Tokyo Ever After by Emiko JeanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mostly predictable, full of cliches, but also pretty stinkin' adorable.
Izumi definitely has some Lara Jean vibes, so it's hard not to get behind her. She can be ridiculous and make mistakes, but she's the first person to call out her own bs which you kind of have to appreciate.
So, here's the deal: Izumi has never known who her father is, but a clue leads her to the discovery that she's actually the daughter of Japan's crown prince. Naturally, the lost princess wastes no time before flying to Japan to get to know her father, also hoping to discover a little more about who she is and where she belongs.
Now, I am not kidding about the cliches. You have obscenely rich people doing obscenely rich people things, and you have snarky royals who look down on the 'outsider' and you have all the outsider faux pas, and there's of course the forbidden love and the goddamn 'dancing with no music' scene which BOILS MY BLOOD. But even with all of these cliches, it's not an easy story to hate. Ultimately, Izumi is just looking for somewhere to call home - somewhere she doesn't feel out of place, somewhere she can be loved for exactly who she is. And don't we all kind of want that, in the end?
I liked that angle most of all. The 'lost princess' angle was sweet but entirely predictable, whereas the stuff about race and finding a place she belonged felt more genuine and heartfelt to me. I wish more had been done with that - I think it would have made for a more authentic story.
The romance didn't do a lot for me, and I wasn't particularly horrified by the behaviours of anyone, even though the bullying was a bit much at times. It was all just too cliche and predictable for me to really feel anything. It really just wasn't anything new at all.
I liked Izumi as a character, though, and I enjoyed the closeness of her friendship with the AGG. I loved the fierce protectiveness of her mother coupled with that love that allowed Izumi her freedom. Mum just wants her daughter to be happy, and that was really beautiful to me.
Overall, it wasn't anything particularly special, but Izumi made it a cute story that I enjoyed in spite of its predictability. This will be one for the cheese-lovers; for those who love love. It's a comfort read for people who like fluff.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
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