The idea is nice, and the political machinations have been interesting if not very original. The cruelty of the “villains” was unexpected in a shoujo with such a soft drawing style, but helped convey the general vibe of danger and thrill the main character must be experiencing. The drawing style itself is nice and pretty - basically the style the artist showed in Doubt!! years ago but with a little more grunge.
The characterization of the male and female leads has been fine, but the latest chapter was especially disappointing with the focus on the gender or the person being rescued from captivity and their supposed inborn fragility. “You’re a woman.” And the tired threat of rape to cow a woman who acts with less gentility than other ladies of her social class and remind her of her gendered vulnerability was...tiresome.
I’m not saying it wasn’t realistic for a sheltered person to react poorly to a truly life-threatening situation. But repeated references to her gender and the love line with her rescuer/comforter tainted the development. That the author took advantage of Sumire’s moment of greatest vulnerability to glorify the love interest and emphasize the potential romance was in Extreme poor taste. Sumire, delirious from capitivity, looking up in admiration at his sunlit figure from her position on the ground seems to encapsulate the author’s vision of their relationship as a romantic couple. Paired with earlier scenes of him forcefully pinning her down on the ground, and him forcing a kiss on her (all justified, ofc, by her too prideful mien)... not a great foundation.
Further. It may not be the time/place to delve into in any amount of detail, but I do want to note that this series is yet another example of stories in which strong/smart female characters are humbled, manipulated, and/or mentored by the even stronger/smarter male love interest. It’s a bit off an offshoot of the Damsel in Distress trope, but worse bc it allows storylines w misogynistic bylines to masquerade as feminist friendly.
Bc yeah, Sumire is a strong willed, intelligent, combat-capable young noble. She’s a likable protagonist with determination and conviction for readers to cheer on. It’s a darn shame her growth as a person is oversaturated with connections to gender, and romance. This in turn sours any romance, as there is a notably imbalanced power dynamic between the main couple. Ugh.
It’s nothing surprising, especially considering how this mangaka has shaped her romances/male-female dynamics in her previous works, but. It’s disappointingly so.
Update: The political intrigue continues to be, well, intriguing. I have to warn potential readers that there is a scene where a man describes his having raped a woman to taunt another character. The author thankfully does not illustrate the rape, but. It’s there.