Chi wo Hau Boukoku no Oujo
Blood-Crawling Princess of a Ruined Country

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I am very surprised that this manga is not being read by a lot of people.

The story is your typical medieval times revenge tale, with a princess who became a prostitute after her small kingdom was invaded and genocide took place. She aimed to revenge for her kingdom whilst living through the unbearable life inside the brothel.

Similar kind of story can be seen in some of the Hollywood titles or perhaps other manga. But I think it is a quite interesting take to approach this from the perspective of a prostitute. Being one of the most despised occupation throughout human history, it brings ... complicated feelings to many. I personally look down on it, but I also feel really bad for those who became one for factors out of their controls, including human trafficking.

This is what happened to the main character, Evita. One aspect this manga has done excellent on, is how the author utilize the portrayal of Evita's miserable life via the beautifully looking manga art and the story plot( of course, those sex scenes aren't any good at all context wise). The emphasis on the complete dominance of male in the brothel, zero human rights for the girls, and the exaggeration of the situations with extremely lustful expressions from the men or the soul-less eyes of the prostitutes, all these made me feel sad.

Contrast is something the author uses well to make some of their points strong. For example, the difference between the male customers and the prostitutes. The social status and the human rights associated with it creates a even more powerful impression of " these girls' have the shittest life ever". I am stunned at one point of the manga, that I felt good for Evita when she was fucked by a customer who actually did it the way she enjoyed. Stockholm syndrome is potentially the explanation for this. When you are continuously exposed to super bad events, even good event will feel like a happy one now. The contrast between the treatment she received from this guy, and all the others, even emphasize on the fact that the rights to be treated how we want to be, is not something that comes naturally at all. Something that we all think should be enjoyed by everyone, is indeed not the case at all. Realizing this whilst reading the manga is why it was quite emotional for me.

Making me feel bad for the girls even enhance the tension while reading later part of the story, while they attempted to escape from the brothel region of the city. I did not want anything to go wrong for their escape plan, because they are the last person on earth to deserve this failure after going through all those shitty life as a prostitutes. It is a trap that the author of this manga has played me into, but I gladly accept it. This kind of writing is seen in so many types of story, by making you feel shit about the character's miserable life to then you are on the edge of the seat throughout because you do not want anything bad to happen to them anymore. You just want them to finally be able to enjoy their life instead of taking their last hope away. It is cliche story writing, but it always works for me. The escaping arc was so enjoyable and tensing for me at the same time, and I simply can not wait anymore longer for the new chapter to be released until I book a flight to japan and force the author to release all remaining chapters at once. it is that addicting for me now to read this manga that I finished all the released chapters in one go under 30 minutes.

Anyway, this review is not a professional one nor an enjoyable one I suppose. If it makes you interested in reading this manga, I am happy about it. If it does not interest you at all, I am also accepting this. This whole bunch of writing is just for me to release my inner emotions about the manga anyway. Do not take any of my words too seriously. Just read it is all I have to say.

This review focuses on the first arc of Chi wo Hau, the debut manga by Azuma Yuki Sensei. For a first work, it’s fairly impressive, but when considered as a whole, it’s ultimately just an average manga (no offense intended).

The strongest aspect of this series is undoubtedly its story. The premise, involving a princess forced into prostitution who seeks revenge for the destruction of her kingdom, is highly unique. The first six chapters are exceptional, delivering gripping tension and intrigue. However, in my opinion, the plot loses momentum quickly afterward. What starts with a compelling hook becomes less engaging as the story progresses. ...

Moving on to the art, the manga contains significant graphic and sexual violence. Unfortunately, many of these scenes feel superficial, lacking depth or narrative weight. While the artwork is solid early on, the quality noticeably declines over time. It also seems that the author is struggling to maintain consistency, and the redesign of the protagonist was a particularly poor choice that detracted from the experience.

At this point, it’s difficult to wholeheartedly recommend Chi wo Hau. If you enjoy revenge stories and don’t mind graphic violence, it might still be worth a read; you’ll probably find some enjoyment in it. However, if you’re looking for a more complex narrative or prefer not to spend time on "average" manga, there are plenty of better options out there. That said, despite its flaws, I’m still interested in seeing how the story develops and always look forward to the next chapter. It may not be remarkable, but it’s compelling enough to keep me curious.

It’s not surprising at all that this manga isn’t being widely read. It’s not that it lacks meaning or depth, but it leans too heavily on being overly tragic, edgy, and filled with sexual violence. When these elements are overused, it can overwhelm readers and make the story feel excessive. Even when the themes are meaningful, if there’s too much of them, it starts to feel like the manga is trying to shock the audience rather than telling a balanced story.

Take Berserk, for example—it’s packed with tragedy, violence, and dark themes, but it uses these elements in a way that enhances the story. The pain ... and trauma that Guts goes through are intense, but they’re balanced with moments of character growth, reflection, and even hope. The darkness in Berserk serves the plot and the character development, giving readers a chance to connect with Guts’ journey despite the brutality.

In contrast, this manga feels like it’s piling on the tragedy and violence without giving the reader much of a break or a chance to fully digest what’s happening. It’s simply too much, to the point where it risks alienating the audience. Even though there might be depth behind the tragedy and edginess, it becomes hard for readers to stick with it when they’re constantly bombarded by overwhelming content. That’s likely why it hasn’t been able to draw in a larger readership—it’s just too intense for most people to handle.