Fiancée of the Wizard Manga, Vol. 1

魔法使いの婚約者 [Mahoutsukai no Konyakusha] (Manga) #1

by Masaki Kazuka (Illustrator), Syuri Nakamura (Original Creator), Keiko Sakano (Character Design)

WENT LOOKING FOR MAGIC BUT FOUND LOVE INSTEAD...

Filimena via Adina, daughter of nobility, awakens one day with the realization that she had actually been reborn into a world of sorcery and given a second chance at life. In her new country full of heroes, she expects this means she's a chosen one, yet her lot is not as she dreamed-instead, her path crosses with the improbably powerful stepson of a wizard, and as a young noble lady, her place is at his side...as his fiancée! But perhaps a quest for love is exactly the adventure she was looking for...

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Graphic Novels, Comics, Shojo

164 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2018

About the author

KAZUKA Masaki
Name (in native language): かづか将来

Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so sweet! I heard about this manga from the Clean Fiction Spring Edition 2022 magazine where it was reviewed, and I thought it sounded super sweet and something I would like as a light read and it paid in spades on both!

This is definitely a romance (or at least it’s working on getting there, lol) and therefore a slower story, but I didn’t mind as I love these characters! Filimena is so kind and caring and Edy (because I have NO CLUE how to say or spell his entire name 😆) is the perfect tortured hero with a soft heart you just want him to show to our main girl yet understand why he often takes the blunt path instead (even though I still want to shake him at times). I also really liked Launcent, Eddy’s adopted dad as he’s amazing, and Widnichol who adds such delightful humor!

The artwork is GORGEOUS!!!! 😍🥰😍🥰😍 It’s honestly one of the prettiest mangas I’ve ever read and I couldn’t help but stop reading just to admire the panels many times plus I love how flowers are woven into this story so much as opposed to just being added artwork.

I can’t wait to get the next volume from my library and see where this story goes!


‼️Content‼️

Violence: a creature attacks two kids and one gets injured (not over PG or really shown)

Sexual: a girl’s scarred, bare back

Other: magic; magical powers/abilities/creatures/place; a character was reincarnated; as a child a character was chained up in a dungeon; bullying; a fantasy world has fantasy spirits and a goddess; wizards

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second volume of this came in, and I had recollected nothing about this first one, so I reread it. It made a slightly stronger impression on the second go-around, in so far as I can actually remember it since I finished it five minutes ago. :D The characters aren't interesting enough, the emotional currents deep enough, nor the drama high enough, to give this any higher marks than I already have. It's pleasant, but nothing special.

Earlier review is below the ***.

***

This is a cute and appealing story about a young couple who fall for each other at a very young age, but whose circumstances keep them apart. You see both partner's points of view as they negotiate a world of magic and court intrigue.

My partner and I both read this, and we agree that this didn't need to be an isekai (reincarnation/portal fantasy). The two leads' relationship could easily have developed as it did without Filimena's having a 30-year-old earth woman's soul. And it would have been more convincing in a world-building sense: for example, this 30-year-old mind in a 3-year-old's body would quite possibly have language learning problems. And there's no indication of our heroine having had a single connection in her previous life, whether family or friends.

This has potential, but doesn't quite have the extra "oomph" to give it more than a basic "I liked it." I'm interested in seeing where it goes next!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a working woman gets isekai’d into a new life as a young girl named Filimena, she finds she has received no fantastic powers or mythic destiny. What she does have, however, is a new friend named Edy (his full name is so long I’d be here all day typing it out, so short version it is), a magic prodigy whose black hair reminds her of home.

An unfortunate mishap leads to their separation, but not before she can accidentally agree to get engaged to him. When their separation ends, however, she may not have changed, but he certainly has...

So, this book has more potential than it has positives. I like the world building - magic strength being tied to the amount of black in the hair is interesting (and gives a possible out to our heroine’s lack of any amazing ability).

When Filimena is injured in an accident, the nature of the injury destroys her social status and that makes sense with the explanation given. Even better, that narratively adds the issue of her viewing her engagement as an act of pity for future drama.

Edy is an embittered mess whose timeline is basically an angst sandwich with a thin Filimena filling in between. I don’t know that his major fail when talking to her after seven years is quite plausible, but they at least give backstory to prop the argument up.

This book is, honestly, very mediocre and I can point out a few reasons why without batting an eyelash. The art is occasionally amazing but more often wonky as all get out - some of the facial expressions are yikes.

Second, this book is deadly boring at the start. It might be my general indifference to isekai, but more likely it’s because the first two chapters are wholesale copies (minus a few fine details) of events from the beginning parts of the ‘My Life As A Villainess...’ series.

I will tell you right now, you need to bring more than this book does to the table if you want to compare favourably to the first book in THAT series. The way they speed through Edy’s time at the school of magic doesn’t give his experiences there as much weight as they should have either.

This book would also like you to not bat an eye at a woman who’s just shy of thirty romancing a young boy and while I could jam it in the background for most of it, there’s no denying that even letting him age up a bit still leaves the unpalatable spectre of ‘fiancée or surrogate mother’ over the whole thing.

2.5 stars, but I will round up because this has the chance to be something good and I would like it to be better than it is. That business with the gifts/letters (easily the best moment in the book) shows that this could be something quite heartfelt if it gets going (and if I can see past the age thing). A rough start, but one that earns a second volume to see if it can start to shine with a bit of polish.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up for potential, although I almost rounded down for however the hell you pronounce Edy's full first name. This is cute enough and I really like the dual narration (because otherwise we'd have zero grasp of what Edy's thinking), but it doesn't cover quite enough emotional territory to be truly good.


Full review eventually appearing on ANN.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 2 out of 5]

What was this? I need to not get my hopes up by a pretty cover and the color pink. This started off sweet and I was easily swept away. However once they reunited it all went downhill. We do get dual POV so we can see that Edy does have feelings for her, but his actions? The complete opposite. Along with that, nothing else is making me care enough to purchase another volume of this.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I am properly awake, and it is not 3 am in the morning. I can write this review more properly. This manga was a recommendation from my coworker, and I am so thankful she suggested it to me. I loved the plot of the faithful friend awaiting her fiance only to discover he has become awkwardly calloused upon return. I loved how the creator ensured to maintain equal perspectives from the main characters, to ensure there were no ill wills towards the characters that was not properly placed. It helped to make some of the softer moments more sweet, such as when she recieved flowers from him after referencing a childhood memory from a handkerchief, or removing a petal from her hair. The added perspective of her past life also added a bit of fun to the mix as well.

[Dani(elle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept is basically: what if 30 yo me reincarnated into a background pony of a high fantasy novel, and honestly, I kinda dig it.

I loved how she immediately assumed she would be the main character and have special abilities because I too would have tried wielding a sword or casting a spell under the same circumstances.

I also really like the world being built so far. I have a few questions but I will wait for further volumes before they become more pressing.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off in such a promising way, and I’m admittedly still a little curious about if the two main characters do end up together, but overall, this was just ok.

[Mythos · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.8/5 stars

I will not be continuing this series.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/cZ5wkISCNpQ

3.5 stars

I feel slightly conflicted on this one…

On the one hand, I really really enjoyed it! Loved the characters and how this really feels like a childhood friends-to-lovers kind of romance, which makes me excited!

But on the other hand, why the heck did Edy come back from the Academy and act like such a jerk to Filimena?! UGH!

Granted I will give this manga fierce credit because it does an incredible job of showing BOTH our leads' feelings, and honestly think that was Edy's saving grace for me. I was shocked at seeing him come across so flippantly when all these years Filimena has wanted nothing more than to be by his side again and continue their lovely days together. With the way he SEEMS, you would think he wouldn't desire that at all and would want to break the engagement as soon as possible!

Again though, those moments of seeing from his perspective really helped me not hate his character, especially when we see how soft and gentle he becomes when thinking of her. I just hope that he voices his thoughts of how much he loves her because if you're turning other women away, you need to make it known to the woman you love that you want to be with her for the rest of your life.

Otherwise, this was an engaging first volume! I'm very interested in reading the next volume but desperately hope Edy is not nearly as mean as he has been because Filimena is one of the brightest heroines I've read and deserves nothing but kindness!

[Viki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a typical setup. Cheerful girl is nice to a sullen and somber boy and circumstances lead them to become engaged in childhood. Seven years later they are reunited but more circumstances prevent them from marrying, hence the title. I guess the entire premise of the series is that she remains his fiancé even though both want to marry.

I feel like there is some ‘personality’ missing from our leads. I can forgive the Edy as he is the somber sullen one who has been so abused and bullied that he isn’t much of a talker - typical archetype. But his reserve and terrible communication skills, even with Filimena are a bit much.

Filimena on the other hand is too plain, especially given her 30-year-old isekai backstory that so far has played NO part in the story. She is reincarnated into a 3yo and spends the next 15 years just waiting…. She does attempt to learn, but also realizes that she isn’t a hero/savior, so just starts to live peacefully. I don’t know, I kinda wish she would show some modern frustrations of living again as a child or having seemingly been given no purpose, or wanting more from her life. Maybe that will come into play later, but I just don’t see the point in having her be an ‘isekai’ and then not having it play a role in her life or even just her personality for like 15 or so years as the story needs to skip a lot of time so the couple is of marriageable age. She is a good/nice character but that is like it. She is pretty, privileged, and smart - I wish she was more proactive.

This is the first volume, so hopefully all of this was just setup and a real story will begin now. Just slightly disappointed in our leads, I want more individuality so they stand out as characters you can root for.

[Princess Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will continue to read this series, but as of right now it's not the greatest. Their relationship is kinda hard to rally for. He is a little too aloof and she needs to stand up for herself. She's a little too happy for my liking.

[Sierra Burrous · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super cute comfort read with a grumpy x sunshine trope in it. If your a fan of Shojo isekai you’ll like this I’m sure! It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything but it’s a pretty solid first volume and I really am enjoying the characters!

[Unabridged Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5*s. Will definitely read the next ones, but it just took me a minute to get into it.

[em! · Rating 3 out of 5]

go girl give us nothing

[Ramshah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

o(〒﹏〒)o

[Dani Fall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is oddly cute, and I like the tension of it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute enough that I insta-ordered the next two. 4 solid stars.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I was nervous for a bit with her restating a few times that she was an adult in a child's body, especially when it looked like she was going to hook up with a 16 year old but more time has passed where it may not be an adult with a child, but since that took up my thought process and enjoyment for a bit, I think I'm at 3 stars.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is nominally an isekai, but it really doesn't need to be. The main character is reincarnated in a fantasy world, and remembers her past life, but it affects almost nothing. She tells no one, nobody can tell, and you could read most of the book without knowing this is meant to be isekai. Put that aside, and it's a romance I have mixed feelings about. The two characters meet as children, and the childhood sweethearts portion is very cute and enjoyable. And then they become adults, and they just stop talking to each other, which I find really annoying. I got a real worry at the end of the volume, when a princess who's a perfect political match for the male character shows up. It was a huge relief when she seemed to dismiss marrying him because he's uninterested and seemingly moved on with her life, something that made me like her a lot. I'm just not sure how I feel about this book right now. The pointless isekai worries me, and I'm not here for multiple volumes of people just not talking to each other.

[Ayanami Faerudo · Rating 2 out of 5]

-I thought it was promising.

-I know it's primarily romance but I wanted to see the FL be more motivated and have initiative. Instead she just... waited and waited and waited, doing nothing but fret about her affianced status and the ML. So 2D

-Couldn't she, I don't know, utilized her past life's knowledge and do something with it?

-I got bored after the first two volumes and just stopped when they got married.

-I went and looked for spoilers. I didn't miss anything substantial.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!

Read 4 volumes

I LOVE FLUFFY SHORT ROMANCES!! I loved the whole thing; the characters, the plot, the art! I will definitely be buying the last two volumes soon!!

Edit 1/10/22: I got this final volume two days early and IT WAS SO CUTE. I thought it was a good ending although I wish it wasn’t over yet! One of my favorites for sure!

[Lou Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much to be said about this book. I went into my university library today to discover this which hasn't been on my to be read list long but I was super excited at the fact someone had donated this. So whoever donated this to the university library- thank you so much. I thought this was going to be this sort of book that I was going to have to pay to read or hope I could convince my local library to get in.

Without further ado lets get into this review.

First off the cover design is beautiful. What initially got me into the book was the cover art, and the fact the wizard kinda resembles Hiro from NTT Solmare: Shall We Date, Wizardess Heart; Hiro. I may have completed the game but damn his route was good.

So I added this to my to be read.

Right from the start we are thrown straight into trope after trope after trope.

Fiancée of the Wizard presents an isekai-style fantasy where Filimena, a noblewoman, retains memories of a past life and finds herself engaged to Egiedeyrus ("Edy"), a powerful wizard. The story offers a promising setup with romance and magic intertwined, but its execution is somewhat lacking in depth.

The world itself is clearly one where magic plays a crucial role. Wizards hold significant power, and there is an established system for learning and using magic, likely through formal education. However, the manga does not delve deeply into how magic works—its origins, rules, or limitations are largely left unexplored. Edy’s immense power sets him apart from others, but the story rarely expands on what makes him so unique compared to other magic users.

As for the historical background, the setting feels somewhat underdeveloped. There is little information about the history of magic, major events that shaped this world, or how magical society evolved over time. Instead, the focus remains largely on Filimena’s inner thoughts and the romantic tension between her and Edy. While this may appeal to readers looking for a character-driven narrative, those hoping for a rich, immersive fantasy world may find it lacking.

Overall, Fiancée of the Wizard is enjoyable for its romance and premise, but it does not offer much depth in terms of magic or world history. It’s a decent read, but for those looking for a more detailed fantasy setting, it might feel a bit underwhelming.

I will admit I would like to read the second book in the series and hope that the world will be expanded upon. The book ends in a cliffhanger and I want answers. Furthermore because of my memory of other similar stories in games, I was hoping for a more dynamic read which potentially would explore world building however one persons trash is another persons treasure, as the story is rather loose which in some ways leaves much more to the imagination. I like the rococo style gowns and the trope of mr grumpy and miss sunny in this book. I would still recommend it. The art style is really pretty.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today’s post is on Fiancée of the Wizard Manga, Vol. 1 by Masaki Kazuka (Illustrator), Syuri Nakamura (Original Creator), Keiko Sakano (Character Design). It is 196 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has the two main characters on it looking cute. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo romance, transmigration stories, and nice art. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence's in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- Went looking for magic but found love instead...

Filimena via Adina, daughter of nobility, awakens one day with the realization that she had actually been reborn into a world of sorcery and given a second chance at life. In her new country full of heroes, she expects this means she's a chosen one, yet her lot is not as she dreamed-instead, her path crosses with the improbably powerful stepson of a wizard, and as a young noble lady, her place is at his side...as his fiancée! But perhaps a quest for love is exactly the adventure she was looking for...

Review- A cute isekai romance story with some fun magic in it. The main character has been reborn with the knowledge of her past live but she just moves on with her new life. But because she has the mind of a thirty-five year old, she handles life better then others around her. So she makes an impression on the male lead, Egiedeyrus, Eddy, and he falls in love with her from a young age. But now the trouble is starting as Eddy is a very powerful wizard and other people want to control him including who he marries. Filimena is in between a rock and a hard place but I am sure that she will figure it out and I look forward to going with her on her journey.

I give this manga a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

[Lucee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

This manga was filled with enough beauty and charm to be worth reading but fell flat with characterization and likability. It's not the type of manga I'd discourage someone from reading, but I might advise against purchasing a hard copy—better to use a library and save the dollars.

Filimena is your average protagonist, and I mean that literally: she is the most benign, boring MC I've ever followed. Her sense of drive and personal improvement is nonexistent, and when it comes to her relationship with Edy, she is a voiceless pushover. Let me walk you through it. Imagine you're engaged to someone for seven years while they're away studying. They refuse to visit you any time during those years, and when you finally reunite after their graduation, the first words out of their mouth are to belittle and shame you. I can forgive staying silent during that first meeting, out of shock alone, but to allow his behavior to slide for YEARS AFTER?? You're telling me that their marriage has been postponed for YEARS, and she won't attempt an adult conversation with her fiance (a person who SHOULD treat her as an equal) at any point?? I hate him, but I hate her more for lacking the spine to speak up for herself.

In a move that will likely shock after the review I wrote, I will be reading the second volume (although NOT purchasing it this time). I so badly want to see her break off the engagement or do something—ANYTHING—that I'm willing to read one more book to see what happens. We'll see how that goes.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really cute, easy read that kept me entertained from volume 1 to 4. Both the art and writing is lovely, and the characters jump off the page. In fact, If the heroine and side characters hadn’t been so lovely I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the incredibly fast pace and sudden plot changes.

Like a lot of the reviews say, it doesn’t really cover any of its themes in great depth - the isekai (the character is an Earth woman reincarnated in a new magical world) elements don’t really come into play outside of the very beginning and end; the conflict outside of the romance is easily fixed and quick to end; and even the conflict in the romance is really passive and not really fixed by the protagonists.

But, it’s an adaption of light novel (Japanese YA fiction closer to middle grade) that’s just supposed to be a fun, breezy romance from what I can tell. Each book is almost an entirely different sub-genre and stage of the romance which kept it entertaining and easy to get through.

If you’re looking for a short, relaxed manga with some good world building and romance, this is a great choice!

[Brigid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story arc of this series is complete in two volumes, although it goes on from there. The lead character, Filemina, wakes up from an illness when she is six years old with vague memories of an earlier life in modern-day Japan. In her current world (the standard vaguely-medieval world of fantasy manga) she’s a nobleman’s daughter. The story follows her romance with Edy, a wizard who is ostracized because of his black hair, which in this world means he has powerful magic; of course, being from Japan, Filomena is not put off by black hair at all. He goes off to wizard school, then to work for the royal court, and because he’s sullen and inarticulate, he never tells Filemina he loves her, but because this is a shoujo manga, she waits patiently for him to open up. What’s odd about this book is that the main character is away from most of the action, although enough happens to keep it fairly interesting. The art is done in a gorgeous, detailed shoujo fantasy style.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This alluring manga is filled with innocent romance, whimsical magic, & beautiful fantasy elements. I was first turned off by the first chapter as it started out as an isekai. I quickly forgot as it hasn't been brought up since. The world building in this book is so amazing that you never recall the fact that our heroine is from another world.

The story switches between the perspective of the female and male love interests and tells a sweet story of their love over their childhood years. It's so sweet it'll give you cavities (and I mean that in the best way possible).

I did not expect to like this manga as much as I did. The cover is also beautiful and the bind stands out on my shelf. Definitely recommend reading this volume. Just be ready to crave more once you've finished it!

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Edy to be a jerk. And the FL just rolls with it. What’s holding them together feels paper thin since Edy is such a jerk and never expresses affection to Filamina. She has feelings for him and I don’t know why. It would be more believable that she’s sticking around and waiting for him if the only reason was that she has no other options, but apparently she has feelings for him too which I don’t understand.
Edy is rude and bossy and puts other people down and never apologizes. He will feel bad about it internally but never tries to correct it or change.
Still, by the end of the book I felt curious enough to want to read more.