The princes and a special group art lesson!
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Higasa Akai
Translation/Adaptation: Amanda Haley
What They Say
Heine’s efforts to shape the princelings into worthy successors to the throne continue, but it seems that Bruno in particular is struggling with a bit of a crisis of conscience when it comes to his future. Can he live up to Heine’s standards to remain his “apprentice”? More importantly, does he have the courage to carve out his own path?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As with Volume 3, half the material in Volume 4 was not incorporated into the TV series. Most of the non-animated chapters are at the beginning of the book and comprise, for the most part, humorous fluff that poke fun at the princes’ quirks. The volume opens with a group art lesson in which the princes must paint a portrait of little sister Adele. What results is a cute, light-hearted chapter that displays our cast’s idiosyncrasies on canvas.
The remainder of the book has Heine dealing with the princes in ones and twos as it often does. Chapter 20 “A Troubled Prince!?” is a brief Leonhard-centric arc which, like most chapters about the fourth prince, is a display of his dismal academics. Unfortunately, this iteration doesn’t vary much from previous ones so I found the gags stale. However, the next chapter, which features Licht, is much more intriguing. Cafe fans will get to enjoy the youngest prince in his waiter uniform while he attempts to pry into Heine’s private life.
As we enter the material included in the anime, the narrative takes a more serious tone. Heine’s job is to groom the princes as worthy candidates for the throne, but we’ve never seen the brothers treat each other as rivals. This changes with Chapter 22. Although the set up is somewhat different than the TV series, it similarly introduces Bruno’s hidden insecurities and sets the stage well for the two Bruno-centric chapters that follow. Thus far, Bruno has alternated between a rigid academic and a gushing Heine fanboy. In this arc, we see the circumstances that led to his strict lifestyle as well as a glimpse of his sense of self-worth. Of all the princes, Bruno is the one most firmly grounded in reality, and to watch him agonize over the options for his future goes a long way in fleshing out his character.
Extras include “Character Profiles” printed on the inside of the cover; one page “intermission” manga; first page printed in color; and translation notes.
In Summary
Volume 4 delivers a nice balance of comedy and drama. We first get three fun standalone chapters that feature the brothers’ affection toward their cute sister, Leonhard’s stupidity, and Licht’s acute sense of perception. The focus then shifts to the line of succession, and more specifically, the person Prince Bruno considers his chief rival for the throne. Not only do these chapters shape Bruno into a more well-rounded character, they also heighten the sense that someone is out to sabotage the four brothers’ chances to become king.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B-+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: December 12th, 2016
MSRP: $12.00
