Manga Review: Ludwig Revolution

Name: Ludwig Revolution
Author & Artist: Yuki Kaori
Status: Completed
Chapters: 16
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Shoujo

Plot: Prince Ludwig isn't your conventional prince charming. He appears to be an unbelievably attractive though in truth, necrophilic(erotic attraction to or sexual contact with corpses) narcissist prince who has a fetish for big breasted women. However his father the King became very displeased with his unusual hobbies and sets him off on a journey to find a bride. So together with his constantly abused manservant Wilhelm, who is in truth his closest person, he sets off on a journey which leads to encounters with infamous fairytale princesses. An even more twisted interpretation of the already twisted original fairy tales from the Grimm Brothers!

Review:
So this story is basically a series of twisted fairy tales from the stories we all know and love (such as Snow White and Cinderella). It's definitely not your cute, average shoujo (if you are familiar with Yuki Kaori's works). The horror element is just the depiction of death and mild gore.

What makes this manga unique is that the story follows a main, male character. The mangaka ingeniously puts a twist to the classic princesses into vain, dark versions. Of course there are some really good characters that aren't totally evil (like Sleeping Beauty).

I find that the characters have a lot of depth and many seem to be three dimensional, which makes the story interesting. Lui (Ludwig), despite being perverted and arrogant, sees easily through the other characters' personality and intentions. Each chapter delivers an unexpected twist that will keep you intrigued. The story, however, does get a bit depressing because nearly every princess dies at the end of the chapter.

Aside from that, it's highly recommended for people who love Yuki sensei's work, solving mysteries, fairy tales and atypical female characters.