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絶対死なないステラ姫 [Stella Must Die] #1
Stella Must Die 1
176 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 17, 2026
Este manga es el sueño que no sabía que tenía: una mezcla estrambótica entre Parasyte, El Exorcista, Cenicienta y Alicia en el País de las Maravillas. 🪱
Siendo sincera, maybe, esperaba algo mucho más ligero por el arte, pero terminé enamorada de lo bizarro de la historia (especialmente si lo piensas mucho). Tiene ese toque sutil de body horror, el drama familiar de un cuento de hadas retorcido y la atmósfera extraña de no entender nada de lo que pasa, pero que aun así te fascina, muy al estilo de Alicia.
Este manga es una experiencia visualmente atractiva y muy original. Sinceramente, es una joyita oculta que jamás habría descubierto sin NetGalley
¡Necesito el segundo volumen para ayer!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Siendo sincera, maybe, esperaba algo mucho más ligero por el arte, pero terminé enamorada de lo bizarro de la historia (especialmente si lo piensas mucho). Tiene ese toque sutil de body horror, el drama familiar de un cuento de hadas retorcido y la atmósfera extraña de no entender nada de lo que pasa, pero que aun así te fascina, muy al estilo de Alicia.
Este manga es una experiencia visualmente atractiva y muy original. Sinceramente, es una joyita oculta que jamás habría descubierto sin NetGalley
¡Necesito el segundo volumen para ayer!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2026
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
If this isn’t the nadir of the isekai genre, I genuinely do not know what sort of reincarnation could possibly make me less interested in reading than this one does. Maybe sentient dysentery?
Princess Stella is sole heir to the kingdom of Hillvalley (a wasted name since we get not a single Back to the Future reference). This means her scheming stepsister and stepbrother just need to bump her off to inherit everything.
Immediately cracks begin to form in this scenario that make it impossible to take seriously. These siblings do their plotting and, for literally no reason, feel the need to wear masquerade masks to come up with these evil deeds. It is the two of them talking alone, helpfully making up undoubtedly the smallest secret society ever.
Then, people who are on Stella’s side start dying in a series of rapid smash cuts that do not appear to be meant as comedic, given Stella’s distress, but sure come off that way with how they’re presented. The gore here is hysterically over the top.
It’s all leading to the revelation that Stella is oddly impossible to kill, yet another idea that could have been mined for some great laughs. But instead hides the revelation that this is an isekai about a Japanese man being reincarnated as a tapeworm living in Stella’s large intestine.
As we process this information, digest it, if you will, please be aware that this story takes itself way too seriously for any of that to work. Minus the blurb that mentions this is for fans of Parasyte, it might have been nice to know what we were in for (as a friend of mine accurately pointed out).
Now we have a tapeworm that shoots tentacle threads everywhere to attack and begins to manipulate Stella’s mind and body, all while claiming that she’s definitely in charge here.
We also get some truly hideous imagery of this one-eyed worm thing reading books after it has appeared from underneath Stella’s dress, via her butt, a concept so nasty it beggars belief.
The two come to form a team in time for even more tapeworms to show up, as if that would somehow compel the reader to check out the next volume. All of this is, again, being played completely without obvious humour.
Stripped of its gore and queasy premise, this is basically like every other isekai ever written: overpowered hero comes to save the day. That it’s probably the most visceral thing I’ve seen since Battle Royale is at least notable, but that manga had a point. This is just junk.
There are a couple reasons I didn’t give this my lowest rating. One, points for audacity; this makes a game attempt at being a manga. Two, people seem to still want isekai, so probably somebody will read this. Finally, I laughed a lot at this (rather than with it), so that counts for something.
2 stars - In fairness, I did not know what I was getting into. In other types of fairness, I would never have read this if I knew what it was about. I can see somebody liking this, but definitely they aren’t me.
If this isn’t the nadir of the isekai genre, I genuinely do not know what sort of reincarnation could possibly make me less interested in reading than this one does. Maybe sentient dysentery?
Princess Stella is sole heir to the kingdom of Hillvalley (a wasted name since we get not a single Back to the Future reference). This means her scheming stepsister and stepbrother just need to bump her off to inherit everything.
Immediately cracks begin to form in this scenario that make it impossible to take seriously. These siblings do their plotting and, for literally no reason, feel the need to wear masquerade masks to come up with these evil deeds. It is the two of them talking alone, helpfully making up undoubtedly the smallest secret society ever.
Then, people who are on Stella’s side start dying in a series of rapid smash cuts that do not appear to be meant as comedic, given Stella’s distress, but sure come off that way with how they’re presented. The gore here is hysterically over the top.
It’s all leading to the revelation that Stella is oddly impossible to kill, yet another idea that could have been mined for some great laughs. But instead hides the revelation that this is an isekai about a Japanese man being reincarnated as a tapeworm living in Stella’s large intestine.
As we process this information, digest it, if you will, please be aware that this story takes itself way too seriously for any of that to work. Minus the blurb that mentions this is for fans of Parasyte, it might have been nice to know what we were in for (as a friend of mine accurately pointed out).
Now we have a tapeworm that shoots tentacle threads everywhere to attack and begins to manipulate Stella’s mind and body, all while claiming that she’s definitely in charge here.
We also get some truly hideous imagery of this one-eyed worm thing reading books after it has appeared from underneath Stella’s dress, via her butt, a concept so nasty it beggars belief.
The two come to form a team in time for even more tapeworms to show up, as if that would somehow compel the reader to check out the next volume. All of this is, again, being played completely without obvious humour.
Stripped of its gore and queasy premise, this is basically like every other isekai ever written: overpowered hero comes to save the day. That it’s probably the most visceral thing I’ve seen since Battle Royale is at least notable, but that manga had a point. This is just junk.
There are a couple reasons I didn’t give this my lowest rating. One, points for audacity; this makes a game attempt at being a manga. Two, people seem to still want isekai, so probably somebody will read this. Finally, I laughed a lot at this (rather than with it), so that counts for something.
2 stars - In fairness, I did not know what I was getting into. In other types of fairness, I would never have read this if I knew what it was about. I can see somebody liking this, but definitely they aren’t me.
May 5, 2026
Upon the death of her father, Princess Stella must ascend the throne of the kingdom of Hillvalley. Almost immediately assassination attempts begin on her life, but unbeknownst to all, Stella has the most unlikely bodyguard ever.
The premise of this fantasy story is so ridiculous I have to admire it. I recommend going in without knowing what's going on and letting it all just wash over you in a big ludicrous wave.
Just be ready for some truly outlandish visuals.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. Can't Be Reborn -- Chapter 2. Can't Be Ambushed -- Chapter 3. Can't Be Shot Dead -- Translation Notes
The premise of this fantasy story is so ridiculous I have to admire it. I recommend going in without knowing what's going on and letting it all just wash over you in a big ludicrous wave.
Just be ready for some truly outlandish visuals.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. Can't Be Reborn -- Chapter 2. Can't Be Ambushed -- Chapter 3. Can't Be Shot Dead -- Translation Notes
May 11, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Kodansha Comics and Yasunori Mitsunaga for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for a review.
I was not expecting it at all! When the description said Parasyte meets Cinderella I did not expect THIS! But you know what, I sort of liked it. It’s original!
Stella must die it’s about a princess who just won’t seem to die, the irony. After losing their father, the king, Stella’s stepsister wastes no time in trying to kill her in order to seize the throne. But has I said she just won’t seem to die.
Once again I read this in less than a hour, enjoying to find out about Stella’s peculiar defence mechanism.
It come out on May 5 so check it out if you’re interested in a dystopian horror with satirical humor.
I was not expecting it at all! When the description said Parasyte meets Cinderella I did not expect THIS! But you know what, I sort of liked it. It’s original!
Stella must die it’s about a princess who just won’t seem to die, the irony. After losing their father, the king, Stella’s stepsister wastes no time in trying to kill her in order to seize the throne. But has I said she just won’t seem to die.
Once again I read this in less than a hour, enjoying to find out about Stella’s peculiar defence mechanism.
It come out on May 5 so check it out if you’re interested in a dystopian horror with satirical humor.
April 30, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley thank you ☺️
3.50 ⭐️
That eye 👁️🫣 It gave me goosebumps🫨
I enjoyed reading it; it was both strange and exciting. With horror and mystery it was really strange, but at the same time very interesting. I loved the art but I don't like hanging endings.😓
3.50 ⭐️
That eye 👁️🫣 It gave me goosebumps🫨
I enjoyed reading it; it was both strange and exciting. With horror and mystery it was really strange, but at the same time very interesting. I loved the art but I don't like hanging endings.😓
May 15, 2026
1.5
Oof. This was definitely not for me. Based on the blurb description, I was expecting more whimsy and perhaps political, class, or palace intrigue. And to be fair, the opening of this Manga had some quirky Gothic vibes I was into. But then it quickly changed to a horror-esque more sci-fi premise. And no thank you on all counts.
The illustrations couldn't even redeem this book for me. Some of the things going on with Stella's body were reminiscent of images from The Exorcist and Eraserhead; two of my least favorite films I've had the misfortune of watching. The action sequences were also so muddied that I couldn't tell what was happening unless the dialogue gave some clues.
The only reason I didn't DNF this was it fit a prompt in a monthly book challenge I'm in. Needless to say, despite this volume ending on a cliffhanger, I will not be continuing with this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Oof. This was definitely not for me. Based on the blurb description, I was expecting more whimsy and perhaps political, class, or palace intrigue. And to be fair, the opening of this Manga had some quirky Gothic vibes I was into. But then it quickly changed to a horror-esque more sci-fi premise. And no thank you on all counts.
The illustrations couldn't even redeem this book for me. Some of the things going on with Stella's body were reminiscent of images from The Exorcist and Eraserhead; two of my least favorite films I've had the misfortune of watching. The action sequences were also so muddied that I couldn't tell what was happening unless the dialogue gave some clues.
The only reason I didn't DNF this was it fit a prompt in a monthly book challenge I'm in. Needless to say, despite this volume ending on a cliffhanger, I will not be continuing with this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 5, 2026
2.5⭐
This manga just wasn't for me. I discovered a new fear, and that is ringworm. Although the idea of a creature keeping your body alive is cool, the fact that it was a ringworm grossed me out. Especially the scenes at the end just wasn't it for me. But I do believe that people that aren't grossed out by the idea will think this manga is fun. There is some fun humor and the plot at the end with the steph-siblings was something that surprised me.
Just.... keep away from the sh*tworm (it's own words, not mine)
This manga just wasn't for me. I discovered a new fear, and that is ringworm. Although the idea of a creature keeping your body alive is cool, the fact that it was a ringworm grossed me out. Especially the scenes at the end just wasn't it for me. But I do believe that people that aren't grossed out by the idea will think this manga is fun. There is some fun humor and the plot at the end with the steph-siblings was something that surprised me.
Just.... keep away from the sh*tworm (it's own words, not mine)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
What if you take Parasite (which I didn’t enjoy fully due to the art/silliness but I liked the idea) and throw in a princess who everyone wants to kill? You get this one! Meet Stella, her dad has just passed away and she is know the one to take over the kingdom + estate. As you may guess not everyone is happy with that and so we see how her stepsiblings try to get rid of her to gain control. Now that sounds like it should be easy, right? Poison? Accidental monster let loose in the castle? And sure everyone else who is affiliated with the princess dies (in gruesome very bad ways even). But Stella is just unkillable. And quite soon we figure out why. Because apparently our dear little Princess has a parasite in her, akin to Parasyte.
I really had a laugh when got to meet our parasite. And even harder because it is apparently someone isekai-ed given that he talks about him being a Japanese male. Can you imagine getting truck-kunned and then ending as a parasite in someone’s body? It must be hecking terrifying. But instead this guy is just leisurely figuring out what place he is. And then figuring out firstly what he is eating, and what to do about the hosts health (because you know if the host dies he dies and that would just suck) to him finding out he is in a princess/young girl and oh yes, someone is trying to kill her (and thus him). And so we go back to the first chapter again in which our princess eats without dying, well, let just say that it explains a lot on why the poison didn’t harm her. Go parasite! Or how that thing got defeated, and sorry, it was both horrifying and hilarious. I mean, he was just sticking out of something and using his host to fight that monster, I was just giggling. And terrified.
I do love that he is allowing his host to be his host. He wants her happy and in control. Not him. I have to say I didn’t entirely expect that as most books featuring this topic will go with the parasite taking over, so this was refreshing and I really loved the character of the parasite. He is even studying and learning so he can understand things better + get a better grasp of his surroundings.
While I am not a fan of the stepbrother and stepsister I did appreciate that the author added their POVs to the manga. We see their motives, see how at least the stepsister is both on the verge of going mad or just crying on the floor. They make for an interesting pair and I was curious how long they would keep up their efforts to kill Stella. And how far they would go (hint, very far).
The part with the assassin brigade? Oh my gosh. Best part of the book. Terrifying me. Making me giggle at the silliness of the assassins (and our parasite) and kinda want to warn them because hell is coming.
And I loved when the two of them were able to meet (how you ask, well read the manga). I am so happy the mangaka did this in volume 1 and not in later ones. The introductions are out of the way and now things can get really started!
But excuse me you cannot just end it on that cliffhanger. That is rude!
The art was fantastic. I really enjoyed the lighter scenes, the more humorous scenes (that one panel with him deciding that he needs to stay undetected and thus the princess as well and he is just sticking like a horror movie girl to the ceiling), to the scary scenes.
All in all, I wasn’t planning on writing such a long review, but this manga was just too fun. A dash dark. Fully capturing my attention. And I want more. If you want a fun manga featuring a princess and her companion parasite be sure to check this one out.
Review first posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
What if you take Parasite (which I didn’t enjoy fully due to the art/silliness but I liked the idea) and throw in a princess who everyone wants to kill? You get this one! Meet Stella, her dad has just passed away and she is know the one to take over the kingdom + estate. As you may guess not everyone is happy with that and so we see how her stepsiblings try to get rid of her to gain control. Now that sounds like it should be easy, right? Poison? Accidental monster let loose in the castle? And sure everyone else who is affiliated with the princess dies (in gruesome very bad ways even). But Stella is just unkillable. And quite soon we figure out why. Because apparently our dear little Princess has a parasite in her, akin to Parasyte.
I really had a laugh when got to meet our parasite. And even harder because it is apparently someone isekai-ed given that he talks about him being a Japanese male. Can you imagine getting truck-kunned and then ending as a parasite in someone’s body? It must be hecking terrifying. But instead this guy is just leisurely figuring out what place he is. And then figuring out firstly what he is eating, and what to do about the hosts health (because you know if the host dies he dies and that would just suck) to him finding out he is in a princess/young girl and oh yes, someone is trying to kill her (and thus him). And so we go back to the first chapter again in which our princess eats without dying, well, let just say that it explains a lot on why the poison didn’t harm her. Go parasite! Or how that thing got defeated, and sorry, it was both horrifying and hilarious. I mean, he was just sticking out of something and using his host to fight that monster, I was just giggling. And terrified.
I do love that he is allowing his host to be his host. He wants her happy and in control. Not him. I have to say I didn’t entirely expect that as most books featuring this topic will go with the parasite taking over, so this was refreshing and I really loved the character of the parasite. He is even studying and learning so he can understand things better + get a better grasp of his surroundings.
While I am not a fan of the stepbrother and stepsister I did appreciate that the author added their POVs to the manga. We see their motives, see how at least the stepsister is both on the verge of going mad or just crying on the floor. They make for an interesting pair and I was curious how long they would keep up their efforts to kill Stella. And how far they would go (hint, very far).
The part with the assassin brigade? Oh my gosh. Best part of the book. Terrifying me. Making me giggle at the silliness of the assassins (and our parasite) and kinda want to warn them because hell is coming.
And I loved when the two of them were able to meet (how you ask, well read the manga). I am so happy the mangaka did this in volume 1 and not in later ones. The introductions are out of the way and now things can get really started!
But excuse me you cannot just end it on that cliffhanger. That is rude!
The art was fantastic. I really enjoyed the lighter scenes, the more humorous scenes (that one panel with him deciding that he needs to stay undetected and thus the princess as well and he is just sticking like a horror movie girl to the ceiling), to the scary scenes.
All in all, I wasn’t planning on writing such a long review, but this manga was just too fun. A dash dark. Fully capturing my attention. And I want more. If you want a fun manga featuring a princess and her companion parasite be sure to check this one out.
Review first posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
May 11, 2026
As someone who enjoyed the Parasyte anime that was released in the 2010’s, the idea of a dark humor manga with a princess that is frequently targeted for murder and being protected by a parasite was interesting enough, and I came with a smile and enjoyed my time with this story. The premise is simple: two step siblings want to kill Princess Stella in order to control their kingdom. But they can’t kill her because a parasite is protecting her in secret. The ideas get more over the top as the story goes on, but she’s still alive. It’s almost like Migi was transported to a pre-industrial time period. The pacing was good, and I was reading the pages rather fast. The humor was really great as well, as I was grinning a lot during my read.
The art was pleasant to look at for the most part and the designs were somewhat distinct. Though I wonder if the masks of the stepsister was too similar to the Joker mask from Persona 5. Some of the images were a bit on the gory side (with graphic imagery of killed people) and some of the dark humor might not be great for some audiences. But the good news, it’s not a fan service fest and there’s nothing really sexually.
While I’m aware this is just the first three chapters, I thought some of the characters were a bit thin. Stella herself needed a little more of a character to work with.
I would definitely read more of this manga, especially as the volume ended on a cliffhanger!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kodansha. All opinions are my own.*
The art was pleasant to look at for the most part and the designs were somewhat distinct. Though I wonder if the masks of the stepsister was too similar to the Joker mask from Persona 5. Some of the images were a bit on the gory side (with graphic imagery of killed people) and some of the dark humor might not be great for some audiences. But the good news, it’s not a fan service fest and there’s nothing really sexually.
While I’m aware this is just the first three chapters, I thought some of the characters were a bit thin. Stella herself needed a little more of a character to work with.
I would definitely read more of this manga, especially as the volume ended on a cliffhanger!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kodansha. All opinions are my own.*
May 7, 2026
[𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒] – 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮
I wanted to sit down and review this one carefully after some digestion, yet the more I seem to digest it, the less I understand what the fuck I just read. At first glace, the cover is beautiful, and so is the art style in this manga, yet the narrative and the plot leave a lot of room for improvement. Coming from a manga that claims to be the right choice (and mildly influenced by) for the fans of Parasyte, I have to say that just because there is in fact one parasyte as a character, that means little to no comparison.
I felt genuinely so underwhelmed reading this, and had a hard time actually coming to terms with some of the plot choices. Whether you decide to call this one a main character or not, it still is, and this main character is (Heavily implied) to be a Japanese man who has reincarnated as... a tape worm inside the instestines of a princess? I knew isekais had their own stuff going on, but what the actual fuck? Not only this, but this tape worm gives this princess imense power, to the point that she just cannot seem to be killed. Sadly, when the title alluded to the fact that "Stella must die" but stimply won't, I was so hyped up. Little did I know it was a tape worm keeping her basically immortal. Some choices of event in this narrative are also very questionable, like when the tape worm has already gained conscience and pretty much will and a (para)body of its own and is seen reading a book while very obviously having come out of Stella's skirt (I am sure I don't need to explain where from).
HOWEVER, I do have to say that the way the manga ends left me quite curious, especially given that it is implied that Shit worm (yes, that's how this parasyte has named himself) is not the only conscious, overpowered tape worm, and that maybe there is a chance that Stella could potentially die. I will probably be googling how the next chapters play out, because reading it seems like wasting time trying to figure out whatever the heck this is.
I wanted to sit down and review this one carefully after some digestion, yet the more I seem to digest it, the less I understand what the fuck I just read. At first glace, the cover is beautiful, and so is the art style in this manga, yet the narrative and the plot leave a lot of room for improvement. Coming from a manga that claims to be the right choice (and mildly influenced by) for the fans of Parasyte, I have to say that just because there is in fact one parasyte as a character, that means little to no comparison.
I felt genuinely so underwhelmed reading this, and had a hard time actually coming to terms with some of the plot choices. Whether you decide to call this one a main character or not, it still is, and this main character is (Heavily implied) to be a Japanese man who has reincarnated as... a tape worm inside the instestines of a princess? I knew isekais had their own stuff going on, but what the actual fuck? Not only this, but this tape worm gives this princess imense power, to the point that she just cannot seem to be killed. Sadly, when the title alluded to the fact that "Stella must die" but stimply won't, I was so hyped up. Little did I know it was a tape worm keeping her basically immortal. Some choices of event in this narrative are also very questionable, like when the tape worm has already gained conscience and pretty much will and a (para)body of its own and is seen reading a book while very obviously having come out of Stella's skirt (I am sure I don't need to explain where from).
HOWEVER, I do have to say that the way the manga ends left me quite curious, especially given that it is implied that Shit worm (yes, that's how this parasyte has named himself) is not the only conscious, overpowered tape worm, and that maybe there is a chance that Stella could potentially die. I will probably be googling how the next chapters play out, because reading it seems like wasting time trying to figure out whatever the heck this is.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of the publication date!
This was a weird one :/
I wasn't sure what to expoect when the description said it was a Cinderella meets Parasyte story. I love Disney movies and I loved Parasyte so I thought this blend of genres/stories would be an interesting read.
We start off in the Hillvalley Kingdom as the King lies on his deathbed and we get an introduction to our main characters - Stella and her step siblings, Illusia and Saizel. The story revolves around Illusia and Saizels plot to kill Stella and take over the kingdom and how their attempts keep failing, with seemingly no obvious reason why.
SPOILERS:
Cutting to black we're introduced to another character we'll soon come to know as Gutty...a literal crap eating worm parasite that lives in Stella's body. We see the story unfold from the beginning but from Gutty's POV, showing us exactly how Stella was able to survive all the attempts on her life. One of the weirder things was how Gutty was originally coming out Stella's...hole...to see where he was going as he controlled her body - very glad they changed this to coming out of her mouth. While still weird, defintely better than before.
I enjoyed the comedy and the crass-ness of Gutty, calling himself a sh*t worm before Stella gives him a more appropriate name. I'm confused about why her step siublings have ended up the way they are and the switch from the older sister, Illusia, being our main master mind to Saizel was a tad weird.
That being said we're only 1 volume, 3 chapters in, so the story can still improve as the plot moves forward and characters develop. It was just a little awkward and didn't have much going on that pulling you in as a reader that makes you reach for volume 2. It feels like the story is going to wrap up fairly quickly unless they decide to have Stella leave her kingdom to help Gutty find out more about himself.
This was a weird one :/
I wasn't sure what to expoect when the description said it was a Cinderella meets Parasyte story. I love Disney movies and I loved Parasyte so I thought this blend of genres/stories would be an interesting read.
We start off in the Hillvalley Kingdom as the King lies on his deathbed and we get an introduction to our main characters - Stella and her step siblings, Illusia and Saizel. The story revolves around Illusia and Saizels plot to kill Stella and take over the kingdom and how their attempts keep failing, with seemingly no obvious reason why.
SPOILERS:
Cutting to black we're introduced to another character we'll soon come to know as Gutty...a literal crap eating worm parasite that lives in Stella's body. We see the story unfold from the beginning but from Gutty's POV, showing us exactly how Stella was able to survive all the attempts on her life. One of the weirder things was how Gutty was originally coming out Stella's...hole...to see where he was going as he controlled her body - very glad they changed this to coming out of her mouth. While still weird, defintely better than before.
I enjoyed the comedy and the crass-ness of Gutty, calling himself a sh*t worm before Stella gives him a more appropriate name. I'm confused about why her step siublings have ended up the way they are and the switch from the older sister, Illusia, being our main master mind to Saizel was a tad weird.
That being said we're only 1 volume, 3 chapters in, so the story can still improve as the plot moves forward and characters develop. It was just a little awkward and didn't have much going on that pulling you in as a reader that makes you reach for volume 2. It feels like the story is going to wrap up fairly quickly unless they decide to have Stella leave her kingdom to help Gutty find out more about himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Going into this, I thought it might scratch the same itch as Parasyte, but it didn’t quite land for me. The setup is interesting enough. After her father’s death, Princess Stella becomes heir to the kingdom, which immediately puts a target on her back. Her stepsiblings are more than ready to get rid of her, and people around her start dropping left and right in quick, chaotic bursts. But no matter what happens, Stella just… won’t die.
And then the story takes a turn.
This is basically an isekai where a Japanese man is reincarnated as a tapeworm living inside Stella. Yes. A tapeworm. He calls himself “shit worm” and proceeds to manipulate her body and surroundings with these thread-like attacks while insisting she’s still in control. It’s as bizarre as it sounds.
There are moments where the horror elements really go for it, especially with the imagery. Some of it is genuinely unsettling, especially when the worm shows up in full view. It definitely leans into body horror, but not always in a way that feels purposeful. Sometimes it just felt… strange for the sake of being strange.
The overall story feels a bit scattered. There are a lot of ideas being thrown at you quickly without much time to settle, and the tone jumps around in a way that made it hard to stay fully invested. Even the visual choices, like the masked siblings, felt random without much explanation. That said, the art itself is solid. The character designs stand out, and outside of the more grotesque moments, it’s generally pleasant to look at.
Overall, this was a weird one. It has a unique premise and some bold ideas, but the execution didn’t fully work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC.
And then the story takes a turn.
This is basically an isekai where a Japanese man is reincarnated as a tapeworm living inside Stella. Yes. A tapeworm. He calls himself “shit worm” and proceeds to manipulate her body and surroundings with these thread-like attacks while insisting she’s still in control. It’s as bizarre as it sounds.
There are moments where the horror elements really go for it, especially with the imagery. Some of it is genuinely unsettling, especially when the worm shows up in full view. It definitely leans into body horror, but not always in a way that feels purposeful. Sometimes it just felt… strange for the sake of being strange.
The overall story feels a bit scattered. There are a lot of ideas being thrown at you quickly without much time to settle, and the tone jumps around in a way that made it hard to stay fully invested. Even the visual choices, like the masked siblings, felt random without much explanation. That said, the art itself is solid. The character designs stand out, and outside of the more grotesque moments, it’s generally pleasant to look at.
Overall, this was a weird one. It has a unique premise and some bold ideas, but the execution didn’t fully work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
TLDR: Cinderella meets Parasyte meets Isekai(?)
A young, beautiful princess living almost in a fairy tale loses her father, the kingdom's ruler. Fortunately for her, she is not alone and her step-siblings will take care of her. Unfortunately, they intend to do so with murder.
(Skip the review if you do not want any spoilers about the 2nd half of the premise) But this story was luckily not written without our protagonist, a Japanese man - He protects the princess from poison, monsters and assassins. How? By being a parasite inside her anus, originally, and being capable of manipulating her body for her protection, because a dead princess equals a dead parasite.
If this description has captured your interest, I'd recommend giving it a try. In addition, the artstyle is nice, the moments of horror are well utilized and the relationships of the characters are interesting. Personally, I loved solving the plothole of having no loyal protectors by introducing and killing them immediately.
Enjoying the campy premise carries your reading experience, but I personally was a bit weirded out by the many times of mentioning feces and how the parasite initially used her body to interact with the outside world (for leftover questions, please read the premise above again).
Furthermore, I found it a bit disappointing that the parasite has a human mind, you know? If you already have a body-controlling and body-shaping monster, they are allowed to be a more unapproachable and scary? I fear that could limit the manga's storytelling for the future volumes.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC for an honest review.
A young, beautiful princess living almost in a fairy tale loses her father, the kingdom's ruler. Fortunately for her, she is not alone and her step-siblings will take care of her. Unfortunately, they intend to do so with murder.
(Skip the review if you do not want any spoilers about the 2nd half of the premise) But this story was luckily not written without our protagonist, a Japanese man - He protects the princess from poison, monsters and assassins. How? By being a parasite inside her anus, originally, and being capable of manipulating her body for her protection, because a dead princess equals a dead parasite.
If this description has captured your interest, I'd recommend giving it a try. In addition, the artstyle is nice, the moments of horror are well utilized and the relationships of the characters are interesting. Personally, I loved solving the plothole of having no loyal protectors by introducing and killing them immediately.
Enjoying the campy premise carries your reading experience, but I personally was a bit weirded out by the many times of mentioning feces and how the parasite initially used her body to interact with the outside world (for leftover questions, please read the premise above again).
Furthermore, I found it a bit disappointing that the parasite has a human mind, you know? If you already have a body-controlling and body-shaping monster, they are allowed to be a more unapproachable and scary? I fear that could limit the manga's storytelling for the future volumes.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC for an honest review.
May 20, 2026
Thank you Kodansha Comics for this ARC on NetGalley. I honestly don't think I've ever been so eager to continue a manga series before without being able to continue reading and bingeing the series. The cliffhanger ending makes me excited to continue the series as soon as possible, especially when the stakes are so high and the suspense is heightened.
The concept of a parasite, Gutty, having the ability to fight and the intelligence to think and strategize is very fun. It reminds me a little bit of Koro-Sensei from Assassination Classroom. It's a lot more gore-y and has a lot more profanity in it than AC, but I like that kind of blunt language from Gutty. I also really enjoy the whole Cinderella reimagining type of idea and the way it's contextually more deadly and less about political or relational motives. I'm intrigued to see how the step-brother becomes more antagonistic, especially when he has more of the qualities of a villain and the step-sister is more like a Disney villain. Her failure to kill our protagonist is more humorous, especially with Gutty’s monologue and hearing the step-sister’s inner thoughts as she wonders why the protagonist isn't dying. The step-brother has the potential to be an even greater villain and I'm interested to see if the father’s death is in any way connected to him and his lust/greed for power. He is the “younger brother” after all, so it wouldn't be surprising that he would go to great lengths to ensure he becomes king. Whether he will be successful or not remains unclear in this first volume, but I'm excited to see what happens next.
The concept of a parasite, Gutty, having the ability to fight and the intelligence to think and strategize is very fun. It reminds me a little bit of Koro-Sensei from Assassination Classroom. It's a lot more gore-y and has a lot more profanity in it than AC, but I like that kind of blunt language from Gutty. I also really enjoy the whole Cinderella reimagining type of idea and the way it's contextually more deadly and less about political or relational motives. I'm intrigued to see how the step-brother becomes more antagonistic, especially when he has more of the qualities of a villain and the step-sister is more like a Disney villain. Her failure to kill our protagonist is more humorous, especially with Gutty’s monologue and hearing the step-sister’s inner thoughts as she wonders why the protagonist isn't dying. The step-brother has the potential to be an even greater villain and I'm interested to see if the father’s death is in any way connected to him and his lust/greed for power. He is the “younger brother” after all, so it wouldn't be surprising that he would go to great lengths to ensure he becomes king. Whether he will be successful or not remains unclear in this first volume, but I'm excited to see what happens next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Have you ever thought "I really wonder what would happen if I took a medieval, potentially fantastical world setting with castles and guards and princesses and introduced an alien parasite from a modern world?" If so, this is the manga for you!
What a wild ride. I went in to this totally blind and was riding along, vibing with a princess who's father dies and has an evil step family typical story and then boom, alien parasite who thinks he's a modern Japanese man that now lives in the princess's gut and has taken personal responsibility for her physical and emotional well-being?
It was definitely an interesting take and I am invested in seeing exactly how this continues to develop. It definitely felt like if we took Parasyte and super imposed it in your basic fairy tale. The artwork was well done and flowed well with the story. Some of the character interaction was a little lacking for my personal tastes and to be completely honest, most of the star deduction was for the repeated was the parasite refers to himself as a sh*t worm. Listen - I'm a girl with a foul mouth but the way they just kept talking about eating sh*t and being sh*t was unappealing to me, and not in a "it adds to the atmosphere" kind of way - it was just ick. I think this could have really pushed in to a five star for me without that part and the way it continued to pull me out of the story.
Definitely looking forward to moving on in this one!!!
**I received a copy of the ARC from Netgalley in exchance for an honest review**
What a wild ride. I went in to this totally blind and was riding along, vibing with a princess who's father dies and has an evil step family typical story and then boom, alien parasite who thinks he's a modern Japanese man that now lives in the princess's gut and has taken personal responsibility for her physical and emotional well-being?
It was definitely an interesting take and I am invested in seeing exactly how this continues to develop. It definitely felt like if we took Parasyte and super imposed it in your basic fairy tale. The artwork was well done and flowed well with the story. Some of the character interaction was a little lacking for my personal tastes and to be completely honest, most of the star deduction was for the repeated was the parasite refers to himself as a sh*t worm. Listen - I'm a girl with a foul mouth but the way they just kept talking about eating sh*t and being sh*t was unappealing to me, and not in a "it adds to the atmosphere" kind of way - it was just ick. I think this could have really pushed in to a five star for me without that part and the way it continued to pull me out of the story.
Definitely looking forward to moving on in this one!!!
**I received a copy of the ARC from Netgalley in exchance for an honest review**
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The king of Hillvalley has passed away, leaving his only legitimate heir, Stella, in the care of his stepchildren, Saizel and Illusia. Stella’s stepsiblings are determined to see her dead so they can rule the kingdom alone but no matter what they try, Stella refuses to die.
Little did they know, there's a parasite lodged in Stella's large intestine that protects her from harm.
--
I’ll admit Stella Must Die (Volume 1) was not at all what I expected when I first picked it up. At first, it seemed like a typical royalty manga, with a slightly clichéd plot about scheming stepsiblings trying to eliminate the legitimate heir to claim the throne. But as I turned the pages, I was shocked by just how gory the panels had become with all these deaths present in the earlier chapters. And the revelation that a shitworm is living inside Stella’s body was actually just the cherry on top.
Although this volume is relatively short, it serves as a strong introduction to why Stella continually avoids the misfortunes her stepsiblings try to bestow upon her. The occasional random eye popping up here and there may be a little freaky at first, but it surprisingly grows on you, adding its own charm to the story. The combination of absurdity, gore, and royalty themes makes this a volume that’s oddly entertaining to read.
Thank you to Yasunori Mitsunaga, Kodansha Comics, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Stella Must Die (Volume 1) will be released on May 05, 2026.
Little did they know, there's a parasite lodged in Stella's large intestine that protects her from harm.
--
I’ll admit Stella Must Die (Volume 1) was not at all what I expected when I first picked it up. At first, it seemed like a typical royalty manga, with a slightly clichéd plot about scheming stepsiblings trying to eliminate the legitimate heir to claim the throne. But as I turned the pages, I was shocked by just how gory the panels had become with all these deaths present in the earlier chapters. And the revelation that a shitworm is living inside Stella’s body was actually just the cherry on top.
Although this volume is relatively short, it serves as a strong introduction to why Stella continually avoids the misfortunes her stepsiblings try to bestow upon her. The occasional random eye popping up here and there may be a little freaky at first, but it surprisingly grows on you, adding its own charm to the story. The combination of absurdity, gore, and royalty themes makes this a volume that’s oddly entertaining to read.
Thank you to Yasunori Mitsunaga, Kodansha Comics, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Stella Must Die (Volume 1) will be released on May 05, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an entertaining manga! I really enjoyed Stella Must Die. I liked our main character Stella and her step siblings Illusia and Saizel made for excellent antagonist. I don’t really feel that I got to know much about Stella in this first volume but I still strangely adored her and I’m very excited to see more of her in the next volumes. It was entertaining to see the step siblings try an array of methods to get rid of Stella, it was equally as funny and serious to the different methods and reactions. When things with the hidden protector is set up I felt a bit mixed at first, I wasn’t fond of those blacked out panels. It kind of felt a bit out of placed to me but once the story continued back to the usual style I enjoyed it more. I really liked how the hidden protector protected Stella, when it was trying to figure out this world and such it made for some really entertaining and funny moments. I also really liked its fight style, I found it to be unique and very intriguing. I’m excited to see where things go in the next volumes of Stella Must Die, I’m intrigued by these characters and I’m curious to see how the bond between Stella and her protector will develop. Things ended off pretty tense and on a major cliffhanger here and I need to know how things are going to proceed! The art style is so pretty too, I love the character designs, especially Stella’s she so cute! Thank you to the publisher for my complimentary review copy.
April 19, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Parasyte x Cinderella, but it feels more like a cheap rip-off rather than a fun mashup.
Pre-reading:
I liked Parasyte, and I like fairytale retellings, so I expect to like this!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
This is gorier than I expected, but I dig it.
Why is this the Hail Mary opening monologue lol?
This is a worse version of Parasyte.
Post-reading:
This just annoyed me. It didn't feel like it was inspired by Parasyte, it just felt like it copied it. The character design of the alien is the same. It’s a cheap imitation of the original’s humor. None of the characters are compelling. It's relying on gore shock value to carry everything, and it didn't work for me.
I don't think it’s bad enough to go on my do not read list. If you haven't read Parasyte, you might like this more, but if you are picking this up because you like the original, I think you're gonna be disappointed.
Who should read this:
Campy horror fans
Parasyte fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No. I'd grab this from your library if you're interested in it.
Similar books:
* Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki-campy, sci-fi horror manga, thriller
* Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) by Sometime-campy fantasy manga, queer romance
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Parasyte x Cinderella, but it feels more like a cheap rip-off rather than a fun mashup.
Pre-reading:
I liked Parasyte, and I like fairytale retellings, so I expect to like this!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
This is gorier than I expected, but I dig it.
Why is this the Hail Mary opening monologue lol?
This is a worse version of Parasyte.
Post-reading:
This just annoyed me. It didn't feel like it was inspired by Parasyte, it just felt like it copied it. The character design of the alien is the same. It’s a cheap imitation of the original’s humor. None of the characters are compelling. It's relying on gore shock value to carry everything, and it didn't work for me.
I don't think it’s bad enough to go on my do not read list. If you haven't read Parasyte, you might like this more, but if you are picking this up because you like the original, I think you're gonna be disappointed.
Who should read this:
Campy horror fans
Parasyte fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No. I'd grab this from your library if you're interested in it.
Similar books:
* Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki-campy, sci-fi horror manga, thriller
* Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) by Sometime-campy fantasy manga, queer romance
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Gut rating: ⭐⭐⭐
CAWPILE rating: TBD
Spice: None
Series: Stella Must Die book 1
ARC publication date: May 5th 2026
Tropes: Regency fantasy, assassins, lucky FMC, body horror
My synopsis
As the only blood heir of the King, young Princess Stella inherits her father's wealth once he passes, to her older stepsiblings Illusia and Saizel dismay. Vowing to seize the throne, Stella's stepsiblings launch a series of assassination attempts, but their every effort fails catastrophically, diverted by a mysterious force. Who or what is this silent protector and are they enough to keep Stella safe?
My review
This was such a fascinating fantasy mystery, bordering on horror.
The protector was something I'd never have imagined. But what better protector than a being totally dependent on Stella's survival! They were introduced in such a fascinating way, with their slow recognition/exploration of self driven by amnesia and an otherworldly sense. I loved the mystery in this and Stella's innocent survival throughout the assassination attempts, too. The main issue I had that made it a 3 star book was the body horror which I'm not in to. But that's personal taste!
With thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: Body horror, murder, death, blood, injury detail, violence, bullying, confinement, death of parent, classism, fire injury, grief, panic attack
CAWPILE rating: TBD
Spice: None
Series: Stella Must Die book 1
ARC publication date: May 5th 2026
Tropes: Regency fantasy, assassins, lucky FMC, body horror
My synopsis
As the only blood heir of the King, young Princess Stella inherits her father's wealth once he passes, to her older stepsiblings Illusia and Saizel dismay. Vowing to seize the throne, Stella's stepsiblings launch a series of assassination attempts, but their every effort fails catastrophically, diverted by a mysterious force. Who or what is this silent protector and are they enough to keep Stella safe?
My review
This was such a fascinating fantasy mystery, bordering on horror.
The protector was something I'd never have imagined. But what better protector than a being totally dependent on Stella's survival! They were introduced in such a fascinating way, with their slow recognition/exploration of self driven by amnesia and an otherworldly sense. I loved the mystery in this and Stella's innocent survival throughout the assassination attempts, too. The main issue I had that made it a 3 star book was the body horror which I'm not in to. But that's personal taste!
With thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: Body horror, murder, death, blood, injury detail, violence, bullying, confinement, death of parent, classism, fire injury, grief, panic attack
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
★★★✫☆
3.5 stars.
Review:
𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑏𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑌𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑖 𝑀𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑎, 𝐾𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐸-𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝐴𝑟𝑐 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 ♥︎
✪I knew I had to read this manga the second I saw it being described as Cinderella x Parasyte!! I mean as someone who is well aware and enjoys both of the plots behind Cinderella and Parasyte, how could I not be intrigued? it sounded right up my alley! and I wasn’t wrong!
✪So again, since I am well aware of the plot behind Cinderella and Parasyte, I did go into ‘Stella Must Die’ with certain exceptions on how the storyline would go and so far my expectations have been met! Sadly this volume does only include the first 3 Chapters of the overall story, so obviously by the end of the story the plot does feel incomplete but honestly that just left me wanting to know more.
✪Now the art work! I feel like the illustrator, Ine Ohtaka, was able to do an amazing job at mixing the soft innocent art style that you would normally associate with a Disney princess and/or other soft romantic anime’s and the uneasy, creepy, gory art work that you would associate with a lot of horror/thriller anime’s, like Parasyte! and while I know the weirdness isn’t going to be for everybody, I was definitely intrigued!!
Recommend?: Yes! especially if you’ve watched/read Parasyte or other uneasy anime’s.
3.5 stars.
Review:
𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑏𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑌𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑖 𝑀𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑎, 𝐾𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐸-𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝐴𝑟𝑐 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 ♥︎
✪I knew I had to read this manga the second I saw it being described as Cinderella x Parasyte!! I mean as someone who is well aware and enjoys both of the plots behind Cinderella and Parasyte, how could I not be intrigued? it sounded right up my alley! and I wasn’t wrong!
✪So again, since I am well aware of the plot behind Cinderella and Parasyte, I did go into ‘Stella Must Die’ with certain exceptions on how the storyline would go and so far my expectations have been met! Sadly this volume does only include the first 3 Chapters of the overall story, so obviously by the end of the story the plot does feel incomplete but honestly that just left me wanting to know more.
✪Now the art work! I feel like the illustrator, Ine Ohtaka, was able to do an amazing job at mixing the soft innocent art style that you would normally associate with a Disney princess and/or other soft romantic anime’s and the uneasy, creepy, gory art work that you would associate with a lot of horror/thriller anime’s, like Parasyte! and while I know the weirdness isn’t going to be for everybody, I was definitely intrigued!!
Recommend?: Yes! especially if you’ve watched/read Parasyte or other uneasy anime’s.
May 19, 2026
When I read the excerpt for Stella Must Die, I was thinking it would be a little whimsical fantasy comedy, and then I saw it was compared to Parasyte...boy forget about the whimsy, this is closer to a horror/thriller! We follow the FMC and the parasite that lives within her as they try to create a symbiotic relationship as a succession crisis is unfolding in the kingdom. Things escalate quickly - expect the unexpected and disturbing events that follow as Stella and the parasite try to survive, together.
Originally I was a bit wary that Stella would remain unaware to the parasite within her, but I'm glad to see the direction taken thus far. I would hate to go tens of chapters with Stella being oblivious to the fact she's hosting this little guy. Although, within these 3 chapters alone I got a repetitive feeling I got throughout - I worry that the future volumes will continue to recycle gags, fights and conversations. Here's to hoping that's not the case, it's only the first few chapters after all so I remain hopeful!
Overall this first volume was a surprising thriller, a bit disturbing and graphic - usually manga like these deter me, but the premise is just interesting enough that I will be reading future chapters! While this may appear like a comedic fantasy manga, I would veer away if you're not interested in darker themes and violence.
Originally I was a bit wary that Stella would remain unaware to the parasite within her, but I'm glad to see the direction taken thus far. I would hate to go tens of chapters with Stella being oblivious to the fact she's hosting this little guy. Although, within these 3 chapters alone I got a repetitive feeling I got throughout - I worry that the future volumes will continue to recycle gags, fights and conversations. Here's to hoping that's not the case, it's only the first few chapters after all so I remain hopeful!
Overall this first volume was a surprising thriller, a bit disturbing and graphic - usually manga like these deter me, but the premise is just interesting enough that I will be reading future chapters! While this may appear like a comedic fantasy manga, I would veer away if you're not interested in darker themes and violence.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I decided to give this a try after interviewing the translator because it sounded interesting, despite it sounding like it was very outside of what I usually read.
I wasn't wrong there, but I WAS pleasantly surprised by how engaging this story was! Being reincarnated as a parasite was a first-time read for me (LOL), and while I was prepared for it to get icky or fanservicey, there was neither! Weirdness, sure, but nothing that had me rolling my eyes from her body being ogled because our parasite is surprisingly very respectful of and to her body! I guess someone could say he is only respectful because that's his host, and if she dies, he dies, but even outside of that, he just seemed respectful of a female body, and deeply appreciated that!
I was really bummed when the first volume ended because I felt increasingly hooked the more I read, and felt the ending really amped things up! Two big twists were revealed/shown, and I'm like I NEED answers as to what will happen!
Overall, I never expected to even want to read what happens next, but I would like to check out the next volume digitally and hope my library gets it!
*(I received a review e-copy via NetGalley thanks to the publisher. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*
I wasn't wrong there, but I WAS pleasantly surprised by how engaging this story was! Being reincarnated as a parasite was a first-time read for me (LOL), and while I was prepared for it to get icky or fanservicey, there was neither! Weirdness, sure, but nothing that had me rolling my eyes from her body being ogled because our parasite is surprisingly very respectful of and to her body! I guess someone could say he is only respectful because that's his host, and if she dies, he dies, but even outside of that, he just seemed respectful of a female body, and deeply appreciated that!
I was really bummed when the first volume ended because I felt increasingly hooked the more I read, and felt the ending really amped things up! Two big twists were revealed/shown, and I'm like I NEED answers as to what will happen!
Overall, I never expected to even want to read what happens next, but I would like to check out the next volume digitally and hope my library gets it!
*(I received a review e-copy via NetGalley thanks to the publisher. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*
May 16, 2026
I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the King of Hillvalley passes away without a male heir, the question of succession becomes an outright battle. Princess Stella is content to sort things out peacefully, but her two step siblings just painted a target on her back! Unfortunately for them, Stella is mysteriously indestructible and seems to survive everything they try. Little do they know that she has a terrifying parasite protecting her, and he’s originally from another world!
This started out great. Then it turned out that this is actually a story about a Japanese man reincarnated as a parasite living inside of Princess Stella, and he’s determined to make sure they both live. Based on the official summary, there is absolutely no way anyone could ever predict the direction this book takes. I think it could’ve worked if it was a comedy, but it was a weird horror with zero humor. The artwork is great and the opening of the story pulled me in, but the rest was just really bizarre. This is one of those stories that you need to know what you’re getting into or there’s a good chance you’re going to struggle your way through it. I think there’s definitely an audience for it. Unfortunately, I am not among that audience.
When the King of Hillvalley passes away without a male heir, the question of succession becomes an outright battle. Princess Stella is content to sort things out peacefully, but her two step siblings just painted a target on her back! Unfortunately for them, Stella is mysteriously indestructible and seems to survive everything they try. Little do they know that she has a terrifying parasite protecting her, and he’s originally from another world!
This started out great. Then it turned out that this is actually a story about a Japanese man reincarnated as a parasite living inside of Princess Stella, and he’s determined to make sure they both live. Based on the official summary, there is absolutely no way anyone could ever predict the direction this book takes. I think it could’ve worked if it was a comedy, but it was a weird horror with zero humor. The artwork is great and the opening of the story pulled me in, but the rest was just really bizarre. This is one of those stories that you need to know what you’re getting into or there’s a good chance you’re going to struggle your way through it. I think there’s definitely an audience for it. Unfortunately, I am not among that audience.
March 27, 2026
4 ⭐️
NetGalley
This was an interesting manga about a parasite living inside a princess, keeping her alive while her step-siblings try to kill her for the throne. I will say it was a bit bizarre for me- I am new to manga and most definitely nothing parasite related. I also went into this blind so had absolutely no idea where things could and did go. The cover art gave me more sweet princess vibes and not parasite horror.
In my opinion the parasite feels like the true main character of the story and then a lot of strange things happen throughout. I don’t feel like we actually learned anything about Stella except her father was the king, he died so she is next to inherit . She has a step sister and brother who are trying to kill her but she is oblivious to it.
I found the humor surprising enjoyable . Loved the art work, I enjoyed the light scenes more then the dark/ black scenes . The story was fast paced and ended on a cliff hanger , I think I am actually going to look for next Volume.
Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Rating 4 ⭐️
NetGalley
This was an interesting manga about a parasite living inside a princess, keeping her alive while her step-siblings try to kill her for the throne. I will say it was a bit bizarre for me- I am new to manga and most definitely nothing parasite related. I also went into this blind so had absolutely no idea where things could and did go. The cover art gave me more sweet princess vibes and not parasite horror.
In my opinion the parasite feels like the true main character of the story and then a lot of strange things happen throughout. I don’t feel like we actually learned anything about Stella except her father was the king, he died so she is next to inherit . She has a step sister and brother who are trying to kill her but she is oblivious to it.
I found the humor surprising enjoyable . Loved the art work, I enjoyed the light scenes more then the dark/ black scenes . The story was fast paced and ended on a cliff hanger , I think I am actually going to look for next Volume.
Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Rating 4 ⭐️
March 28, 2026
First off, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for allowing me to read an ARC of this manga!
This was super cute and such a unique concept that I was immediately intrigued. Who thought a girl and a parasyte could be such a fun combo? Stella is a princess in what’s around the Middle Ages, and the story opens with her father dying - leaving her first in line for the throne. However, Stella’s two step-siblings have some more sinister ideas to boost their chances of ruling the country (aka - killing Stella). Numerous times they attempt to assassinate Stella, all to no avail. Why? Well, the parasyte living in Stella is determined to keep her alive! Following a symbiotic relationship style, the parasyte understands that her survival ensures his own. The catch: Stella isn’t meant to know about the parasyte living inside of her.
This is such a zany idea, and really right up my alley! There is a great balance of humor with the serious undertone that we are witnessing a sweet, innocent princess deal with assassination attempts by those she trusts and loves. I am so excited for the next volume!
This was super cute and such a unique concept that I was immediately intrigued. Who thought a girl and a parasyte could be such a fun combo? Stella is a princess in what’s around the Middle Ages, and the story opens with her father dying - leaving her first in line for the throne. However, Stella’s two step-siblings have some more sinister ideas to boost their chances of ruling the country (aka - killing Stella). Numerous times they attempt to assassinate Stella, all to no avail. Why? Well, the parasyte living in Stella is determined to keep her alive! Following a symbiotic relationship style, the parasyte understands that her survival ensures his own. The catch: Stella isn’t meant to know about the parasyte living inside of her.
This is such a zany idea, and really right up my alley! There is a great balance of humor with the serious undertone that we are witnessing a sweet, innocent princess deal with assassination attempts by those she trusts and loves. I am so excited for the next volume!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alright, I have to say, Japanese creators can be a bit unhinged and weird when it comes to certain ideas. The concepts they come up with for manga and anime are often gross, strange… but also undeniably interesting.
In this manga, we follow a literal “shit worm” that has taken over the body of a princess and is trying to keep her alive while others are attempting to harm her. It’s a bizarre but fascinating concept. Kind of like Cinderella meets Parasyte. There are quite a few moments in this book that will genuinely make you feel disgusted, so maybe don’t read it while eating. At some point, this parasite evolves so much that it grows an eye and actually comes out of the princess’s body (as you can see on the cover)… and if you really think about it, you’ll realize exactly where it comes from… yeah. Oh well.
It was definitely an interesting take, and I’m invested in seeing how this develops. The artwork was well done and flowed nicely with the story. I don’t feel like I got to know Stella that well in this first volume, but I still found myself strangely attached to her and I’m really curious to see more of her in the next volumes.
In this manga, we follow a literal “shit worm” that has taken over the body of a princess and is trying to keep her alive while others are attempting to harm her. It’s a bizarre but fascinating concept. Kind of like Cinderella meets Parasyte. There are quite a few moments in this book that will genuinely make you feel disgusted, so maybe don’t read it while eating. At some point, this parasite evolves so much that it grows an eye and actually comes out of the princess’s body (as you can see on the cover)… and if you really think about it, you’ll realize exactly where it comes from… yeah. Oh well.
It was definitely an interesting take, and I’m invested in seeing how this develops. The artwork was well done and flowed nicely with the story. I don’t feel like I got to know Stella that well in this first volume, but I still found myself strangely attached to her and I’m really curious to see more of her in the next volumes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Stell Must Die is an interesting and odd manga. The main character is (in a sense) Stella, a princess. Her father has just died and now she's in the middle of a succession crisis. She's supposed to inherit the crown, but her two step siblings want her dead of course. But, perhaps the real main character is this weird tape worm of sorts? The one living inside Stella and who, well, eats her shit to survive. He is a symbiote and mostly just an eye with tentacles. The thing uses Stella's body to survive, since if she dies, it dies too. The setting is interesting for the reason that the eye comes out of Stella's...girl parts. Or mouth. This first part is mostly the creature explaining us stuff, which makes this heavy. I do like how everything has a basis though. Interesting to see where this will go.
The art looks OK, nothing spectacular, but works for the story. I'm not surprised that Mitsunaga makes something like this, haha. The cover is overly fluffy though. This is dark in content and pervy even (at least slightly). I hope there's more to this than just trying to kill Stella though. This needs more content in the future.
The art looks OK, nothing spectacular, but works for the story. I'm not surprised that Mitsunaga makes something like this, haha. The cover is overly fluffy though. This is dark in content and pervy even (at least slightly). I hope there's more to this than just trying to kill Stella though. This needs more content in the future.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5 stars!
Interesting title choice for this series, which follows our lovely, upset and (in my humble opinion) stupid princess, Stella. She unfortunately loses her father, the king, and since then Stella was handed the kingdom for her to rule over. That though becomes very unpleasant to her step-siblings who desire to take over and rule the kingdom for themselves. The only thing that would make their dream come true is if Stella would just... die. Except she miraculously survives the murder attempts, all thanks to something that was brewing inside of her!
Now, I was never a fan of Parasyte, but seeing this new version of a similar idea was more likeable in my eyes. And uhhh, I think it was alright. It was a very quick read, and everything made as much sense as it could, but I think these kind of stories aren't truly for me. I'll still probably look up what happens next out of sheer curiosity, but it will stay as such. But if you liked Parasyte, and are interested in a more medieval sort of twist to it, then you should totally go for this!!
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this story!
Interesting title choice for this series, which follows our lovely, upset and (in my humble opinion) stupid princess, Stella. She unfortunately loses her father, the king, and since then Stella was handed the kingdom for her to rule over. That though becomes very unpleasant to her step-siblings who desire to take over and rule the kingdom for themselves. The only thing that would make their dream come true is if Stella would just... die. Except she miraculously survives the murder attempts, all thanks to something that was brewing inside of her!
Now, I was never a fan of Parasyte, but seeing this new version of a similar idea was more likeable in my eyes. And uhhh, I think it was alright. It was a very quick read, and everything made as much sense as it could, but I think these kind of stories aren't truly for me. I'll still probably look up what happens next out of sheer curiosity, but it will stay as such. But if you liked Parasyte, and are interested in a more medieval sort of twist to it, then you should totally go for this!!
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this story!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review!
This was a pretty fun read!
I'm very familiar with one of the subgenres this story is likely inspired for, which is historical fantasy romance. It does touch on some of its common themes: royalty, death of a loved one, conspiracies. To me, the first chapter felt familiar, in a good way, because it was something I'd read about before.
But then came the second chapter, with its body horror element. I was expecting it, as it was mentioned in the synopsis, but it was still a first for me. The story doesn't take itself seriously and, in all its tension and slight horror, is still pretty funny thanks to the parasite character. There was a status quo in book 1 that I expected to last longer, but I understand why it didn't. It's an interesting choice, one I can't wait to see what the author will do with.
The art style is also pretty to look at, though slightly confusing at times. It's been a while since I read a fantasy manga, so I needed a few pages to get back into it, but I took to it like a duck to water.
I can't wait to read more in this series!
This was a pretty fun read!
I'm very familiar with one of the subgenres this story is likely inspired for, which is historical fantasy romance. It does touch on some of its common themes: royalty, death of a loved one, conspiracies. To me, the first chapter felt familiar, in a good way, because it was something I'd read about before.
But then came the second chapter, with its body horror element. I was expecting it, as it was mentioned in the synopsis, but it was still a first for me. The story doesn't take itself seriously and, in all its tension and slight horror, is still pretty funny thanks to the parasite character. There was a status quo in book 1 that I expected to last longer, but I understand why it didn't. It's an interesting choice, one I can't wait to see what the author will do with.
The art style is also pretty to look at, though slightly confusing at times. It's been a while since I read a fantasy manga, so I needed a few pages to get back into it, but I took to it like a duck to water.
I can't wait to read more in this series!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Review of an arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I was honestly surprised by this manga. Similar to The Promised Neverland, I thought this one would be a cozy, w lighthearted story about a young girl, but I was mistaken! There were monsters, assassination attempts, violence, and gore. I would not recommend this for anyone under the age of 14. Don’t be mislead by the cover; it is quite violent.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the plot, but I felt like it could have been written better.
- Stella’s parasite protector understood the human language, and it had the ability to learn about human events. It even discovered Stella’s identity.
- There’s barely anything about her step-siblings who want to kill her. Their age? Background? Parents? Reason other than ascending the throne and getting possessions? It started with a quick introduction, and I didn’t get to know them well enough.
- Many details also felt repetitive, especially the scenes where she was attacked, saved, and wasn’t killed.
- There isn’t much to the plot other than Stella not being able to die. That’s what the entire series, I think, will be based on.
I was honestly surprised by this manga. Similar to The Promised Neverland, I thought this one would be a cozy, w lighthearted story about a young girl, but I was mistaken! There were monsters, assassination attempts, violence, and gore. I would not recommend this for anyone under the age of 14. Don’t be mislead by the cover; it is quite violent.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the plot, but I felt like it could have been written better.
- Stella’s parasite protector understood the human language, and it had the ability to learn about human events. It even discovered Stella’s identity.
- There’s barely anything about her step-siblings who want to kill her. Their age? Background? Parents? Reason other than ascending the throne and getting possessions? It started with a quick introduction, and I didn’t get to know them well enough.
- Many details also felt repetitive, especially the scenes where she was attacked, saved, and wasn’t killed.
- There isn’t much to the plot other than Stella not being able to die. That’s what the entire series, I think, will be based on.
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