OUJI-SAMA TO HAIIRO NO HIBI

This series was better than I thought it would be. It wasn't your typical shoujo manga where girl falls in love with boy and boy doesn't like her at first and then he does and then they get together and have trouble trying to stay together.

The MC was actually not waiting for love but against it and was basically doing what she had to do to survive in her situation. Although it does have the cliche underline part about how he likes her and doesn't show it at first and won't until he realizes that everything she does is for him, but also for her own gain.

I also didn't like the ending very much but it just goes to show you how the MC became a much more understanding person and separates a bad abusive parent from just a depressed parent with no hope.

Tbh I have no clue why this has such a low rating. I tend to rate things lower than average and I was surprised that a manga like this didn't even break 7.25! This isn't your typical shoujo; it deals with topics rarely seen in shoujo, such as identity, what it means to be happy, making it refreshing and worthwhile.

Unlike typical shoujos, the mc isn't some weak and helpless girl waiting for love to save her. Instead, she's a truly admirable character that you'll come to love for sure. The same can be said for other characters too.

The art is simple and fits the mood of the manga perfectly. I'm rather picky when it comes to art and was initially unsure about this style because it's not your 'typical' shoujo art style but I came to realize how amazing it really was. The details are beautiful, not to mention the mangaka draws soooo many stunning flowers.

Of course, none of this matters that much if the plot is boring. Thankfully though that's not the case with The Prince in his Dark Days. Like I said earlier, this isn't your typical shoujo. Even if it does get a little cliche earlier, overall it's still pretty unique, but in a good way that makes it interesting. I've definitely never seen a shoujo with a plotline like this before and it kept me unable to stop reading (I ended up reading it all in one sitting).


tl;dr: beautiful art, unique and interesting plot, refreshing characters, very enjoyable. no clue why it's rated so low, as I usually rate things lower than the average


overall: 8.5. which is very high considering my average as of now is 6.34.

Ninjanime's Manga Reviews:

The Prince In His Dark Days

Author: Hico Yamanaka

Status: Completed

Length: 4 Volumes/21 Chapters

Released: Spring 2011-Spring 2013

Genres: Romance, Gender Bender, Drama, Shojo

Serialisation: ARIA

Cross dressing as someone else because they're also cross dressing?!

So recently I finished reading a Manga series called The Prince In His Dark Days. I didn't plan to review it but after finishing it I had a huge smile on my face, a feeling of completing a really good story. One I haven't had in a while. You know I love my Romance and Shojo stories and this series very loosely fits into those categories. Yet it tells such a good tale one that would make you not want to put down the book.,

Plot: Atsuko's father is a drunk, and she's shunned by her classmates as the poor kid. Walking the streets in a dark fog of despair, Atsuko cons perverts out of their money to survive. Then, one day, she meets Itaru, the heir to a wealthy family, who happens to look exactly like her. Itaru hatches a plan: Atsuko will live his tedious public life for him, and she will get a taste of the luxuries enjoyed by the 1%. Everybody's finally happy. Right?

Characters & Story: The main character is the only one I really wish to talk about here. Your standard Shojo protagonist with no mother and a alcoholic father. Taken in somehow to lead a new life but in this case it's only temporary. The main character Atsuko is an interesting one as she follows the Shojo formula well. Throughout the story she's very humble, comes to terms with her own emotions when they get the better of her, fights for her new found happiness and in the end she does get the good ending she's been searching for all along. The other characters were pretty good and although they didn't get as much development it was enough to make them key factors of the story. I really liked the idea of the cross dressing/standing in being the plot. It's not something you typically see in Shojo stories and I think that what the draw in factor of this Manga is. On the surface it doesn't sound that interesting but when you begin reading it you become invested really quickly. It's definitely a habit of mine to get invested in Manga quickly so after the first chapter I was riding right till the last stop.

Art & Author: Being my first story from Hico Yamanaka I thought it was fantastic. Much like when I read Happy Marriage by Enjoji Maki and Cross Account by Date Tsunihiro, I already have high praise after just one series. A little research tells me Yamanaka is a Yaoi author as all of her other works fall under that category. Maybe I'll check some of those out but I just can't imagine a Yaoi from her after reading The Prince In His Dark Days. To write a Shojo while specialising in Yaoi is quite something because the genres are extremely far appart. She's done such a good job if I were to delve into any of her other works right away, it may mess up the good view I currently have about her. I think her artstyle is fantastic. It's not super pretty like most Shojo but it just works and feels nice and simple. It's like a fruit on a tree that has a slightly different shade to the others but still tastes as good. It wasn't rough or overly details, it wasn't overly pleasing on the eyes either. It was just a pleasant read throughout.

Conclusion: I'm not sure who I'd recommend this too but if your looking to try something new and a little different, go for The Prince In His Dark Days. While it isn't the greatest Shojo out there it successfully presents an unconventional plot and for what it is it's fantastic. It could even open up a door to a new type of story you may not have known about. I give it an 8/10. Finishing it in one sitting, the experience I gained and satisfaction of finishing it said it all. Not the satisfaction you get from winning or beating something, but a happy feeling because your so glad this was what you choose to read.