this, in my opinion, is an incredibly underrated gem of a manga that WILL make your day. from unique hilarious characters whos banters always is a blast to read, to the witty comedy both in dialogue and especially expressions, and the visual style of the art that can simultaneously lead to beautiful colour spreads with the authors amazing usage of bright and pretty colours and character designs while also masterfully drawing the most expressive and exaggerated reaction image worthy expressions.
if you want a comedy manga that breaks cliches and makes you laugh through the absurd dialogue and visuals, as well as a just in general
...
super wholesome read (bonus if you're a sucker for found family and characters being super close platonically regardless of who they are) that DOESN'T involve fan service or belittling female characters go pick up a volume and read this hidden masterpiece NOW.
before i get into detail i want to say while i do have some bias to this series for coming to me in a dark point in my life and providing me constant emotional comfort and support, I won't deny there can be some flaws or aspects that wont make it be for everyone even if i believe everyone should read it.
obviously, comedy is subjective to everyone, and this series heavily relies on repetitive humour especially early on in the manga about how absurd Suya the protagonist is as a terrifyingly violent and strong yet childish captive princess which might not appeal to some people.
this series is also very light with the plot and again early on is pretty much episodic with many chapters that dont at all affect the vague plot of Suya's rescue from the caricature hero or develop much of Suya's relationship with the demons in the castle.
that said however, it quickly finds its footing and the series shifts to focus less specifically on Suya trying to find a new way to sleep (typically ending in her or someone elses death and large amounts of property damage) and more on the unique relationships she begins to form with the different residences of the castle. the slow development of the demons finding her scary or annoying to caring and worrying about her to Suya not caring about the demons or even bothering to distinguish them to growing protective and fond over them and going more and more out of her way to help them, support them, or just hang out with them even if it doesnt directly involve getting a good sleep. we get more frequent multi-chapter arcs introducing new characters or learning more about certain characters and slowly learn more pieces on the world and its history and why humans hate demons and what role the divine beings play in this war (Poseidon and Hades existence in the demon castle not being something actually explained for a while).
Suya herself is a very interesting and amazing character, especially for a female one as well. her initial characterization comes from the rejection of the helpless maiden or woman in distress trope by immediately breaking out of her cell and making her presence known. she's intelligent, creative, hard-working when she needs to be, strong, and immensely protective over those she cares about. but at the same time she can be selfish, childish, impulsive and has zero self-preservation. her extreme way of thinking and acting on her wants and needs creates very easy yet always unique and hilarious scenarios to follow her in and on a deeper level shows the mentality she developed by acting much more like a kid when as technically a captive after growing up in a much more stuffy and rigid castle of her own.
this leads me to briefly go over what i consider three main side characters who Suya is most shown to bond with and have the most levels of development to how they view and behave with the chaotic princess. I will vaguely mention key points in their characterization without specifying where or when it specifically happens, and since this doesn't affect the very loose plot I wont mark the entire thing as a spoiler but if that's still too much feel free to stop and read before coming back to see how I interpret them.
the Demon King Twilight initially is mostly just the surprisingly soft-hearted and ironically humane ruler of the demons who is probably the least eccentric of most of the large cast. he is pretty much the opposite in Suya in many ways. he presents himself maturely and as a confident, well-adjusted leader when in reality he is very insecure and worried about if the way he rules is the right way. Twilight does believe his method of kindness and a relaxed happy environment is the best way to rule but is being held back by his worries of if those he cares about will think he's wrong or weak for believing in a more emotional than logical goal. Suya meanwhile acts very childish, impulsive and selfish but when working she is stone cold and efficient; following strictly with the rules and getting things done with a ruthlessness that solely prioritizes getting work done fast and well first and everyone else's wellbeing last. Suya at first views Twilight's idea of ruling to make him someone she needed to guide and protect, but eventually learns just because his believes are more empathetic that doesnt make him weak or incapable and grows to not just respect but admire him for that, with the two becoming close friends turning to each other for advice or support.
Leonard is probably the most complex and hard-to-explain character without going into detail on some major arcs so i won't say much for him. But as the only character with canonical romantic feelings for the female mc, it isn't as simple as you'd think to explain his relationship with such an equally complex person and that diving into it would take much more time and length. all i'll say its very entertaining to see how he and everyone around him acts when he has to interact with Suya and deciphering Suya's own opinions on his feelings is not easy.
Poseidon is a character that didn't get much focus at all for the first 100 or so chapters but quickly jumped to become a major side character alongside the previous two. he's one of the only characters who matches Suya's below average height and also matches her more childish behaviour, which leads to the two initially started as just rivals who frequently have yelling matches or physical fights typically ending in draws. a lot of explanations to Poseidon's character, why he looks young like Suya and why gods in general are involved with the demons are stuff i want to leave for you to read and find out as well. that being said, Suya and Poseidon's banter and bickering is probably something i enjoy the most and seeing them slowly grow to mutually care for each other while still fighting by turning their altercations into more like a regular greeting or way to past time is super fun to read especially when pretty much no one else in the castle has the guts (or in this case the short temper) to actively fight Suya who still technically is a captive human princess.
this ended up being super long but goes to show how much i have to say about this series! it's still ongoing with many amazing characters being introduced along the way so please check it out if you havent yet! its so much more than just a princess wanting to sleep.
Jul 25, 2023
Maoujou de Oyasumi
(Manga)
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this, in my opinion, is an incredibly underrated gem of a manga that WILL make your day. from unique hilarious characters whos banters always is a blast to read, to the witty comedy both in dialogue and especially expressions, and the visual style of the art that can simultaneously lead to beautiful colour spreads with the authors amazing usage of bright and pretty colours and character designs while also masterfully drawing the most expressive and exaggerated reaction image worthy expressions.
if you want a comedy manga that breaks cliches and makes you laugh through the absurd dialogue and visuals, as well as a just in general ... |