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This manga is one I would recommend for fans of Yona of the Dawn and Requiem of the Rose King. It's a Medieval fantasy setting following the power struggle between 2 kingdoms and a girl pretending to be a murdered prince caught in between them, and it gets rather bloody at times too (as in you'll see multiple on-page beheadings). Almost Shakespearean in nature in terms of vibes. The art is very pretty and competent, although some of the action scenes could use some heavier linework for impact (but still overall very well-done). From the get-go we get hints of the inner bravery beneath a ... seemingly cry-baby Freya in the very first chapter that just needs to be cultivated to truly shine in her character. While sometimes Freya seems to be somewhat emotionally volatile, it makes sense given her situation and the events she experiences which are extremely traumatic and heartbreaking, so it made sense character-wise to me for her to experience that volatility between extreme anger/drive/focus and sadness/anxiety. There's some interesting supernatural elements that eventually manifest, although even at volume 6 there's still many unanswered questions about them. I like both of the potential love interests for Freya, although one is particularly stoic, so he might not be for everyone (but as of volume 6 it could still go either way). I really like how the romance doesn't overshadow the major political events and wars taking place in the story, especially given the important position within that conflict that our main character holds. Overall, an extremely competent and engaging Medieval Historical Fantasy Shojo manga that I highly recommend!

First off, the art is very well-done and executed, so no problems there. This manga had a strong start, with an interesting premise and characters you were intrigued to learn more about. However, once it reached the vampires arc, it started losing its focus and veering off-course, and by the time it reached volume 10, it was throwing new plot developments and characters out of left field each chapter and we still hadn't really learned all that much about our core duo and still had so many unanswered questions that had been foreshadowed previously. Around that same time, there would be new concepts for the ... world introduced in various chapters which would then be promptly disregarded as soon as the chapter was over and never come up again. It's not the end of the world if this happens once or twice, but this kept happening throughout the later half of the manga. Overall, it's a pretty strong start, but I personally would have been fine to stop reading once they got to the vampires. I was just left unsatisfied once I read the last available volume, which is not something I typically deal with since I tend to be pretty good about dropping works I won't like in the first volume or two. This one I enjoyed up until around volume 6ish or so, but then really stopped enjoying as much after that.

This manga really resonates with me as a huge science nerd. For context, the mangaka behind this story is actually a former registered nurse, and she brings expert real life experience to her story about medical care. While the story exhibits some fantastical elements, you'd be interested to know that especially the knowledge of internal medicine isn't quite as fantastical as it seems. In fact, we've had knowledge of things like appendicitis since ancient egypt, surgical procedures like craniotomies have existed since the middle ages, and vaccines were also invented in ancient china. So while some of the conditions and their origins discussed aren't all ... going to have been known about in the seeming time period, a lot of them actually would have been known about to some extent, although maybe not on a 1:1 basis (as the author's modern medical training does peek through with some of the treatments and care regimens explained). This manga does a really good job of walking the line between edutainment and story quite frankly (how many people can say they've learned about Pellagra or the real-life invention of the hypodermic needle in a manga lol).

I think for the educational value alone it's worth reading, however it offers so much more than that. The art is really well done and conveys the story and setting well. The main character also learns valuable lessons relevant to real-life medical care especially surrounding patient perspective and bedside manner. The romance has been slowly simmering in the background, but the lack of progression is understandable as Koyou still has some growing to do regarding her EQ (emotional version of IQ ;) and the political turmoil and patients' conditions that build in the story. The political turmoil is your run of the mill imperial court turmoil, but it's competently executed and engaging. The story is worth checking out for fans of The Apothecary Diaries, with this story being more bent towards the educational aspect (given the author's background) and Koyou being a slightly more dense and and less emotionally intelligent character at the start (however that is part of her growth throughout the story, so not to worry). Also, having close friends who have trained in surgery, Koyou is actually somewhat accurate in her devotion to and obsession with surgery and medicine ironically.

If you have been looking for something that scratches the same itch as the early parts of The Promised Neverland, this is the manga for you. The dystopian world setting and stratified society within it still have many unsolved mysteries thus far, but the gritty underbelly of it we've already seen leads one to wonder what could be hiding behind its veneer. The art is grittier and sketchier than one often sees in manga, making it perfect to express the moments of insanity we see from some of the characters. I'm also amazed that this is the author's first longer serialization thus far! Some of ... the characters have already seen some interesting developments, although there are others who I am interested to see grow and evolve over the course of the story. Overall, I'm excited to see where the story takes us.

This manga came out of left field for me, but I'm so glad that I read it. It tackles some serious real-life issues intelligently through the perspective of an elementary schooler in a way that was nuanced but also appropriate to how someone that age would experience such events. Tying into addressing these topics is the overlying mystery surrounding the veracity of the village's local mermaid folklore. It makes efficient use of its short length to do all of this and executes its storytelling well. Additionally, its art is truly phenomenal in conveying its tone and setting of the story, and is rather unique in ... the landscape of shojo and josei manga art that I've seen. Overall, especially given its short length, this manga is a must-read.

This manga is a very particular flavor that is rather unique and fun, but nothing ground breaking. If you ever thought to yourself "I'd like to see more BL in my Otome-Isekai story" this is the one for you. The art is satisfactory and generally pleasant, and the story is the type you go looking for in OI and executed competently, albeit with some pacing issues. I do wonder if the concept in the story of military personnel commonly engaging in same-sex relationships while away and then being fine settling down with a wife is based on the similar dynamics that were seen in Ancient ... Roman society. Overall, this manga accomplishes what it sets out to do which is to have some fun OI vibes with BL accents, and it does so in a satisfactory and generally pleasant way. It's not ground breaking, but it's competently executed and enjoyable.

I discovered this manga through the Shojo and Tell podcast's book review of it. Otherwise, I don't know that I would have ever found out about it. For a high fantasy story, it made efficient use of making the world feel expansive and developed in only 6 volumes. It had a rather large cast of key characters given its length, but at its core it was a hero's journey about our young prince. The story was fun and engaging, and our young prince's growth throughout the story was good to see. There were some interesting twists that genuinely were surprising. The art was competent, albeit ... more reminiscent of 90s style fantasy shojo manga art rather than something published in the 2000s. There were some interesting ethical considerations brought up in the story, with complicated and nuanced characters proving a good backdrop to those considerations. Overall, especially given its short length, it's an excellent fantasy read that's worth checking out.

Ugh John Tarachine my beloved. If I had only 1 criticism of this story, it's that it's a bit too short to really grow into its world and get comfortable with fully developing the characters. The art is phenomenal, truly spectacular. The premise and setting are also intriguing, as the unique steampunk supernatural historical setting to the story isn't one commonly encountered in manga. The world building hints at an interesting grittiness to it while also containing a large amount of whimsy too. The characters are charming and sympathetic, if ever so slightly underdeveloped due to the short length of the story. I didn't have ... a huge issue with the age gap of the setting due to how fantastical and removed from reality the story is, but do be aware there is an age gap relationship that develops at the end (interestingly, it's the slightly less common pairing of younger guy-older girl in Shojo/Josei manga). Overall, the vibes, art, and world are immaculate, and the characters are interesting and make me want to know more about them. Well worth the read, especially given how short this story is.

This manga has a lot going for it. It is one of the early innovators of the Otome-Isekai genre (It's novel came out in 2014!!!) and even then it was throwing a fun yandere twist onto that genre that had been based off of works like the Angelique games and Hamefura. The tone gets more serious as the story goes on, so be forewarned it doesn't really stay that lighthearted (although I suppose it's ironic to expect a yandere premise to be lighthearted when a key cornerstone of that archetype involves very dark actions). The art is competent and generally pleasant, but nothing to write ... home about. The presentation/pacing of the story can get a little messy at times, but the story remains engaging noentheless, especially as a subversion of the genre. Overall, worth checking out for its historical value alone, but a generally pleasant read.

Be aware the manga is ongoing, and I've only read through Vol 3/Ch. 9 thus far. Based on what I've read, this story is very cute and healing, but also isn't afraid to address the struggles of being the older sibling to younger siblings when you lose your parents young. Alongside the cute slice of life and family dynamics, it isn't afraid to address some of the difficulties of being a young single parent by circumstance while trying to hold down a job and live your own life alongside caring for your siblings. There is so much heart to this story, and it's incredibly charming. ... The art is very competent and compliments the story's tone and setting very well. Overall, if you're looking for a cute and healing story that also has some substance, this is a great option! I also appreciate how each brother has gotten their chance to shine thus far, as it really adds depth and richness to the mundane world of the story.