Risou no Himo Seikatsu
The Ideal Sponger Life

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DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN ONLY AFTER HAVING READ UP TO CHAPTER 12

Can I just say wow? I don't think I've ever gone into a series expecting less and been so so wrong. If you read the description or look at the cover art your first reaction will probably be "Really? Another isekai harem? When will the SAO wannabes finally die?", and then you will precede to read it anyway as a guilty pleasure because you're bored trash and have nothing better to do.

Allow me to say one thing:

READ THIS MANGA.

So you know how typical isekai protagonists are some hated garbage of humanity, ... they die unexpectedly, end up in a new world, become super op, and have a truck load of girls they sleep around with? This manga is nothing like that. Lots of political intrigue, some thought was put into the plot, the mc isn't some awful guy that sleeps with anything that isn't male, and it has a lot of unexpected twists. I am constantly worried that the author is going to revert back to cliche isekai tropes, and then I am always equally impressed that the author makes original choices and plot developments.

Yeah, it's just really good. I gave it a 9. Did I give it such a high score because I was expecting something way worse? Probably, but perhaps that is what makes it so enjoyable.

** I'm not native english speaker, sorry for any mistakes.

I started reading this work without any expectations. I already kind of gave up on Isekai due to having some boring elements such as extremely strong or extremely cowardly protagonists, completely passive heroes or Tsundere hysterics. But Risou no Himo Seikatsu seems to be one more at first glance, but it is not.

Story 8
Art: 10
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10

Risou no Himo Seikatsu tells the story of Zenjirou, a simple Japanese worker who ends up being summoned to a fantasy world to marry Aura, a queen from a less developed kingdom than the land. The reason is his lineage ... of 150 years ago that has magical connections with that of the queen.


It looks pretty generic and rom-com, but it isn't. Expect a lot of intrigue and politics, a protagonist who is not a badass but also is not a dense coward, would be something much closer to reality. Expect a protagonist who has more knowledge than the inhabitants of his new kingdom, but that does not mean that he knows all the processes of making anything on earth, after all, he was just an office worker. Fantasy elements such as magic and other races exist but despite being the focus of much of the plot, the development of the novel is not hindered. Expect a strong and determined heroine, more skilled than the protagonist in several things, but who won't make your partner an idiot. In other words, expect a work that gives you everything you want, everything you curse at the authors of Japanese romantic comedies for not having the balls to show.

If ever the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover' applied to anything it definitely applies to this series.

The cover art and description leads you to believe it's another run-of-the-mill wish fulfillment isekai dripping with fan service, but what you actually get is a deep, intriguing political drama wrapped in a heartwarming love story that has a healthy power dynamic and rich characters filled with personality, hopes, and dreams.

In a refreshing change from most romance-oriented Isekai, the protagonist consistently rejects the idea of forming a harem, even as the world literally thrusts additional suitors at him (for political reasons).

The Queen isn't a hero ... worshipper, but instead is allowed to transform her political arrangement into an actual relationship of based on love and trust.

And I can't go any further without talking about the real meat and potatoes of this series, the world politics. What makes this world feel so real is that it is clear how important the characters' -especially the protagonist's- actions are to the balance of power. The actions the protagonist make actually matter, and have real consequences for how the world functions.

The ensemble are more than just tropes, foils, and heels. They are political players who make moves and use each conversation to curry favor or feel out their counterpart. This gives each speech bubble that much more significance, because you are just waiting for a character to slip up and reveal a secret or make a mistake.

There are no characters that are wasted space here. Each has an important role to play, and are far from falling into archetypes. They feel like people.

Read this story, you will not regret it.

Story: 8
Art: 10
Characters: 10
Enjoy: 10
Overall: 9

What a beautiful manga I just saw.

Do not be fooled by this manga, although it is isekai, it has nothing of the basic isekai cliche, more than
transported to another world, the protagonist is not strong, the manga does not revolve around him, waifu is not the stereotype of isekai's waifus, it can be said that roles are reversed here, the protagonist would come to be waifu and that is which makes this manga attractive along with its beautifully designed politics theme.
...
You can tell that I am an isekai anti-cliche by my comment, but it is not, I am a lover of all isekai with all their cliches, BUT honor to whom honor deserves, and this manga should not be underestimated just for being isekai.

Please note that this was written as of chapter 41's release.

Isekai has become one of my guilty pleasures. However, finding one with a good story that doesn't lean too hard into wish fulfillment, ecchi harem madness is difficult to say the least. Thankfully, this is not one of those. The story focuses on dual protagonists, Aura and Zenjirou, that share genuine love and support for one another while professionally dealing with royal intrigue and scheming from numerous powerful figures. It's not often we get to see a female lead or a competent protagonist, and we get the best of both worlds here. While there is ... still talk of forming a harem, there are several legitimate reasons given for it despite the kingdom currently being ruled as a matriarch. Overcoming this political drama while getting to see brief moments of tenderness between the main couple is what makes the story so entertaining (to me at least). I won't say the story has been enthralling from beginning to end. The chapters are meaty at nearly 40 pages, sometimes with several text bubbles of exposition for the sake of the reader. This is not some shonen battle manga with lots of battles, cliché villains, and occasional fan service. In fact, there hasn't really been any one person to step forward as a true antagonist as of yet. Much of the appeal has come from learning how this isekai world works and trying to figure out who the 2 protagonists can trust. Magic exists, but not to absurd levels. Much of the enjoyment comes from the world building and the excellent characters. Those used to seeing brain-dead characters with 2D personalities carried by broken skills will be pleasantly disappointed here. Characterization is so strong in fact that I'm considering picking up the novel version in the hope that I get to know them better.
The art is just good. It could be much worse, but as the story is the larger focus here I can understand why something easier to draw is much preferred. Many characters remain stone-faced while 'on the job' which makes sense given that they have reputations to uphold and can't afford to be expressive in public. Gotta keep up that poker face! Still, this makes the couple's time alone when they can be themselves that much more satisfying. A shame we can't see it more often.
I am very much looking forward to seeing major confrontations happening in the future. As of right now, nothing world-threatening has presented itself, quite the opposite. The points of confrontation outside of one particular arc have been minor, serving to illustrate the differences in hierarchy, gender equality, etc. compared Zenjirou's old world. There are many little events unfolding that may come back around to reveal something bigger than the sum of its parts. As of right now, I'm content with just reading Risou no Himo Seikatsu as though it were a Regency novel with less emphasis on romance. Oh and dinosaurs, can't forget those.

This is really a fun isekai story, no OP MC, no harem, just the slow slice of life passive MC that is not a high school boy, so if you are looking for beautiful women around MC and action packed battles, then this is a no go. The story focuses more on politics and technological advancements. The early chapters is really packed with unexpected moments and though the pacing is very slice of life kinda pace (slow) it's still a very good read.

Art is great and characters are really interesting. Definitely an isekai you can enjoy, story is much more interesting and appealing than any ... other isekai out there

Overall, this is really good!

sorry for my english :)

Story: 8
Art: 6
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 8

This manga makes the wrong first impression. When you see the front panel and start reading it, you're like, well, here we go again into the classic stupid guilty pleasure that is most of the isekai stories.

But then, while this series does provide some fanservice and a very satisfying experience overall, it still manages to tell an interesting story that avoids most of the cliched tropes.

Here you'll find a lot of political intrigues, great characters, and a really wholesome romance without any teasing or harem bs that is so common in the isekai works. It's not overly comedic, the ... characters aren't stupid and it is an extremely interesting series to read overall. Can't wait for it to be completed and translated.

Its only weak point may be in the art department, cause while it's more than competently drawn, I find myself confusing characters pretty often as they look similar. Otherwise, I totally recommend it.