Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For! Vol. 1

Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For! (manga) #1

by Shikiso Utsuzawa, Mokuba Matsu (artist)

Ever since she was a child, Eliane has been the saint and protector of the Kingdom of Belkheim, warding off monsters and ensuring bountiful harvests with her prayers. But when a pretender saint beguiles the foolish prince-to whom she is engaged-into believing she is nothing but a fraud, he calls off the marriage and banishes her from the kingdom. Homeless and penniless but free to chart her own course for the first time in her life, Eliane decides to make for the neighboring kingdom, where she hopes to blend in as a commoner and lead a quiet life…but a chance encounter on the road will totally upend her modest plans.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[Mariána K · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

Fast paced, short, and rather generic. Feels like yet another series that is too busy checking out items on their checklist to let the story breathe.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and interesting enough that I decided to pick up the next one and pre-order the third. It’s light, easy to follow, but I have to wonder at the captain of the guard sticking around when he knows things are going to go BAD for his homeland.

3, I’m interested in seeing how this turns out, stars.

[Cassie Renais · Rating 3 out of 5]

[This review covers the first 3 volumes]. This was a very cosy read. The art is on the cute side, the story is full of fun tropes (who doesn't love an oblivious heroine and a comeuppance plot?), and the pace is smooth and easy with mostly low stakes.

Even the things that should be important and scary are downplayed, for example, the Saint's home country is supposed to be on the verge of ruin because she's been banished, but nothing has actually happened to it. The dragon that appears to wreak havoc ends up scolding the stupid prince and then leaving - hardly a grimdark consequence.

Honestly, I got a little bored by the third volume because as fun as Elaine's ditzy routine was originally, it hasn't really developed into anything meatier. Theoretically, the fake saint who has supplanted Elaine is evil in some way, but again, nothing has come of it. I don't think I'll continue with this series because it's the low stakes have left me very uninvested.

Overall, a fluff piece that is perfect for someone wanting a light-hearted romp, but lacks depth and intrigue.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s reeeeeally simple. As in, painfully so. There is no subtlety or anything to people or events, everything is right there in your face. Basically nearly everyone she knows in her old kingdom is brain dead. They take it for granted when she heals them, think her barrier is a scam, etc. I don’t know where the king is, but the kingdom would be doomed with that prince in charge.

At any rate, it’s easy to read, but the writing is below average for sure.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise to this story is similar to The Too-Perfect Saint, though at this point, Nigel and everyone else that has met Elaine after her banishment think she is just a healer. It's also interesting to learn about the fenrir and the dragon, though the dragon doesn't seem to happy with her homeland. It will be interesting to see if or when Elaine's status comes to light and just what the dragon will do if they are able to learn where exactly Elaine has gone off to. At least it seems she won't have to worry about finding a place to live or how to make a living given the king's insistence in thanking her for her work.

[Gaea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Cute but also kind of generic. It hit all the usual fake saintess and banished villainess tropes. The art itself I'm not a big fan of but it does the job. What does keep my attention hooked is the fact that the country really is going to suffer from the saintess' absence. While I'm still questioning how the stupid-as-heck prince could have gotten away with such a decision, it's not often you get to see the consequences come down like an actual sledgehammer and not a mere slap on the wrist.

[Sheneal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Start to the Story!!!!

The saint is an absolute sweetheart she is kind and forgiving. But I also like that she has enough self worth to not stay at a place that doesn't want her. The stupid prince, soldiers, and Leticia I can't wait until they get all of the bad karma back to them. Can't wait to see more interactions with the saint and Nigel. And what the dragon is up to.

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

As good as this manga is, I went in with high expectations so having to adjust to there not being a lot of focus on the Prince’s absolute negligence of the kingdom is something I had to adjust to. However, I did really enjoy seeing how quickly Eliane’s situation started to improve once she was banished from that ignorant kingdom. I’m curious to see what else happens to Eliane, and what happens with the kind Knight Captain since he’s stuck serving an idiot.

[Elis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not very serious, mostly seems to be aiming to be a cutesy comedy with a serious story in the background being played down. The character motivations, traumas and characterisation seems to just kind of happen as the story goes. The main character is a bit inconsistent and seems to get these past traumas appear out of the blue that only start to affect her after she remembers them. Like in a "oh yeah, I had a problem with that" type of way.

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, I liked the pacing and all of the characters that were introduced. I do think there is something off in the art that makes everyone look INCREDIBLY young, like younger than they should but I think I can live with it. The story feels very fresh to me, nothing like anything I have read in the past, excited to see where it goes.

[Darcy Roar · Rating 3 out of 5]

More saint-nanigans mangas. This one is maybe not as great as some of the others' but I'm sticking around for the revenge if nothing else! Some of my meh I think comes from the art which is a bit more... chibi-fied that the others (though not hugely at all, but enough to notice).

[Mk · Rating 3 out of 5]

very basic but cute

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Nav · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanna see the fallout from her banishment really bad but, wow, all these characters seem to have been dropped on their heads (a lot) as children.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Wanda P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its Ok

Its a cutesy book. Soft lines. Big eyes. No hard edges or biting undertones. Its great if you're looking for such a tale, but its not for me.

[Christina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curious

I am wondering…
Where is the Belkeim king in all of this? Prince Claude has totally run amok and his father is only mentioned once? I hope there’s some elaboration on his whereabouts later on in the story.

[Stas · Rating 1 out of 5]

HARD PASS.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread the the whole series that was translated to English after vol 7 came out. Very enjoyable and a nice change of pace.