Reviews for Failed Princesses

Hiya! I don't often write reviews on MAL, let alone for Manga, but this I feel is a special case. Every now and again, I find that anime that sparks something in me, or reminds me who I have become and where I currently am in my life, this is the manga equivalent. I truly adore this manga so far, mostly for its story, but I will get into that in the individual section review. This is 100% a preliminary review, and I may be biased as I have a deep affinity for Shoujo-Ai content. Enough with the boring stuff, let's get right into this review. Story:8

The story itself I believe gets around an 8 maybe 8 1/2. This is purely due to the fact that this plotline has been done before, but I think the characters make up enough for the story (more on that later). Simply put, the really popular girl becomes friends with the nerdy otaku is the fastest way for me to tell someone this mangas plot. I do believe, however, the manga does an amazing job looking at the social construct that exists in high school. As a current High Schooler, I see the way people are rude, mean to each other, fake, brutal, and just downright pathetic sometimes. This manga also shows the "cliques" that form very nicely, as well as the ways these superficial friend groups can collapse in the blink of an eye. Notably, however, are the bullying scenes, as they feel far more realistic than any bullying I have seen portrayed in manga as of my experiences. The author does a nice job portraying the mental toll that a lifetime of exile, self-pity, social anxiety, and the feel to stay in your spot on the social ladder weigh on people. The crying scenes are also extremely well done, as it's not always the "burst into tears" or "waterworks" type crying, in "Failed Princesses" it's more of a slow realization of what has been said or done, and tears start slowly down your face.

Art: 9

I think the art is fine, I am not particularly picky when it comes to such things, so I found the backgrounds and "in the mind of the anime character" scenes to be very well drawn.

...

BUT OMFG I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW CUTE KUROKAWA IS IN THIS MANGA, EVEN AFTER HER TRANSFORMATION SHES SO ADORABLE, I CAN'T. The character designs are probably my favorite things in this manga, I still am baffled at how beautiful Kurokawa is both before and after her transformation, and how amazing Fujishiro looks both as an otaku and trying to look bland, really nice work there.

Characters:10

Truly, I believe that this is where this manga shines its brightest overall. The characters feel so... real. It's kind of scary how relatable Kurokawa is to my own personal experiences, and probably something in your life as well. The feelings that the characters experience are so well thought out and logical it baffles me as I read on. That feeling of fear when someone of higher authority speaks scold you, that feeling when those high on the social ladder mock you and ridicule you, the feeling to want to better yourself, but not knowing how. All of these emotions are portrayed excellently throughout the manga, in almost every scene. There really aren't many moments (thus far) that I have found boring, "Failed Princesses" does an amazing job at keeping you engaged, and the dynamics of the main characters truly do wonders.

Enjoyment:10

Every second I read this manga I squeal in excitement. It's been a long time I felt such a mixed bag of emotions in such a short span of time. Just looking at the covers gets me excited as I still can't get over how absolutely adorable the main characters are.

Overall:10

listen, if we were to always do reviews or scores by math, where the fun in that? A 10/10 anime or manga does not have to be perfect, it has to be perfect for you! I give this a 10, as it hits all the feels departments exceptionally well, and I cannot stop looking forward to the next chapter.

Truly, I love and adore this manga thus far. Its slow burn and heartfelt romance, its beautiful and intense moments, the drama. They all fit perfectly.

If you are a fan of Shoujo-Ai, you have to read this one.

Back at it again with the yuri manga review. Today, I will be talking about Dekisokonai no Himegimi-tachi. Let's get right into it. The story ultimately boils down to this: a very unpopular girl from a very unpopular group meets a very popular girl from a very popular group due to an unexpected circumstance. Plot wise, it's been done a thousand times already, but what truly matters is the execution. To put it bluntly, I don't think it is executed that well. Most drama feels forced and really depends on coincidences a lot. Not only that, the way they resolve most drama is by either 'lettingit go' or 'forgive someone/yourself', and although there are only 40 chapters, it gets repetitive quite fast.

The characters are not bad, but they aren't good either. Each character has this deep regret and some sort of dark past which lead them to be the person they are now. Due to that regret, they strive to become a better person by not repeating the same mistake ever again. This is not bad per se and I sort of get what the writer is trying to convey, but a great character backstory does not necessarily need childhood trauma. Like the story, characters are really dependent on their past way too much that it's starting to feel like that's all there is to them.

I read this manga while sitting on toilet stall as a means of passing time and, all in all, I enjoyed reading it. There was a lot of times when I thought, 'not this again' and 'no way did that happen out of coincidence', though.

As a closing statement, if you're looking for a great drama with little bits of yuri, then this is not it. On the other hand, if you want something short just to pass time then you can try reading this. Thank you for reading.

Final verdict: 7/10, not a great drama.

This review contains spoilers . . . What at some point began as a story that had stolen my attention ended up turning into something that had stolen my entire heart. If I'm honest, I don't remember very well when I started to read this manga, but what I am sure of is that I knew I was going to read it from beginning to end. To begin with, I think that the best thing this manga could do was to give us such human characters at the time of expressing their understandings and also how they managed to learn from their mistakes, seeing how those young high schoolgirls grew chapter by chapter was a joy for me. They showed me how painful an unrequited love can be on both sides as much as the person who is rejects or the person who has to reject ... God ... each panel of the manga that was responsible for transmitting those feelings of anguish and pain did in a wonderful way..because the author managed to break my spirit more than once..but if there was something that enchanted me, it was seeing how not always a history of romance has to deal only with that ... but there are many things that can be treated through eprossnajes if they are handled well ... I think Ajiichi managed to capture these issues in a phenomenal way ... if there were any complaints it would be the handling of the final chapter in which I felt somewhat rushed how they were solved things but after that ... I just can't say anything other than: thank you sensei for creating such a wonderful manga

I have read a lot of yuri manga so I tried reading this manga after seeing this on MAL. I the score it has right now is really low compared to how good it is. It is no masterpiece like Bloom Into You but it is one of the best yuri manga I have read. The art in this manga is amazing and is 10/10. The characters too are really good and likable. The story is really good and well presented and does not feel rushed at all. I may have given this a score of 9/10 but I would give it a 9.5/10and would suggest more people read it.

A yuri manga of the school girl variety. This is one of the best yuri manga there is imo. Right up there with "Citrus" and "Bloom into you". It has similarities in many ways simply because it's also school based, but the art and story are in no way copies. The MCs are a gyaru and an otaku (bit like Citrus). And the main topic that seems to move the story forward is "being cute" (on the surface level). This doesn't sound that exciting, and perhaps it isn't for you, but it's appropriate for a manga about school girls and the way the story is buildaround this topic is really well done. It's a satisfying read, all the way from the event that kicks everything off until the end. There is no comedy tag, but it's definitely also funny at times.

The characters are about as deep as you expect for a story that's this long (37 chapters, 20-25 pages per chapter). Not too much information, but the authors provide (important) background information on the MCs and 2 important side characters regularly. So it's not overwhelming, but really natural how you learn more about them.

The art is good. Nothing too exceptional, or wildly original, but it fits with the story. It's clean, and emotions on the faces are really well worked out which is undoubtedly adding to the drama aspect of the story.

Overal it's not THAT deep (how could it be when it is this length). But if you like (or atleast don't mind) yuri and want some slice of life + school + romance drama you will enjoy this. And because it's not that long you can either binge it in one go or do small chunks during your breaks without needing to spread it out over weeks.

For me it's a 10/10

NB: Mild spoiler at the end for those of us who need to know if there is a happy ending. This manga is often translated into English as Useless Princesses. But the Seven Seas digital edition is titled Failed Princesses, and that is the more accurate interpretation. Our Otaku protagonist Kurokawa failed as a princess in kindergarten, and her damaged self-esteem is the obstacle that ultimately determines the outcome of our story. Fujishiro seems to be a very successful princess, the leader of the dominant Gyaru clique in her school, and a local fashion model and Instagram influencer. Fujishiro cracks under the pressure to be thecutest girl in history, ultimately failing as the princess of her high school, and Kurokawa collides with her as she is falling apart emotionally. The rest is an Otaku X Gyaru lovefest.

The drawings are fine, despite a few errors, and a couple of characters who are almost identical in appearance. The different characters and subplots are well done. The comedy keeps it lighthearted. And the 6 volumes can be consumed in six to eight hours at a relaxed pace. It has all the elements (tropes) you would expect in a high school romance, with not one but two opposites-attract couples, multiple love triangles, and the school trip and the hotel bathing scenes. It's wholesome enough for anyone 12 and older. Absolutely nothing offensive here.

It is a slow burn romance, but ultimately gives us the happy ending we crave, and happy endings all around.

For the fan of romance or GL manga, the Failed Princesses succeed in giving you what you crave: fluffy, wholesome, cute girls doing yuri things. Highly recommended. Worth buying the digital version if you can help support the artist.

This is a very good story... nei... a GREAT story, about self confidence, past traumas, breaking barriers and becoming a better person. The two protagonists (one more than the other tho) have to fight a lot of barriers and change a lot because finally she meet the right person who accepts them for who they are and not for who they should be. The designs are amazing and really pretty, it remind me of Yagate Kimi ni Naru, it has that vibe and i loved it. Every character is nice and have a great development and the story is always progressing, doesnt feel slow or forcedin any moment.

The ONLY problem i had with this story and pretty much personal, is that i hate when it takes too long or takes to the end for things to properly "take off", because for me the best part of the story is not the climax but the afterwards... If you read it you will know what i mean.

I pretty much recommend it, is a short story but great with no fake and forced drama, but two girls just growing together and overcoming their personalities and past mistakes.