Shounen Oujo by Yukihiro Utako
My category: Gender-bending 19th Century Royalty Adventure (okay that's really long but basically only 3 things)
Ongoing. Currently 15 chapters scanalated by Hachimitsu Scans.
(Apparently the series is on hiatus as the author is still working on Uta no Prince-Sama)
Synopsis: In a country where women rule supreme lives a poor but happy boy named Albert. An excursion to the city turns dangerous when he and his friend are abducted by slave traders, and later purchased by a noblewoman's servant. If this wasn't crazy enough, it turns out Albert looks exactly like the noblewoman who purchased him. But she's no ordinary aristocrat. She's a princess! And he's to act as her double from today on!?
(Source: Comic Sylph)
Story: 7/10
At first it is your typical gender-bending shoujo manga, about a boy called Albert who is to be Princess Alexia' double. The first few chapters focuses on the relationship as well as the character development of Al and Alexia. While it's pretty light and humorous it shows a dark society where men have no rights and women treat them like trash. Actually I wasn't very interested the first ouple of chapters, and almost stopped reading. After chapter 7 is a turn of events which I really didn't expect and made me curious to read on, and then the story really sets in. The tone of it also becomes much darker. So far I like the story, though the bit with the pirates is admittedly rather far-fetched. I would also have liked it better if the author had expounded more on how exactly this society ruled by women work. The manga just tells you that it is the way it is, but it would be nice if there was at least an explanation on how a such a society works.
Characters: 5/10
The characters are a bit of a weak point of the manga, if you ask me. Rather stereotypical... Alexia is the princess who despite her insecurity is serious about protecting and ruling her people; Albert is a poor but carefree boy who helps her through her insecurity, teaches her about the lives of her people and learns that it's not all sunshine and roses being royalty. Guy is a lolicon multi-talented butler who serves Alexia and subsequently Albert, and provides most of the gags in the manga. Nothing we haven't seen before, I think, but there is much room for character development as well as more supporting characters. Oh, and I care not for the not so subtly expressed shounen-ai.
Art: 8/10
The artwork in Shounen Oujo is simply lovely, and is the sole reason why I read past the first couple of chapters. It is very 'shoujo', but very well executed with details to please the eye, but does not overload the pages. A nice balance of simplicity and detail. I would compare the artwork with that of Yana Toboso's Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler), though I think the latter is a little more refined and elegant. As the stories are both somewhat based on the 19th century European era, you can see some similarities... Guy is even a butler, like Sebastian and Albert's and Ciel's age are similar. But that's all the similarity there is. (I must say the undercurrent of shounen-ai is stronger in Shounen Oujo.)
Enjoyment: 6.5/10
Overall it's not really my taste, but I am curious about what happens next. I still don't care much for the characters though. A light read.
Overall, 6.5/10.
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