By Seyoung Kim (Net comics)
ISBN 13: 978-1-60009-037-0
Boy Princess is a strange beast to Western Eyes. An online bestseller in its native Korea, this Manhwa Shonen-Ai (that’s a love story for girls depicting affection between boys, and created by Koreans not Japanese) pot-boiler is as much fairy-tale romance as Ruritanian adventure or political thriller, all told in the manner and style of a daytime soap-opera, with swords and sorcery thrown in to keep it all moving.
When the Princess of Erin elopes two days before her arranged wedding to the gorgeous Prince Jed the entire kingdom is in crisis. Her desperate family embark on a truly mad scheme and convince her young brother to dress in her clothes and marry the Prince in her stead. And it works. Moreover when Jed discovers the substitution he doesn’t mind: In fact he falls in love with the beautiful boy he calls Nichole.
Jed has bigger problems. His dysfunctional family make the Borgias look like the Waltons and the power struggle between himself and his brother Derek threatens to destroy the Kingdom. In this penultimate volume Derek has drugged Nichole and forced Jed to admit to treason charges if he wishes to save his bride. Moreover their father admits that he has been plotting against his sons, since he has a new heir to mould to his will and they are both now irrelevant. Can civil war be far away?
This volume includes a contemporary – and much more explicit – tale of the lead characters in a romantic mood; so think twice if you’re easily startled, but the main tale is amazingly engaging and well handled despite the odd subject matter, and the romance is as moving as the intrigue and action are gripping. This is a great read and well worth your attention.
© 2007 Seyoung Kim. © 2007 DGN Production Inc.