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王国物語 [Ōkoku Monogatari] #1
王国物語 1 [Ōkoku Monogatari 1]
紫の瞳のアーダルテ。青い瞳のアードルテ。一人は優しき皇子として光に包まれ、もう一人は幽閉の身として暗闇に潜む。別々の道をたどる双子の宿命を描く「アードルテとアーダルテ」シリーズの他、英雄とうたわれる美しい王と、彼に仕える謎めいた男の因縁を描く「王と側近」シリーズを収録。
はるか異国を舞台に綴られる、大人の寓話ファンタジー。
はるか異国を舞台に綴られる、大人の寓話ファンタジー。
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2018
9 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Asumiko Nakamura
82 books389 followersAsumiko NAKAMURA (中村明日美子) is a Japanese manga artist.
Born in 1979, she is one of Japan's hidden gems. The artist has penned a lot of titles since 2002 and has reached critical acclaim for her sensitive protrayals of romantic narratives featuring a wide range of characters - men and women, young and old. Nakamura has worked in a range of genres for an equally broad range of audinces winning recognition in every category.
Born in 1979, she is one of Japan's hidden gems. The artist has penned a lot of titles since 2002 and has reached critical acclaim for her sensitive protrayals of romantic narratives featuring a wide range of characters - men and women, young and old. Nakamura has worked in a range of genres for an equally broad range of audinces winning recognition in every category.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 29, 2023
I didn't enjoy this, but I do appreciate how good a creator Nakamura is.
November 14, 2023
Some days the twincest just doesn't hit.
October 11, 2023
Chinese title: 王國物語1
I’m coming back to review volume 1 after I’ve finished reading volume 4. To be honest I struggled a bit at first to fully understand the story, as the plot is quite complex and the narration jumps back and forth in time. Each pair of twins looks alike and has similar names really added to the confusion…
Nakamura Asumiko sensei’s early works had the old school BL elements, where homosexuality is forbidden and the main characters are condemned. I think she’s returning back to her roots in this series as it has a bitter ending, and will leave you feeling sad and empty similar to 薫りの継承.
Many people die in this series, no two brothers can both live whether they are twins or not, this cruel fate is caused by the country’s superstitious tradition, power struggle between heirs, or due to their love/hate relationship… Life is a circle and karma comes back to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first two chapters talks about a pair of twin brothers, two princes with blonde hair from a Middle Eastern country.
Adarte has purple eyes (white color in B&W pages) who had all the resources around him growing up and is being groomed to be the future king. He’s brave, optimistic and compassionate.
Adolte has blue eyes (grey color in B&W pages) who’s been imprisoned since birth and grow up all alone ever since his wet nurse died, his purpose in life is to be the human sacrifice for his twin brother but he doesn’t know it yet. He’s quiet, pessimistic and reserved.
One night Adarte stumbled upon Adolte’s room and the two boys met for the first time. Ever since then Adarte’s been secretly visiting every night to share the interesting stories about the outside world. Adolte’s yearning eventually turns to envy, he wants to live his brother’s glamorous life and make him suffer the pain. So he tricked Adarte to open the door, swap the clothes and be his substitute for one day…
Adolte never went back and just continued to live his brother’s life. Many years have passed, at Adolte’s crowning ceremony he saw Adarte again, with handcuffs and blindfolded, that’s when he realized it was his fate to die. Adolte rushed out to stop the executioner but got injured, Adarte jumped on a horse-like animal and escaped with Adolte to somewhere far away where people don’t know them.
The twins are living the simple life, Adarte now goes to town everyday selling bread for bakery, Adolte’s health is still not good so he’s been making delicate decorative handcrafts at home. Adarte met a girl in town and secretly gave her a piece of Adolte’s handcraft underneath the bread she bought. The two started dating and enjoyed some happy times together. One night Adolte asked Adarte that he’s been coming back home lately, Adarte doesn’t want to hide anything from him so revealed that he’s dating the girl.
Adarte told the girl about his twin brother and brought her home, the three of them lived together. She cooks, Adarte goes out to work, Adolte makes handcrafts. They would play music, read poems and dance at night. Very soon the girl got pregnant and the twins are happy and excitedly anticipate what color the baby’s eyes would be.
One night after selling Adolte’s handcrafts for good money, Adarte got rubbed by bandits and was beaten up, the horse also ran off. When he looked up the sky he remembered the nights when he was trapped in the tower, and realized the fate for the twin brothers and that they are still prisoners. Adarte saw the baby’s eye colors and knew that Adolte is the biological father, so he packed up and secretly left home with the horse. Adarte woke up and chased after Adolte, questioning why he’s leaving. Adarte confessed that he only loves Adolte so it’s time to part then they can truly love each other as individual souls.
A few years later Adarte returns to the town and saw the son catching fish in the river and asked for his name. The lil boy has the same name as him. Adolte passed away three years ago after being sick in bed all these years. Adarte asked the boy many poetic questions and the boy answers that he’s happy now…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter three to five is about the moonlight king and his aide Ban (not his real name).
The king led the soldiers to won a huge battle five years ago, there’s annual celebration ever since. Ban told the king that his brother is better fitted to be the tribe leader so he left home and ended up here. The king said younger brother always wants to kill the older brother. The king is infertile and doesn’t have any children, the country is being managed by his younger brother (red curly hair) and the old prime minister. Ban gets orders from some secret middleman who works for the king’s younger brother, the plan is for the new king to take over the country in three years. The king asks Ban to sing at the celebratory dinner, this is the calm before the storm.
One day as the king and his ministers are discussing about potential geopolitical tension with neighboring countries, a newly imported horse went wild and ran off in the yard, Ban jumped on its back and tamed it. The king was impressed by Ban’s control of the horse and is suspicious about his weak appearance, so he challenged Ban to a sword fight that night. The king asked Ban how would he kill him and Ban answered no idea. The sword is too heavy for Ban and flew off when the king attacked. The king then pointed a gun at Ban’s head to scare him.
The king’s been focused on training up Ban’s sword skills, and poor Ban got bruises all over. The king’s younger brother came over and said he’s counting on Ban to take care of the king. Secret messenger in black keeps reminding Ban of his mission, believe in good deeds and a better world.
Their story will be further developed in the future volumes linking back to the beginning of chapter three... Ban has been poisoning the king for the last ten years and the king’s time is almost up. King has found out that his younger brother (Ban’s real master) is behind this revenge plan, so he gave a gun to Ban and asks him to die together when the time comes. Ban accepts this order and cried tears as he knew from the beginning that their journey will end in death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter six talks about Ban’s past, him and his twin brother both had long black hair.
They are from a nomad race that travels without boarders (like Mongolian), each tribe leader manages the tribe’s own affairs. Shao is strong, good at riding and archery. Dao is weak, he doesn’t know archery and can’t ride horse well. Their dad has passed away and they have a strong mom.
The twins are about to turn 16 next month and become adults. Their uncle came over and said he will observe the two boys for the coming month in preparation for the ceremony. For their race only the fittest shall survive, one boy will become the next master, and one boy will become his servant and needs to be castrated, to prevent his offspring killing the the master’s offspring.
The boys are worried about who will be the chosen one and it’s causing tension in their relationship. Shao told Dao that worrying won’t make him stronger, the decision right is not in their hands. Horse’s ancestor used to have large wings and can fly in the sky, so Shao would imagine as if he’s flying too.
One day the twins ride into the forest to hunt for rabbits, Dao went off to chase and then screamed. Shao followed and saw a wild horse who killed Dao’s horse, and Dao fell on the floor. Shao shot an arrow at the wild horse, it got angry and bit off his right arm. This unfortunate event will change their destiny completely…
Their story will be continued in the second volume and then circle back to chapter three when one of these twin brothers enters the palace as “Ban”.
I’m coming back to review volume 1 after I’ve finished reading volume 4. To be honest I struggled a bit at first to fully understand the story, as the plot is quite complex and the narration jumps back and forth in time. Each pair of twins looks alike and has similar names really added to the confusion…
Nakamura Asumiko sensei’s early works had the old school BL elements, where homosexuality is forbidden and the main characters are condemned. I think she’s returning back to her roots in this series as it has a bitter ending, and will leave you feeling sad and empty similar to 薫りの継承.
Many people die in this series, no two brothers can both live whether they are twins or not, this cruel fate is caused by the country’s superstitious tradition, power struggle between heirs, or due to their love/hate relationship… Life is a circle and karma comes back to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first two chapters talks about a pair of twin brothers, two princes with blonde hair from a Middle Eastern country.
Adarte has purple eyes (white color in B&W pages) who had all the resources around him growing up and is being groomed to be the future king. He’s brave, optimistic and compassionate.
Adolte has blue eyes (grey color in B&W pages) who’s been imprisoned since birth and grow up all alone ever since his wet nurse died, his purpose in life is to be the human sacrifice for his twin brother but he doesn’t know it yet. He’s quiet, pessimistic and reserved.
One night Adarte stumbled upon Adolte’s room and the two boys met for the first time. Ever since then Adarte’s been secretly visiting every night to share the interesting stories about the outside world. Adolte’s yearning eventually turns to envy, he wants to live his brother’s glamorous life and make him suffer the pain. So he tricked Adarte to open the door, swap the clothes and be his substitute for one day…
Adolte never went back and just continued to live his brother’s life. Many years have passed, at Adolte’s crowning ceremony he saw Adarte again, with handcuffs and blindfolded, that’s when he realized it was his fate to die. Adolte rushed out to stop the executioner but got injured, Adarte jumped on a horse-like animal and escaped with Adolte to somewhere far away where people don’t know them.
The twins are living the simple life, Adarte now goes to town everyday selling bread for bakery, Adolte’s health is still not good so he’s been making delicate decorative handcrafts at home. Adarte met a girl in town and secretly gave her a piece of Adolte’s handcraft underneath the bread she bought. The two started dating and enjoyed some happy times together. One night Adolte asked Adarte that he’s been coming back home lately, Adarte doesn’t want to hide anything from him so revealed that he’s dating the girl.
Adarte told the girl about his twin brother and brought her home, the three of them lived together. She cooks, Adarte goes out to work, Adolte makes handcrafts. They would play music, read poems and dance at night. Very soon the girl got pregnant and the twins are happy and excitedly anticipate what color the baby’s eyes would be.
One night after selling Adolte’s handcrafts for good money, Adarte got rubbed by bandits and was beaten up, the horse also ran off. When he looked up the sky he remembered the nights when he was trapped in the tower, and realized the fate for the twin brothers and that they are still prisoners. Adarte saw the baby’s eye colors and knew that Adolte is the biological father, so he packed up and secretly left home with the horse. Adarte woke up and chased after Adolte, questioning why he’s leaving. Adarte confessed that he only loves Adolte so it’s time to part then they can truly love each other as individual souls.
A few years later Adarte returns to the town and saw the son catching fish in the river and asked for his name. The lil boy has the same name as him. Adolte passed away three years ago after being sick in bed all these years. Adarte asked the boy many poetic questions and the boy answers that he’s happy now…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter three to five is about the moonlight king and his aide Ban (not his real name).
The king led the soldiers to won a huge battle five years ago, there’s annual celebration ever since. Ban told the king that his brother is better fitted to be the tribe leader so he left home and ended up here. The king said younger brother always wants to kill the older brother. The king is infertile and doesn’t have any children, the country is being managed by his younger brother (red curly hair) and the old prime minister. Ban gets orders from some secret middleman who works for the king’s younger brother, the plan is for the new king to take over the country in three years. The king asks Ban to sing at the celebratory dinner, this is the calm before the storm.
One day as the king and his ministers are discussing about potential geopolitical tension with neighboring countries, a newly imported horse went wild and ran off in the yard, Ban jumped on its back and tamed it. The king was impressed by Ban’s control of the horse and is suspicious about his weak appearance, so he challenged Ban to a sword fight that night. The king asked Ban how would he kill him and Ban answered no idea. The sword is too heavy for Ban and flew off when the king attacked. The king then pointed a gun at Ban’s head to scare him.
The king’s been focused on training up Ban’s sword skills, and poor Ban got bruises all over. The king’s younger brother came over and said he’s counting on Ban to take care of the king. Secret messenger in black keeps reminding Ban of his mission, believe in good deeds and a better world.
Their story will be further developed in the future volumes linking back to the beginning of chapter three... Ban has been poisoning the king for the last ten years and the king’s time is almost up. King has found out that his younger brother (Ban’s real master) is behind this revenge plan, so he gave a gun to Ban and asks him to die together when the time comes. Ban accepts this order and cried tears as he knew from the beginning that their journey will end in death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter six talks about Ban’s past, him and his twin brother both had long black hair.
They are from a nomad race that travels without boarders (like Mongolian), each tribe leader manages the tribe’s own affairs. Shao is strong, good at riding and archery. Dao is weak, he doesn’t know archery and can’t ride horse well. Their dad has passed away and they have a strong mom.
The twins are about to turn 16 next month and become adults. Their uncle came over and said he will observe the two boys for the coming month in preparation for the ceremony. For their race only the fittest shall survive, one boy will become the next master, and one boy will become his servant and needs to be castrated, to prevent his offspring killing the the master’s offspring.
The boys are worried about who will be the chosen one and it’s causing tension in their relationship. Shao told Dao that worrying won’t make him stronger, the decision right is not in their hands. Horse’s ancestor used to have large wings and can fly in the sky, so Shao would imagine as if he’s flying too.
One day the twins ride into the forest to hunt for rabbits, Dao went off to chase and then screamed. Shao followed and saw a wild horse who killed Dao’s horse, and Dao fell on the floor. Shao shot an arrow at the wild horse, it got angry and bit off his right arm. This unfortunate event will change their destiny completely…
Their story will be continued in the second volume and then circle back to chapter three when one of these twin brothers enters the palace as “Ban”.
August 16, 2022
There are 2 main stories here and I found both captivating. I will admit that I'm not sure I fully understood a decision made by one of the main characters at the end of the cover story, but I hope to reread it. Nevertheless, I am intrigued by the stories here, and love the very distinctive art style.
December 29, 2024
Това е едно прекрасно издание с твърди корици и страхотна изработка, което ми се струва, че като че ли няма да видим в България. То е по-скоро като за ценители. Артът на Накамура Асумико е мистичен, нежен и някак крехък, което я отличава от мнозина от безбройните автори в манга стила. Улавя красотата на движенията, носи усещане за лекота, точно като цветчетата сакура, които изглежда тя може и да харесва.
"Истории от Кралството", поне в първата си част, ни пренася в загадъчен свят от слънце, пясък и фантазия. Томът съдържа началото на две истории, които вероятно ще видим развити в следващите томове. И двете са уловили магията на 1001-на нощ и нещо повече. Те предизвикват провокативно с някои от елементите, които общо споделят - начинът, по който е описана връзката между двойките близнаци и това как възприемат света и светът възприема тях, например. Образът на краля, на когото служи момчето Хан - друг пример. Всички герои тестват умението на читателя да се сблъсква и да приема идеи, смятани за "опасни" като цяло в литературата - защото са почти на границата с... хм, ще го опиша по-меко: "Тези намеци тук не ми харесват!". Определено тази манга е особена, различна и неочаквана. И може би, много може би, няма да е за всеки.
"Истории от Кралството", поне в първата си част, ни пренася в загадъчен свят от слънце, пясък и фантазия. Томът съдържа началото на две истории, които вероятно ще видим развити в следващите томове. И двете са уловили магията на 1001-на нощ и нещо повече. Те предизвикват провокативно с някои от елементите, които общо споделят - начинът, по който е описана връзката между двойките близнаци и това как възприемат света и светът възприема тях, например. Образът на краля, на когото служи момчето Хан - друг пример. Всички герои тестват умението на читателя да се сблъсква и да приема идеи, смятани за "опасни" като цяло в литературата - защото са почти на границата с... хм, ще го опиша по-меко: "Тези намеци тук не ми харесват!". Определено тази манга е особена, различна и неочаквана. И може би, много може би, няма да е за всеки.
October 15, 2022
This manga is literary in its attention to themes and the way the story is told. There’s a complexity and depth here while also being very entertaining! I never imagined any of the twists and turns either.
I personally didn’t like any of the characters (I rarely do like characters in books that have so much symbolism as the characters are less characters and more like symbols, so I took away a star), but I enjoyed being swept away!
I personally didn’t like any of the characters (I rarely do like characters in books that have so much symbolism as the characters are less characters and more like symbols, so I took away a star), but I enjoyed being swept away!
April 18, 2022
Que bien dibuja Asumiko Nakamura, me fascina. Me gustaría que hubiera más relación entre las historias (quizá pasa en próximos tomos), pero me gusta mucho el ambiente y el rollo que transmiten los tres cuentos del tomo. Me han entrado ganas de leer todo lo que me queda de Nakamura xD.
July 11, 2023
Orientalism and incest aside this was a great collection of stories, I wished it wasn’t so rare to find these editions in physical stores as it is…
January 6, 2021
Think I just found a new favorite series.
December 30, 2024
4.5 stars! The artwork is simple but stunning and the BL story lines just keep you guessing! I look forward to reading the rest of the tales!
November 21, 2022
Este es mi primer acercamiento a la mangaka y no esta mal.
Me ha gustado y su dibujo se me hace bastante distintivo, único y bonito.
Las historias me han parecido interesantes y personalmente las historias que tengan temas políticos con traiciones me encantan, pero si es verdad que me hubiera gustado que en algunas se hubiera profundizado mucho más y tuvieran un final más cerrado.
Vamos a ver como siguen los siguientes tomos y si de alguna forma las historias tienen una conexión entre ellas más evidente.
Me ha gustado y su dibujo se me hace bastante distintivo, único y bonito.
Las historias me han parecido interesantes y personalmente las historias que tengan temas políticos con traiciones me encantan, pero si es verdad que me hubiera gustado que en algunas se hubiera profundizado mucho más y tuvieran un final más cerrado.
Vamos a ver como siguen los siguientes tomos y si de alguna forma las historias tienen una conexión entre ellas más evidente.
February 18, 2023
Not at all what I was expecting, but still a captivating read. Two separate stories, both kind of similar in that they follow the fates of twins who share opposite fates yet try to break free from that "fate" to carve their own path. This author/artist work is always incredibly beautiful.
Warning(?)....though this author is known for "Classmates" which is a bl, this title is not really a bl BUT does have some underlying controversial/questionable themes.
Warning(?)....though this author is known for "Classmates" which is a bl, this title is not really a bl BUT does have some underlying controversial/questionable themes.
June 7, 2023
I love this mangaka's art. It's incredibly delicate, fragile, almost ethereal. I'm only giving 4 stars to this volume because the ending of the second story had me questioning if I had missed something while reading it. Loved the first story and can't wait to read the continuation of the third one. (Edit: Oh I am stupid. After reading volume 2, I understood the second story xD. Raising this to five stars.
August 27, 2022
I pretty much skimmed this, but Asumiko Nakamura does write intriguing character dynamics. The world crafted this time, though, seems rather cruel. I probably won’t be picking up volume two.
December 6, 2022
I think I’m more confused by this than anything. I didn’t hate it, though.
A lot of the characters have looks in their eyes that make them seem like they’ve always got something up their sleeves.
A lot of the characters have looks in their eyes that make them seem like they’ve always got something up their sleeves.
August 15, 2020
唔...感覺老師只拿出了六成的功力呀XD
第一篇雙子梗有點老, 收得很倉促, 還沒搞清楚誰是誰就結束了
第二篇...嗯...不好說......反正劇情才走到一半, 下本再看看了.
第一篇雙子梗有點老, 收得很倉促, 還沒搞清楚誰是誰就結束了
第二篇...嗯...不好說......反正劇情才走到一半, 下本再看看了.
February 3, 2025
Asumiko Nakamura seems like an author I would like but man I just have not vibed with any of her work at ALL
read-seq-art
September 28, 2022So Aubrey Beardsley you could drown in it.
June 9, 2022
Por fin nos llega algo más de Asumiko Nakamura.
Para ser sincera, no soy la persona más fan de los tomos que recopilan historias cortas, pero si son de esta manera, y de esta maestra, pues no puedo decir que no me ha gustado.
Porque es una genialidad de tomo.
Como puede tener esta mujer una mente así, tan retorcida y brillante.
Puede hacer historia inquietantes y macabras, como súper dulces.
Las historias cortas de este tomo van muy en su línea, pero a la vez super diferente a todas sus otras obras.
Ya que se me ha hecho muy original la manera de contar estas historias y, además, ver a Nakamura haciendo obras de época.
Y el dibujo... , que cosa más bonita. El dibujo de esta autora me vuelve loca.
Para ser sincera, no soy la persona más fan de los tomos que recopilan historias cortas, pero si son de esta manera, y de esta maestra, pues no puedo decir que no me ha gustado.
Porque es una genialidad de tomo.
Como puede tener esta mujer una mente así, tan retorcida y brillante.
Puede hacer historia inquietantes y macabras, como súper dulces.
Las historias cortas de este tomo van muy en su línea, pero a la vez super diferente a todas sus otras obras.
Ya que se me ha hecho muy original la manera de contar estas historias y, además, ver a Nakamura haciendo obras de época.
Y el dibujo... , que cosa más bonita. El dibujo de esta autora me vuelve loca.
October 22, 2024
First two story's had pretty compelling art and some what intresting storyline but the flashback would've made more sense had the author started with that.
And while I say the storyline was interesting it isn't intresting enough to get me to read the two other volumes.
And while I say the storyline was interesting it isn't intresting enough to get me to read the two other volumes.
September 8, 2022
3.5 stars? I'm not sure what to make of this series, but I think I'm intrigued enough to keep going, just so I can find out what happens next. Even though everything that happens next will, I think, be incredibly depressing.
It's funny because for a period of time, I would've definitely said that Nakamura was one of my favorite mangakas and that I'd read anything they created. I have been trying, but I was pretty disappointed by A White Rose in Bloom, Vol. 1, and I recently flipped through and then discarded a book compiling a lot of their other art - including material that's just a bit too graphic or dark or out there for me.
The Classmates series is incredible, but really not the best reflection of Nakamura's true style. Its darkness is sweetened by so many good things, whereas the rest of Nakamura's work...well, it's just kind of tragic, isn't it? That's not a bad thing, but it might not be a me thing, if you get what I mean.
So where does this one fall? Still up for debate.
Nakamura has a wonderfully unique imagination, and I am very intrigued by the slightly skewed fairy tale atmosphere of this world - with swords and guns and banished princes and "horses" that are really just two-legged dinosaurs with giant teeth and flightless wings.
The cover art is from a two-chapter story that appears to be entirely disconnected from the rest of the series, at least as far as I can tell from the synopses I browsed through. It's a sort of twist on the Prince & the Pauper, with twins who are kept apart at birth - one raised as a prince, and the other locked in a tower, until the time for his ceremonial sacrifice arrives.
Nakamura's particular twist on this is to make the twins both very gay for each other and part of a throuple. (I kind of hate that word. Is there a better one?) It's...alright. Kind of fast-paced and depressing, particularly at the end, when one twin abandons the other for reasons I couldn't really figure out, and then returns three years after his brother has died. I was just left wondering...what's the point?
The second story, "The King and His Aide," takes up the rest of this volume, and I think the rest of the series as well? It starts out with a bang, and a line that made me laugh out loud:
But then, of course, in true Nakamura fashion, this immediately became extremely heartbreaking.
The aide has been working closely with/for the king for a decade, and it's clear from their interactions and the subsequent flashback chapters that they grew very close very quickly. I do want to read more about how this relationship developed, and all the backstory that goes into this world, but since we start out knowing that the king is going to die, and the aide is meant to follow right after him...I again wonder...is it worth it?
Really hard to say, but Nakamura has such an interesting style and vivid imagination that I can't help following along to test out just a little bit more. Even though all the harem bits and swinging boobs are a little much for me, really. (I'm reminded a bit of Craig Thompson's Habibi, which I'd initially thought was amazing and eventually got rid of. We'll see if this series follows that path.)
Oh, and I should also note that the production of this book is kind of weird. It's hardcover, which is a bit unusual for manga, and then the first half of it is composed of shiny white paper - initially full color, then black and white, then a bit of color again, then a sudden shift to the regular newspaper-like manga-style pages. There was a part of me that initially thought "um did their printer just run out of glossy paper partway through?" With the current state of the publishing industry, it wouldn't be all that surprising. But I guess it's because this is a compilation of works that were originally spread across different publications? It just creates a kind of odd reading experience that adds to the whole off-kilter sensation of reading these stories.
It's funny because for a period of time, I would've definitely said that Nakamura was one of my favorite mangakas and that I'd read anything they created. I have been trying, but I was pretty disappointed by A White Rose in Bloom, Vol. 1, and I recently flipped through and then discarded a book compiling a lot of their other art - including material that's just a bit too graphic or dark or out there for me.
The Classmates series is incredible, but really not the best reflection of Nakamura's true style. Its darkness is sweetened by so many good things, whereas the rest of Nakamura's work...well, it's just kind of tragic, isn't it? That's not a bad thing, but it might not be a me thing, if you get what I mean.
So where does this one fall? Still up for debate.
Nakamura has a wonderfully unique imagination, and I am very intrigued by the slightly skewed fairy tale atmosphere of this world - with swords and guns and banished princes and "horses" that are really just two-legged dinosaurs with giant teeth and flightless wings.
The cover art is from a two-chapter story that appears to be entirely disconnected from the rest of the series, at least as far as I can tell from the synopses I browsed through. It's a sort of twist on the Prince & the Pauper, with twins who are kept apart at birth - one raised as a prince, and the other locked in a tower, until the time for his ceremonial sacrifice arrives.
Nakamura's particular twist on this is to make the twins both very gay for each other and part of a throuple. (I kind of hate that word. Is there a better one?) It's...alright. Kind of fast-paced and depressing, particularly at the end, when one twin abandons the other for reasons I couldn't really figure out, and then returns three years after his brother has died. I was just left wondering...what's the point?
The second story, "The King and His Aide," takes up the rest of this volume, and I think the rest of the series as well? It starts out with a bang, and a line that made me laugh out loud:
The king has been bedridden for some time. Why? Because...I have been poisoning him.
But then, of course, in true Nakamura fashion, this immediately became extremely heartbreaking.
The aide has been working closely with/for the king for a decade, and it's clear from their interactions and the subsequent flashback chapters that they grew very close very quickly. I do want to read more about how this relationship developed, and all the backstory that goes into this world, but since we start out knowing that the king is going to die, and the aide is meant to follow right after him...I again wonder...is it worth it?
Really hard to say, but Nakamura has such an interesting style and vivid imagination that I can't help following along to test out just a little bit more. Even though all the harem bits and swinging boobs are a little much for me, really. (I'm reminded a bit of Craig Thompson's Habibi, which I'd initially thought was amazing and eventually got rid of. We'll see if this series follows that path.)
Oh, and I should also note that the production of this book is kind of weird. It's hardcover, which is a bit unusual for manga, and then the first half of it is composed of shiny white paper - initially full color, then black and white, then a bit of color again, then a sudden shift to the regular newspaper-like manga-style pages. There was a part of me that initially thought "um did their printer just run out of glossy paper partway through?" With the current state of the publishing industry, it wouldn't be all that surprising. But I guess it's because this is a compilation of works that were originally spread across different publications? It just creates a kind of odd reading experience that adds to the whole off-kilter sensation of reading these stories.
October 27, 2025
¡Hola hola!❤️🔥
¡Por fin toca manga🤪! Aunque la propuesta de hoy no es que me haya gustado del todo. Cuentos del reino🏰, de Asumiko Nakamura.
Esta es una serie abierta que nos está trayendo @mwediciones y de la que he leído las tres primeras entregas.
¿Cómo explicarlo? Es un experimento curioso. En el país de Sharibalte se cuentan historias de los diferentes miembros de su realeza, cuyo castillo va creciendo con el ascenso de un nuevo monarca. Tiene una estética tipo árabe que me ha recordado mucho a Las Mil y una noche, Aladín… El mundo mágico de Oriente Medio.
🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️
Cada uno de estos volúmenes se centra en una historia en particular, en un cuento:
🧑🤝🧑La historia de los hermanos Ardalte y Ardolte.
👥La complicada relación de un chambelán y su rey.
👀 La nueva vida de Magreb en el palacio.
Todas comparten pequeños guiños entre ellas, como queriendo darte pistas de que fue lo que quedó de los personajes que se presentaron, como una especie de legado. Aunque ¿por qué no me acabo de convencer?
🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️
Tras su lectura, muchas veces he llegado a la conclusión de “ es un yaoi mega tóxico”. Sus personajes hombres repiten ese mismo patrón de activo-pasivo y lo juntan con unos episodios traumáticos que quiero pensar que la autora no pretende hacer pasar por episodios románticos🫢. Otro punto importante y que me ha llamado la atención en los tres cuentos: el mínimo y utilitarista papel de las mujeres. Dentro de un contexto de “es una sociedad de hombres”, no es de extrañar la función de ellas en las mismas.No es muy diferente de la realidad pasada (y presente). Porque literal que parecen muñecas sin voz ni voto y dan pie a escenas incómodas de ver. Por no hablar de la presencia de p3dof3ilia.
Me gustaría que en las próximas entregas cambie un poco ese patrón y dé más importancia a otros personajes🥲. La historia se repite una y otra vez pero con diferencias. Creo que sigo un poco traumada…
¡Por fin toca manga🤪! Aunque la propuesta de hoy no es que me haya gustado del todo. Cuentos del reino🏰, de Asumiko Nakamura.
Esta es una serie abierta que nos está trayendo @mwediciones y de la que he leído las tres primeras entregas.
¿Cómo explicarlo? Es un experimento curioso. En el país de Sharibalte se cuentan historias de los diferentes miembros de su realeza, cuyo castillo va creciendo con el ascenso de un nuevo monarca. Tiene una estética tipo árabe que me ha recordado mucho a Las Mil y una noche, Aladín… El mundo mágico de Oriente Medio.
🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️
Cada uno de estos volúmenes se centra en una historia en particular, en un cuento:
🧑🤝🧑La historia de los hermanos Ardalte y Ardolte.
👥La complicada relación de un chambelán y su rey.
👀 La nueva vida de Magreb en el palacio.
Todas comparten pequeños guiños entre ellas, como queriendo darte pistas de que fue lo que quedó de los personajes que se presentaron, como una especie de legado. Aunque ¿por qué no me acabo de convencer?
🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️🕌🧑🤝🧑🏜️
Tras su lectura, muchas veces he llegado a la conclusión de “ es un yaoi mega tóxico”. Sus personajes hombres repiten ese mismo patrón de activo-pasivo y lo juntan con unos episodios traumáticos que quiero pensar que la autora no pretende hacer pasar por episodios románticos🫢. Otro punto importante y que me ha llamado la atención en los tres cuentos: el mínimo y utilitarista papel de las mujeres. Dentro de un contexto de “es una sociedad de hombres”, no es de extrañar la función de ellas en las mismas.No es muy diferente de la realidad pasada (y presente). Porque literal que parecen muñecas sin voz ni voto y dan pie a escenas incómodas de ver. Por no hablar de la presencia de p3dof3ilia.
Me gustaría que en las próximas entregas cambie un poco ese patrón y dé más importancia a otros personajes🥲. La historia se repite una y otra vez pero con diferencias. Creo que sigo un poco traumada…
January 13, 2025
Historias cortas con un dibujo bonito pero la verdad que no me han convencido mucho.
La primera historia, va de dos hermanos, uno destinado a morir y el otro a reinar que acaban escapando. El rollo de estar los dos con una mujer y tener un hijo y que se amen… pues no lo sé pero me parece un poco extraño. Si es verdad que ambos son “un alma” no se entiende por qué al final se separan. No me ha convencido mucho esta historia.
La segunda historia algo mejor, me ha gustado el dramatismo del asesinato y ha sido un poco complicada de entender pero, una vez se entiende está interesante. La trama no es compleja, pero me parece que está contada de una manera muy hábil , con un ambiente siniestro, triste y melancólico, gris en general, ha sido mi cosa favorita.
La última historia pues ha sido muy corta y continua en los siguientes tomos, no sé si lo continuaré. La verdad que por el dibujo y por el ambiente siniestro de la obra quizá valga la pena, pero, no me ha convencido mucho tampoco lo poco que se profundiza en los personajes y la falta de contexto. Me apetecía una historia larga y me he encontrado con historias cortas.
La primera historia, va de dos hermanos, uno destinado a morir y el otro a reinar que acaban escapando. El rollo de estar los dos con una mujer y tener un hijo y que se amen… pues no lo sé pero me parece un poco extraño. Si es verdad que ambos son “un alma” no se entiende por qué al final se separan. No me ha convencido mucho esta historia.
La segunda historia algo mejor, me ha gustado el dramatismo del asesinato y ha sido un poco complicada de entender pero, una vez se entiende está interesante. La trama no es compleja, pero me parece que está contada de una manera muy hábil , con un ambiente siniestro, triste y melancólico, gris en general, ha sido mi cosa favorita.
La última historia pues ha sido muy corta y continua en los siguientes tomos, no sé si lo continuaré. La verdad que por el dibujo y por el ambiente siniestro de la obra quizá valga la pena, pero, no me ha convencido mucho tampoco lo poco que se profundiza en los personajes y la falta de contexto. Me apetecía una historia larga y me he encontrado con historias cortas.
April 24, 2023
...So I started this expecting a Prince and the Pauper type story, but instead I got confusion because the first chapter is in color (easy to tell them apart) then the second chapter is completely in black and white (but printed on the same glossy paper ???) and not only do these characters look identical, but their names are one letter apart.
Then we jump over to an aide poisoning his king, only to realize that he's going to get blamed when the king dies so he promises to off himself when the time comes...only for the next chapter to be a flashback to when he and the king first met... then two chapters later there's another flashback to the aide's childhood where he has a twin...
Needless to say, I have next to no idea what this story is supposed to be about and while the art is pretty, black and white doesn't work when your characters can only be told apart by eye color. So... not bad, but not good; pretty but confusing.
Then we jump over to an aide poisoning his king, only to realize that he's going to get blamed when the king dies so he promises to off himself when the time comes...only for the next chapter to be a flashback to when he and the king first met... then two chapters later there's another flashback to the aide's childhood where he has a twin...
Needless to say, I have next to no idea what this story is supposed to be about and while the art is pretty, black and white doesn't work when your characters can only be told apart by eye color. So... not bad, but not good; pretty but confusing.
December 26, 2024
I have seen this sooooo many times at Barnes and Noble, and the art style intrigued me so much. I took a while to consider whether or not I should purchase it because the book didn't have much of a blurb on the back, and I also couldn't see the inside because it was wrapped. I finally decided to get it a couple of days ago, and I read it today without knowing what it'd be about. I wanted to surprise myself, and...it was ok. It seems to be literal tales of this fantasy kingdom where the stories rely heavily on relationship drama. I thought the first story was ok but overdone, and the second story didn't wrap up at the end. It stopped at a "to be continued" moment, but the stories didn't do anything for me. I thought the art style was kind of cool, but there seems to be a lot of hints towards incest, and that is just not it for me. I don't think I will be continuing with the rest of the series.
January 11, 2025
Tales of the Kingdom is a fantasy manga that’s still keeping a lot of the characters a mystery. The main focus at first is on Adarte, a prince, and Adolte, a prisoner, who are twins, and honestly, they're still a complete mystery to me Their existence leaves me with a lot of questions.
There are several other characters introduced too, including the King and his side, and while they all seem important, their backstories and motives are still pretty unclear.
This volume in general feels like it's building up a lot of mystery, with just enough information to keep you hooked but not enough to fully understand what’s going on as it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The cliffhanger at the end definitely got me curious to learn more about everyone and how they all connect.
There are several other characters introduced too, including the King and his side, and while they all seem important, their backstories and motives are still pretty unclear.
This volume in general feels like it's building up a lot of mystery, with just enough information to keep you hooked but not enough to fully understand what’s going on as it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The cliffhanger at the end definitely got me curious to learn more about everyone and how they all connect.
June 4, 2022
Bueno, algo que sabia que iba a amar acá es el dibujo de Asumiko Nakamura. Es muy expresivo y logra meterte mucho en la historia. Acá nos relata 2 historias (o 3, porque la última siento que puede estar relacionada con la 2da), pero a pesar de ser historias cortas logras sentir lo que sienten los personajes, con la primera historia casi lloro, y se me estrujó el corazón. Creo que fue mi favorita de las que había en este tomo, pero la segunda tenía un aura interesante, hay un misterio ahí que espero me lo cuenten más adelante, y la última historia, necesito saber cómo sigue eso y si sí tiene relación con la historia 2. Esperaré a que me llegue mi tomo 2 con impaciencia! Jajajjaa
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July 17, 2023Không thể tin được bộ này cùng tác giả với bộ “Sot su gyo sei” luôn ấy. Chính ra t đọc bộ này trước vì lướt thấy ưng art của nó, hồi ấy mới ra đến chap 15 thì phải. Nét vẽ tỉ mẩn, xinh đẹp tuyệt vời, nhưng mối quan hệ rồi nội dung nó thiết lập dark lắm. Mà bộ “Sotsu gyo sei” thì kiểu học đường cute phô mai que. Bối cảnh cũng khác nhau nữa, để vẽ được bộ này tác giả phải nghiên cứu dữ lắm, cả một nền văn minh giả tưởng mà. Cái ấn tượng nét vẽ đẹp nó quá là sâu đậm với t ấy. Nên là nhìn thấy trong danh sách truyện của tác giả bộ “Sotsu gyo sei” có bộ này, cũng quyết tâm mần đọc lại. Giờ ra thêm 5 chap nữa rồi, t cũng thêm 2 tuổi, nhưng nội dung vẫn là quá tải với t.
August 14, 2022
After making a point to check out some of the work of Nakumura, I think "Tales of Kingdom" just kind of goes to show that the author is not as much for me. There is some lack of connection here that does not draw me in as deep as other authors treading similar ground.
That said, the book is really beautiful, I love the color pages and the first story is pretty powerful and tragic. There is a lot to admire here and I recommend people check it out for themselves
That said, the book is really beautiful, I love the color pages and the first story is pretty powerful and tragic. There is a lot to admire here and I recommend people check it out for themselves
January 12, 2024
Ich weiß nicht so recht wie ich das finden soll. Einerseits fand ich die Story ganz interessant, auch wenn es nichts wirklich neues ist.
Ich hatte zwischendurch so meine Probleme mit den Zeichnungen, die waren einfach irgendwie nichtssagend, weil einfach nur Ausschnitte zu sehen waren, das war irgendwie verwirrend.
Ich denke nicht, dass ich es weiterverfolgen würde.
Ich gebe 2,5 Sterne und runde auf 3 auf.
Ich hatte zwischendurch so meine Probleme mit den Zeichnungen, die waren einfach irgendwie nichtssagend, weil einfach nur Ausschnitte zu sehen waren, das war irgendwie verwirrend.
Ich denke nicht, dass ich es weiterverfolgen würde.
Ich gebe 2,5 Sterne und runde auf 3 auf.
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