Bibliophile Princess (2022)

[虫かぶり姫]

Director: Taro Iwasaki
Studio: Madhouse
Starring: Reina Ueda, Ryohei Kimura, Koki Uchiyama
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A shy bookworm must grow into her role as the fiancée of the Crown Prince.

Impressions:
I do like a little girly romance every now and then (especially as a remedy to the average disappointing romcom) and this is pretty much what you'd expect. Actually, part of the reason I latched on to this is because I thought it was Sayaka Harada (the voice of Ranfa from Princess Connect) who voiced Eliana rather than Reina Ueda. Well, regardless, I like the character's frail voice. It's cute. Now, some viewers may get frustrated on how timid and naive her character is, but her growing out of that is one of the main goals of her character arc and it's not going to come quickly. There are some miscommunication shenanigans that can be a bit exasperating, but Prince Christopher is a rather patient and understanding partner on the whole, which keeps the drama to a minimum. It looks like we might have a bit of a reverse harem situation, but it's only slightly teased at. The Queen being a tsundere for Elli is pretty cute. It's all fairly light and fluffy stuff, so if you're hoping for more depth to the palace intrigue and diplomatic tensions, you'll be disappointed. Also, it's a bit annoying that the translator doesn't seem to know the difference between "fiancé" and "fiancée" or what a marquess is, but these are fairly minor quibbles. I was a bit surprised that Madhouse handled the production as this doesn't seem to be their typical fare. Not that I'm complaining. If you're looking for some light medieval romance, this is well enough worth a watch.

Rating:
Watch It