Former Delinquent is Isekai‘d to Be Dragon Bride
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Bride of the Dragon King. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to death, being orphaned, gossiping, violence, kidnapping, power imbalance, dubcon, mentions of war, male pregnancy (eggpreg), forced marking, immolation, attempted rape, drugging, food tampering, tentacle rape, blood, curses, and dismemberment, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Hikaru is trying his best. After his mother’s sudden passing, Hikaru has been desperate to turn his life around. He was pretty rebellious, becoming a full-blown delinquent, and allowing his mother to die, never seeing him succeed in anything. Unfortunately, with his checkered past and inexperience, finding a decent job has been nearly impossible. He’s not ready to give up. But he is getting worn out.
Thankfully, things start looking up when he receives an email with an incredible job offer. It is definitely too good to be true, but Hikaru is desperate (and a bit airheaded), so he takes the chance. When he arrives, he finds a bunch of guys in suits who look like they’re in the mafia. This seems only further confirmed when they suddenly attack him. He might have just cut his losses and run, but he catches sight of a strange creature, narrowly avoiding being crushed in the tussle. So, he defends himself and the creature.
Once the threat has been subdued, the little creature suddenly transforms into a man, who claims that Hikaru is his bride. From trying to find a job to being transported to a foreign and fantastical world, Hikaru’s world has turned upside down. He just wanted a respectable job, and now he’s got a dragon for a husband.
Review:
I love this art style. It isn’t all that unique, but it is very clean and consistent, which brings me so much joy. The outfits are also lovely, which is always a plus. I wouldn’t call it revolutionary by any means, but it is certainly pretty, and sometimes that is all you need. This is a smut-heavy title, and with clean and consistent art, it looks just as great as the non-smut portions of this series. So, my fellow degenerates rejoice. If you’re looking for fantasy smut with pretty art, look no further. It is a sight for sore eyes.
Now, while the art is nice, the story is rather middling. It has its strong points – at least for me – with mpreg, a bit of dubcon/noncon, and an airheaded bottom (like Hyesung or Hyun), but the rest of the story is pretty average. This is your standard single-volume length titles, which are pretty hit-or-miss. Unfortunately, with this being a fantasy title, it leans toward a miss, as there is very little in the way of world-building, which fantasy titles usually need a lot of to be successful and fulfilling. While I don’t think this is a total miss, it is lacking on that fantasy front, so this may not be the best for those looking for more high fantasy interspecies romances.
Now, while this does have aspects that I enjoy, it also has some of my least favorite tropes. One is the classic “I don’t remember you, but we actually knew each other in the past, and now I’ve come back to make you mine” trope. This typically fails because it comes out of nowhere to create a foundation for a relationship that wouldn’t have had one otherwise. Thankfully, this is foreshadowed early on, so it didn’t feel shoehorned in, but it still isn’t my favorite trope. But what is shoehorned in is the evil ex-fiancée poisoning Louis, forcing Hikaru to go on a journey to save his lover. It is a way to solidify Hikaru’s love for Louis and give him some agency, but it feels random and takes up time that I think could’ve been better spent building out the world a bit more. There was a way to give him agency in his relationship without creating a weird rescue mission that introduces a whole other character who plays no other role at any other time.
It probably doesn’t help that my favorite aspects, like the mpreg and the child-rearing, are super short and disappointing as a result. The mpreg ends up being eggpreg, which can still be a good time, until the egg-laying turns out to be just a magical manifestation of the egg from Hikaru’s womb. This always feels like such a cop-out to me, and it just felt so disappointing when so much of the time was spent talking about how he needed to be impregnated, only for it to end with him not really being impregnated by the end. Add on a super cute baby that we see for barely a chapter, and that whole plot point left me wanting in the worst way. Mpreg is amazing, but it is an underutilized tag, and that is no exception here.
Results:
I feel like I went in on this one. It really wasn’t all that bad. On the contrary, it is a very light palate cleanser, perfect for those looking for something smutty but ultimately very sweet that you won’t have to sink too much time into. It is not a favorite by any means, especially since it had so much potential that just fell flat. But it is fine for what it is, and I think it is worth the money it takes to read this little morsel. I’d recommend it, but don’t expect much.
Have you read Bride of the Dragon King? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
