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星降る王国のニナ [Hoshi Furu Ōkoku no Nina] #12
Nina the Starry Bride 12
Anime adaptation announced!! Winner of the 46th Kodansha Manga Award, Shojo Category!! The super popular romantic fantasy series that has sold over 1.5 million copies!! The girl with lapis lazuli eyes, Nina, is chosen to act as a double for Fortna's Princess Alisha by the second prince, Azure, but then she falls in love with him. In order to save him from a plot against his life, she leaves for the country of Galgada to be married off to their crown prince Sett. But diplomatic relations are broken off between the two countries, and newly crowned King Azure convinces Nina to return to Fortna. As he considers how to free her from her role as “Princess Alisha,” the real Alisha shows up and throws the situation into chaos. When the dust settles, Nina is banished from Fortna as punishment for her deception. Evading those trying to help her and those trying to eliminate her, Nina chooses solitude. After three months of wandering the wilderness and wanting to end things, she encounters Sett, who asks her, “What is your desire? Wish for whatever you want.” Reunited, the pair searches for a way to fight destiny itself?! Watch them forge their own path away from cruel fate in the 12th volume of this royal fantasy tale!!
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2023
31 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 24, 2024
„Du machst die Leute glücklich. Ganz unabhängig ... von deinen Augen."
Das Ende hat mich leider nicht so umgehauen wie die vorherigen Bände, aber ich genieße die Geschichte um Nina, Seto und Azur weiterhin in vollen Zügen! Wir lernen immer wieder neue Charaktere und Städte kennen. Die Stadt Starbia erinnert mich total an Venedig.
Auf der letzten Seite hab ich voller Vorfreude gelesen, dass Band 13 wohl auch schon im Winter '24 erscheinen soll 😍
Das Ende hat mich leider nicht so umgehauen wie die vorherigen Bände, aber ich genieße die Geschichte um Nina, Seto und Azur weiterhin in vollen Zügen! Wir lernen immer wieder neue Charaktere und Städte kennen. Die Stadt Starbia erinnert mich total an Venedig.
Auf der letzten Seite hab ich voller Vorfreude gelesen, dass Band 13 wohl auch schon im Winter '24 erscheinen soll 😍
December 1, 2024
AZUREEEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
May 20, 2024
I am so beyond excited to see this beautiful manga have anime adaptation!
June 17, 2024
SETT. Atta boy. 👉👈🥹
September 15, 2024
I love Sett!!
May 20, 2024
[CW: Suicideal Ideation]
Nina has been abandoned by everything and everyone with the revelation that she isn’t actually a princess. Well, almost everyone. Back in her old life, but now with a mysterious power, it’ll take a lot for her to get through this. Or not.
No point beating around the bush here; this is the best this manga has been in ages. It remembers who Nina is, brings Sett back to actually do something, and restores a lot of its earlier spark.
Since we last saw her, Nina has been on the run for months and is much, much worse for wear. Surviving as an urchin is one thing, but doing so when you’re wielding a cursed power that messes with people is another.
Not surprisingly, Nina hits her lowest rung after unintentionally injuring somebody who means well. Her desire to not use her power has basically overwhelmed her usually sharp survival instincts. As she thinks that there’s nothing left, in comes Sett for an admittedly dashing rescue.
Picking sides in a fight like this is a sucker’s game, but it’s hard to deny that Sett seems to get all the best moments after his re-introduction. Az gets one or two, but it’s not for nothing that Sett’s the one who comes through here. Given that he was a lump for so long, that’s not unreasonable (remarkable recovery though).
Finally returning the favour from ages past, and blessedly out of his vegetative state, Sett saves Nina and lets her finally release all those pent-up feelings from her banishment. The two of them make for a welcome change of pace as Sett slowly shows Nina that there’s a lot more left to her life.
They wind up in neighbouring (and hitherto unmentioned, cough cough) Starbia, which is a mercantile city that’s essentially Venice with the serial numbers filed off. As usual, Nina’s kind nature and sense of justice manage to get her noticed and embroiled in a new adventure.
Said adventure involves a real blast from the past in the form of the guy who sold her out back in volume 1, which leads to a business venture and somebody who is clearly up to no good as noted by his jowls of evil. Some new characters get introduced, some jokes are made, it’s solid.
It’s especially good Nina content and having her get some of her spark back definitely puts the spark back in the story in turn. The mangaka seems to delight in tormenting their editors, nobody on earth survived that fire, which I appreciate.
The duality of Sett and Azure becomes even more sharply pronounced this volume too, which is a nice touch. Sett basically gave up his responsibilities because of how much he cares for Nina, whereas Az takes more and more on in an effort to protect her. Of the two, I think Sett’s plan makes more sense, honestly, but the route Az chooses isn’t nonsensical either.
This isn’t the best we’ve seen it be, but it has a momentum that feels better than recent volumes and it makes use of what it threw at the wall last time. Lately this has felt a bit seat-of-the-pants, but there’s some good long term plotting here.
4 stars - solid work and rewarded thusly. It pays off the curse storyline a little bit, brings Sett back, and has some fun action with seeds of where it might go from here.
Nina has been abandoned by everything and everyone with the revelation that she isn’t actually a princess. Well, almost everyone. Back in her old life, but now with a mysterious power, it’ll take a lot for her to get through this. Or not.
No point beating around the bush here; this is the best this manga has been in ages. It remembers who Nina is, brings Sett back to actually do something, and restores a lot of its earlier spark.
Since we last saw her, Nina has been on the run for months and is much, much worse for wear. Surviving as an urchin is one thing, but doing so when you’re wielding a cursed power that messes with people is another.
Not surprisingly, Nina hits her lowest rung after unintentionally injuring somebody who means well. Her desire to not use her power has basically overwhelmed her usually sharp survival instincts. As she thinks that there’s nothing left, in comes Sett for an admittedly dashing rescue.
Picking sides in a fight like this is a sucker’s game, but it’s hard to deny that Sett seems to get all the best moments after his re-introduction. Az gets one or two, but it’s not for nothing that Sett’s the one who comes through here. Given that he was a lump for so long, that’s not unreasonable (remarkable recovery though).
Finally returning the favour from ages past, and blessedly out of his vegetative state, Sett saves Nina and lets her finally release all those pent-up feelings from her banishment. The two of them make for a welcome change of pace as Sett slowly shows Nina that there’s a lot more left to her life.
They wind up in neighbouring (and hitherto unmentioned, cough cough) Starbia, which is a mercantile city that’s essentially Venice with the serial numbers filed off. As usual, Nina’s kind nature and sense of justice manage to get her noticed and embroiled in a new adventure.
Said adventure involves a real blast from the past in the form of the guy who sold her out back in volume 1, which leads to a business venture and somebody who is clearly up to no good as noted by his jowls of evil. Some new characters get introduced, some jokes are made, it’s solid.
It’s especially good Nina content and having her get some of her spark back definitely puts the spark back in the story in turn. The mangaka seems to delight in tormenting their editors, nobody on earth survived that fire, which I appreciate.
The duality of Sett and Azure becomes even more sharply pronounced this volume too, which is a nice touch. Sett basically gave up his responsibilities because of how much he cares for Nina, whereas Az takes more and more on in an effort to protect her. Of the two, I think Sett’s plan makes more sense, honestly, but the route Az chooses isn’t nonsensical either.
This isn’t the best we’ve seen it be, but it has a momentum that feels better than recent volumes and it makes use of what it threw at the wall last time. Lately this has felt a bit seat-of-the-pants, but there’s some good long term plotting here.
4 stars - solid work and rewarded thusly. It pays off the curse storyline a little bit, brings Sett back, and has some fun action with seeds of where it might go from here.
November 25, 2025
4.5 stars
I’m going to say it - Sett has my heart 100%! I really hope he’s the one Nina ends up with!
This volume continues on in a similar vein to the previous one; however, Nina is more hopeful of her power in this which is lovely to see (the last one was a bit too traumatic for my liking).
Not sure about the ending with Azure though - maybe I’m just tired but I don’t think I fully grasped what he was hinting at in the final couple of pages…I’m really not liking Alisha though - one to avoid methinks!
I’m going to say it - Sett has my heart 100%! I really hope he’s the one Nina ends up with!
This volume continues on in a similar vein to the previous one; however, Nina is more hopeful of her power in this which is lovely to see (the last one was a bit too traumatic for my liking).
Not sure about the ending with Azure though - maybe I’m just tired but I don’t think I fully grasped what he was hinting at in the final couple of pages…I’m really not liking Alisha though - one to avoid methinks!
June 3, 2024
After reading it (and then edited to make more sense when I wasn't half asleep):
The cover is gorgeous and so is the rest of the artwork inside.
If you need me I'll just be lying on the floor wallowing in pity because I have to WAIT AGAIN for the next volume.
I cried SO MUCH while reading this volume. Starting at 11%. It was great (I'm not even being sarcastic about it, like I am when I talk about JJK). I'm curious to see what's going to happen next, because the drama is surely getting ready to unfold, especially since everyone is going to end up in the same place again.
My heart was hurting so bad for Nina in the last book. Everything she thought she knew just started falling apart. I'm so glad that *spoiler redacted* found her and is there for her, strong and steadfast as always. Loved that we got so much more page time for him and them, although the fact that they kept getting interrupted Every. Single. Time. I thought something romantic was going to happen, about drove me mad.
I'm still a little torn about *spoiler redacted* because he's changed a lot... or has he? He's got a lot of weight and responsibility on his shoulders. We didn't get to see much of him in this one. And the little bit we did see him just confused me. Hmmmm.
I'm not sure what to think about "Alisha" I feel like she's evil... I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
ALSO!!! I can't WAIT for the anime to be out. It's going to be BEAUTIFUL! We better get more than one season or I will R I O T.
Before reading it:
One thing Kodansha is good at is dropping books with little to no fanfare (or notice). I've been stalking the website for AGES for any news on this book, and I find out LAST NIGHT that this is coming out in just a few days
The cover is gorgeous and so is the rest of the artwork inside.
If you need me I'll just be lying on the floor wallowing in pity because I have to WAIT AGAIN for the next volume.
I cried SO MUCH while reading this volume. Starting at 11%. It was great (I'm not even being sarcastic about it, like I am when I talk about JJK). I'm curious to see what's going to happen next, because the drama is surely getting ready to unfold, especially since everyone is going to end up in the same place again.
My heart was hurting so bad for Nina in the last book. Everything she thought she knew just started falling apart. I'm so glad that *spoiler redacted* found her and is there for her, strong and steadfast as always. Loved that we got so much more page time for him and them, although the fact that they kept getting interrupted Every. Single. Time. I thought something romantic was going to happen, about drove me mad.
I'm still a little torn about *spoiler redacted* because he's changed a lot... or has he? He's got a lot of weight and responsibility on his shoulders. We didn't get to see much of him in this one. And the little bit we did see him just confused me. Hmmmm.
I'm not sure what to think about "Alisha" I feel like she's evil... I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
ALSO!!! I can't WAIT for the anime to be out. It's going to be BEAUTIFUL! We better get more than one season or I will R I O T.
Before reading it:
One thing Kodansha is good at is dropping books with little to no fanfare (or notice). I've been stalking the website for AGES for any news on this book, and I find out LAST NIGHT that this is coming out in just a few days
June 7, 2024
My boy Setttt 🥹 I feel like I'm wrong but it's the perfect opportunity for Az to become a crazy overlord and get killed and boohoo loss of imperfect first love leaves her able to fully commit to our reformed villain type. Or give me an RH...anywayyyy
June 27, 2025
I'm happy that Nina is recovering
October 14, 2024
Team sett
December 10, 2024
Esse volume foi melhorando ao passo que a Nina foi melhorando.
Sett encontrando ela na floresta T.T
A explicação dele pra ia atrás dela T.T
E conhecemos Starbia <3
Nina aprendendo a controlar os poderes *-*
Encontrando o Saji T.T fiquei feliz pelo desenvolvimento dele.
O final com o Az e a Alisha T.T que tristeza ver o Az daquele jeito Ç_Ç
Sett encontrando ela na floresta T.T
A explicação dele pra ia atrás dela T.T
E conhecemos Starbia <3
Nina aprendendo a controlar os poderes *-*
Encontrando o Saji T.T fiquei feliz pelo desenvolvimento dele.
O final com o Az e a Alisha T.T que tristeza ver o Az daquele jeito Ç_Ç
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
J’aime tellement ce manga !!
4,75⭐️ je laisse le 5⭐️ pour le prochain tome qui sort fin janvier !
4,75⭐️ je laisse le 5⭐️ pour le prochain tome qui sort fin janvier !
June 10, 2025
Ich mag Nina mit jedem Band mehr 🙈
August 22, 2025
Team Sett! Really interesting volume!
Recap: Nina was on the run for three months, Sett finds her and tells her he wants to be with her regardless of powers, they’re in Starbia and meet a young princess, deal with a corrupt dude, and Nina runs into a childhood friend who sold her out. She and Sett are invited to the castle, flash to Sol, Anna, and Muhulum going to Starbia, Az is hollow.
Recap: Nina was on the run for three months, Sett finds her and tells her he wants to be with her regardless of powers, they’re in Starbia and meet a young princess, deal with a corrupt dude, and Nina runs into a childhood friend who sold her out. She and Sett are invited to the castle, flash to Sol, Anna, and Muhulum going to Starbia, Az is hollow.
November 29, 2025
Considering how easily I flip between team Az and team Sett, it's a good thing I've never been in a love triangle.
February 8, 2025
If this manga has no fans, send my husband flowers because I'm dead.
October 31, 2025
"He's the person who lifted my veil."
Excuse me while I cry for a minute.
This volume was fantastic. We skip forward three months, during which time Nina has been wandering around the woods on her own, eating berries and whatever else she finds, and avoiding people at all costs. When she stumbles into a trap, she's rescued by an old man, whom she accidentally buries in a rockslide that's presumed to have been set off by her powers, cementing her fear of being around others.
Isolation is Nina's worst nightmare: her attachment to Azure came entirely from a desire to be important to someone, so valuable that they won't throw her away when the going gets hard. She'd already lost her parents at a young age, then the two boys she'd felt were her new family. She needs people, very badly, and since with her powers she can't have them anymore, she truly doesn't see a reason to keep on living. After all, wouldn't ending her own life mean the world is better off?
And that's when Sett emerges from the wilderness, refusing to ever let her be alone again.
It's not romantic right now - not from Nina's end, anyway. She's way too caught up in other earth-shattering issues to even consider who she might want to kiss or spend her future with. She's still incredibly terrified that an accidental thought will cause harm to an innocent person who simply happens to be near her. She's living in constant, unquenchable fear.
Until...well, until Sett holds her in his arms - so happy to be seeing her again, no matter how horrific she must be smelling by this point - then brushes her hair out of her face, stares directly into her eyes, and tells her to do her worst. He can handle it. And if he can't, then that's fine, too. At least he died by her side.
Which is why I simply cannot fathom how this could ever swing back in Azure's favor. Yeah yeah there's tons of ground left to cover. And I know Azure has some big grand plan. He did what he could to save Nina's life while keeping his hold on his kingdom.
But...that's one of my objections. Part of his big grand plan right now appears to be taking over the entire world, which would make him more evil than the Galgadan empire who was seen as the enemy in the beginning. And Nina would never want that?? If he thinks this is somehow going to win her back - becoming an emperor who can protect her from all harm or whatever - it just...makes no sense. It's his own ambition and inability to think about what other people want or need.
(Not to mention that without Sett, Nina would've died long before Azure had a chance to finish carrying out all his big plots. What use is gaining the whole world if you lose someone that important in the process?)
Plus, while Azure was doing certain things to get her out of the country before the priestesses could make a move on her life, his refusal to look her in the eyes wasn't part of the act. Even if he says differently later on, there was real fear there. A part of him truly believed that she might be able to control or hurt him. He didn't trust her when it mattered most.
Whereas Sett tells Nina (a) if there's anything she wishes for, he'll do everything in his power to get it for her without needing to be compelled (b) he doesn't fear the god of death, so why would he fear the power of her eyes (c) if she truly has this power, then she can do what she wants with it. She doesn't have to let it control her.
So Nina slowly starts to believe that's possible. She doesn't have anyone who can train her how to use her powers, or even remotely how they work, but because she has someone steadfastly believing that she is good and that she doesn't have to cause harm - and in fact has done a whole lot of good thus far in her life - she begins to have faith in that herself.
And it works. She learns how to ask birds to search the city for someone, without limiting their freedom or their movements. She sorts through the strange things she can see of the world around her and is able to control fire enough to save people - with Sett's help, who trusts her implicitly and walks through a wall of flames to be by her side, with her shielding him. She learns that she can be around people again, and it makes her so incredibly happy.
When Sett hugs her at the end of this volume, after he sees her finally skipping along again and smiling like she always used to do...ugh. I love it. I love how he loves her, and how far he's come in learning how to display that love. He's never asking anything of her: he'd like an answer and a return of his feelings, but he's willing to spend his entire life by Nina's side, patiently waiting to hear whatever answer she has.
He's a bit of a weirdo, and I adore that he does things like wandering off and losing his horse and his bags of money, or picturing birds with their wings around each other when he tries to figure out how to show affection. He's like this beast Nina has accidentally tamed with her kindness and optimism, and how do you not love that dynamic.
Plus I was very pleasantly surprised that he showed no jealousy when Nina unexpectedly reunited with Sagi, the boy who'd betrayed her and sold her to Azure. There's a lot that's left off the page, or shown in textless montages, where you can tell that Sett and Nina spend a lot of time just talking to each other - making plans, communicating really well, and being utterly comfortable with each other. In their first exchange after Nina runs into Sagi, it's clear that she's already told Sett the whole story.
I wasn't expecting Nina to ever see Sagi again, but I liked that she was able to resolve something so hurtful from her past, and to believe that he had valued her, and he did regret what he'd done.
And in the process, she somehow befriended the little princess of the kingdom they're currently in...which is a very Nina thing to do.
The next volume looks like it'll bring Sol back into the story, since he's escorting Fortna's true prince to Starbia, and Nina is on her way to the castle. I'm looking forward to that, and desperately hoping Nina doesn't try to do anything like send Sett back to his own kingdom. Not that I believe he'd go? But if Nina truly pushed it, I suppose he would.
The other thing about them...while Nina and Azure share the backstory of being orphans who were pulled into a secret royal role they had to live up to, Nina and Sett share something on a whole different emotional level. They know what it's like to have immense, horrifically destructive power...and how hard it is to fight back those natural instincts that were built into them.
Sett understands what it's like to be terrified of hurting people around him - particularly the one he cares for most.
He shut himself down so he would never be in danger of hurting Nina again. But he was aware of her by his side the entire time, and when she said her farewells to him - crying - he realized that locking himself away wouldn't keep her from being hurt. While he might hurt her again in the future, no matter how hard he tries to keep her happy and safe, the rest of the world has its ways of harming her, too.
So there's no sense in keeping himself away from her, where he can't do anything to protect her or help shoulder her burdens. She taught him what it was like to care for someone, and now he's returning the favor. And he tells her all of this! She doesn't have to read his mind or guess at his motivations. He tells her, openly and honestly, how he feels and how he will support her, and gives her the freedom to live her own life and make decisions for herself, knowing he'll be there regardless.
If that's not love, I don't know what is.
And I hope that eventually Nina will be confident enough in herself and her own destiny to decide that keeping him by her side is something that will make her very happy indeed.
Excuse me while I cry for a minute.
This volume was fantastic. We skip forward three months, during which time Nina has been wandering around the woods on her own, eating berries and whatever else she finds, and avoiding people at all costs. When she stumbles into a trap, she's rescued by an old man, whom she accidentally buries in a rockslide that's presumed to have been set off by her powers, cementing her fear of being around others.
Isolation is Nina's worst nightmare: her attachment to Azure came entirely from a desire to be important to someone, so valuable that they won't throw her away when the going gets hard. She'd already lost her parents at a young age, then the two boys she'd felt were her new family. She needs people, very badly, and since with her powers she can't have them anymore, she truly doesn't see a reason to keep on living. After all, wouldn't ending her own life mean the world is better off?
And that's when Sett emerges from the wilderness, refusing to ever let her be alone again.
It's not romantic right now - not from Nina's end, anyway. She's way too caught up in other earth-shattering issues to even consider who she might want to kiss or spend her future with. She's still incredibly terrified that an accidental thought will cause harm to an innocent person who simply happens to be near her. She's living in constant, unquenchable fear.
Until...well, until Sett holds her in his arms - so happy to be seeing her again, no matter how horrific she must be smelling by this point - then brushes her hair out of her face, stares directly into her eyes, and tells her to do her worst. He can handle it. And if he can't, then that's fine, too. At least he died by her side.
Which is why I simply cannot fathom how this could ever swing back in Azure's favor. Yeah yeah there's tons of ground left to cover. And I know Azure has some big grand plan. He did what he could to save Nina's life while keeping his hold on his kingdom.
But...that's one of my objections. Part of his big grand plan right now appears to be taking over the entire world, which would make him more evil than the Galgadan empire who was seen as the enemy in the beginning. And Nina would never want that?? If he thinks this is somehow going to win her back - becoming an emperor who can protect her from all harm or whatever - it just...makes no sense. It's his own ambition and inability to think about what other people want or need.
(Not to mention that without Sett, Nina would've died long before Azure had a chance to finish carrying out all his big plots. What use is gaining the whole world if you lose someone that important in the process?)
Plus, while Azure was doing certain things to get her out of the country before the priestesses could make a move on her life, his refusal to look her in the eyes wasn't part of the act. Even if he says differently later on, there was real fear there. A part of him truly believed that she might be able to control or hurt him. He didn't trust her when it mattered most.
Whereas Sett tells Nina (a) if there's anything she wishes for, he'll do everything in his power to get it for her without needing to be compelled (b) he doesn't fear the god of death, so why would he fear the power of her eyes (c) if she truly has this power, then she can do what she wants with it. She doesn't have to let it control her.
So Nina slowly starts to believe that's possible. She doesn't have anyone who can train her how to use her powers, or even remotely how they work, but because she has someone steadfastly believing that she is good and that she doesn't have to cause harm - and in fact has done a whole lot of good thus far in her life - she begins to have faith in that herself.
And it works. She learns how to ask birds to search the city for someone, without limiting their freedom or their movements. She sorts through the strange things she can see of the world around her and is able to control fire enough to save people - with Sett's help, who trusts her implicitly and walks through a wall of flames to be by her side, with her shielding him. She learns that she can be around people again, and it makes her so incredibly happy.
When Sett hugs her at the end of this volume, after he sees her finally skipping along again and smiling like she always used to do...ugh. I love it. I love how he loves her, and how far he's come in learning how to display that love. He's never asking anything of her: he'd like an answer and a return of his feelings, but he's willing to spend his entire life by Nina's side, patiently waiting to hear whatever answer she has.
He's a bit of a weirdo, and I adore that he does things like wandering off and losing his horse and his bags of money, or picturing birds with their wings around each other when he tries to figure out how to show affection. He's like this beast Nina has accidentally tamed with her kindness and optimism, and how do you not love that dynamic.
Plus I was very pleasantly surprised that he showed no jealousy when Nina unexpectedly reunited with Sagi, the boy who'd betrayed her and sold her to Azure. There's a lot that's left off the page, or shown in textless montages, where you can tell that Sett and Nina spend a lot of time just talking to each other - making plans, communicating really well, and being utterly comfortable with each other. In their first exchange after Nina runs into Sagi, it's clear that she's already told Sett the whole story.
I wasn't expecting Nina to ever see Sagi again, but I liked that she was able to resolve something so hurtful from her past, and to believe that he had valued her, and he did regret what he'd done.
And in the process, she somehow befriended the little princess of the kingdom they're currently in...which is a very Nina thing to do.
The next volume looks like it'll bring Sol back into the story, since he's escorting Fortna's true prince to Starbia, and Nina is on her way to the castle. I'm looking forward to that, and desperately hoping Nina doesn't try to do anything like send Sett back to his own kingdom. Not that I believe he'd go? But if Nina truly pushed it, I suppose he would.
The other thing about them...while Nina and Azure share the backstory of being orphans who were pulled into a secret royal role they had to live up to, Nina and Sett share something on a whole different emotional level. They know what it's like to have immense, horrifically destructive power...and how hard it is to fight back those natural instincts that were built into them.
Sett understands what it's like to be terrified of hurting people around him - particularly the one he cares for most.
He shut himself down so he would never be in danger of hurting Nina again. But he was aware of her by his side the entire time, and when she said her farewells to him - crying - he realized that locking himself away wouldn't keep her from being hurt. While he might hurt her again in the future, no matter how hard he tries to keep her happy and safe, the rest of the world has its ways of harming her, too.
So there's no sense in keeping himself away from her, where he can't do anything to protect her or help shoulder her burdens. She taught him what it was like to care for someone, and now he's returning the favor. And he tells her all of this! She doesn't have to read his mind or guess at his motivations. He tells her, openly and honestly, how he feels and how he will support her, and gives her the freedom to live her own life and make decisions for herself, knowing he'll be there regardless.
If that's not love, I don't know what is.
And I hope that eventually Nina will be confident enough in herself and her own destiny to decide that keeping him by her side is something that will make her very happy indeed.
January 1, 2025
first read of the year goes to a josei fantasy/romance manga binge following right after i finished watching season1 of the anime adaptation. at the time of writing this review i read ch1-60.
i had the strangest experience with this series because i didn't like my initial introduction to it, which was the anime. i think it got a rather lazy adaptation that has jarring pacing and sloppy animation more than not. i knew that this series was in the josei category so i was expecting a more mature narrative, but it surprisingly came off rather juvenile and skin-deep at many parts, especially in the first half. there are some really heavy bits that i felt the story rushed over more casually than i wanted it to. either way i continued, then the anime season ended on a cliffhanger i just could not resist following up on so i ended up reading the manga.
what i gathered is that the manga art is actually a lot better than the anime, even though the pacing is still jarringly fast and jumpy, especially at the beginning parts. it gets better as the series progresses and i believe that overall it's a lot better to experience this story through the original source material manga format than the anime.
i thought that the main setting in a fictional, fantastical kingdom was great. a lot of work and detailing goes into how these kingdoms look, their customs, their relations, which is very enjoyable. there is political tension and intrigue which is good, but in the beginning it felt a bit shallow and hurried. most of it gets better executed in later parts of the series, so i think the mangaka became better at laying out all the politicking as the series went.
the main female protagonist, Nina, is an orphan girl who gets sold to royalty, being forced into faking the identity of a dead priestess/princess of the kingdom Fortna. the first main love interest is prince Azure, the very man who bought Nina. i don't have any problem with this premise but i didn't really like how fast the writer made them fall in love. additionally, even though Nina is just a fake princess, to all the outsiders as the princess she is supposed to be blood-related to Azure who is the princess' brother. because of this i wasn't really vibing with this romance, no offense even as a fake connection i just don't like sis/bro elements of any kind.
then we get introduced to the second male lead, Sett, the crown prince of an enemy kingdom who they want to appease into peace by an arranged marriage to Nina. i think i get the vision the mangaka had with Sett's initially cruel character but yet again i didn't really like the execution in the first half. it just felt juvenile the way the story was throwing all these cruelties in my face just to signal that he's sooo bad.. only to be remedied in a single chapter when we get his backstory. his backstory does actually give explanation as to why he's the way he is and his emotional connection to Nina to me was a lot more intriguing than Azure's. it has a lot more gradual pace and i'm always a sucker for the emotionless character going full vulnerable for their love interest trope.
alas, we have a love triangle on our hands, which is always a fine time if handled well. which i don't think this series achieves at all times, but there are more hits than misses. i think it suffers a lot to me personally because how fast Nina and Azure fell in love and then departed from each other. since i don't really feel that first connection, the triangle became a lot more one-sided for me. which is a pity because i'm pretty sure i'm invested and rooting for the guy that won't get the girl by the end. which is fine, wouldn't be the first time. i just don't particularly enjoy how the main girl handles these two connections. she's fickle and rather inconsiderate at times. she'll promise forever to one guy then a chapter later she's in deep love with the other. for a while she acts rather ignorant about stringing these guys along while she's with one or the other. it gets remedied later on though, but choices are still not really made and her mind is just a jumble at most parts.
Nina, overall, reads like a very young brash girl. the series doesn't give an exact age but she is oftentimes childish and barges into dangerous situations in ways i just rolled my eyes at sometimes. despite all that i did like her and rooted for her while reading. i feel like that's something that can be said about this series as a whole - there are some flaws in execution i easily stumbled on, but it still has a lot of charm and heart to it so i ended up enjoying it regardless. this can be said about the cast of characters, the love triangle, the plot. it has its flaws but it's also obvious that a lot of work went into it and you'll end up appreciating it.
if you like fantasy kingdoms, royalty, political intrigue, a love triangle, dormant magical powers, not really dead dead gods, beautiful art and rooting for male leads you're not sure will get the girl by the end then you'll definitely enjoy this series. i do sound harsh and critical in my review but mostly only because i went into it with a lot of hype/high expectations and i'm overall more critical with more mature content. but at the end it's still a good story with an engaging cast you'll have a nice time with for sure. my rating would be somewhere around 3.5-3.75 stars.
i had the strangest experience with this series because i didn't like my initial introduction to it, which was the anime. i think it got a rather lazy adaptation that has jarring pacing and sloppy animation more than not. i knew that this series was in the josei category so i was expecting a more mature narrative, but it surprisingly came off rather juvenile and skin-deep at many parts, especially in the first half. there are some really heavy bits that i felt the story rushed over more casually than i wanted it to. either way i continued, then the anime season ended on a cliffhanger i just could not resist following up on so i ended up reading the manga.
what i gathered is that the manga art is actually a lot better than the anime, even though the pacing is still jarringly fast and jumpy, especially at the beginning parts. it gets better as the series progresses and i believe that overall it's a lot better to experience this story through the original source material manga format than the anime.
i thought that the main setting in a fictional, fantastical kingdom was great. a lot of work and detailing goes into how these kingdoms look, their customs, their relations, which is very enjoyable. there is political tension and intrigue which is good, but in the beginning it felt a bit shallow and hurried. most of it gets better executed in later parts of the series, so i think the mangaka became better at laying out all the politicking as the series went.
the main female protagonist, Nina, is an orphan girl who gets sold to royalty, being forced into faking the identity of a dead priestess/princess of the kingdom Fortna. the first main love interest is prince Azure, the very man who bought Nina. i don't have any problem with this premise but i didn't really like how fast the writer made them fall in love. additionally, even though Nina is just a fake princess, to all the outsiders as the princess she is supposed to be blood-related to Azure who is the princess' brother. because of this i wasn't really vibing with this romance, no offense even as a fake connection i just don't like sis/bro elements of any kind.
then we get introduced to the second male lead, Sett, the crown prince of an enemy kingdom who they want to appease into peace by an arranged marriage to Nina. i think i get the vision the mangaka had with Sett's initially cruel character but yet again i didn't really like the execution in the first half. it just felt juvenile the way the story was throwing all these cruelties in my face just to signal that he's sooo bad.. only to be remedied in a single chapter when we get his backstory. his backstory does actually give explanation as to why he's the way he is and his emotional connection to Nina to me was a lot more intriguing than Azure's. it has a lot more gradual pace and i'm always a sucker for the emotionless character going full vulnerable for their love interest trope.
alas, we have a love triangle on our hands, which is always a fine time if handled well. which i don't think this series achieves at all times, but there are more hits than misses. i think it suffers a lot to me personally because how fast Nina and Azure fell in love and then departed from each other. since i don't really feel that first connection, the triangle became a lot more one-sided for me. which is a pity because i'm pretty sure i'm invested and rooting for the guy that won't get the girl by the end. which is fine, wouldn't be the first time. i just don't particularly enjoy how the main girl handles these two connections. she's fickle and rather inconsiderate at times. she'll promise forever to one guy then a chapter later she's in deep love with the other. for a while she acts rather ignorant about stringing these guys along while she's with one or the other. it gets remedied later on though, but choices are still not really made and her mind is just a jumble at most parts.
Nina, overall, reads like a very young brash girl. the series doesn't give an exact age but she is oftentimes childish and barges into dangerous situations in ways i just rolled my eyes at sometimes. despite all that i did like her and rooted for her while reading. i feel like that's something that can be said about this series as a whole - there are some flaws in execution i easily stumbled on, but it still has a lot of charm and heart to it so i ended up enjoying it regardless. this can be said about the cast of characters, the love triangle, the plot. it has its flaws but it's also obvious that a lot of work went into it and you'll end up appreciating it.
if you like fantasy kingdoms, royalty, political intrigue, a love triangle, dormant magical powers, not really dead dead gods, beautiful art and rooting for male leads you're not sure will get the girl by the end then you'll definitely enjoy this series. i do sound harsh and critical in my review but mostly only because i went into it with a lot of hype/high expectations and i'm overall more critical with more mature content. but at the end it's still a good story with an engaging cast you'll have a nice time with for sure. my rating would be somewhere around 3.5-3.75 stars.
November 25, 2024
Finally a breath of fresh air
I'm so glad Sett is baaaaack and being the perfect support for Nina!
Haha I love how romantic Sett sounds. This is so refreshing after the previous volume... and he's even cracking jokes! ♡
I'm so glad Sett is baaaaack and being the perfect support for Nina!
Haha I love how romantic Sett sounds. This is so refreshing after the previous volume... and he's even cracking jokes! ♡
May 14, 2024
What a volume!!!
We saw a new side of Sett! New characters were introduced (I adore the same way as Miss Himea ^^ ), but also there was someone from Nina's past.
And the ending was a fire!!!!
We saw a new side of Sett! New characters were introduced (I adore the same way as Miss Himea ^^ ), but also there was someone from Nina's past.
And the ending was a fire!!!!
Read
July 13, 2024sett i missed you
December 29, 2024
Il n’y a pas à dire dès que Sett revient dans l’��quation, la série n’a plus rien à voir. Là où Azur a tendance à massacrer l’histoire, Sett l’élève.
C’est donc avec un immense bonheur que j’ai repris les routes aux côtés de Nina et Sett dans ce tome qui rompt avec les précédents puisque notre héroïne s’est rendue compte du pouvoir qu’elle portait, ou plutôt on l’a mis face au fait accompli en lui en révélant la dangerosité. La fraîcheur et la témérité de Nina l’ont poussée à fuir et vivre loin de tout le monde pour ne pas risquer la vie d’autres personnes, ce que Sett, enfin réveillé de sa léthargie, n’est pas prêt à accepter, lui qui a enfin réalisé ses sentiments et l’importance de Nina.
Oui, le scénario est un peu cousu de fil blanc. Oui, les sentiments sont superficiellement traités et écrits par l’autrice. Oui, on est dans une fantasy bien moins intense et fouillée que Basara et Yona, à qui je la compare souvent mais dès qu’on casse ce stupide triangle amoureux pour s’intéresser aux vrais héros écrits et construits de l’histoire, c’est déjà bien mieux ! Et c’est ce que fait l’autrice ici en redonnant vie à ce duo si réussi. Quand Nina est avec Sett, elle est elle-même, forte et fragile à la fois, mais surtout téméraire et altruiste, là où elle devait trop gaga et molle avec Azur. Quand Sett est avec Nina, il met un peu de douceur dans sa noirceur et avance sur le chemin de la rédemption, ce qui lui donne une aura solaire. C’est comme le Soleil éclairant la Lune.
J’ai donc adoré les retrouver ensemble avec un Sett qui redonne espoir à Nina et l’aide à se trouver une nouvelle trajectoire : maîtriser son pouvoir et non le fuir. Ensemble, ils vont repartir sur les routes. Si l’autrice conte cela un peu trop rapide, faisant penser que c’est facile, au moins on avance et une nouvelle séquence se propose vite à eux. Ils arrivent à Starvia, la ville des eaux, une magnifique cité, dont on découvre le fonctionnement avec une petite fille de riche, qui investit dans les entreprises pour les faire proliférer et s’enrichir. Bien sûr, comme toujours, nos héros vont se faire prendre dans une affaire d’injustice où ils vont devoir intervenir, cette fois pour aider un ancien ami de Nina. C’est mignon, plein de bons sentiments et surtout ça redonne confiance à Nina, la remettant sur la bonne voie. Et ça redonne peu à peu, en douceur, sa place à ce duo chéri qu’elle forme avec Sett, qui l’épaule à merveille, sans en faire trop.
Rien de spectaculaire mais un joli virage bien amorcé où l’autrice a compris sur quels personnages elle pouvait réellement s’appuyer pour faire vivre et enrichir son récit. Cela reste écrit avec beaucoup de raccourcis et facilités, mais les bons sentiments font chaud au coeur. On aime revoir cette héroïne entreprenante, fonceuse et altruiste qu’on aime. On apprécie de la voir prendre en main sa destinée et non la subir. Et que dire du retour sur le devant de la scène de Sett ? J’aime tellement ce personnage ! J’espère que cela augure d’une suite où il aura à nouveau toute sa place et où Azur restera en arrière avec ses manigances.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
C’est donc avec un immense bonheur que j’ai repris les routes aux côtés de Nina et Sett dans ce tome qui rompt avec les précédents puisque notre héroïne s’est rendue compte du pouvoir qu’elle portait, ou plutôt on l’a mis face au fait accompli en lui en révélant la dangerosité. La fraîcheur et la témérité de Nina l’ont poussée à fuir et vivre loin de tout le monde pour ne pas risquer la vie d’autres personnes, ce que Sett, enfin réveillé de sa léthargie, n’est pas prêt à accepter, lui qui a enfin réalisé ses sentiments et l’importance de Nina.
Oui, le scénario est un peu cousu de fil blanc. Oui, les sentiments sont superficiellement traités et écrits par l’autrice. Oui, on est dans une fantasy bien moins intense et fouillée que Basara et Yona, à qui je la compare souvent mais dès qu’on casse ce stupide triangle amoureux pour s’intéresser aux vrais héros écrits et construits de l’histoire, c’est déjà bien mieux ! Et c’est ce que fait l’autrice ici en redonnant vie à ce duo si réussi. Quand Nina est avec Sett, elle est elle-même, forte et fragile à la fois, mais surtout téméraire et altruiste, là où elle devait trop gaga et molle avec Azur. Quand Sett est avec Nina, il met un peu de douceur dans sa noirceur et avance sur le chemin de la rédemption, ce qui lui donne une aura solaire. C’est comme le Soleil éclairant la Lune.
J’ai donc adoré les retrouver ensemble avec un Sett qui redonne espoir à Nina et l’aide à se trouver une nouvelle trajectoire : maîtriser son pouvoir et non le fuir. Ensemble, ils vont repartir sur les routes. Si l’autrice conte cela un peu trop rapide, faisant penser que c’est facile, au moins on avance et une nouvelle séquence se propose vite à eux. Ils arrivent à Starvia, la ville des eaux, une magnifique cité, dont on découvre le fonctionnement avec une petite fille de riche, qui investit dans les entreprises pour les faire proliférer et s’enrichir. Bien sûr, comme toujours, nos héros vont se faire prendre dans une affaire d’injustice où ils vont devoir intervenir, cette fois pour aider un ancien ami de Nina. C’est mignon, plein de bons sentiments et surtout ça redonne confiance à Nina, la remettant sur la bonne voie. Et ça redonne peu à peu, en douceur, sa place à ce duo chéri qu’elle forme avec Sett, qui l’épaule à merveille, sans en faire trop.
Rien de spectaculaire mais un joli virage bien amorcé où l’autrice a compris sur quels personnages elle pouvait réellement s’appuyer pour faire vivre et enrichir son récit. Cela reste écrit avec beaucoup de raccourcis et facilités, mais les bons sentiments font chaud au coeur. On aime revoir cette héroïne entreprenante, fonceuse et altruiste qu’on aime. On apprécie de la voir prendre en main sa destinée et non la subir. Et que dire du retour sur le devant de la scène de Sett ? J’aime tellement ce personnage ! J’espère que cela augure d’une suite où il aura à nouveau toute sa place et où Azur restera en arrière avec ses manigances.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
December 12, 2025
Han pasado tres meses desde que Nina escapó de la muerte por suplantar a la auténtica princesa de Fortna y se alejó de cualquier ser vivo para evitar con ello el hacerle daño a alguien con su poder de las estrellas, el cual no controla. Sucia, delgada hasta el extremo por la práctica inanición, Nina vagabundea por el bosque sin desear nada hasta que, un día, aparece el príncipe Sett, el cual partió de Fortna para buscarla. Queriendo alejar a Sett de ella, Nina intenta apartarlo sin cesar y bajo mil pretextos, pero Sett está más que dispuesto a quedarse a su lado y ser quien cumpla todos sus deseos.
Finalmente, aceptando el apoyo y cariño de Sett, rindiéndose a él, Nina y el príncipe comienzan a viajar juntos en compañía de Nyna, la fiel ave de Sett, hasta llegar a Starbia, ya que lo que quiere el príncipe de Galgada es volver a su país en compañía de Nina y necesitan ir a Starbia para coger un barco que los lleve hasta allí.
Pero una vez en Starbia, las cosas se complican. Y es que Nina, mientras Sett marcha a comprar suministros, ve que han robado a una niña e interviene, haciendo que terminen perdiendo ellos todas sus pertenencias, aunque logra devolverle a la muchachita el paquete que le habían sustraído y en donde llevaba todos su dinero. La chiquilla, que se llama Himea, como agradecimiento, los ayuda a conseguir albergue en casa de uno de sus clientes. Será allí donde Nina tendrá un reencuentro inesperado con alguien de su pasado.
Manteniendo ese tono serio y oscuro que caracteriza la obra, sin abusar demasiado de ello y mezclándolo con otros momentos más dulces y lleno de esperanza y amor, Nina del reino de las estrellas vol. 12 nos lleva a un nuevo escenario en el que Nina y Sett volverán a acercarse a la vez que Nina debe ganar nuevamente confianza en sí misma.
Podéis leer la reseña completa en mi blog:
https://unabibliotecaentremundos.blog...
Finalmente, aceptando el apoyo y cariño de Sett, rindiéndose a él, Nina y el príncipe comienzan a viajar juntos en compañía de Nyna, la fiel ave de Sett, hasta llegar a Starbia, ya que lo que quiere el príncipe de Galgada es volver a su país en compañía de Nina y necesitan ir a Starbia para coger un barco que los lleve hasta allí.
Pero una vez en Starbia, las cosas se complican. Y es que Nina, mientras Sett marcha a comprar suministros, ve que han robado a una niña e interviene, haciendo que terminen perdiendo ellos todas sus pertenencias, aunque logra devolverle a la muchachita el paquete que le habían sustraído y en donde llevaba todos su dinero. La chiquilla, que se llama Himea, como agradecimiento, los ayuda a conseguir albergue en casa de uno de sus clientes. Será allí donde Nina tendrá un reencuentro inesperado con alguien de su pasado.
Manteniendo ese tono serio y oscuro que caracteriza la obra, sin abusar demasiado de ello y mezclándolo con otros momentos más dulces y lleno de esperanza y amor, Nina del reino de las estrellas vol. 12 nos lleva a un nuevo escenario en el que Nina y Sett volverán a acercarse a la vez que Nina debe ganar nuevamente confianza en sí misma.
Podéis leer la reseña completa en mi blog:
https://unabibliotecaentremundos.blog...
April 9, 2025
En este volumen por fin hemos podido volver a la ver a la verdadera Nina, aquella que actúa antes de pensar y no duda a la hora de ayudar a cualquiera que lo necesite. Ha sido muy reconfortante leer el reencuentro entre Sett y Nina. Ambos pensaban que eran los causantes de las desgracias de las personas de su alrededor, pero en este arco están aprendiendo uno del otro. El paralelismo entre la situación en la que está ahora nuestra protagonista con el encierro de Sett en el arco anterior y cómo se apoyan mutuamente en cada una de esas situaciones nos acerca a un tipo de relación mucho más profunda a la que tiene Nina con Azu.
Pd: SETT YO SIEMPRE TE APOYÉ CORAZÓN, PARA MÍ SIEMPRE HAS SIDO EL ML
Pd: SETT YO SIEMPRE TE APOYÉ CORAZÓN, PARA MÍ SIEMPRE HAS SIDO EL ML
January 28, 2025
Amitié volontaire
Nina a disparu dans la forêt, et finalement, c’est ce qu’elle souhaite. Ne plus être vue, ne plus influencer les gens qui comptent pour elle.
Mais Sett es déterminé. Il ne laissera plus Nina toute seule et il se jure de l’aider.
Lors de leurs retrouvailles, Sett promet à Nina son amitié, lui jurant que celle-ci est totalement volontaire. C’est donc un nouvel équilibre qui se crée, et donc de nouvelles aventures.
Ces dernières s’intensifient lorsque les deux amis se retrouvent dans une nouvelle ville. Des gens. Beaucoup de gens se retrouvent autour de Nina et elle ne veut pas voir, ni eux, ni certains fantômes du passé…mais elle peut compter sur Sett.
Azur, lui, semble préparer quelque chose…mais quoi?
Je suis toujours aussi amoureuse de cette série!
Les planches sont magnifiques, alternant entre plans serrés et plans larges bucoliques. Un véritable travail d’artiste.
Les personnages et leurs complexités se développent et on en demande toujours plus!
Nina a disparu dans la forêt, et finalement, c’est ce qu’elle souhaite. Ne plus être vue, ne plus influencer les gens qui comptent pour elle.
Mais Sett es déterminé. Il ne laissera plus Nina toute seule et il se jure de l’aider.
Lors de leurs retrouvailles, Sett promet à Nina son amitié, lui jurant que celle-ci est totalement volontaire. C’est donc un nouvel équilibre qui se crée, et donc de nouvelles aventures.
Ces dernières s’intensifient lorsque les deux amis se retrouvent dans une nouvelle ville. Des gens. Beaucoup de gens se retrouvent autour de Nina et elle ne veut pas voir, ni eux, ni certains fantômes du passé…mais elle peut compter sur Sett.
Azur, lui, semble préparer quelque chose…mais quoi?
Je suis toujours aussi amoureuse de cette série!
Les planches sont magnifiques, alternant entre plans serrés et plans larges bucoliques. Un véritable travail d’artiste.
Les personnages et leurs complexités se développent et on en demande toujours plus!
March 4, 2025
Ich war schon immer Team Seto, aber mit diesem Band hat es sich nun für immer etabliert. Wie er Nina zur Seite steht und sie wieder aufbaut, ist einfach nur wunderschön. Die beiden reisen in ein weiteres Königreich, lernen dort die Umstände kennen und Nina läuft auch ihrem alten Freund über den Weg. Sie hat immer noch Angst vor ihren Kräften, aber mit Setos Hilfe scheint sie sich ihnen immer mehr zu öffnen und sich selbst zu vertrauen. Auch die Probleme, die auf sie zukommen und die sie meistert, helfen ihr dabei. Außerdem schließt sie neue Freundschaften und es scheint, dass sie bald auf bekannte Gesichter treffen wird. Auf jeden Fall ein super Band für Ninas Charakterentwicklung und ihre Beziehung zu Seto. Was in Fortuna abgeht und wie Azur sich verhält und seine Vorhaben, god, ich weiß nicht, was das soll. Irgendwie habe ich das Gefühl, dass diese Alicia damit was zu tun hat .. Ich bin gespannt.
March 24, 2025
Ho trovato molto sorprendente il fatto che Sett si sia ripreso completamente e dolce che sia corso subito a cercarla e abbracciata e consolata una volta trovata. Sono rimasta sconvolta dal fatto che abbia rincontrato Saji la sua famiglia che l’ha venduta ma lei non porta rancore e lui le chiede scusa per ciò che ha fatto ed è pentito. Con il suo potere che riesce finalmente a gestire Nina salva Saji e Himea Rim principessa di Starbian. Come immaginavo Alisha rivela la sua oscurità e cattiveria quindi quella che porta e crea caos è lei ma si nasconde bene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
Damn. Je crois bien que c’est l’un de mes tomes préférés de la série. Le glow up des personnages est incroyable, et l’histoire prend une tournure vraiment captivante, presque sombre.
Je n’ai jamais été aussi tiraillé entre deux personnages. Impossible de choisir. C’est un vrai supplice. À chaque fois que je me décide entre Sett et Azur, ils trouvent un moyen de me faire douter, et je redeviens incapable de trancher.
C’est terrible. Lisez cette série.
Je n’ai jamais été aussi tiraillé entre deux personnages. Impossible de choisir. C’est un vrai supplice. À chaque fois que je me décide entre Sett et Azur, ils trouvent un moyen de me faire douter, et je redeviens incapable de trancher.
C’est terrible. Lisez cette série.
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