were to meet a bright cute girl who talks to me that way, i would fall in love to, Oscar, and I’m a straight girl) despite having no response? My ass would quit long ago.
Hehe, to sum up, despite the flaws, my points (of favorite) for Gilbert and Oscar, respectively are 9 and 9.5. I read the spoilers, and just hope they would add more fluffy scenes between Cecilia and Oscar, and for Oscar to realize Cecil is actually Cecilia and for Cecilia to actually like someone like a high school girl would <3
Last but not least, one really special thing in this manga is our girl’s friendship. I cried in that scene where Cecil (in her previous life) saves her best friend in that fire. It was very touching. Also, our Cecil is no Mary Sue! Girlie can fight and fight for herself and she does not give up on her fate! Plot is also well written!
10/10, satisfying!, gives you serotonin, read it nowww!
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