The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, (Manga) Vol. 1

私はご都合主義な解決担当の王女である (Manga) #1

by Kazusa Yoneda (Artist), Mamecyoro (Original Story), Mitsuya Fuji (Character Design)

After reincarnating into her favorite BL novel, Maki (now Octavia) has the perfect opportunity to fangirl over her favorite fictional couple, Sil and Prince Sirius, in real life—except she's Sirius's sister?! If that isn't awkward enough, she's expected to give up her firstborn child to be their heir! But the new Octavia won't settle for a political marriage just to produce a baby. Her brother overcame many obstacles to be with the man of his dreams, and Octavia is prepared to do the same! Of course, she actually has to find a guy first…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Comics, Graphic Novels, LGBT, Young Adult

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2020

About the author

YONEDA Kazusa
Name (in native language): 米田和佐

Reviews

[vin .ᐟ (hiatus)]

okay this was seriously so funny and entertaining!! i couldn't stop laughing at the many unserious—yet endearing—moments in this volume 🤭 truly my type of isekai ;D

[Rereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good start to the series. I think Octavia has a lot of potential as an mc, and while this volume focused a lot on the fluff, there was enough intrigue to keep me going.

That being said, one thing that does rub me the wrong way is how sexuality is being portrayed. While the actual romances between the gay characters was fine, what bothers me is how it affects the lore. It paints gay relationships as an inconvenience at best (straight women and men have a harder time finding partners), or oppressive at worst (nobility women are expected to have children solely to carry on their bloodline, and their children are given to the gay couple to raise). I don't want to say their was any malicious intent on the mangaka's part, but to me at least it reads as gay relationships causing problems for straight people and that doesn't sit well with me.

I have the next two volumes so I'll continue on to see how the story progresses, but I'm not holding out too much hope that this problem's gonna be fixed. That being said, I'd still recommend people give it a shot.

[Elley Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh I enjoyed this manga so much! Maki is reincarnated as Princess Octavia, a side character in one of her favorite BL (boys love) series. Except it's a BL world, so all the decent guys are already paired up with each other! Maki/Octavia is determined to have a happy life - and she's a bit of an airhead so she misses some of the deeper political intrigue going on around her. I had so much fun reading this first volume, and I can't wait to see what happens next in volume 2!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are unbiased and my own.

Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having reincarnated into her favorite BL series, Maki—now Octavia—is living her dream!

She can fawn over her favorite couple, Prince Sirius and Sil, to her heart’s content! Or, she could, if she weren’t Sirius’s sister, Princess Octavia. It’s kind of awkward to walk in on your brother and his lover making out.

Worse, Octavia is expected to produce an heir for the family. She’s the only family member not attracted to a sane-sex partner. Only, that causes its own problem in a BL world—almost every guy she meets is in love with another man.

Octavia has lost countless bodyguards who have fled with their male lovers. Things are looking desperate for her.

Luckily, she’s managed to hold onto her current bodyguard, Sir Klifford, for quite a while. Dark and handsome, he looks more severe than he truly is. Many members of the castle guard fear him for his military record—he’s a rather notorious warrior on the battlefield. It’s actually surprising to see him as a bodyguard….

With political tensions heating up across the kingdoms and the current King looking to pass on his legacy soon, Octavia is running out of time to find an eligible man. Will she be able to find one or will she become a casualty of this world she adores so much?

So, this is absolutely hilarious!

I was not expecting to enjoy this series—I’m not a big fan of isekai stories. But, the premise of this one is so funny and the plot unfolds so seamlessly. Though the plot is somewhat complex (as fantasy stories are wont to be), it’s paced in such a way that relevant information is easy to digest. There’s nothing too overwhelming introduced up front. I actually think the story is doing a decent job maintaining some intrigue.

Further, Octavia acting as our “straight guy” character operating in an otherwise ludicrous world makes for such an entertaining story.

This is such a comedy of errors and all levels of humor are operating at just the right clip.

I’m actually looking forward to reading more. There’s a promise of romance that I find worth working towards. I think any fans of fantasy romance series would enjoy this unique tale on the genre. Readers of more contemporary isekai like “I’m in Love with the Villainess” may also enjoy this one~

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely fabulous start! Humor, intrigue and gorgeous characters ☺️

[Natalie H · Rating 2 out of 5]

September 2024
Kindle edition

Not for me. It felt stilted. Another BL world with no hope for the FMC and stuck with a bro-con. Didn’t like the either of the brothers. Unsure about the bodyguard. Won’t be continuing this one.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I was really looking forward to this one, but the Princess is a bit less intelligent than I had hoped for. Fingers crossed she experiences some growth.
I am intrigued by the bodyguard though.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is hilarious and drawn so well to match the humor. I'm not sure about the story, but I like to laugh, so I'm excited for volume 2

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept was cute -- that a woman is reborn into her favorite BL series and that should have been a ton of fun! Except... because of the world building, the men in her life are always pairing up, making it difficult for her to find love.

There are hints of a deeper story being created, but they remain pretty vague. And, so far, I definitely wouldn't expect her to figure these out because she seems... focused and maybe not especially thoughtful. The biggest thing that lowered my rating, though, was even though I understand the humor and we get to see her "true" thoughts about the relationships (where she wants to fangirl) it ends up being a lot of her being pissy about guys falling in love and it just wasn't fun for me, I guess. It doesn't help that the men in her life seem pretty self-absorbed too.

I may pick up the second volume just to see if it grows from this, but I'm not in any hurry.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 1: (Chapters 1-5)

Stepping into the world of your favorite book might sound like a dream come true, but for Maki Tazawa, this very opportunity presents a unique challenge. A passionate lover of BL novels in her previous life, Maki now gets to spend her days as princess Octavia, and enjoy the company of her favorite fictional couple—her brother, the crown prince Sirius, and his lover Lord Sil.

But two men can’t produce an heir! As the story goes, in order to solve the problem of succession, princess Octavia agrees to a political marriage and offers up her own child to the throne.

But this Octavia can’t accept such an unfair fate! So what if she lives in a BL novel? Her OTP achieved true love and she’s determined to do the same!

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a fairly interesting premise, it just didn't quite land for me. It seems most of the plot will be moved by a "misunderstanding" type of humor. I really don't like that type of humor, because a million misunderstandings or assumption tropes get annoying after a while. The premise that the men in this world are primarily gay was...interesting...but the way the FL goes about it is a bit...cringe. I dislike calling it cringe, but it really was. The subplots involving magic and the royal line's history were honestly more interesting than whatever the FL was doing. I might keep going to see if it catches my interest better, but so far, it's pretty weak.

[Kaitlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

had to re-read this, because now I have #4 and #5 but I remember pretty much nothing. This was so funny! Things were coming back to me as I was reading, and I can't wait to see what direction this is going to take.

[nza · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s hilarious. I loved this

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maki Tazawa is a fujoshi who find herself reincarnated as Octavia, princess of Esfia and sister of Sirius, who happens to be half of her OTP from her favorite BL light novel. Even though this scenario may seem like a dream come true, Octavia has a few problems that she has to deal with in this new life.

1) Sirius and Sil are Maki/Octavia's favorite pairing from her previous life, but somehow Sirius thinks that Octavia doesn't approve their relationship. Caught unaware by the confrontation, Octavia blurts out that she doesn't disapprove of their love, because she has a love affair of her own. Which, of course, is a big lie since fujoshi Maki has never had a romantic relationship so thusly it would follow that Octavia wouldn't know to have one either...

2)...Because one of the reasons why Octavia can't find love is because the men she fancies -- mostly her bodyguards -- eventually end up fancying and falling in love with other men instead of her. So, not only does she often find herself without a lover, but also without a bodyguard.

3) This time around, though, she's determined to make sure that her current bodyguard stays around, if only to ensure that she's protected. Her current bodyguard, Klifford Alderton, has a suspicious reputation around the castle, but regardless, Octavia contracts him to serve her for the rest of her life, not knowing that he's an Adjutant. Adjutants are members of a small clan of supernatural beings (in a not-supernatural world) who form bonds with their Sovereign, the person they choose to serve and protect their entire lives.

While the series' opening premise sounds goofy, the author has built in enough mystery and intrigue about each character that I feel I should keep on going. It's also hinted in a later chapter that sweet fangirl Octavia may actually be a villainess, one who plans to usurp the kingdom from Crown Prince Sirius and become Queen instead.

Another interesting (in italics) aspect of this kingdom is how women have no value other than as breeders. Men don't need women for marriage and love, but they do need the women to bear progeny. The men who are considered adulterous are the one who have male spouses, but the ones who are considered adulterous are the ones who have male spouses AND female mistresses. Even the King, Octavia's own father is married to a man, and Octavia herself is the child of the king's younger sister, and was later adopted by the king. So essentially, Octavia and her siblings are cousins? What happens to the women who bear these children -- are they always required to keep bearing children for other male/male couples, or can they live free lives after they have one child? And what happens if the women decide to keep their own children, is that allowed?

[Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Synopsis:
In the enchanting kingdom of Eldoria, where magic and legends thrive, a young princess named Amelia discovers a mysterious power within herself. This power allows her to manipulate and control various plot devices that shape the course of events in her world. Unbeknownst to Amelia, she is destined to become the Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, a role that carries great responsibility and danger.

Amelia's journey begins when a powerful ancient artifact known as the Crystal of Destiny is stolen from the kingdom. The crystal holds immense power and can alter the fate of the entire realm. As the rightful guardian of the Crystal, Amelia embarks on a quest to recover it and save her kingdom from impending chaos.

Along the way, Amelia encounters a diverse group of allies who join her in the quest. There is Aiden, a skilled and witty rogue who becomes her loyal companion. Elara, a wise and mysterious sorceress, guides Amelia on her path, revealing secrets about her true identity and the origin of her powers. And then there is Frederick, a brave and noble knight, sworn to protect the princess at all costs.

As Amelia delves deeper into her mission, she discovers that her power over plot devices extends beyond mere convenience. She can manipulate the elements of the story, create unexpected twists, and even rewrite destiny itself. However, this newfound power comes with a price. The more she uses it, the more she risks losing herself to the whims of the narrative.

With each step closer to reclaiming the Crystal, Amelia and her companions face perilous challenges, treacherous villains, and unexpected betrayals. As the kingdom teeters on the brink of destruction, Amelia must make difficult choices that will determine the fate of Eldoria and her own destiny.

"The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices" is a thrilling and enchanting tale that explores the balance between free will and the forces that shape our lives. It is a story of self-discovery, friendship, and the power of narrative, where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur, and the fate of an entire kingdom hangs in the balance.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A BL (gay romance) fan is reborn into her favourite series as sister of the crown-prince lead. She'd love to fangirl, but since her fave couple are m-m, SHE has to produce an heir...only, this being a BL fantasy world, every guy she falls for end up running off with another man.
Rather than staying completely silly, the story has a strong serious side: suspicions within the royal family, dangerous ambition in other corners, and since our heroine died before the series conclusion, she isn't aware of all dangers--even a few right under her nose.
The story good-naturedly embraces the ridiculousness of its setting: a world where not only are gay pairings accepted (nice!) (though so far only m|m pairings, no f|f pairs seen), but almost every upper-class male is gay (Our heroine, desiring her own romance: "Dammit!") so society had to adapt with this system of having sisters 'donate' their children to their gay brothers as heirs, which not everyone seems entirely okay with. But the silliness is balanced by the important political-machination side that promises to drive the story, rather than letting it fall into an endless string of silly rom-com shenanigans, and by the not-so-straightforward relationships between the three royal siblings, and between them and the king (who is also married to a man).
I'm interested to see where this story goes!

[Mariána K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny but still filled with intrigue

I feel like the author has a lot of tongue in cheek references to the BL genre. I find it refreshingly funny to have a BL fan girl trapped in a BL novel and actually finding the situation frustrating. While she still enjoys the BL aspects, the amount of straight men is so slim that she is frustrated for her own relationship potentials. She seems rather clueless, but that's kind of charming because she's being swept up into this world of intrigue without even knowing it. All she wants is to find herself happiness so that she can be happy enjoying her BL hobby. But I do have to say it is particularly funny that she's really really bad at identifying straight men. I guess being a BL fan girl means she has eyes only for spotting gay romance but it's kind of funny. Overall I like the story a lot so far, I think that the characters are a lot deeper than you would expect and the intrigue of the backstory of the setting is very interesting. There's a lot of complexity behind the scenes that I am very interested in seeing where it goes. Having such an adorable main character as our POV just makes the journey into this dark intrigue world a fun adventure.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely silly concept set in a realistically dark world. There have been a lot of isekai over the last several years that can be summed up as the main character falling into a work she loved and deciding to change the plot for the character she's become. And on the surface, this is a particularly silly world: all the nobles are gay, and the princess she's become is expected to produce heirs for her older brother and his future husband. She, of course, wants no part of it, because she wants a happily ever after, too! And for a lot of isekai, that would be where it begins and ends, and we would exclusively follow her slapstick journey to finding her own boyfriend who actually likes girls. Instead, Kazusa Yoneda has taken the frivolous premise seriously. A world that exclusively treats women as incubators would be a dark place, and the darkness at the center of this world is being slowly revealed as the story goes on. It's surprisingly clever stuff. That does mean there's a ton of mood whiplash, as we go from Princess Octavia fretting about the ball to her older brother seriously wondering if she's an evil mastermind plotting against him. But the mood whiplash is the point. Definitely a series I'll keep my eye on.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices is a YA manga novel about a girl who dies and is reincarnated as the princess in her favorite BL series.

Things You'll Find:
*A cast primarily of princes, soldiers and lovers*
*Too many thought bubbles*
*The beginning of a potentially intriguing tale*

I wanted to like this one, but sadly it just wasn't for me so I won't be continuing with the series. The premise is interesting; a girl dies in the real world and gets to come back as a princess in one of her favorite series. I like the world that's built in this book, the different aspects of politics and royalty. I enjoyed reading about Sirius and Sil, and Alderton and I feel like the story that's being set up for all of them is going to get intense.

Octavia, though, is insufferable. For a Manga where we have plenty of panels to show us what's happening, and dialogue to keep pulling us through the story, the amount of additional telling and repetition we get from page to page is wild. She reads as rather desperate for most of this book, and while that may appeal to some readers, I couldn't/can't handle it for three more books (or however many books we'll eventually have)

[Jennifer]

Funny but relies too heavily on communication issues to advance the plot. Octavia basically leaves out all the most important part of her conversations, so she’s always misunderstood. Some very critical things have happened as a result, and she’s just shrugging and muddling her way through in an airheaded way.

It being a world of BL, her ability to find love is a bit lacking, though it’s also been suggested that her beloved “brother” is the reason her bodyguards don’t stick around. The fact that three months is considered a long time is…not good. Meanwhile there are all sorts of hints of issues - she has a weird reputation, there’s stuff about gods, attempted assassinations are blamed on her, Sirius has seemingly had his memory altered…and she’s clueless about anything serious. There’s a lot going on here. I’m not sure if the author can handle it, but we’ll see.

The siblings all being cousins is weird, but how else do you have a BL world with no mpreg tag? I suppose her younger brother actually likes her…

[Vanyel Declark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The exact opposite of a gay in a straight world this is being straight in the gay world.

Everyone’s mega handsome, hopelessly in love, and always running off into the sunset with their gay lover. It’s hilarious. The princess can’t keep anyone around because they keep running off with their one true love. (Or do they 👀👀)

The humour is on point and the mystery of her bodyguard and family drama keeps it fresh without just constantly and only ragging on BL tropes.

It shamelessly uses BL tropes as a comedic weapon and the main character is obsessed in the not good way with gay couples (fetishizing) and she’s certifiably Not Having A Good Time™️ because of it. Maybe she’ll learn not to in later novels but for now she gets a pass as her love for unhealthy tropes in her reading is now her reality and she’s paying for it. Negative consequences mitigate the immediate need for character development.

Also Sil is adorable. His design has him at maximum soft all the time.

[Felix The Pirate Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ausnahmsweise einmal eine Story mit Reincarnations-Thema, die sich ziemlich von den anderen unterscheidet. Denn unserer Protagonistin landet nicht in irgendeinem Roman, sondern einem BL-Roman, den sie zu Lebzeiten sehr gern gelesen hat. Doch die Reihe war bisher noch nicht abgeschlossen, sodass sie das Ende der Geschichte und die Geheimnisse aller Charaktere nicht kennt.

Und doch offenbaren sich nach und nach immer mehr dunkle Punkte in der Geschichte, die einen als Leser immer mehr anfixen. Ich finde die Reihe wirklich toll und freue mich schon sehr auf die Fortsetzung.

Die Mischung aus Humor, Mystery und Liebesgeschichte ist wirklich gut. Wobei hier wirklich bisher der Mystery-Anteil den größeren Anteil hat. Aber die Szenen zwischen der Prinzessin und ihrem Bodyguard sind ebenfalls total herrlich. Ich bin schon sehr gespannt, wie es weitergeht und wie sich die Beziehung der beiden entwickelt.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC provided by Edelweiss+ for an honest review*

Can I bypass writing my review for this novel without pointing out the fact that some of the content is most certainly going to be considered... toxic? I shouldn't, but I'm kinda going to. Look, I get that in some perspectives it will be toxic, but that is not my story to tell. Instead I'll knock off a few points (in this case one star).

Princess of Convenient Plot Devices brings the fun & fresh take into "I don't want that fate" reincarnation tales. Her favorite love interests are successfully together... at the doom of her own fate!? Honestly, it's so fun to see how obvious but oblivious the Princess and her knight are to their fate (& who can blame her). Just trust me when I say it's a fun read in my mind and I think there's certainly a lot of potential for this series.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

July 2023. An absolute delight, especially for fans of the genres included in it.

A fantasy shoujo Isekai manga series with a side of shounen ai.
Translation: a young woman who loves stories about gay romance is teleported to the fantasy world of her favorite gay romance, as the sister of the main couple. Lots of gay couples everywhere in the story too.

She’s trying to navigate the world and it’s politics, and given up on love because as per Boys Love/MM romance rules, every guy she meets falls in love with another dude and ditches her.

Things get fun as she makes decisions that have political ramifications unwittingly and get behind the scenes conflict rolling, like choosing a random bodyguard with a dark past assuming it doesn’t matter who she picks because he’ll fall in love with a dude and quit soon, or claiming to have a lover because she feels left out and having her family arrange a huge celebration she has to attend.

“The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices” vol 1-2 by Kazusa Yoneda, Mamecyoro, and Mitsuya Fuji.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you end up in a BL novel as a girl. Yup, you won't have the easiest time to find a hot new boyfriend. This was quite funny and I already know that her bodyguard is interested in her (but I can also understand that she misses all the signals because all her bodyguards so far have dumped her for hot dudes, yes really). The MC is really a fun character and I love how she is both serious and 100% motivated to find a hot dude even if it is a villain, haha.
I am a bit unsure about her two brothers, the older one seems to have a grudge against her but also seems to be under the influence of something, and the younger one is clearly hiding something.
I definitely want to continue reading this one (only 5 volumes), yay for Comics Plus!

[Kimberlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Octavia is your typical "girl was otaku in a past life and now she's been reincarnated into a book" type of plotline. I thought this title might be a bit refreshing because the synopsis seemed like the focus of the series would be her support of her brother's gay relationship, but I'm honestly not sure where this is headed. Octavia herself is a bit. . . dumb. She's also kind of annoying and definitely doesn't see the political machinations happening around her. There also seems to be some magic and a bodyguard of shady past origins being thrown in. I am tentatively interested in volume two, but I wasn't super wowed by this first volume.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is neat-- a girl who loves BL romances ends up in the universe/world of her favorite BL romance that she's connected to personally now. And as she falls in love, the boy always ends up finding a boy to fall in love with. Everything keeps happening "conveniently" hence the English version of the title that breaking down the fourth wall, she showcases how plot works in stories because every time an event will happen, something else conveniently happens to throw a wrench in it.

Cool to read though I won't likely continue the series.

[candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oblivious girl surrounded by scheming people reborns in her favorite bl novel. Honestly, I've read so many isekai bl stories that turns into regular romances, which I really don't mind, and I've found refreshing how the main bl couple STILL is the main bl couple and how she suffers because... You know, everyone in bl stories are... mostly bl. An outsider who can't understand how their kingdom openly accepts those relationships and a girl doing her best to find the man of her life. Even the male lead candidate interactions with mc are funny for me.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is beautifully drawn and seems to be well written, but it is simply just not for me. That is not to say someone else will not enjoy it…but it is simply not for me. I did not read the theme from the back before picking it up, and I recommend everyone do so prior. That said, I am sure it is a 4 or even 5 stars for some people who like this theme. The book is created by Kazusa Yoneda, with Mamecyoro and Mistuya Fuji further contributing to this series.

[KristynRene SwissCheese JellyBean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the art, and the rating is closer to 4 than to 3...it's just, this universe is so strange? Navigating the plot is a little tricky when it's at once trying to be comedic as well as threading more serious Court politics into the mix. 😅 Definitely entertaining, so I'll keep reading it 😶