Private Prince by Enjouji Maki

Hey!

It's officially the first night I'm blogging on the schedule! I'm also running on about four hours of sleep and I have a manga series to blame. :) I just finished Enjouji Maki's 'Private Prince', and really loved it. Yes, it has a cheesy title, which is what detoured me from it for the longest, but it's actually much better than I expected. I usually don't like to admit that I like sketchy "ecchi" manga, but 'Private Prince' isn't incriminating at all. ;) It's actually one of the few manga series, categorized as ecchi, with an adorable plot and powerful female character! For that, I give it a thumbs up.

'Private Prince' is about the unusual romance between Miyako, an obsessive history research graduate and the famous Prince Willfred of Estolia. It just so happens that Willfred has the information Miyako needs, because he is the grandson of Queen Ritsuko. Miyako is willing to stop at nothing if she can finish her thesis, but when Willfred refuses to tell her anything until she falls in love with him, she's not so sure she can comply. Willfred thinks of the whole ordeal as a game and a way to be around Miyako who has a quality he loves: big boobs (and that's where it get categorized as ecchi!), but as the story continues, both Willfred and Miyako begin to fall for each other. The story also deepens when Miyako meets Prince Willfred's royal family, and the additional drama that ensues with being in a relationship with Willfred. This romantic comedy is definitely for more mature readers, but its lighthearted characters and plot ease it into a very carefree series.

I'd never heard of Enjouji Maki or 'Private Prince', but I'm beginning to wonder why I hadn't! It's definitely one of my favorite this month (even if we're only a week into it!). I also really liked how 'Private Prince' was an echhi/"smut" manga series with a pretty focused and intelligent leading lady. Miyako is an incredible and motivated researcher, and refuses the Prince's advances with a different reproach than other manga characters. Aside from being fairly naive, she doesn't beg and plead to gain the Prince's love. In fact, it's her constant denial that eventually makes the Prince fall for her. I'm sure you can tell that I take this sort of stuff pretty seriously... :) I think we all get tired of reading the same relationships in manga, so this was nice break from that!

Well, I'd better head out!
~Pseudonymous Jayne :3