I really enjoyed the previous volume, but I feel this volume restored my hype for the series!! (Also, that is NOT to say I disliked it or "it fell off," just that the previous volume wasn't quite as exciting as the previous volumes or this one!)
THAT TWIST AT THE END!!
And goodness, even before that, because um, hello, Francesca is already ENGAGED?!
I admire how she is keeping her cool about this whole situation because I'm annoyed that one of the dons is simply ignoring whatever she may want purely because they are dealing with Leonardo. Like, yeah, I get it, he's a bad guy, and it SEEMS he's done a bunch of bad stuff, but where is your proof??? Francesca's father better be reading between the lines and seeking his daughter's thoughts/opinions on all this because I will be deeply disappointed in him otherwise!
Though I really, really hope that Francesca can see that she sure is doing A LOT for a supposed friend when she is engaged. LOL! I mean, it's part of her charm in how naive she is, but I would LOVE to see her acknowledge those moments when her heart skips a beat and that a friend wouldn't feel that kind of doki doki for another friend…
The art was beautiful, and the translation was just as wonderful as previous volumes! Lots of cute moments where Leonardo is very obviously making it known how he genuinely cares for Francesca (and her adamant he's just acting like a friend LOL). The short story definitely had me squealing!
I am SO bummed there is not a volume five preorder because I NEED the next volume! Though I'm hoping, based on the Japanese cover of volume five, that everyone is okay...
Recap: wakes up, she is a major lightweight, promises of another date, meeting with another guy and their parents scheme to break her engagement so they can form an alliance, Leo shows up and gives an ultimatum, ending.
Francesca's obliviousness will probably grate on me eventually, but for now I'm enjoying the story.
It's the author's character type, at least in both series I've read so far: female lead who's brave and brilliant and optimistic and clever about everything, except for having an emotional/romantic intelligence level of approximately -100; and a male lead who's a dark and broody villain due to terrible life circumstances and who has to abandon his evil plans to figure out how to make his fiancee understand that he likes her.
Francesca feels younger than Amekawa's other heroine (fair, she's only on her 2nd life instead of her 7th), and has lived an incredibly sheltered life both in her original world and her reincarnated one, so I guess there's a certain element where it can make sense. But still, I'd like her emotional maturity to improve a little bit, when the rest of her is so interesting.
I haven't read the light novels yet; the next volume sounds like it'll be wrapping up the first novel's plotline, so we'll discover the drug-running villain and probably unveil the next big hurdle. I have some guesses based on how this volume ended but am curious - if that's correct - how that would impact everyone seeing Leonardo as The Big Bad.
The final mystery seems like it'll probably be about what happened to Leonardo's family, since all these grown men running their big crime families have somehow all convinced each other that a 10 year old knocked off his own dad and brother...rather than that being attributed to a rival family. So maybe everyone is kind of oblivious in their own ways.
I continue to think the whole mafia element is kind of silly, particularly with dialogue about how they're all villains but some of them have honor. Although...that's a more accurate depiction of those in power, I guess. It's not like the "nobility" has ever been all that noble. In which case I guess it just seems pointless to me for any of these families to be called mafia at all...
Anyway, the pace was excellent in this volume, with Leonardo being oddly heroic in his put-on villainy, and Francesca seeing right through it and chasing after him to ask what it is he really wants. I like that Leonardo, having developed some true feelings for Francesca, is now attempting to save her future by releasing her from her engagement. And Francesca, who'd wanted that from the beginning, is reluctant to let Leonardo go now that she's getting to know him better.
(I do still wish she could make some other friends, including female ones. It'll be unfortunate and deeply unfair to her if the entire series concludes with Leonardo remaining her only connection.)
I was also surprised by how much I liked Riccardo. Love that he's horrified at the idea of ever being engaged to Francesca, but is falling easily into a genuine friendship with her.
Not a lot actually happened in this volume. Francesca realizes that the storyline she's living out is still somehow following the story in the video game she played in her previous life. They're no closer to figuring out who is behind the chaos that happened at the party, even with Riccardo's help. They scheme to break off the engagement and Leonardo plays the villain with Francesca chasing after him later to tell him that she knows he's hiding whatever true reason it is that he has strong armed her family and Riccardo's into giving away trade routes and lands to end her engagement with him.
Honestly, I'm starting to get fed up with Leonardo. He doesn't trust Francesca with anything and keeps everything close to the chest. And Francesca's obliviousness is bothersome. I have a huge problem with the written chapters, the bonus stories, at the end of the manga. If possible, the stories at the end of each manga make Francesca even more naïve and Leonardo comes off pretty toxic in this one telling her that she can't be friends with other boys but she's reading it as some men might take advantage of her friendship to try and form a relationship with her that might be nefarious.
The only thing redeeming in this manga was proof that Leonardo is developing feelings for her, him taking care of Francesca's foot going so far as to reveal one of his other powers to her just to take care of her. And warning her away from him.
Francesca and Riccardo and their fathers have a meeting about Francesca's engagement to Leonardo. Riccardo is struggling to find the culprit in charge of an illegal drug ring and to impress his father. Francesca is also struggling with this mystery and works together with Riccardo. She doesn't believe Leonardo is the head of the drug ring or the true villain of the game, but everyone keeps making him into the scapegoat and pointing fingers.
The artwork continues to be gorgeous and expressive. I liked this volume and the small amount of progress made on her growing friendship with Leonardo. Based on the ending and cliffhanger, volume 5 might be a doozy.
This is turning into a mystery? I’m glad that the second male lead (the uptight one that looks like Draco Malfoy) isn’t interested in the protagonist romantically at all- but I do hope they become friends. That being said I’m getting weird vibes from the brother _:(´ཀ`」 ∠): and I still don’t like Leonardo (but it’s because he’s not being straightforward- all of this could be solved if there was just some communication). I like this unexpected turn of finding the true mastermind and I’m curious to find out- my bet is on the royal family being involved. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
I generally like it, though I find the fact that they’re all openly criminals to be kind of weird. Normally that’s not something you bluntly say about yourself, and somehow they are also trusted pillars of the country. They do have legit businesses, so I’m curious what their criminal activities are exactly. I find the mystery part a little wearying, and I wonder if someone else is also a transmigrator…
Each volume is pretty short without much story advancement. This doesn’t bode well for getting through this arc in the next few volumes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Much better than the last two. We get some real development from our male lead. Extremely interesting back story for him. We get more interesting story with much less information dumping. I am interested in seeing how this story ends up playing out. I want the male lead to be yandere but I don't think he is at all anymore. I love her father, such a great dad. Who is the one that is the Villain, I want to know so much.
This volume was so good once again, however the cliff hanger was especially brutal. So much happened in this volume. This was another great volume and I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one.
Series continues to be a winner but this volume was so short! I don't feel like enough development happened in this volume.... I'll still keep reading though lol!
I like how the characters keep progressing and changing. I don’t like the cliffhangers and having to wait for the next book. Please finish the next book soon!!!!