Dekisokonai no Himegimi-tachi
Failed Princesses

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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 'letting ... it 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.

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 build ... around 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

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.