#hwangjewa yeogisa

[fireflowerhanabi]

The Knight and Her Emperor - Review

This manga features a female knight, Pollyanna, who is sent to the military by her parents to fight despite her gender. As she displays her hard work and talent, she becomes increasingly renowned as a fighter, until she meets an aspiring emperor whose goals she admires.

The Basic Premise: As a female knight, Pollyanna faces much discrimination and opposition in her journey despite her outstanding talent. When she meets a soon-to-be king, Lucius, she's struck by his conviction and ambitions and swears her loyalty to him. It's a long slow-burn story that tackles gender discrimination and a more realistic look at medieval fantasy.

My Review: I enjoyed this, but it's definitely not for readers who want an escapist fantasy. One thing I was particularly impressed with was the author's handling of the female characters - they give them realistic personalities and nuances, and the realities of their lives as women in a male-dominated world aren't pushed aside or ignored. In particular, Lucius, Pollyanna's love interest, takes concubines as part of his ascension and need for heirs; these concubines are fleshed out as their own characters, and there isn't any jealousy or scheming drama. Pollyanna, too, was refreshingly realistic. Her view of herself as a "woman" and as a potential romantic interest for Lucius are both very much shaped by her pragmatic personality and masculine presentation, and those don't change just because she falls in love. This manhwa seems to focus more on nuanced portrayals of romance and women's positions in this medieval European setting than entertainment fantasy, and that was something I really enjoyed about it as a whole.

Overall: Give this a try if you're interested in very slow-burn romance that falls on the more realistic side as opposed to flashier fantasy. While some elements felt a a little rushed or confusing, overall this manhwa offers a more realistic and down-to-earth portrayal of women in this kind of era that was refreshing to see.