I love these two 😍😍😍

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Sauces: 1-5 Even Monsters Like Fairytales, 6-12 The Pale Horse

Recommendations and Discussion

+ Discussion ramble about my struggles and opinions with isekai tropes at end of post.

I probably don’t even need to say this but Isekai, villainess, reincarnation, time loop tropes are popular right now. There are so many series, often with similar long titles, summaries and cover art. I get lost in sauce and IDK what is what or how to work out what series I might like. So, I’m sharing two amazing series that explore these tropes in interesting and thought-provoking ways. There both a bit dark and spooky so perfect for October. I’d love to hear your recs and discussion too!

I want to be as mindful of spoilers so apologises for being vague and so rambly.

Even Monsters Like Fairytales

Even Monsters Like Fairytales is an exploration of villainess trope.

^{Summary: Sylph is a duchess, engaged to the Prince of Luxborn. She does everything which is expected of her, with the one exception; secretly reading fiction stories in the library. One day Sylph is approached by Lady Kana, an aristocrat girl and they become fast friends. Lady Kana betrays her, taking Sylphs position as Prince’s fiancé and framing Sylph as a villain. She is banished to the dark forest to be eaten by King of the land of monsters. The Monster King doesn’t eat her but instead grants Sylph one wish.}

This series really investigates its premise; who is a villainess and why, how are villainess traditionally treated in stories and what should they do? It’s a tight 29 chapters, with a few bonus chapters (which are integral imo). The writing feels sharp and intentional just like the art. I’ll confess that I nearly dropped this series because King Faber looked like a Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! character to me and it was distracting lol. But I’m so glad I didn’t because the art and the story is really amazing, the compositions are WOW! Its bit more philosophical (?) than a character study. Its handling ideas like retributive vs restorative justice. The characters can feel a little inexpressive but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have emotion. I found the end really moving. It’s tagged as romance, I would say it’s a pinch of romance, if even that, ( honestly giving Doomed Yuri vibes ) just to set your expectations. I’m honestly glad it doesn’t have more romance; I think it would mess the story.  

The Pale Horse

The Pale Horse is a manhwa which centres on reincarnation. I know this a Manhwa not Shoujo manga, hopefully that’s okay in this sub. I’ve seen this tagged as joesi, it’s definitely mature. In some ways, it’s the opposite of Even Monsters Like Fairytales. Its looong, the plot is messy, it’s all emotion, all passion in the writing and art and it’s great. It’s a mystery so I have no idea how to talk about it without doing spoilers. It’s about the horrors of being a woman, immortality, cannibalism/vampirism, grief, revenge, obsessive love and abuse. TW for gore, abuse, SA, implied CSA. It’s pretty fucked up. But its not glorifying those things… I think. Honestly, it’s really hard for me to decide what I think or feel about this series. Every time I thought I could pin it down, something happened in the story which flips things. It can drag in sections and I'm not sure on the ending, it was written over something like ten years, but there are so many compelling arcs. And the art is just jaw dropping, the amount of detail and the expressions are incredible. This series will make you feel a lot of things and sticks in your head. Its one of the most interesting immortality/reincarnation stories I’ve come across.

Isakai Trope Discussiony Ramble

I wanted to share these recommendations because works that deconstruct or explore popular tropes can have uphill battle to get readers. What I mean is that to deconstruct a trope often you have to construct it first. A Condition Called Love is a perfect example. It integrates the Hananoi’s idea of “perfect, doting love” and reveals it to be deeply unhealthy for both ML and MC. But the only way to reveal that “love” as unhealthy is first show it. And that’s where it can lose a lot of readers; before the reader gets to the deconstruction bit, they drop it. Series that are thoughtful deconstructions of popular tropes, often have similar blurbs, covers and beginnings as troupy cliché counter parts. So please, if you have any recs that are interesting deconstructions of tropes, doesn’t have to be the tropes I’ve mentioned, or a series that just does the trope really well, please share. I should mention, that I love a lot of Shoujo tropes! I don’t think tropes are bad at all, I’m just looking for interesting stories.

That being said something I struggle with modern isakai, reincarnation, time loop series, ect is when the MC is largely unaffected by the premise of the story. There isn’t much reflection on how scary, confusing or disorientating reincarnation would be for example. I get that’s not the focus of some series, but I find that it removes a lot of the tension and intrigue of the story. When the MC is like “Oh, this is my 500^th life. I know exactly what I need to do” the stakes go out the window and I get kinda bored. Or sometimes, a series will start with an isaki trope, like classic hit by truck now in video game world, only for that plot point to barely come up in the story again. If you removed that beat the story would be completely the same but at the same time when it is brought up it kind of distracts from what’s happening in the main plot. What is the point?? I don’t get it. I guess it’s a framing device?

(Huge Tangent about framing devises and Princess Bride for some reason )

^{Just like the kind of frame you put an artwork in changes the experience of the artwork, if you remove the artwork from the frame, the artwork is still the same artwork. Like the film the Princess Bride. The framing device is the Grandad reading the story to the little boy who is sick. The main plot is about Buttercup and Westly. If you got rid of Grandad and the little boy, you’d still having the Princess Bride but a little different. I actually read the book of The Princess Bride as a kid, and I was surprised that there was no Grandad or sick boy. The framing is an adult man, remembering a story his dad would read him, finding that story and rewriting it as an adult. Instead of the funny remarks from the kid “Grandad, can we skip the kissy parts” there was like some weird adult man comments about boobs or something.}

Is that what’s going on with the Isaki tropes, it’s a framing device? And then that allows the exploration of character tropes like Tsunderes or Yanderes etc.

But… in these Isaki series MC are canonically in the book but are generally chill about being transported to a different world, not like Princess Bride book within a book thing. But maybe it is still like a book within a book??

Am I dumb? I don’t get it, what am I missing? Is the point that things are easy for MC and that’s the fantasy? I get it that, life is pretty hard and the idea of knowing what to do, I can see the appeal I guess. I am genuinely curious. I don’t know if I just haven’t read good series with these story beats or if these stories just aren’t my cup of tea. Please sound out! Let me know why it’s your cup of tea!

I don't remember much about this Manga because it only had a few chapters just like 3 when I read it and did so on Mangakakalot.

It starts with a Dark hair and dark skinned girl trying to hide her identity and she has a friend they meet in a Bar or something for a mission her friend is Blonde maybe just based on perspective in black in white or there might have been a colored panel. They be lesbians together no idea.

There is another guy he is a Priest/Crusader or something and is a Combatant and is Descendant from a long line of them basically like Witchers and he might be the only one left. He's strong and the three of them meet up for a mission.

On the mission there is a strong monster and the Priest guy couldn't handle it well and the Blonde girl was injured so the Dark Haired Dark skinned girl gets angry and has to step in she has seals on both her arms because of her immense power then undoes them and beats the monster.

She has a master who is strong and might be dead now don't remember he sealed her power and taught her.

Like I said it was only 3 Chapters at the time I read it so I don't know more details.

I read it 2022-2024 which could be when it released or just the translation.

I read The Knights of the Sea/Umi no Kishidan ages ages ago. Totally forgot about it and then stumbled across it again recently. Don't remember much. I am bit of sucker for a lady knight so I might try reading it again. I remember it being tagged as romance but there not really being any? Could be remembering wrong. Did anyone read this? Thoughts?? Feelings?

Keep in mind I've never seen any of the original anime or manga of Red River, Magic Knight Rayearth, From Far Away or whatever else they have cooking up. So please recommend a shojo to get me hooked on this season.

And if there are some old classics I should watch (really well done stuff) I'm all ears. I just finished watching Escaflowne. Just need some more good recs (in the fantasy lane especially).

Red River Episode 15: False Ishtar

A decent episode. This one didn’t match the highs of episode 14, but that is a tough act to follow. While the pacing moved quicker this episode I didn’t mind as much. Yuri was bedridden for some time and things happened. Yuri’s narration is her getting caught up to the current situation. 

Kail is having a tough time of it to say the least. His closest brother is dead, Yuri nearly died, and his father fell ill. The relationship between Kail and his father hasn’t been explored that much, but it’s clear that he does care for his father. King Suppililiuma cared for Kail. He didn’t mind Kail’s playboy lifestyle and vested a great deal of power to Kail when he’s not the crown prince. Kail seeking some comfort from Yuri about his father was a sweet moment between the two. Yuri shows a great deal of empathy for Kail and attempts to reassure him that his father will recover only for the news to break that Suppililiuma has died. Kail lets his guard down completely and asks Yuri for a moment so he can pull himself together. 

This is a great demonstration of Yuri’s empathy. Yuri has a very thin relationship with Suppililiuma. Remember that at the beginning of the series Suppililiuma was more than willing to let Yuri be sacrificed. His opinion of Yuri only began to change when she started proving useful. Yuri obtained the loyalty of an ironworking clan for the Hittites, provided a cover story so Suppililiuma didn’t have to punish his sons for the abduction scandal, and proved a rallying symbol for the Mittani war. 

It doesn’t look like Ramses is going anywhere. He is a very shrewd man. He sees that Kail is the most likely one to succeed the throne of the HIttite Empire, so is currying favor with Yuri. That is clearly a ruse after he gives Yuri a peck on the cheek and says he’ll be back for more. Yuri understandably doesn’t take kindly to this. 

Nakia’s next plot begins to unfold. She is attempting to smear the image of Ishtar and by association Kail. Kail kept this from Yuri because she did nearly die and will attend to that issue once other concerns are addressed. Ramses sees this as an opportunity to try and gain some of Yuri’s trust back and reveals the scheme to Yuri. It’s also a way for Ramses to see if what Yuri pulled off with the arrow was just by chance or skill. 

Yuri kept a level head when she saw the false Ishtar managed to get into the palace, and then blew it when the false Ishtar started dragging Kail’s name through the mud. Yuri has learned a lot and is carrying herself much better, but she’s only human and seeing others being mistreated and/or slandered is a trigger for her. 

Her banishment to the valley with the ill was a nice touch. They clearly expected her to catch the disease and die. Yuri’s health was fine and then she began to tend to the ill. The main plot device of this episode was the Ten Day Fever. Yuri suspects that she didn’t get sick was because of her vaccinations. There is some truth to that. 

The best moment of the episode was when Yuri picked up the sick child. It showed how compassionate a person she truly is only to be jailed because of it. Then the most satisfying part of the episode is when Kail arrives, the false Ishtar is exposed, and Kail asks where trouble is happening. The moment in the valley with Kail and Yuri was also very sweet. Yuri thought she was just being a burden to Kail only for all of the villages to claim otherwise and then pledge their loyalty to Ishtar and Kail. 

Episode 14 was a demonstration of Yuri’s wisdom. Yuri knew she needed irrefutable proof of who the assassin was. She produced it in an ingenious way. 

Episode 15 was a demonstration of Yuri’s compassion and empathy. Empathy for Kail in a difficult time of life. Providing comfort when his father died and wanting to stop the damage to his reputation. Compassion to the sick and those who are being mistreated. 

This is one reason why I enjoy Red River and Yuri. While sometimes the decisions she makes are rash, she’s at least doing something. She also learns from what works and what doesn’t. 

interview link: https://kmanga.kodansha.com/blog/article/real-art-real-doubts-keiko-iwashita-choking-on-love-part-1/

I know they’re not all shoujo/josei titles. I’m just too lazy to make new ones 😂

Kodansha/Vertical will be on the 15th October

VIZ license announcements will be 16th October

Which titles do you hope will get an English release?

Basically the title. Any kind of tattoos/piercings/otherwise alternative fashion is peak 🙏

I did check out Horimiya and I did like the ML design but wasn't big on the plot after the first few chapters 😔

This includes some digital-only titles alongside physically published titles

I finished watching the anime today,it sucked but I still gotta say,I enjoyed every moment of this anime,the characters were not likable,they didn't feel real,and this is exactly why I approve of this hot garbage-even so,there is one thing that always kept me going while watching this show,the concept of being "happy". FL Momo Adachi keeps on stating this several times in this anime that all she always wishes for is to be happy,even during the closure of this anime,while Momo clearly has chosen Toji over Kairi,she had a change of heart as soon as Sae said "So,are you happy", Momo is the representation of your decisions can never be right,you have to prove the decision you've made,RIGHT.I don't particularly hate or love any of these characters but I still gotta admit they did were written in context of who they were supposed to be.

I'd love to extend this post but I'll love to talk about every single character in detail so please comment below the character I should start discussing about first!

1) Kamisama Hajimemashita 2)Lovely Complex 3) Ao Haru Ride 4) Maid Sama 5) Skip Beat 6)Ouran Host Club 7) Special A 8)Fruit Basket 9) Itazura kiss 10) Honourable mention to my first anime that got me hooked and the best opening songs: Vampire Knight

Hopefully they are good. Haven't watched the anime or read either of them but have only heard good things

And is it available in English somewhere?

Reread the whole manga series after catching up on Jewel Joker. I love this so much forever and ever. Almost was nervous re-reading the original but it's still as good and once again, helped me find my inner sparkle ngl. I got emotional again at certain moments. Ah. I really love it.