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Saraibp

  • Joined Nov 10, 2016
  • 24

Dawn of the Arcana

Dec 25, 2016

At a first glance, the manga seems like a typical, cheesy shoujo: a prince and a princess from countries that are at war with each other get married to settle a peace treaty; they also happen to hate each other. The development of the story, however, proves this notion wrong, because it's about far more than just their relationship. The hate towards each other dissipates relatively quickly (but we all knew that was going to happen) and the storyline soon shifts from Ceasar and Nakaba to the countries at war. They discover many secrets, both at a personal and at an international level, that develop into this grand scheme of pure Angst and danger. Not to fret, though, their relationship is still a main focus for the story, it's just shared with everything else. So if you're into adventure, angst and fantasy, but you're also a sucker for a good romance, then this is for you. 

The manga also plays well with the themes of discrimination, abuse of power, and "created villains." People are strictly separated in both the Senan and Belquat societies by the color of their hair and their race, for example. The protagonist and her servant just so happen to fall under those two categories, whereas Prince Ceasar does not. The difference between their pasts and their current treatment highlights how much discrimination affects people, and makes for a relalistic and relatable story. The author also succeeds at character development by showing us the "bad" people's past, via the famous Arcana of Time, and telling us that they are not all innately evil, but rather shaped into who they've become. While it can be confusing at times, the story is riveting and catching, with well shaped characters and a beautiful variety of cultures and scenery in the art. 

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9/10 story
9/10 art
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

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