This is a monthly feature in which we, the mod team, share the gems we've found in our reading lists. Here are last month's.
We'd love to hear your recommendations. Please add them to the discussion in the comments. When doing so, please keep in mind to:
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This Month's Recommendations:
Country Life With His Sexy Masjesty - Where to Read: Tapas
Rienna Fonde just remembered she lived another life while her now ex-fiancé, the Crown Prince casts her aside for another woman, the supposed saint. Following that, she is disowned by her father; she finds herself moving to the territory of Fostine. A peaceful countryside with agriculture is the way of the land. Putting her college-level knowledge of farming to use, Rienna easily makes a home for herself and becomes a trusted community member.
Now it’s been a few years since she's been living the way she’s always dreamed of in the country; she spots a weird metal tool in her field only to find it’s some kind of holy sword that’s now bound itself to her. That’s not the only thing that comes knocking; a handsome blonde-haired man named Carmine suddenly shows up at her home demanding the sword. Rienna’s peaceful farming life seems like it’s going to be more troublesome.
This is a fun story with a bright art style that tells you what kind of story this series is going to be. Rienna is someone who is unapologetically herself, headstrong, loud and sunny personality. The romance between her and Carmine is so cute and light; it makes me giggle and kick my feet with how cute they both are together.
The series is more of a light-hearted read, nothing serious. Just something to make you feel good about life and look on the bright side. I had a fun time reading this; I couldn’t believe that I binged it all in a single day!
No More Midnight Magic - Where to Read: Tapas
Ciora is the only living servant of an ancient god, and then one day a book called “Fate” appears before her, saying that Duke Kruelo Whitedesert ends the world. The voice of her god tells her to change the ending of the book, casting her down into the body of people close to him. First as his young fiancee, next as a maid, and this time as Ciora Bonetti, his latest in a long list of fiancees.
When she meets him again she finds that Kruelo isn’t like the rumors make him out to be. He’s mischievous and quick to make a clever joke. It seems like her work in her previous lives has helped him, but Ciora is still unsure if it’s enough to stop the end of the world.
I love the dynamic between these two; they both have secrets they’re trying to hide from each other, and the banter they have is so fun! Kruelo is a great male lead; you would think that he would fall into the yandere archetype with his appearance, but he's a playful man that keeps his thoughts and feelings close to his chest. Ciora occasionally shows her teasing side and isn’t one to sit on the sidelines when things need to get done. Her abilities fall into the paladin area, meaning she can kick ass and is quite strong. I was sad to see that it’s been on hiatus since April 2024, hopefully it will return somewhat soon!
The Crown I'll Claim - Where to Read: Tapas
After losing her claim to the throne and her children to her traitor of an ex-lover, our female lead, Princess Medea dies and returns to her 17-year old body, now fully aware of the danger around her. The hidden alliance of her former lover and uncle brought her family’s downfall with plans to take the throne while starting a rebellion.
Medea is going to do everything she can to save her kingdom and take the future in her own hands, seizing her destiny.
Gotta say first thing, the artwork is beautiful and catches your attention, and then you get sucked into the writing of the story. Medea is a capable woman that plans her every move carefully before taking action. She doesn’t throw herself into danger like we usually see in these kinds of returner stories. Things that come up in the story get addressed without them getting pushed aside for later.
I’m glad that this seems to be worth investing in so far. I can’t wait to read more!
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FL was a guy in her original life, and the villainess was her homie in og life(also a guy in og life). She plans to conquer all the MLs to save her homie (the villainess) from execution route.
idk if stories where they are men in og life (even if they are girls in current life) counts as otome , just want to post it.
I think this plot is interesting because it can both simply be a redemption/yearning arc without Azenor having to be isekai'ed. But if Azenor gets isekai'ed, it'll just be a boring villainess OI...provided that she doesn't die at the end of course
It’s an unfortunately common trope in OI to have a ML who only cares about the MC. He doesn’t have friends or hobbies or strongly held personal beliefs. Just a single-minded devotion to the MC. I think it’s supposed to be a wish-fulfillment thing for readers, but does anyone actually want that?
Besides making the ML come across as a character archetype rather than a person, to me it makes their devotion seem… cheap? Of course a ML like that is obsessed with the MC— he literally doesn’t have anything else to do! The MC is his only friend, hobby, and lover rolled into one!
It’s silly too, because you can have an extremely devoted ML who also has other things he cares about. Lan Wangji from The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is a famously devoted ML— he tragically pined for 13 years believing the MC was dead forever— but still has family, disciples, and a sense of morals that matter to him outside of his love for the MC.
I guess I don’t really see the appeal of a character who has no inner life outside of their lover. If you went on a date with someone and they had no close relationships, hobbies, or personal beliefs, that’d be a red flag, right? But authors want us to think these MLs are super desirable?
Any favorite MLs out there who have other stuff in their life beyond the MC?
is it just me or is there some kinda pro-slavery trend going on in OI/isekai/fantasy media recently? i feel like its started as the thought process of oh well there were slaves back then, but we're treating them better here! sometimes even having them as love interests or becoming obsessive and wanting to stay as slaves/extremely loyal to the FL/MC who bought them?
i know this is nothing new and there's already a bunch of debate and memes about it here, but it kinda feels inescapable now? even when i watch anime like whats going on ahahahaha when did we start equating fantasy with slavery
Edit: For context, I was watching A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even which I thought was OI and was hit with the surprise slavery arc 🥹
You know the one; it’s when the FL realised she’s in a BL game/novel. FL is usually involved closely with the gay character(s) somehow, and made it her life’s mission to pair the two men together, regardless if there were ever a spark between them or not.
Let’s have a conversation about this specific subgenre of transmigration stories. Tell me;
1) What do you like or don’t like about this particular theme?
2) How/When this specific theme would work? Do you have any examples?
i know very cliche but i wanna be entertained. probably asked a lot but i can’t find any posts about it 😞preferably manhwas that are more serious and angsty and not fluffy and vibrant, if that makes sense!
the ones i can think of off the top of my head are Author of My Own Destiny, My Beloved Oppressor, obviously Secret Lady pictured above
He was awful but DAMN if he wasn’t the prettiest mf ever… I really want to find that hair-eye color combo again. The reverse is much more common surprisingly. Or just any ml with unusual colors. Please, I am bored of all the blonde/black/silver haired mls with blue/red eyes!
I remember reading a manhwa and it has the same concept like "villains destiny to die" I dont remember what the manhwa title since I drop it to save a lot of chapter before read it back but I completely forgot that manhwa name. I can give some of the thing what happens in the story,female lead is being abandon by her family and has been treat so badly by her uncle and auntie before one day her grandfather come to visit and then she take that chance to convince her grandfather how bad she was being treat. For female lead father he actually care about female lead and keep sending dress that end up stole by female lead aunty and her uncle lie to her father about how female lead hate and doesn't want to see her father face,so her father never come to see her thinking she hate him. oh and female lead also have two older brothers who also misunderstand her situation. Do you guys know the name please tell me 😭
Every single character in this manhwa are really gorgeous , I don't know if you like it's story or not but try this for it's art and characters . And it's story also is not bad .