Kodansha announced during this year’s New York Comic Con the English digital release of Kengo Matsumoto’s romantic comedy manga, How to Treat a Lady Knight Right, slated for November 21st, 2023. This announcement comes almost two years after Sol Press relinquished their rights to the series in 2022. We got an early look into this English release from Kodansha, and you won’t want to miss this pick up.
The beautiful Leo Cornellia would catch anyone’s eye with her short silver hair and face full of scars. With her heavy armor, flowing red cape, and trusty sword at her side, she stands out as the mightiest lady knight in the land. Foolie Dent, a seemingly ordinary mage, finds himself mesmerized by Leo’s beauty and is determined to win her heart with a bold declaration of love right at the beginning of the manga. Leo, as cool and composed as she may seem at first, is flustered by this confession, wondering how any man could love a woman with such a scarred face and body.
The manga features fairly short chapters divided into short situations that Leo and Foolie find themselves in. Foolie is consistently determined to help Leo in any way he can, despite how independent Leo presents herself. One such scenario happens after Leo slays some monsters. Foolie notices she is slightly injured and starts to put his hands on her with the intent of using healing magic. Leo, face red with embarrassment, assumes Foolie’s motives may be perverted – only to quickly find out he’s truly trying to help her. This is what I love about Foolie. Every action he takes for Leo is driven by pure intentions, and most of the time, he genuinely manages to assist her. He might be persistent in his pursuit of love – but he’s hardly inappropriate. This makes the manga a fun read, one where you don’t have to brace yourself for ill intentions often seen in romance manga.
Readers may easily relate to Leo as they progress through the story. She frequently experiences dysmorphia due to the scars that adorn her body, reminders of rigorous years of knight training. Maybe the intense training of a knight is not something you can connect with, but I’m positive that many of us can empathize with Leo’s struggle of feeling self-conscious about her body.
The artwork of How to Treat a Lady Knight Right is reminiscent of the Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out style, but it takes it a step further with even more intricate line work. This added level of detail is particularly evident in the characters’ fantasy attire and their meticulously designed armor. What truly amazes me about Matsumoto’s art is the manner in which he portrays the emotions of his characters. He is able to capture Leo’s frazzled emotions through his drawings, even when she doesn’t speak.
How to Treat a Lady Knight Right is perfect for those seeking a cute and easy-to-digest romance that one can read in short spurts. Chapters are easy to pick up even if you don’t quite remember what happened in the last. As for me, I read it between buses on my morning commute with ease. Kodansha has set the digital release date for November 21st, and they have conveniently provided a comprehensive list of all the available platforms to enjoy it on their website.
Anime Corner received a review copy of Kodansha’s release of How to Treat a Lady Knight Right manga for review purposes.
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