nathandouglasdavis

This story is much more appealing than most other isekai manga. Part of that is that it actually attempts to create a more human motivation as to why fe is being summoned to another world. I'd say the normal cliche would be to summon somebody in order to help defeat the Demon King or because people from other worlds have special powers or cheat abilities that the summoners want to take advantage of. The motivation this manga offers makes perfect sense and even offers justification for Zenjiro being a sponger. And that skill at putting a story together is probably the main reason this manga is appealing: it creates scenarios and drama that feel completely natural, almost like they're inevitable outcomes of certain peoples' motivations and personalities. Throughout the manga, Zenjiro and Aura (the queen who summoned fem to be feir consort) have to worry about court politics and the various motivations and maneuverings of the nobles and about how to best avoid causing strife. Alongside that, the manga is also about the blossoming love between those two.

All the main characters are interesting and well put together. Yamai Zenjiro is largely motivated by wanting a more relaxing lifestyle than previously afforded fem, but feir sense of duty and obligation makes it impossible for fem to be a complete sponger. Aura Capua is the queen of a male-dominant country and has to deal with the tension such a power dynamic can cause. Fabio Deubaje is Aura's aide and often helps fem work through problems; fe's also doubtful of Zenjiro's actions. Lord Puyol Guillen is the captain of the knights, who ride on land dragons similarly to how Owen Grady rode on velociraptors in Jurassic World. Puyol is blatantly ambitious, but also fiercely loyal to the country and crown. Count Marguez is supposed to be an example of how all the nobles act to some decree, with every action having a concealed motivation to curry favor and gain political influence.

The art is great. The women are drawn very beautifully. The men, not so much. Some of the background details like hands can be of a lower quality, but they don't draw attention to themselves, so unless you're scrutinizing it, it doesn't detract from the beauty.

[Reviewed at chapter 15]