I read Dawn of the Arcana when I around 16 or 17 (despite Caesar being way too pushy in his introduction, tho he mellows out), and it is one of my favorite shoujo manga. I was surprised to hear the series got a spin-off.

I feel like things are moving too quickly, but the initial premise is already set up. I’m not dazzled by anything, but I’ll consider reading a volume two to see if it can capture my interest.

SN: There’s a The Water Dragon’s Bride oneshot at the end! ( )

Toma's The King's Beast follows Rangetsu, an ajin assigned to protect Prince Tenyou as a 'beast-servant'. But there's more to Rangetsu than meets the eye.

This was the first manga by Rei Toma I've had the pleasure to read. The artwork was amazing! The storyline was surprisingly deep too, touching on topics of slavery and discrimination, as well as revenge. The life of ajin is brutal and unforgiving. Males must serve as bodyguards or cannon fodder. Females of a certain age are forced to be sex slaves. Once they grow too old to be desirable, they are used for menial labour. Ajin are a suppressed people, treated as beyond inferior, despite being stronger than humans, and possibly endowed with a unique magical talent. But Tenyou doesn't see them the same as everyone else. He cares for ajin well-being, unlike many of his fellow palace dwellers. The perfect person to push for greater ajin equality if he can become king.

Great series start! Recommended for those who love anime and manga!

****Many thanks to Netgalley and VIZ Media for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

It’s hard to say what I think of this book. I found it interesting and entertaining, but with just one volume the story is not yet fully developed. I was really intrigued with one sibling passing themselves off as another, another who is a warrior. Plus the way the monarchy works is still confounding. But I did like it well enough to pick up book 2 so that says something.
#ReadingGraphics - identifies differently ( )