Dictatorial Grimoire: Cinderella

Dictatorial Grimoire #1

by Ayumi Kanou

Cinderella was never this dashing! Otogi Grimm, a far-flung descendant of the renowned Grimm Brothers, has always regarded the fairy tales his ancestors concocted as pure fiction. Unfortunately for the introverted half-Japanese teen, he is about to discover that the Grimm legacy is anything but pure. Upon receiving a posthumous letter from the dead father he never knew, Otogi transfers to a new school and moves into an abandoned mansion as part of his inheritance. There, he finds a manuscript that reveals the truth about his the Brothers Grimm made a deal with mystical beings known as the Märchen Demons, who now have a claim on Otogi's life. With a dashing male Cinderella as his guide, can Otogi Grimm unlock the power of the manuscript and stop the fairy tale demons before they destroy him first?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Fiction, Retellings

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2011

Reviews

[K.K. Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auch dies ist eine etwas eigene adaption von Märchen doch ich finde es echt unterhaltsam und spannend, muss mir bei Gelegenheit Band 2+3 noch dazu kaufen um diese "Reihe" zu beenden :)

Wer Märchen mal anders erleben möchte sollte hier mal vorbei schauen :)

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otogi, a descendant of the Grimm Brothers, has to battle his ancestors' fairy tale characters, and trap them inside an ancient magical book before they destroy him. But the dark truth about the deal the Grimm brothers made to write the stories isn't the only mystery Otogi will need to unravel if he is to discover who he can trust and who is determined to kill him.

I liked the premise of this story, and I love fairy tale retellings! As each of the fairy tale characters appear, I was interested to see what they would be like, but was disappointed that most of them are girly men with long hair and lacy clothes. What's that about? I think it's cool that someone like Cinderella is actually a man, but he acts so weird, and I didn't like all the innuendo stuff going on.

Otogi is a sarcastic person with plenty of bravado, but he is also reserved about his past. He has his own mysteries that he is hiding too. I like his reactions to things; he's just put off by half of what happens. He's always saying some version of "What is this stupidity?" haha!
He's also very compassionate, and wants to believe that there is good in everyone.

The plot was interesting, with lots of magic, mystery, and action! Otogi builds friendships, experiences betrayal, learns to fight, and studies like crazy for his school exams. And there's a surprise twist at the end that I never saw coming!
A fun story!

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unique & fun retelling of the Grimm fairy tales. Doubt I’ll ever pick it up again, but it was worth the time.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little volume has a nice sense of humor, I can buy it happening this way, it doesn't stress my suspension of disbelief, and it's nicely drawn and paced.
I can also practically here the slashers typing on their keyboards whenever Cinderella is there. And you know considered what the author gave the character regarding certain tendencies… especially when you consider the Disney version of Cinderella, I would say it makes sense. After all, who else but such a character would constantly allow to be treated in such an abusive manner and always be this nice.
Of course it was pretty obvious when Snow-White was there, but I didn't see puss-in-boots coming, of course Red-Riding Hood was pretty obvious but... pretty hot to be honest... but anyway, this was pretty entertaining and hilarious.
However Snow-White had a slightly silly dominatrix like outfit.Or however you call that on a man.

[小さな N (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)⊃ [_|_] ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, ich bin positiv überrascht von diesem ersten Band und bin froh, auch Band 2 und 3 gleich mitgekauft zu haben. Weil ich Märchen liebe, habe damals (2007 & 2009) auch schon Grimms Manga von Kei Ishiyama gelesen, es aber lange nicht mehr zur Hand genommen.

Nun denn, der Start war für mich etwas holprig, mir kam es vor, als fehlte Hier und Dort etwas an Text/Erklärung. Außerdem haben sich auch ein paar textliche Fehler eingeschlichen. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass sich das im Laufe des Bandes aber gelegt hat.
Mir gefallen die Charaktere und die Geschichte bis jetzt ziemlich gut. Wie fast immer, wenn es um das "typische" Gute und Böse geht, sind für mich die bösen oder zwielichtigen Charaktere oft spannender - so auch hier. Cinderella und Rotkäppchen finde ich sehr interessant. Ich bin neugierig, welche Figuren noch auftauchen werden, und ob ich sie gleich erkennen werde. Außerdem bin ich gespannt, wie sich der Hauptcharakter Grimm entwickeln wird.
Die Zeichnungen gefallen mir ebenfalls recht gut. Für mich ist das "Lesen" der Panels etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, da ich eigentlich ausschließlich Boys Love lese, wo es wenig in Richtung Fantasy gibt. Die Dynamik der Bilder ist recht anders und es passiert bildlich mehr. Somit muss ich sehen, dass ich mein Augenmerk noch mehr auf die Zeichnungen lege, damit ich nichts verpasse.

(Und das nur so am Rande: Dieser Manga lässt sogar mein Boys Love-Herz höher schlagen, was ich niemals vermutet hätte, denn er gehört sicher nicht in diese Kategorie. Bis jetzt haben sich sämtliche Märchendämonen, die in den Originalgeschichten der Grimm-Brüder weiblich sind, als männlich herausgestellt und da lässt sich doch so einiges in meinem Kopf zusammenspinnen (nicht zuletzt, weil die Autorin eine Steilvorlage mit Kuss zwischen Cinderella und Grimm geliefert hat).)

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm, maybe I am growing too old for shoujo manga. The lush art - the sort of baroque fantasy that shoujo is great at- cannot make up for a meh and confusing plot. The characterisation of Cinderella, Snow White and Red Riding Hood as bishounen is particularly inexplicable (is that supposed to be a BL/yaoi element or am I overthinking?)

[Momo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2025: From 5 to 4 stars.

[Mladoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une réécriture de contes bien sympathique et originale. Grimm Otogi, jeune adolescent, est le descendant des célèbres frères Grimm. Ces collecteurs ont requis les services et les récits de démons, qui sont les vrais personnages de leurs contes édulcorés.
Les vrais personnages, Cendrillon, Blanche-Neige et autres sont en effet beaucoup moins "demoiselles en détresse" que dans leurs contes. Ces démons cherchent à se venger du descendant par tous les moyens de leurs pouvoirs. Flanqué d'un second, de quelques amis d'école et des démons vaincus qu'il a asservi à l'aide de son grimoire, Grimm Otogi essaie tant bien que mal de survivre aux assauts répétés des démons vengeurs.
J'aime particulièrement aimé l'humour de Cendrillon et le personnage de Hiyori. L'univers fantasmagorique que met en place le mangaka, inspiré des contes traditionnels, les détourne habilement et donne à cette histoire un nouvel élan passionnant. Un premier tome intriguant qui donne envie d'aller lire le suivant. L'avantage c'est que c'est une série courte en 3 tomes qui promet bien des retournements de situation.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am positive I read at least the first volume of this series as a kid. It fell out of my mind almost completely until I saw it again in a random manga sale sweep. I tentatively put it on my to-read-at-some-point list and just the other day I happened to see all 3 books at the library and I was like ".... Destiny!?"

They're great! Idk why I forgot about the story. ... ok... probably because I was really overly sensitive as a kid and a few things about it would have probably freaked little me out lol Now-me likes them a lot tho. Espeically since I've been into fantasy/fairytale things with a semi dark twist... like, enough darkness to keep it interesting but with some lightness and humor to keep it from getting depressing.

My one complaint is that the series as a whole ends much more abruptly than I would like it to. I think it said all it REALLY needed to.... "They got out there and lived happily ever after"... but it happened so fast. I wanted an ending that was a bit longer that I could savor a bit more.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I was expecting. To be fair, I was rushed in the bookstore the day I bought it so I didn't take a whole lot of time examining it before purchase. And I'm glad I didn't. When Cinderella first showed up and was a dude I thought "umm...what?". This sort of genderswap stuff is not usually my cup of tea. But I kept going and this honestly turned out to be hilarious. The character's play into the stereotypes of their "originals" just enough while also being different enough to be new and exciting. While several characters end up with a crush on our 14-year-old hero, this is really a story about friendship, family and choosing your own destiny.

[Tanyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a ship. Cinderella and Grimm have a weird relationship where they take advantage of each other, but still, I ship.
The art is beautiful, if crowded in places. This is the first manga that I intend to continue in a while. Break me out of my manga slump!
I love the fairy tale twist! Everything you know from fairy tales Grimm- but bad guys!
That being said, there are problematic things, such as implying date rape. It's glossed over and the girl turns out to know self defense. It still makes me uncomfortable, but not enough to stop reading.

[frau.meln · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aufmachung

Der Aufwendige Zeichenstil gefällt mir recht gut. Ob ich mit den verrückten Bekleidungen so Recht zurecht komme, weiß ich allerdings nicht. Allerdings ist die Art des Erzählstils wirklich toll.



Protagonist

Grimm ist ein nachfahre der Gebrüder Grimm. Diese haben sein Herz an die Märchendämonen verkauft. Er ist es gewohnt auf sich allein gestellt zu sein, dennoch hat er ein sehr großes Herz.



Fazit

Wie gesagt, die Idee ist spannend, dennoch könnte einiges mehr Tiefe vertragen. Außerdem habe ich das Gefühl, dass es noch ein wenig an Spannung fehlt.

Nichtsdestotrotz war es unterhaltsam.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otogi Grimm, a far-flung descendant of the renowned Grimm Brothers, has always regarded the fairy tales his ancestors concocted as pure fiction. Now, the introverted half-Japanese teen is about discover that the Grimm legacy is anything but pure.

Otogi finds a manuscript that reveals the dark truth about the Brothers Grimm and the secret deal they made with beings known as the Marchen Demons. With Cinderella as his guide, can Otogi Grimm unlock the power of the manuscript and save himself from a horde of living fairy tales gone wild?

[Liz Weasleyhead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die Grundidee fand ich wirklich vielversprechend aber die Umsetzung ist für mich nicht gelungen.
Die Charaktere sind allesamt nur oberflächlich ausgearbeitet und irgendwie auch nervig. Die Dialoge wirken auf mich total konstruiert, so dass ich die meisten Sprüche und Witze einfach nur daneben finde. Die Handlung macht für mich größtenteils kaum Sinn und ist eher sprunghaft. Der Zeichenstil ist aber wirklich wunderschön.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this! Like really, really, really loved this! It combines two of my favorite things: fairytale retellings and manga.

I love that the traditionally female characters of Cinderella, Snow White, and Red Riding Hood are male in this. I also love Otogi's reaction to everything, especially the fairytale demons!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a neat story line! I love the twist on the fairy tale characters, and having to figure out each ones identity and weakness in order to seal them is such a neat idea. I really like the main character, Otogi Grimm. Having Cinderella as his body guard and servant is hysterical. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read the next one!

[Natalia HW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual read, but it's fun and silly.
The MC is a descendant of the Grimm brothers and has to deal with the fairy tales' characters... A lot of adventures and silly situations arise. The fist book is centered on Cinderella (a dashing man) but we already meet Snow White and Red Riding Hood ... and the Bremen musicians ... sort of.

[Lindsey Mcdowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy sh**! The artwork is so amazing! So very amazing! Worth reading just for that. But the story line is actually pretty good. A few places where it seems to jump too quickly/doesn't flow well, but still easy to follow.

[Pomada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga was pretty weird but it was ok

[Dine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Idee hinter der Geschichte ist mega. Ein Nachfahre der Gebrüder Grimm!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and silly

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow these fairytale characters are so bad ass.. interesting concept re: Grimm descendant.. actual rating: 3.5/5.. enjoyed this..

[Hailley Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I read the first chapter, and learning it's essentially Natsume's Book of Friends but with Grimm Fairytale characters I lost interest.

[Jasmine Gorton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I found this book!! It was amazing and I loved the story and art style the author used! Highly recommend to manga lovers and those who love the Grimm fairytales.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts well but loses focus quickly. Can't seem to decide what story it wants to tell, or how.

[Brittany Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright story and a good art style.

[Alex Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this one but feel like it tried to get to much done too fast

[David Doel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is probably too generous. The story borrows from Grimm's fairy tales and shows some originality. The art is so-so. One down and two to go.

[Lissibith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga, at least here in the first volume, is so-so, and reminds me of a lot of other things. It's Natsume's Book of Friends without the emotion. It's Yu Gi Oh without the camp. It's Occult Academy with a narrower focus. It's Cardcaptor Sakura by way of the Grand Guignol Orchestra.

Actually, the thing I think it reminds me most of is probably Miyukichan in Wonderland, only for the opposite gender.

Regardless, I think it's a bad sign for my continued enjoyment that the major thing I took away from reading this was, "this reminds me a lot of something. What is it? What IS it?"

You like pretty boys doing their vaguely homoerotic pretty boy manga thing? You'll get plenty of that. You want alternate takes on fairy tale characters? You'll get that too. How about your traditional aloof reluctant hero? Three for three. Everything about this feels well-trod and done better elsewhere.

Still, it was a diverting enough read, and it does do one thing toward the end which makes me quite curious how the next volume is going to work out. It looks at the idea of people being the hero of their own story, questions of hero and villain, questions of perspective, in a way that didn't immediately put me in mind of something else and which pushed this to a 3.5 star rating. I hope that continues in the next volume and it doesn't just settle back to the same old same old.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long ago the Brother's Grimm collected the folktales they heard into a book, but that is all history teaches us. Otogi Grimm's reality is a little more fantastic though, for these folktales are real, and their characters are demons set on killing him. A male Cinderella comes to the rescue, and with his help, Otogi must defeat them all. Their first major opponent is a flamboyant, male Snow White. The two become a good team too quickly, but at least Cinderella has his own secrets. For Otogi, it is not yet clear whether he is the author of this story, or just a character in it. Not only does Otogi accept his situation too readily, he also becomes adept with the magical book too quickly. Each story bares some resemblance to the original, however the author delights in changing the characters to suit her purposes. Fans of this type of manga will enjoy the master-servant relationship, the slightly masochistic Cinderella, the hint of shounen-ai, bishies, cross-dressing, and the delicately-detailed costumes befitting a fairytale.