Manga Review: Kiss of the Rose Princess, Volume 1, by Aya Shouoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Volumes: 9

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Anise Yamamoto has been told that if she ever removes the rose choker given to her by her father, a terrible punishment will befall her. Unfortunately she loses that choker when a bat-like being falls from the sky and hits her. Anise is granted four cards representing four knights whom she can summon with a kiss. But now that she has these gorgeous men at her beck and call, what exactly is her quest?!

Review:

I’m impressed with this volume. I’m surprised, even, at how much I enjoyed it.

First of all, there are two color pages at the beginning of this volume. They are very pretty, and definitely worth checking out.

Second of all, the artwork is so pretty. It’s intricate and wide-eyed and very nice to look at. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I loved it. It did get a little messy during action panels, but that might just be that I was still getting used to the art. I wasn’t bothered by it, either way.

Now, the characters and story. Anise is our heroine, who was given a choker and told never to take it off, and unable to ever take it off, or there would be punishment. Only it falls off one day, and she ends up with four knights there to protect her and do as she says. She doesn’t know how to handle this, inexperienced as she is and not wanting to be surrounded by three popular guys and her love-to-hate classmate. Instead she tries to focus on finding her missing choker before her father comes home to find it’s gone.

Anise is a somewhat average, if enjoyable heroine. The four guys are also great, and I’m really enjoying getting to know them. There’s Kaede, her love-to-hate classmate, who just finds her to be a pain, even as he does what she wants. I like him. There’s the super-popular Tenjo, who enjoys being told what to do in a surprisingly hilarious way. Asagi, who is adorable and just wants some attention. Then dark and brooding Kurama who just finds Anise to be a bother.

This volume was surprisingly cute and funny, and very beautiful. I’m honestly really excited for the next volume, and was even delighted to see that this is a nine-volume series, not a three-volume one like I suspected. Plus, Yen Press is also releasing a series by Shouoto starting next month, and I’m looking forward to that one, too.

I’m just all kinds of excited, here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!