I Wasn't the Cinderella - Reviews

The characters aren't especially unlikable- except for the ex boyfriend who is one of those completely irredeemable dicks that I can't bring myself to care about because the author didn't put a lot of effort into him.

The main character herself doesn't really seem to have much of a say on her own life and just when you think she will, it turns out her fake fiance is manipulative and kind of evil. The explanation as to why her father wasn't in her life for twenty years is perhaps the worst one I've ever seen. 

As for the story itself, I'm not too fond of the pure revenge trope because it's limiting and leans heavily on the reader's sense of justice and internal vindictiveness than any good plot or characters. Getting revenge as a side quest to something more fulfilling is much more satisfying to me and opens more doors for a good story, but single minded obession gets old quick. 

Lastly, the art itself isn't bad but the artist can't really capture full body motion. Sword fighting or combat especially looks stiff and doesn't flow well. The way the dresses fall looks stagnant but the facial features are well done. 

Also everyone is two faced for some reason, as in no one is really who they present themselves to be. This manhwa isn't bad per se, but I personally don't like main characters who are led around by other characters or are ruled by emotion. This entire thing just isn't for me. 

Short version is this Manhwa is awful. Its not worth writing a full in-depth review on so ill sum it up in a few points.

1. It is blatantly apparent the Author has no idea how to write a convincing or even barely average story. The first 5 chapters will give you such bad whiplash you'll end up in hospital. They literally skip any building of a father/daughter relationship, why it happened, why the FL just went along with it, what she did over the span of a month, the names of half a dozen characters they couldn't even bother to flesh out.... you get the point.

2. All the characters are bland and emotionless. They show essentially no true emotion or any sort of realistic relationship. Just move from 1 scene to the next like robots.

3. The title is so horrifically off its not funny. FL's backstory (if you can even call it that) is absolutely nothing like Cinderella, so the author obviously hasn't read it (or its shameless bait).

4. There is no purpose to the story. Chatacters have no motivations (believable ones at least) and the Manhwa feels so forced it made me cringe.

Literally the only thing even mildly good about it is it depicts her father and mother as actually being older, rather than half the other Manhwas in which they always look in their 20s like the MC.

Just don't waste your time reading it. I can give you recommendations for a 100 manhwas in this genre better than this.

This manhwa has to be the most corniest thing i've ever read in my life. The female character has no personality, her only motivation is to have revenge on her ex boyfriend. Everything she says makes me cringe, it's genuinely so hard to read. The mc isn't particularly likable nor unlikeable, he also doesn't have a personality. The author also just gave the both of them every single ability there is?? they each have like 20 different abilities, there is no moderation to this story. 

The plot is all over the place and the explanation for why the father was absent for 20 years of their life is absolutely horrible. Probably the worst explanation i've read in my life. I can pull something out of my ass right now and it would be better than whatever tf I just read. Everything about this webtoon is just complete nonsense... I don't recommend, don't waste your time.

First of all, ignore "Cinderella". It seems to me that it was added to name just to catch attention and has minimal relation to story.

It is not the best story, but it is not the worst either. You must accept that some explanations will come later and they will not be perfect either.

If you like story of revenge, some plotting with royal succession, some high power main characters, you will like it.

‼️Warning: May contain spoilers ahead. I'll try to limit the information to what is said in the synopsis. ‼️

Review after reading chapter 30:

I will have to agree with a few commenters that Cinderella was used as an attention getter for those who expected the main character to rise to power through love rather than through her own biological family name. She's not being abused or mistreated by her biological mother nor anyone else she lives with-- only the fact that she is uprooted from her struggling life to one of power and prestige.

Story comments:

I've read plenty of stories that contain unique and strong female leads who either act as villainesses or have a redemption arc to prove themselves. My addiction comes from an internal desire to see that in my own life, but I'm deviating from the points I want to make. The story is not very unique in terms of structure nor complexity. You have someone who is plotting to take over a country, a family that stands in the way, and a character that has a duty to prove herself. It's a love and hate relationship because stories can make or break my initial interest. It's why I try to read 10-15 chapters before finally determining if it's worth my time now. I'll say that it's standard, but executed well with how the author fixes up "plot holes" in the beginning. It's one that gets better the more you read.

Art comments:

I'm not one to be too upset if a story is lacking with art because I'm always pleasantly surprised when it's consistent as it progresses. Consistency is important to me. The art is not the best of the best, but it enhances the characters and shows their complex emotions. The anatomy is also pleasing to look at. Doing proper hands and feet in art is always incredibly difficult, but it's always a good indicator of how much love the artist puts into their work. It also gets better with the progression of the story, as you see the main character get a better grasp on her capabilities. It's not the best of the best, but it's better than I expected of a drama romance compared to action.

Character comments:

This is where I deviate from plenty of other readers. I adore flawed characters. I like seeing character progression that breaks away from the standard hero-esque assumptions (i.e., the mc has to be either attractive or "fixed" to be attractive, that they have an inherent sense of justice, that they have people who help them out of good will). I find that those tropes are a hinderance when it comes to this genre because it locks female leads into a box of submission. The first 30 chapter of this title are different though. Terryl, the main character, is flawed in the sense that she struggles with the loss of the life she planned out in her mind with the man she loved. She has yet to make a fatal mistake, but I expect something to happen because that's the structure of titles like this. If I had to equate the complexity and hatred for the main characters to another series, it would be The Golden Haired Summoner. Both main characters are selfish and focus on their own goals. I'm not sure how to fully explain them yet because it feels like there's more depth and complexity to them outside of what I've read thus far. I'll just say that it's a refreshing story where you question the motives of the main characters.

The flaws:

When I enjoy content, and I mean really enjoy, it's hard for me to point out the flaws on the first read through. For this story, I'm unsure if some inconsistencies are meant as plot points or if some of them are sloppy writting. It's a slight issue for me, but I feel like it'll (hopefully) clear up as it progresses. Some of the side characters also come across as sloppily written-- which I could agree with. Doing a story that focuses on trauma accurately is difficult. It's not a deal breaker for me, so it's not a huge issue. (TLDR; there's minor inconsistencies with the plot and characters, but I hope they're covered and fixed in future chapters.)

If you're looking for a female lead that shows growth, this is a story for you that I'll recommend, but be aware that my recommendation comes from only reading up to the most recent chapter (chapter 30).