SACRIFICAL PRINCESS AND THE KING OF BEASTS (Niehime to Kemono no Ou), by Yu Tomofuji. First published in 2015 and first published in North America in 2018.
PLOT:
From the beginning, Sairiphi was destined to be a sacrifice. Thus, when she is brought before the king of the beastmen, she is both resigned and fearless. The king decides to not immediate eat her, but to keep her by his side. As the two grow to know one another, affection begins to grow between them. Can their blossoming love survive in a world where humans and beasts alike oppose their union?
STORY:
I'm a sucker for a Beauty & the Beast story, so an obvious riff on the old story like this should be an absolute hit for me. Why is it then that it left me so cold?
Perhaps it's the fact that the main couple had personalities that both felt off, albeit in different directions. Sairiphi is so naive and optimistic that she verges upon saintliness. There's no situation that she can't turn positive, and the only darkness granted to her are the moments where she recalls her impoverish, isolated childhood. Meanwhile, the king (later dubbed Leonhart) is dour and contrary, to the point where even his complements sound like backhanded negs. Worse still, we're never allowed to see him change his ways or reveal different sides of himself on his own. Instead it's always explained to the audience by Sairiphi herself or another side character and it comes off as forced. There's no chemistry between them, and it leaves their relationship feeling more like a grumpy guardian and eager child than any sort of proper romance. Without it, the whole story falls flat.
ART:
At least Tomofuji didn't slack off with the art. She very clearly paid attention to their costumes, and Sairiphi's dresses and Leonhart's robes feature some lovely (and often complementary) designs. She also has some fun with the forms of the beastmen, mixing in mythological forms along with more ordinary creatures. I do wish she put a little more thought into Leonhart's design (particularly his human one), as well as Sairiphi's. That human form for Leonhart is almost certainly the mangaka's way of deflecting the inevitable questions of bestiality.
That being said, the general setting is kind of dark and dreary. The castle is maze-like and the kingdom around it is a barren wasteland, so it's not like this manga can dazzle readers with its fantastical scenery. Her pages are not terribly elegant, and she mostly leans on using the extreme size difference between our leading couple to heighten the tension and disparity between the two, even during scenes of affection.
RATING:
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts is a supernatural romance that's lacking in magic. The leads are undersketched and their dynamic is off. While Tomofuji tries for pathos and a certain, dark sort of look, it's not enough to make this tale as old as time feel new.
This series is published by Yen Press. This series is ongoing in Japan with 9 volumes available. 2 volumes have been published and are currently in print.
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