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Mushiki Kuga has slowly gotten used to his double life as the powerful mage Saika Kuozaki. However, both identities are chosen to represent Void’s Garden in the upcoming interschool exhibition match against Shadow Tower. To make matters worse, Clara Tokishima —a popular live streamer on MagiTube and representative for Shadow Tower— challenges Saika to a duel for the position of Mushiki’s girlfriend! Now he has to fight to win, well, himself and figure out how to prevent their secret from being exposed during the match. Meanwhile, an annihilation factor that Saika sealed many years back is starting to awaken… (Source: Yen Press)

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After the defeat of her, Mushiki finally seems to be settling into his new life in the Garden. However, this fickle moment of relaxation doesn’t last long, as the next set of issues befalling the protagonist quite literally falls into his arms. Clara, a famous Vtuber-esque character, is a true force of nature, immediately making her presence known throughout the Garden with a shocking love confession toward the series’ protagonist!

As a representative in the interschool exhibition match, Clara’s arrival in the Garden isn’t the first incident of derailment she causes throughout the series’ second volume. Upon hearing that Mushiki’s heart belongs to another, she doubles down on her actions hijacking part of the exhibition and the exhibition celebrations to hold a competition of love between herself and Saika.

Hijinks heavy, the competition sees Mushiki judging which of the two has the best makings of a future girlfriend. Whilst the outcome is set, given Mushiki’s almost obsessive love of Saika, there are some hilarious moments as Mushiki and Kuroe struggle to keep on top of the transformations to ensure Saika’s secret doesn’t get found out.

The Invasion of Immortals

Derailment remains the name of the game as the volume reaches its climax. The exhibition match goes awry when the Tower participants and students are revealed to be immortals.

Fallout over Saika’s murder and soul movement is a central theme of the series. In this volume, the fallout looks at the annihilations factors previously killed by the Garden’s creator, with one, in particular, starting to regain power. Once again, the series shows how powerless the world is without Saika, with a mythic beast infiltrating the academy for the sole purpose of starting a new world.

Clara forefronts this assault with the main characters fighting for the world’s survival. It’s not as spectacular a fight as the one in the previous volume, but it raises some important developments for the future of the series. The first showcases Saika’s importance to the continued survival of Earth. The second highlights the underlying problems with Mushiki’s power. To activate his abilities, he needs to do it for the sake of Saika.

Overall, King’s Proposal’s second volume continues to raise the game by adding more ingredients to the chaos. The series’ strong suit remains the slapstick hijinks, as in this volume, Saika and Clara fight for Mushiki’s affection. Things are looking hopeful for the series’ future as the next volume will focus on Mushiki and Ruri’s family dynamic.

King’s Proposal Vol. 2

My Rating: 8.5/10

I hope you enjoyed my review and would love to see what you thought of the volume in the comments! If you like what I do and want to see more, consider supporting me by buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi.

You can read the second volume of this series digitally and physically through the list of distributors found on the Yen Press website.

Tags: Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Harem, Ecchi, Gender Bender, Sci-Fi, School Life

Sub-Tags: Perverted Protagonist, Futuristic Setting, Tsundere

Synopsis:

Two Bodies in One

With looks to die for, Saika Kuozaki is the most powerful mage in existence and the only one who can thwart the annihilation factors that attempt to destroy the world once every three hundred hours. When Saika is mortally wounded, however, she bequeaths both her powers and body to the normal high school boy who happens to find her, Mushiki Kuga. Just because Mushiki inherits her abilities, though, doesn’t mean he can control them. To stand a chance of saving the world, Mushiki will have to attend an academy for mages as Saika—while trying to keep his true identity under wraps! (Source: Yen Press)

An Imposter in the Garden!

My newest review looks at Yen Press’ latest ecchi series, King’s Proposal, featuring mages, knights and the constant prospect of annihilation!

The series stars Mushiki Kuga as he struggles to come to grips with his new life after witnessing the final moments of Saika Kouzaki – the most powerful mage in history. Inheriting her abilities, the two converge, leading to Mushiki’s mind being in Saika’s body.

Now welcomed into the world of mages, Void’s Garden, Mushiki’ll learn what Saika meant to the world the hard way. The earth is in ever-present danger and only Saika and her band of knights can stop it. For everyone’s sake, Mushiki must control her powers all while keeping the convergence a secret; a simple task…if he didn’t constantly change back every time he does something lewd!

A Nostalgic Vision

The first thing noticeable about this novel is the author’s flair for the dramatic and the perverse. From the very first line, the author attempts to make grand spectacles, especially starting the series on a tragic first love and making Mushiki’s introduction to the garden coincide with an annihilation event.

Unique in the light novel space, this dramatic sensibility helps in creating a level of omnipresent threat as well as the tension deserved in the larger-scale fight sequences.

Alongside its serious dramatic side, the author also has a talent for perverse fan-service elements. There’s something innately nostalgic in how these elements are presented to the reader. Throughout the novel, I was constantly brought back to the ecchi action-harem series of the 00s and 10s.

Lots of lucky pervert moments and trope-laden potential harem members lead the nostalgia train. Great as tension breakers but not so much when trying to make a well-rounded main character.

Mushiki and the Knights of the Garden

While managing to convert his aims into action by the novel’s end, Mushiki’s character at the start is far from believable. Focused almost solely on trying to get Saika to like him, he often lacks critical thinking or any thinking at all.

It takes characters around him to ask the right questions or to get the mystery moving. There are no questions from him about where he is? How he ended up in Saika’s body? Why are annihilations threatening the Earth? Or even who tried to kill both him and Saika? This lack of curiosity about anything other than Saika’s favourite hobbies could detach the audience from his character.

The one thing that Mushiki has going for him is his overwhelming natural ability to become a saviour and that his morals overall are in the right place.

Luckily there are some great side characters. Anviet, Kuroe and Mushiki’s sister Ruri are particular highlights. All of them are much more well-rounded and are perfect players for interesting development down the line.

Anviet comes over as hot-headed at first, but his teacher role reveals him to be measured, tough but fair. Kuroe seems like the typical kuudere, yet there’s something deeper going on under the surface. Finally, Ruri plays the role of the typical tsundere, loving her brother yet always wanting him to leave the Garden. What’s interesting about both of them stems from their unusual family dynamic.

Past and Future

Closing out the novel and the volume’s mystery is a spoilerific boss-fight action sequence. Trying not to cover any potential spoilers, there’s a wonderful use of descriptive imagery, making the scenes extremely vivid. One can certainly picture the world’s created as if they’d be adapted into an anime.

Furthermore, the action sequence sets the bar for future stakes in the series. Character mortality and the potential consequences of not achieving Saika’s full power all come into play, and whilst everything ends up okay, I can’t imagine that this status quo will continue as the number of volumes grow.

Overall, King’s Proposal sets the bar high with its first volume. Featuring a healthy mix of comedy, drama and action, it’s sure to satisfy anyone looking for something different other than the usual isekai fare.

King’s Proposal Vol. 1

My Rating: 9/10

I hope you enjoyed my review and would love to see what you thought of the volume in the comments! You can help support my work by buying me a coffee over on my Ko-Fi account.

You can read the first volume of this series digitally and physically from the Yen Press website.

Tag: Sci Fi

The King’s Proposal Vol. 2 Review

READY, SET, STREAM!

Streaming a Battle of Love!

The King’s Proposal Vol. 1 Review

An Imposter in the Garden!