Itsuwari no Freja
Prince Freya

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Itsuwari no Freja, aka "Artificial Freya" or Prince Freya, may not be exactly as elegant as the book covers appear, but speaking as a shoujo manga fan, the first 5 volumes are still probably worth a shot.

Speaking of those book covers... I really do mean what I said there, which could also apply to much of the actual art within the pages. The first three volumes feature a close-up shot of a different main character wielding a sword that reflects someone not otherwise present while flower petals are scattered by, while the other two volumes I read had covers depicting the main character beside one ... of the story's many male characters. These are great covers that had both gave me a good idea of what to expect from this series and had me intrigued about the story. Exterior aesthetics aside, the art within Prince Freya's pages is very detailed and pretty, with decent usages of screen tone (especially during emotional moments), shimmers, and occasional floral imagery. Probably standard shoujo fare for some, but considering these types of art styles are a huge part of why I love shoujo manga in the first place, I have no issue with this. However, this series is also a war story with a medieval setting, and with these first few book covers, it wasn't too surprising to find a lot of action scenes here. Sometimes I couldn't tell what happened at first for some scenes, but they're otherwise pretty clear if not maybe feeling a little weightless at times.
What I WAS surprised by, though, was the amount of blood in here, especially considering this manga is marketed as shoujo. I feel like manga companies sometimes just slap on random ratings carelessly, but Viz's Older Teen (16yo+) rating is actually kinda justified here. There are even some sexual implications towards the end of volume 5, and while nothing really explicit was shown enough to disturb me, it's still worth noting for those who hate even the slightest hint of sexual themes. The gore doesn't really faze me that much aside from the initial surprise, but maybe keep these two elements in mind before you pick this manga up or recommend it to someone else who may be sensitive about these kinds of things.

But yeah, Prince Freya is a fairly brutal war story that starts off in a similar way as the fan-favorite Yona of the Dawn. I haven't read any of Yona of the Dawn in a long time, and even then it was just the first volume, so I won't go about comparing the two very much... but if you're looking for more action-packed shoujo with a female protagonist forced onto the fray, this series might scratch that itch for you. Obviously no Korean-inspired culture here, this story's setting is more like medieval Europe, but romance isn't that much of a focus here unlike Yona of the Dawn or really most other shoujo; like, it's there, but it feels more about platonic interpersonal relationships, the main character struggling to live up to her new legacy, and later a bit of adventure when blood isn't being splattered everywhere. I don't really mind a lessened focus on romance, even in shoujo, and the story does have its moments, but... I dunno, I'm not sure why I don't like it more. It's not exactly average and there are many ideas I like here, but I also don't feel that excited or attached... just barely good enough for me to still be interested and not drop it. Plot's just plain good so far, I suppose, haha.

The characters are also just... fine. Freya starts off as a bit of a cute crybaby, but as you might expect with this kind of story and conflict, she grows to be a more confident woman who starts to get used to dealing with violence. I like pure characters and I love characters that grow in these kinds of ways, but despite having some great character moments I'm also not quite that attached to her. There are many times where she quickly gets into her Prince Edvard persona (who is pretty much her complete opposite) that I wasn't all that convinced on believing, since it feels like she somehow pulls it off to the rest of the characters way too easily, but I feel like I warmed up to that aspect and Freya as a whole as I continued reading. Nearly every other character in the rest of this story are male characters who work in the castle alongside Freya, and they're also just... fine. Not terrible, enough for me to still want to follow them and see what they will do, but they're also not very memorable. I don't have any particular favorite characters in this series, but ngl I still kinda root for one of her childhood friends haha. Julius has his moments, especially later on, but he kinda feels too stoic for me. I'm really not sure what to think of any of these characters, really... lol

So far, Prince Freya honestly isn't anything super amazing, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the current MAL average score and the low member count (7.06 based on ratings from 315 users). It honestly does feel more like a low 7 for me based on these first five volumes. But considering people love Yona of the Dawn a lot and I actually can't think of too many shoujo quite like it and this one, I guess I still expected people to talk about this one a bit more. If the synopsis and art intrigued you even a little bit, please disregard the score and give this a read for yourself. The light from this new artificial star may be more brilliant than you or the rest of the general public might have thought at first glance.

I really enjoyed this manga! Historical romance dramas are my favorite, and this one fits perfectly. The artwork is stunning, and the characters are well-developed with distinct personalities. There’s a mix of political tension and romantic possibilities that kept me engaged in the story and curious about the characters.

Freya is a peasant girl caring for her ill mother. The villagers support them because her two adopted brothers are away in the prince's army. At the start of the manga, the knights return home, possibly for the last time, as war looms. The older brother confesses his love to Freya before he leaves, but she ... worries he sees her as just a sister, even though they aren't related. As the story progresses and she moves to the palace, new and attractive suitors appear!

If I had to critique something, it would be that the main storyline about Freya taking the prince's place felt rushed. Without reading the synopsis first, I might not have understood what was happening. It would have improved the story to show the prince being poisoned and his advisors planning to use a decoy. That part was mostly left to the reader's imagination, and I felt like I missed some pages of the manga.