**Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.**
☆Review posted to Goodreads on 9/27/2024.☆

4.5⭐️

This was an enjoyable start to a series! I feel like it could have been a bit longer for a first volume, to really set the scene, but overall, good! I will be continuing this series!

A wonderful first volume! Alexei isn't that interesting so far as a character since I've seen his type of male lead plenty of times, but Eleonora is FASCINATING to me! Their shared history is compelling and I hope the author does not take too long to get to them recognizing each other. I am also interested in the kinds of conflicts their relationship will face in the future!

Art: 4/5 nothing super unique but it's polished and fits the story
Plot: 5/5 definitely a great premise and I hope it continues to surprise me
Characters: 4/5 most of the cast are tired tropes but the FL seems promising

Following an assassination attempt, Prince Alexi finds a better life living among the strange creatures of the forest - including a frog-like person who he names Pie. When Alexi is torn away from the woods and Pie is killed, he grows into a bitter young ruler. He never expected that a young noblewoman who is presented as a potential marriage candidate is Pie reincarnated, memories included. Nothing is as it seems in the empire.

This is sort of a reverse beauty and the beast retelling. The chronology is a little wacky - which make some parts confusing, but I see some great potential in this plot.

I loved this ! Havent heard about this manga until I saw it on NetGalley but it should be more known about. Its a reincarnation story but not villainess or revenge which I tend to read often. Its about a friendship that ended in tragedy but through a blessing overcomes that and will hopefully become a beautiful romance.

The art is very beautiful, I will say this makes me want to read more! Although, it is a bit slow in this volume but there is a lot of room to expand with the storyline. I'm hoping for more drama and romance in the upcoming updates! Definitely a fairy tale story with magic and humor that will capture your heart and support. Overall the art is truly stunning and so eye catching, never change that!

This story was adorable. You have a prince who someone tried to kill him, and he gets saved by a girl who does not look human. You get to see as these two get close and then something happens. The story turns in a different direction, and I am for to see where it will go in book 2!

Such a cute story! This is pretty different from the usual reincarnation or shoujo fantasy romance. I really enjoyed it. It's a little slow-going so far, but I'm sure in future volumes we'll get more romance/plot happening. I will definitely continue reading once more come out!

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would!

I was hopeful but I felt unsure when I heard someone mention it was bittersweet, which is not how I prefer my romance if I'm honest. LOL!

Surprisingly though, there really isn't that much romance in this first volume! I feel like the majority of the story was the flashback of the leads, which was SO engaging and broke my heart a little bit! The happy bits that "Ham" and "Pie" had together were so beautiful and extremely precious that Ham's anger about what happened really wrapped around and engulfed me as a reader. Goodness, I was shocked and angry too!

The ending was extremely hopeful and I am planning to get the second volume because while the beginning of their story may have been tragic, I really feel it will end with love and happiness (especially based on the pose of the second cover LOL).

But rewinding a little bit, one thing I thought incredibly interesting is Eleonora's accent! What a fascinating concept of when reincarnated you still have the accent from your previous life! It's the first time I've read something like that and think it added a very down-to-earth feel to this story when she was living out her life as Eleonora.

Again, I enjoyed this a lot and will be writing the new volume's date on my preorder list because I'm excited to find out what happens next!

*(I originally received an e-copy via NetGalley, but ended up buying a physical copy early because I was so interested in reading it!)*

This odd, yet humorous, manga has quite the first volume!

A bumpkin frog monster gets reincarnated as a duke's daughter, and fully retains her memory. Because of this, she also retains her hillbilly speech! Thankfully, she's raised as a proper lady so she often refrains from speaking so that she can ensure proper speech. As a result, what happens is this dichotomy of how she's presented to the world and what is actually going on inside her head! People find her demure, yet she's inwardly thinking of things like eating and gardening.

The backstory of the two main characters is truly sweet. It's easy to tell that both still deeply care about the other, despite not knowing what happened through the years. They don't even know if the other is still alive or in the area- yet they still constantly think of their old friend.

I'm genuinely intrigued to know how things will go now that they've run into each other. Their first conversation was hilarious (from a third party standpoint).

Who will be the first to recognize the soul of their previous friend? Will it be odd that they're close in age now? Do either of them have magical abilities still?

My only true area of concern would have to do with her originally being older and sort of like a mother to him. Now that she was reincarnated, she's actually younger - despite having her old memory. I'm really curious how this will unfold.

Overall, banter is phenomenal and the potential for magic intrigues me even further! I love Ham (i.e. the Jaded Emperor) and Pie (i.e. Lady Eleonora). I want to see their friendship rekindle!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars.

'The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor' by Li Oshikawa is a beautifully constructed manga about reincarnation, magic and the power of love. Join Ham and Pie as they grow together in an enchanted forest.

The art style is impeccable and the characters nearly as gorgeous as the plot. Nearly. I have seen a lot of plots, but this one just hits different for me. I need the next book right now, asap!!! This was just so good and I don't even read a lot of manga. Maybe it's time to start thanks to this book?

I highly recommend you read this if you haven't already.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first, it was a bit odd but then it became more fun to follow the story of Ham and Pie and how they got the chance to meet again. It is like a fairy tale.

The forest creature origin story was confusing, but this art is so pretty! The characters are very funny and the story is (for the most part) lighthearted. I love this trope and the execution was different than I usually see. Having a little bit of mystery with regards to them finding out who the other person really is looks like it's going to be fun and cute. Seems to be a pretty fast burn as far as plot, but I did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next one goes.

Are we really going to ignore the fact that the two main characters are named Ham and Pie? Honestly, the backstory behind their names was super cute, but the romance? I just couldn’t get into it. She basically acted like his mother in her previous life, and now they’re each other’s love interest? It feels a bit weird...

All that being said, I found the story very intriguing and really enjoyed it. The art style is amazing, but what impressed me most was how different it felt. I’ve read quite a few reincarnation/isekai/romance/fantasy manga, but this one stood out as unique in its own way. I’m not really sure why, since it doesn’t offer anything particularly ‘new,’ but maybe it’s because it gave me strong ‘found family’ vibes—and I’m a sucker for a good found family story.

The first volume is mostly backstory and setup, and I was surprised by how eager I was to keep reading. This is definitely one I’ll keep on my radar. That said, I really, really wish the female lead didn’t have such a maternal role in her previous life.

I really liked this manga. The story is easy to follow but still has complexities. The characters are enjoyable and quirky, especially Eleonora/Pie. It’s a unique story with beautiful art that held my attention and has me curious about what comes next.

The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor, Volume 1 by Ii Oshikawa [Kodansha Comics #NetGalley]

Such a fresh story and plot here in The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor. This was a fantastic start to a new manga series that has me looking forward to the next volume already. There is political intrigue, reincarnation, and a Cinderella-esque sort of plotline going on all at the same time. I am quite curious about Pie and why she was the way she was in her previous life. I could definitely see that being part of the mysteries around the kingdom itself.

In a fantasy world, Prince Alexei is the unwanted prince and so his stepmother, the empress, tries to kill him. However, the blessing left on him by his real mother allow him to survive. He finds himself all alone in a forest full of monsters until he meets a human who look like a monster, Pie. The two spend time together, and Pie protect the prince without knowing his real identity. But Pie gets killed and Alexei vows revenge. Now, the emperor he has to get married to show his power, but what he doesn't know is that Pie has been reincarnated as the oldest daughter of a noble family who is talking back to him.

I found the story cute albeit quite childish. Volume 1 is mainly the backstory on how Alexei and Pie met, and how they meet again years later when Pie has been reincarnated but they don't recognise each other as adults.

A cute story and I have to admit that after this first volume I would really like to know what will happen.

the two protagonists are really too cute

Feels weird that his ideal type is the mother figure that saved him lol so far, I really like the mc, her inner dialogues are hilarious and the art is gorgeous! Can’t wait for volume 2
//
A woman born with the face of a monster lived within a forest in solitude. One day, she saved a young boy from a magical beast, naming him Ham. The boy called the woman Pie, and the two lonely people lived together happily. However, it didn’t last long. Pie, the only person who had loved Ham as well as being the person he loved the most, was killed right before his eyes. The boy discarded his identity as Ham and as Prince Alexei, he climbed his way up to becoming emperor for the sake of revenge. On the other hand, Pie was reborn as the duke’s daughter, Eleonora, and became renowned for being a silent beauty with a certain secret. Thus, the two unknowingly reunited at a ball due to fate-?!

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The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor 1

by Ii Oshikawa

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e-ARC from NetGalley.

4.5

Why was this so short? When does volume 2 come out? How am I supposed to live that long?!

Once upon a time, a child was born with droopy green skin. The villagers thought she was a monster, so she left the village to live in the forest as soon as she was able. Ten years later, in a silent coup, the child heir to the throne was left for dead in those same woods, only to be rescued by the nameless green girl who lived there. For three years, they lived as a family until the royal knights arrived to find him, killing all the magical animals and his green-skinned savior in the process. In a rage, the boy tried to give up his life for hers, but the body of his friend cooled upon the ground. For the next eighteen years, the boy used his rage as fuel to speed his rise to the throne and destroy the corruption plaguing the kingdom. What he didn't know was that a baby with strange memories was born the very night his savior died, for his attempt to save his friend had worked, just not in the way he'd expected.

Eagerly looking forward to the next one!

Lady Eleonore is the silent beauty. She spends her days hidden in a cottage, far away from polite society. Her secret: she’s been reincarnated and can remember her past life! Alexei is the fabled jaded emperor who leaves terror in his wake. Now, he is looking for a wife. Is Eleonore the right candidate?

I don’t know how I feel about the reincarnation. The title doesn’t give much away and I don’t want to spoiler people here, but there is a significant age gap involved. I think how well this manga will do will depend vehemently on the next volume. I don’t know how the story plays out, but I can see the series making me uncomfortable due to the age gap.

Anyway, a series to be watched for sure. 👀