Krystal’s Little Sister
Creative Staff
Story: Maybe
Art: Maybe
Translation: Andrew Cunningham
What they say
With the help of Amber, Satou and the other Ring Princesses finally head back to Arnulus, where a dreadful scene awaits them. Satou rushes in to confront the Abyss King, but he soon learns the power of the rings alone is no match for the darkness he’s up against. He’ll need his wives to pitch in, so it’s back to Nokanatika for the “bride camp.” With her little sister Morion’s guidance, Hime will learn to control the magic power that lies dormant inside her!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Tales of Wedding Rings volume 6 begins with a steamy moment between Satou and Hime—Princess Krystal of Nokanatika. The two of them are making out on Satou’s bed. Hime’s shirt is slowly stripped away as Satou explores her body. They are so close to doing the deed, to taking that final step into adulthood, climbing the stairway and all that jazz… too bad they are interrupted. The interrupter is none other than Amber, the Ring Princess of the Dwarves, though we learned in the previous volume that she is an artificial creation.
With Amber’s help, the group is able to return to Arnulus, though what they see upon returning is like something out of a horror movie. Bodies lay strewn across the ground in varying states of death. Humans. Monsters. The old dwarven home was apparently the site of a great battle that took place while Satou and the Ring Princesses were convalescing in his world. They soon learn the battle isn’t over yet. There are several forces still combating the Abyss King, and Satou, being the hero that he is, decides to jump head first into the fray—though not before receiving a kiss from Hime to boost his power.
Of course, not even the power of the Ring King is enough to stop the Abyss King. Satou is nearly defeated.
Thanks to the timely arrival of Gandolf—excuse me—thanks to the aid of Hime’s grandfather, he and the Ring Princesses are saved. We learn that Alabaster and Mars were rescued by Smaragdi Romca. She was the woman from volume 2 who had turned into an apostle of the Abyss King thanks to the dark ring she’d been given, which bears a striking resemblance to Satou’s rings. Alabaster tells Satou and his companions that they are currently not strong enough to fight against the Abyss King. In order to win, the girls must go through training—more specifically, Hime needs to learn how to use magic! And who is going to teach her?
Alabaster? Wrong. Hime’s younger sister, Morion, who she hasn’t seen in years, is going to be her teacher.
Morion is a surprisingly interesting character. When she is first introduced, I almost thought she’d be one of those sarcastic bitch types who reluctantly trains her sister in the ways of magic because she was standing on top of their parents grave… and then we find out she did that on accident and immediately apologizes to her parents. It’s easy to see within the first few pages of her introduction that Morion has lived a much harsher life than Hime, who lived carefree and easy while in Satou’s world. The few flashbacks we get of her past makes me curious to know what happened to her. I imagine we’ll discover this at some point, at which time Satou will save her and Morion will fall in love with him… maybe. That is usually how these things go.
While the introduction of a new character is interesting, the characters who’ve already been introduced also go through some drama—particularly Princess Granart Needakitta, who has quite suddenly learned about her own limitations. Thus far, she has been able to rely on her amazing strength and catlike reflexes—pun intended—to emerge from all her battles victoriously, but when she sees Amber’s incredibly destructive power, she realizes that her own abilities pale in comparison. I do hope we get to see more moments like this because it really helps add emotional depth to the characters.
In Summary
Tales of Wedding Rings volume 6 is a fun fantasy story with characters who are constantly progressing and a story that is being given new twists and turns. Not only are the characters growing, but Satou and Hime’s relationship appears to have reached the next level, which I honestly appreciate. The numerous passionate moments between the two of them shows that, unlike most harems where nothing happens despite ample opportunities, this series knows that progress its romantic development in the best way to keep the characters engaging. Nobody likes characters who never change because they become stagnant. Satou, Hime, Granart, and the others are characters who’re constantly being forced to reevaluate themselves and change as the story continues, something I can honestly appreciate.
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: A+
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: March 6, 2018
MSRP: $15.00
