But it's just so Kaori-like, hate the whole world because no-one really love you, kids definitely should not read this, it'll ruin their innocent dream, lol

... Last updated on July 26th, 2008, 10:51am

Art is top-notch, everyone said so.

What everyone failed to praise to high heaven is other factors of this manga: Storyline, character development and tiny details.

Dont get discouraged from the first 2 chapters. Those are a bit "hit on the face" style. The later chapters developed much nicely, they always made me wonder what the "Snow White" chapter is all about.

Ludwig Kakumei is one of my favourite mangas by Kaori Yuki. As for the genres, it's a very complex manga: mixture of comedy, horror, drama and fantasy in Grimm style. The stories are sometimes gross but there's a source of humor in every chapter and the drawing style is awesome as expected from Kaori Yuki. As for the ending, I'm very curious because I doubt that there's a girl in the world of the tales who is much to Ludwig's taste and neither an evil person nor an idiot.

... Last updated on June 23rd, 2008, 6:33am

The first chapter is so different from the rest, Ludwig is too different form the rest of the manga, that it can almost stand as a one shot. It wasn't my favorite, and kind of had a hard time finishing it, but it is an original take in fairy tales and the characters are crazy and dark, although confusing a lot of the time. The art is amazing, maybe I'll read more form this mangaka, maybe something less comical? It's worth giving it a try.

... Last updated on June 15th, 2015, 4:10am

i rarely see anything as good as this. its creative and entertaining, simply an amazing work. good read

Don't be mistaken by the category. Though there are some gory scenes, it isn't much of a 'horror' if you ask me. 'Mystery' is well fitted though.

I was moved by the story of Princess Maileen, and how she died because she was serious about a prince that was using her. How every time a traveler walks by the tower, she kept hoping that it's the prince coming to save her.

It's good, but isn't the best. I attempted to read this before, but always stop when I finish the THIRD PAGE (not third chapter, people ;D). But I gave it a chance yesterday (late at night), and I'm glad I did.

Prince Ludwig has so much character and
I loved the sleeping beauty chapter.
This was a great read.

Kaori Yuki, even with lighthearted series such as this one, can spin it into a brilliant story, worth reading. The art is as always top notch. And it adds an interesting twirl to typical fairy tales. Good job as always, Kaori Yuki.

I apologize but I can't help but find the comment below mine rather ..unnecessary.

Anyhow, moving on, I highly recommend this piece! It's one of Kaori Yuki's most lighthearted works I've ever encountered. A nice approach to something a little more different from her usual darker works. This series begins rather caliginously and grows into something, well, I could say.. cute, even! Comidical actually. However, despite the more brightened atmosphere, each arc still ends with some lingering eeriness.. which I personally find very intriguing.

And as always, once again has a Kaori Yuki masterpiece leave a lingering sentiment in me.

... Last updated on May 12th, 2008, 5:36pm

The intriguing twists on the fairy tales were a great idea, but Ludwig Kakumei has one of the least likeable casts I've seen in a while. Ludwig is an arrogant inconsiderate jerk who spends all his time chasing after beautiful women (who most of the time don't care one whit about him) while treating his nearest and dearest like c*ap. Which would have been fine, if the guy were a true sadist instead of a "fantasy sadist" (ie: a handsome, charismatic man who for some reason is nasty and inconsiderate only to other men, ugly women, and old people; pretty women, of course, are treated like royalty). His devoted servants/slaves Wilhelm and Grunhilda are masochists who repeatedly risk their lives for a guy who always either abuses or ignores them; all the "princesses" (with the exception of Ludwig's One True Love) are either cruel conniving bi***es or sweet, vapid wastes of space; all the "princes" are either cold-blooded bas***ds or spineless air-heads. The only character I enjoyed was Ludwig's mother (women who have all the men by the b*lls through any way other than sex get a big thumbs-up from me), but she was absent for most of the series.

Now, none of these things would have been a big deal if this were a manga where the characters are merely an excuse and the plot's the only important thing. But Ludwig Kakumei is a story with drama, romance, comedy and tragedy at its core. If those four genre are to be successful, the cast has to appeal to my heart. And it didn't.

But the most annoying feature, imo, was the shift in the tone of the plot. It went from being genuinely dark and foreboding to being a half-heartedly dramatic comedy full of absurd situations where everyone is a moron and the Only Sane Man, Ludwig, has to swoop in and save them from their own stupidity. Accordingly, Ludwig himself went from being a true anti-hero to being a "funny" anti-hero, thereby losing the only quality that made him appealing to me. And the way he fell in love (with a woman he spoke barely four or five sentences with and never properly met) was boring, cliché and completely unsuited to his personality.

None of these are things I made up, either: Kaori Yuki herself mentioned them in the author's notes for the 4th volume.

So, in the end: 8/10 for the plot, but I'm deducting points for 2-D characterisation and the unnecessary mood-shift.

... Last updated on April 11th, 2015, 2:54am