Matsurika Kanriden Manga Wraps Its First Part

The November issue of Akita Shoten’s Monthly Princess published the final chapter of the first part of Waka Takase’s manga, an adaptation of Rinne Ishida and Izumi’s light novel series Matsurika Kanriden, on Monday. A second part is set to begin sometime next year.

The story is a fantasy romance drawn from Chinese history. It follows Matsurika, a sharp court lady at the emperor’s inner palace who is known for her excellent memory.

Her life changes when she is asked to act as a practice partner for a noble family’s marriage meeting, only to discover that the young man in question is none other than Emperor Hakuyō himself.

Smitten at first sight, the emperor sets her an unusual condition: he asks her to come to him once she has passed the demanding civil service exam to become a scholar official.

Takase began the manga in 2018, and it has since reached a dozen volumes, while Ishida’s original novels have run to seventeen. Fittingly, the series is also inspiring an upcoming television anime.

My take: A heroine winning her own place through intelligence and an exam rather than just romance is a wonderfully empowering twist. With an anime on the way, this feels like a great time to discover it.