Ludwig Kakumei

We've all read fairy tales at some point in our lives, haven't we? But have you ever wondered if evil witches might have reasons for their wickedness or if the good guys aren't as virtuous as they seem? This manga offers a unique twist on some of our most cherished fairy tales, from Cinderella to Snow White.

Story-9
A fairly typical start: a handsome guy needs to find a girlfriend—or in this case, a wife for some reason. The protagonist, Ludwig (Lui), must find a spouse to succeed his father's throne. So, he sets off with his naive servant, Wilhelm. Together, they seek out a suitable bride (which, according to Lui, means someone with a nice figure and large breasts). Along the way, they encounter many princesses or girls who are ironically characters from familiar fairy tales. However, as mentioned earlier, things aren't always what they seem. Each tale has its own surprising twist. Yuki Kaori did an excellent job altering small details that lead to significant changes in the story. These twists can be disturbing, humorous, or both, which is partly why I enjoyed this manga so much.

Art-8
After reading some of Yuki Kaori's other works, I've come to appreciate her art style even more. Her artwork is truly beautiful. Lui's appearance perfectly matches his personality. She also draws the princesses in a way that seems like she’s seeing them through Lui's eyes. Death, passion, shock, and humor are all depicted excellently throughout the story.

Character-8
Ludwig Revolution features a quirky cast of characters. Our main character, Prince Ludwig, is a perverted, arrogant, yet oddly captivating corpse collector. Then there's Wilhelm, the careful, kind-hearted, and gullible servant who often causes more trouble than he solves, unintentionally. Unfortunately, he gets treated poorly by Lui. There are many other characters, but to avoid spoilers, I'll let you discover them yourself. One thing is certain: each princess differs greatly from the versions in books. This adds another layer of intrigue to the manga.

Enjoyment-9
I thoroughly enjoyed this manga. While Lui's personality can be annoying at first, it can also make you laugh. You’ll find yourself biting your nails in anticipation, wondering what will happen next. There are moments when you'll laugh at the characters' stupidity or sarcastic remarks. And there will be times when you exclaim, "What just happened?" That could occur when something unexpected happens, like how Cinderella's prince actually—Oops, shouldn’t spoil it for you?

Overall-9
This is definitely a must-read. It will make you laugh, shock you, or maybe do both while reading. This manga is absolutely worth your time.

Ludwig Revolution is one of the more peculiar manga I've come across. I appreciated the unique takes on many beloved Grimm fairy tale characters (Blanche and Sleeping Beauty were especially intriguing).

The portrayal of the 'dashing' prince is quite amusing, and the plot twists offer an entertaining journey. While not an outstanding story, if you're looking for a way to pass time with something that's a bit light-hearted yet twisted, Ludwig's adventures are not a bad option.

A reimagining of some of the Grimm Brothers' classic fairy tales.

First and foremost, the artwork is among the finest I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. The character drawings are a true delight for the eyes, intricately detailed and highly expressive. The artist's well-defined lines create strong, appealing images of the characters, while still managing to maintain a rich background without detracting from the foreground. Although I am not thoroughly familiar with Kaori-sensei's work, I believe that this form of character design, clearly one of her strengths, may also be one of her weaknesses, as I will attempt to explain.

When a character is rendered in extreme detail, it can become visually intense for some readers (though I wouldn't claim this applies to everyone). This intensity can distract from the rest of the work and generally becomes tiring to the eyes. Another example of this, albeit somewhat better balanced compared to Ludwig Kakumei, is found in Masakazu Katsura's works. Here, the art maintains a certain level of detail but is softened by less 'sharp' character designs and shadowing that blend naturally into the background.

As for the story, it is short and sweet. At first glance, it might appear episodic, but the author skillfully ties together small threads and hints throughout the narrative, leading to a wonderfully open-ended conclusion. The reader quickly appreciates how good this is, particularly as they watch Prince Ludwig mature as a character. As Kaori-sensei noted in her final remarks on the series, the Lui-sama at the beginning is markedly different from the one at the end, making the "Happy Ever After" ending satisfying. His companions also receive substantial background and personality development, with one playing a significant role in the final plot twist—an impressive feat, especially for a short story, which often neglects supporting characters.

The darker take on the Grimm brothers' tales proposed by the author strikes a comfortable balance between parody and drama. The introspective look into the dark motifs and motivations behind each fairy tale princess is interspersed with occasional puns or light-hearted events, never compromising the continuity.

In summary, Ludwig Kakumei's rich artwork and intriguing alternative story make for an enjoyable read. The darker undertones to the classic fairy tales are well-balanced, likely appealing to a broader audience. A definite must-read for those who enjoy gothic imagery and self-centered, narcissistic male leads.

This tale takes a darker turn beyond the already somewhat grim fairytales of old. Ludwig meets various characters from those stories, each bearing twisted personalities filled with misguided resentment or even outright hatred in some instances. The animation was nothing short of spectacular—detailed and vividly brought to life. As a character, Ludwig undergoes significant development and maturation, making it easier for readers to relate to him as the series progresses. Even the supporting characters are well fleshed out and portrayed, which is quite impressive given the brevity of the work. Despite its dark themes, the story carries an underlying sense of redemption and occasional lightheartedness that subtly emerges, enhancing the overall enjoyment. In summary, this is a very good short read.

Kaori Yuki deserves a cookie for turning our fairytale maidens into such a hilariously creepy mess. I absolutely love this manga and managed to finish it in just three days. I was constantly curious about which maiden she would tackle next and how she'd twist the original story! Ludwig emerged as an incredible character, one I couldn't help but adore despite his perverted, selfish, and insensitive nature. This series is truly amazing, leaving you craving more even after it concludes! It's highly entertaining if you're familiar with the original tales of these maidens. :)

Story: Given that it's inspired by classic Grimm fairytales, it isn't the most original idea out there. Many have done the "twist on a tale" concept, but considering its approach, it does a commendable job of introducing unexpected twists. If you're seeking something profoundly insightful, this won't be for you. It's a pleasant, light-hearted story with a slightly gothic touch—an odd combination, indeed—meant purely for leisurely reading. By the way, the first story featuring Snow White presents a notably different main character than the rest, so don’t be misled. That initial segment is somewhat darker.

Art: I'm definitely a fan of Kaori's artwork. While I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, I find it ingeniously unique. Her work is always recognizable. There's plenty of visually appealing content to enjoy.

Character: Personally, I didn't form a deep emotional bond with many characters. But realistically, you can't expect much development in such brief tales where characters only appear for one chapter. There simply isn't time for extensive growth. Nonetheless, for this lighter type of story, there's enough substance to keep it entertaining, which is the primary goal, right?

Enjoyment: As mentioned earlier, it won't make you ponder life's mysteries, but it's certainly enjoyable. At the very least, it should elicit a few chuckles. Additionally, if you appreciate generous amounts of "fan service," you'll find ample here.

One amusing detail while reading was when a female character revealed her shoe size to be 27.5 cm, roughly a US size 9. They made a fuss about how enormous her feet were, even remarking that she'd be a gorilla if they were any larger. I wear around a size ten. T.T Silly me and my clunky American feet...

I adore this manga simply because it's unique. The artwork is stunning (though I initially mistook Ludwig for a girl, but that might be intentional – a prince too beautiful for mortal eyes), and it complements the fairytale narrative perfectly.

As the story weaves through various fairy tales (some as familiar as Snow White, others as obscure as Maid Maleen), you get to see different facets of characters Disney has made us love since childhood. Rapunzel? Terrifying and likely schizophrenic. Snow White? A bit of a tramp.

Ludwig Kakumei boasts an exceptional storyline, though the ending was somewhat perplexing (I had to reread the last chapter to grasp what transpired).

If you can only choose one fairy tale-based manga to read this year (or ever), I'd definitely recommend this one. Sure, the prince obsesses a bit too much over a girl's bust size (he asks his loyal servant to report her measurements before pursuing the princess) and identifies the witch solely by her cleavage, but perhaps that's normal for a guy who keeps beautiful women's corpses in glass boxes.

All in all? It's a fantastic read. I'm rereading it now, and it's even better than I remembered.

Fairytales are, or should be, an integral part of everyone's childhood, with some of the most cherished stories coming from the Brothers Grimm. Who isn't familiar with Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty? In recent years, there has been a trend to make these tales darker and grittier, claiming this is how they were before Disney sanitized them. While it's true that some original versions can be quite creepy or sinister, featuring gory scenes, the key difference between these new adaptations and the originals is that the original stories contained only a few dark moments but had a deeply sinister subtext. In contrast, many of these newer versions seem dark merely for the sake of being dark. There have certainly been some excellent works in this vein, but unfortunately, this is not one of them. I generally enjoy dark stories, but this manga crosses the line into being just painful to read. The main character is a vain, selfish, and arrogant prince who has a misogynistic obsession with dead women because he finds them more beautiful and silent. He also places great importance on a woman's bust size. Adding insult to injury, this character and his opinions were penned by a woman. He behaves abusively towards his servant, whose sole purpose seems to be comic relief, except in the Little Red Riding Hood arc where we learn the prince manipulated a little girl into murdering her parents when he was a child, simply because she was friends with his servant. If you aren't disgusted by this character after reading this, then I don't know what to say. The rest of the cast is largely unlikable, if not outright despicable. We have a masochistic witch dressed like a stereotypical otaku's S&M fantasy who enjoys the prince's cruelty towards her, a creepy stepbrother who tries too hard to be worse than the main character in a poor attempt to make him seem nicer, and numerous princesses who are beautiful but either bitchy, superficial, or manipulative. This is the worst aspect of the story. If these princesses were entirely creations of the mangaka's imagination, I wouldn't mind so much, but the problem is they are based on beloved characters from classic fairytales. Snow White is transformed into a disturbing, gothic-lolita figure, losing all the charm of the original tale. I don't mind reimagining fairytales and offering a different perspective, but this work shows no respect for the originals, almost to the point of becoming an insult. The only character who gets a refreshing new take is the version of Sleeping Beauty. This title is classified as shojo, so you'll find some typical elements that might be funny if not for the disturbing context. It seems to aim to be a dark reinterpretation of classic fairytales while still desperately trying to appeal to teenage girls. But it's not just the fairytales that suffer; the portrayal of women is downright offensive. Most of the female characters are annoying, shallow, and obnoxious. And as I mentioned earlier, this was written by a woman.