Professor Heine Wittgenstein ist der neue königliche Lehrer im Reiche Glanzreich. Klein von Gestalt, aber mit enorm großer Intelligenz und Wissen ausgestattet, soll er die vier Prinzen des Landes unterweisen. Und jeder der vier Prinzen ist eine Herausforderung für sich! Eine große Aufgabe für den kleinen Professor... und ein Riesenspaß für alle Leser, denn die Serie THE ROYAL TUTOR ist ein Comedy-Manga par excellence!!
This volume in particular piqued my interest. I think it is because of the build up of the chapters to the revelation on the last few chapters... Hm, makes me think about what Akai-sensei is planning for the next volume.
On the one hand I want to give this a higher rating because so much happened but on the other hand I feel like I *don’t* want to rate it higher because so much happened… it felt like TOO MUCH happened in just one volume.
Suddenly all the brothers (Leonie aside) decide to leave?! It was too much at once. But it does seem to be part of the story based on the last panel (Heine is suspicious of why they all decided to leave at once. Count Rosenberg - and maybe Eins’ - doing no doubt!).
I also think I came out of it being annoyed with Bruno most again and it’s solidified that he’s my least favourite of the four main brothers. He didn’t come say goodbye to Licht but then two seconds later wants to leave himself because he was inspired by Licht?! I am also really over his obsession with Heine and being jealous of his brothers/needing to outdo them even when he’s already the best in schooling. He’s the most irritating of all the brothers by far…
Leonie is a close second at times - you’d think he’s the youngest brother with how he couldn’t handle the brothers (especially Bruno, I should say) leaving (and being convinced it’s fine for his little brother to leave because he gets more torte? I know it was played for jokes but when it’s serious one second and then he’s used for comic relief the next it doesn’t always hit for me).
I did like that he got past himself to allow Kai to leave. That showed more growth than I feel we’ve seen from Bruno who just feels very self-involved of all the brothers. The rest have grown to some degree but he’s still very rigid and only about his own goals. I’d hoped we’d see him going to say goodbye to Licht before leaving for his own plans but… I guess not.
So as much as I like that the whole volume was about progressing the overarching story and brother’s personals goals, it’s made me realize how little of these 9 volumes have had anything to do with their tutoring.
What is Heine even really doing there? 😅
Yes he’s helped them come into their own to some degree (mostly Licht) but we haven’t seen him do much teaching (except for hopeless Leonie). And tbh, he’s not the nicest/best at teacher. 😅 (And we still don’t know anything about his past more than halfway through?!)
So it’s worth a 4 because we have a lot of growth and progression for the brothers and a good story for Licht, but not more than that because there are too many little bits that are frustrating me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another great volume! Lots of changes, beautiful illustrations and excellent portrayal of emotion. This one pulled at my heart strings! I can't wait to see where the brothers end up next and how they fare on their various excursions and adventures.
The manga completely diverges from the anime with Licht choosing to devote himself to Cafe Mitter Meyer rather than compete for the throne. His decision sends shockwaves through the palace, but the resulting repercussions take the princes in a surprising direction. Between lots of character development and hints of someone acting in the shadows, Akai-sensei does an excellent job keeping readers engaged.
The Review
Volume 8 ended with what looked to be the beginning of an extended story about Licht. As it turns out, this arc actually involves all our four princelings, plus it continues beyond Volume 9. This is a refreshing change from the episodic pace that the series has fallen into. However, the plot does build on the information and events of those single-chapter stories.
Volume 9 begins with Count Rosenberg once more slithering around Licht. The count definitely has the air of a villain, but his motives for meddling in the affairs of the younger princes as of yet remain unknown. Eldest prince Eins views his brothers with such contempt that it seems unlikely Rosenberg’s acting on his orders. As such, the mystery of the count’s true objective brings an air of intrigue to this volume.
Licht, however, has the sense not to trust the count, especially since he’s already gotten burned before. When changes with Cafe Mitter Meyer inspire the youngest prince to live in town, he’s careful not to accept Rosenberg’s easy deal for a place to stay. Instead, Licht goes so far as to limit his budget to his earnings at the cafe. Much like the time he was forced to spend the night at the cafe, Licht is confronted with the difficulties of life outside the palace as he struggles to form a plan for independence. But Licht has grown as a character and displays newfound fortitude as he seeks his father’s permission to leave.
This, of course, causes an uproar among the other princes. Not surprisingly, the most outspoken is straitlaced Bruno. But just when you’re expecting Bruno to begrudgingly accept Licht’s decision, he goes far and beyond mere acceptance. As a result, Licht’s decision has a kind of domino effect in the palace. Akai-sensei looks like she’s setting the stage for something big, and I eagerly await the next installment.
Extras include bonus manga celebrating the anime adaption and first page printed in color.
I love how each of them are growing and truly thinking about their future. It's one thing to be in running to be the king is another to decide what will make you happy. It's good to see how different they each are but also their home and the struggle to let the each other pursue life different from their own.