Kilala☆Princess

A young girl with dreams of becoming a princess embarks on an adventure through Disney worlds, saves a kingdom, finds love, and ascends to royalty—all within the span of five volumes. It almost feels like a shoujo version of Kingdom Hearts.

Though not objectively great, it offers an enjoyable experience for its target audience. The story had me laughing at its absurdity at times, yet I couldn't help but smile at its charming cheesiness throughout. Its brisk pace ensures that nothing drags on too long, making the whole journey feel fleeting. The characters are likable despite their lack of depth. The romance isn't intricately developed, but it's still fun to root for. The artwork is very much of its era, yet remains lovely, and artist Nao Kodaka does a commendable job blending Disney characters with stylized shoujo designs.

In summary, this is a definite recommendation for fans of classic Disney Princesses, shoujo manga, and a generous dose of cheese.

This is the realization of my childhood dream. The protagonist, Kilala, embarks on a journey through all the "Disney Princess" worlds to collect gems for a magical tiara that will save the country of Paradiso. On this quest, she is assisted by Rei, a handsome blond boy skilled in sword fighting.

Kilala helps each Disney Princess, and they, in turn, help her, offering "princess advice." Each princess teaches her something unique and gives her a different type of gem. The plot is straightforward yet sweet at the same time. Naturally, the target audience for this manga is girls aged 7 to 13 years old. So, it's naive, ridiculously optimistic, and easy, but that's precisely how it should be.

The great advantage of this manga lies in its characters. Kilala is adventurous, fun, brave, and kind, making her an excellent role model for young girls. And although no boys will read this comic, they could also learn a few things from the gallant and honest Rei.

The art is very cute and executed with precision. All the princesses resemble their movie counterparts closely, and Kilala's face is simply adorable.

For its age group, this is a very well-done title that I would definitely give to any little girl who loves Disney. And which one doesn't?

This manga truly transformed my life. I can't fathom where I would be today if I hadn't stumbled upon that worn-out copy of volume four at my neighborhood library. The romance is charming, the artwork is stunning, and the narrative is masterfully crafted. This series inspired me to hone my artistic skills and craft my own stories. Countless times, I've revisited this series, eagerly reading it over and over again, still feeling a thrill every time I encounter my favorite scenes. Kilala Princess has been my all-time favorite manga for over a decade, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. It deserves more appreciation and perhaps even an anime adaptation.

Ah, Disney, how we all adore you... We're all familiar with the movies, sing along to the songs, and they even know we're willing to buy just about anything with their name on it. In recent years, the company has transformed from a provider of quality family entertainment into one that tries to get every dollar out of your pocket using their brand. It's a sight that would make Walt Disney himself shed tears if he were alive today.

Instead of delving into a rant about how low the company has sunk, I will be reviewing a product born out of their love for money. (Notice how I say "product" and not something like "series.") Knowing this manga was merely a product of Disney’s greed, I still read it anyway (even though I'm tired of their recent output, excluding Pixar films). Why did I read it despite knowing it would be bad? Well, I love manga, I loved Disney as a kid (didn’t we all?), and the first volumes were sitting at my local library, so I thought, "Why not?" Now, onto the review of "Kilala Princess."

Story: Just by looking at the cover, I knew this was going to be another run-of-the-mill generic fantasy shojo story. Indeed, it was. Girl dreams of being a princess, meets a cute guy, cute guy is trying to find a princess, stuff happens, the two fall in love, etc. (And it's quite obvious the princess he is searching for is Kilala anyway.) What makes this special is the inclusion of the Disney Princesses (TM). For a generic shojo story made to cash in on the Disney Princess line, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I found it more enjoyable than the Kingdom Hearts manga (and I've never played the games either; I don't have a PS2). I expected pure trash with no real plot, just Disney characters parading about to lure you in. But no, it's almost like both the author and artist are true Disney fans who tried to give us something worthwhile to read with beloved princesses. They surprised me there, but I'm disappointed they didn't try harder for something more original. Then again, this was meant for a younger audience, not hardcore anime fans.

Art: I like the art here. It has a nice blend of East-meets-West. The Disney characters look like their usual Western selves and aren't Japan-ized into anime-looking characters. (I don't mind seeing Western characters drawn in anime style; sometimes I like the change, giving an old classic a new spin when done right.) As for the original characters, sure, they look like typical shojo manga characters, even the two guys looking for the princess resemble those two from Tokyo Mew Mew (I forgot their names and am too lazy to look them up). But the anime characters are drawn in such a way that they don't look out of place next to Western-style characters. So kudos to the artist for that.

I also appreciate the panel placement and art arrangement to tell the story. It has a nice flow when you read it. It's not a jumbled mess with gaps in the story from one panel to the next, like what I've seen in other manga series spin-offs of popular franchises (such as Cowboy Bebop and Code Geass).

Character: Let's face it, when we were young, many of us girly-girls (or once were, like me) dreamed of being a princess and living within the world of Disney. (I sure did. Even dressed up as a princess for Halloween in kindergarten and imagined living in the Lion King world when it first came out.) Kilala here reflects how we were as kids, wanting to live out our dreams. She's also a lot like the kind of character you'd find in an average Disney Channel movie, except she actually has a brain unlike the mindless idiots in those movies nowadays.

As for the other characters, the anime ones are your typical shojo cast personality-wise. As for the Disney characters, they seemed in-character, at least more so than they could have been. I’m glad they weren’t like broken records saying “dreams come true, just believe in yourself!” or some crap like that, which Disney keeps shoving into our faces lately. Or something lame like Kilala coming along and helping the princesses, and everyone lives happily ever after. Here, the Disney characters seem better handled than if directly by their own company.

Enjoyment: As for enjoyment, I thought it was a fun little series to read, better than I thought it would be. Not the best or most original manga ever, but I wouldn’t mind picking up future volumes (if I can’t find anything else to read; there are lots of other series I’d much rather read). If this product were American-made instead of Japanese, I just know it would have become the trash I expected. (This proves the Japanese know how to treat fans better than Americans do.)

Overall, I think this manga would be best enjoyed by shojo manga readers who still love Disney or by young girls who love anime/manga or Disney. If you’re looking for something original, you won’t find it here; the only thing original (and the only real reason anyone would bother reading this) is for the Disney characters. And they do pretty well with providing this manga just that.

So, for another money-making Disney product, this one isn't half bad. I can even see this manga still being made even if the company wasn't driven by greed...

This manga is incredibly charming! It masterfully combines elements of mahou shoujo, isekai, shoujo, and Disney. The protagonist, Kilala, is a teenage girl utterly infatuated with everything Disney, sometimes to her own detriment. One day, her world turns upside down when she's whisked away into the universe of Disney Princesses! Kilala adores the Disney Princesses and dreams of being just like them. A mysterious prince seeks her help to safeguard his kingdom, and as they journey together, Kilala gains invaluable lessons from each Disney Princess she meets, growing stronger both for herself and those around her. I truly wish this series were more popular and that Disney would take notice and promote it further. Please give it a read!