Review

Who Made Me a Princess | Manhwa Review

Rating: 4.8/5

Introduction

Reading historical manhwas for a while has made us encounter countless cliche plots. From the characters being isekaid to the main lead having a curse, Who Made Me a Princess was the first manhwa I’ve read that has a different trope from others I’ve encountered. It is more focused on a father-daughter trope. Despite Lucas and Athy, the main leads, not having as much interaction as I’d hoped for, this remains one of the most popular manhwas of all time. Who Made Me a Princess’ popularity is well-deserved because of how well-written it is. There are three characters that are the main highlights. Athy is a sweet and hard-working character that definitely deserves her father’s affection and love. Lucas is a powerful mage who’s there beside her to save Athy when things get awry. And there’s Claude, one of the hot (and always naked) daddies in the Manhwa community.

Story

Who Made Me a Princess follows a woman reincarnated in the novel “Lovely Princess,” born as “Athy,” the princess who died at her father’s hands when she turned 18. Realizing her fate, Athy had planned to run away before reaching her coming of age and live a peaceful life. Yet, despite her efforts, she met her dad, Claude, at the age of 5. However, even though the story is quite serious, it was funny to read thanks to Athy’s point of view. With Athy slowly growing up, her character is extremely charming. Moreover, she was able to win her maids’ and even her father’s hearts.

It’s great to know that Athy keeps meeting good people and not experiencing what she has read in the novel. She met the male lead, Lucas, the strongest mage in Obelia, who made sure to stay and save her. She wasn’t just a bubbly character; she was also a smart character who showed her leadership during the needed times.

Characters

Here are the lists of characters that I would like to give my thoughts on:

Claude

Some readers may not consider him the best father in the Manhwa community, but I definitely love his character. Despite this, one of the reasons they dislike his character is because of his attitude towards OG Athy. Claude was cold and indifferent. Additionally, even during the incident with the current Athy, when she knew about it while drowning and saw Claude’s cold expression, seemingly judging her, he remained expressionless. Claude couldn’t care at all at the time. Yet he showed a significant change when he and Athy met more. Claude is able to open up slowly to his daughter and show his affection little by little. That was a start for them, considering how Claude was in the past.

In addition, Claude loved Diana, Athy’s mother, to the very end. Seeing his wife die because she chose her daughter’s life over hers must’ve been really hard for him. Especially his wife was the only person who made him feel loved. He was scared of losing her. Claude was ready to sacrifice their daughter just to not lose her. That’s why, when Diana died, he desperately made that decision to not feel hurt anymore. I guess, in this part, we readers just realized that no matter how we want to be Athy’s stepmother (LOL), we have no space in Claude’s heart.

Athy

With Claude’s attitude towards the OG Athy, she has been through a lot, yet she remains a strong and affectionate character. Growing up, the OG Athy didn’t experience familial love. Her mother, Diana, died when she was born, and Claude, her father, didn’t care about her. Athy was just yearning for love, yet her longing for her father led to her demise.

So, when she got reincarnated again, it’s understandable why Athy was scared and wary of Claude when she met him. She can’t trust Claude right away, fearing that she is just a deathbed away. The only thing she could do at the time was win her father’s affection to avoid dying. Luckily, with years of bonding with Claude, things worked out for her. Claude became closer with Athy. Moreover, she’s also surrounded by people who love her. Athy stayed strong and led political affairs when Claude wasn’t beside her. She left a strong impression on her father’s people despite having family issues.

Lucas

Nothing beats an ML who is head over heels for FL. Lucas is one of the best characters I’ve read. Despite knowing what Athy’s past was, he accepted her and even saved her. He has been beside her while growing up, and he was close to destroying the world if something bad happened to Athy. I’ve just hoped there are more moments between Athy and him after the ending. The chemistry between them was a chef’s kiss, but the scenes were lacking since it’s mostly about Athy’s family. I’m glad to see Athy sorting out her feelings between him and Ijekiel, but I hope there will be side stories focusing on Lucas and Athy. I’d like to see them as a couple.

Ijekiel

Ijekiel is one of the purest second male leads I read. It is such a shame he is the second male lead, and Athy will not love him just like he loves Athy. I felt really bad for him when Athy was able to sort out her feelings. I couldn’t even badmouth him if I wanted to because he didn’t have any bad traits I could point out. He didn’t have bad intentions towards Athy, and he was even kind towards Jennette when she was staying at their mansion. Ijekiel was there when his family was having issues, and he was more than ready to protect his family. I’m having a second male-lead syndrome, so maybe I could volunteer to be with him. JK.

Jennette

I really expected that Jennette would be the typical character archetype, being one of the nuisances in Athy’s life. However, I was wrong. Jennette turned out to be incredibly kind, and she and Athy formed a genuine friendship. Jennette’s family is kind of sad to read it because of how complicated her family is, but I’m glad that she’s living a nice life and that she now has a family beside her. A lot of readers may not like Jennette, but I understand her character. Like Athy, she was a kid longing for a family. The reason her character seems naive is because of how people keep leaving her out of important events or information. But when she knows the reason, she knows to differentiate between right and wrong.

Lilian York

Lilian deserves a mention here. I just love Lilian! I love how she took great care of Athy and showered her love and kindness while Athy was growing up. If it weren’t for her, Athy may have lived differently, as one of the maids treated her badly when she was still a baby. Lilian made sure that Athy lived a normal life like any child should. And she also maintained the palace where Athy was staying, despite the limited budget. Lilian is definitely like a mother to Athy.

Felix

No reason. I just want to mention him because he reminds me of the character I used to play in the otome game. IYKYK. Anyway, I’m also pleased with his character. He was there to check on Athy whenever Athy and Claude had father-daughter time. He showed concern and treated Athy with respect, despite Athy being neglected during the time. He is a loyal knight of Claude, so when Claude wasn’t really in great condition, Felix was there to protect Athy at all costs if something were to happen.

Conclusion

It’s been a while since I last read Who Made Me a Princess. But upon reading, my impressions remain unchanged. It definitely has the angst but still provides fluff and cute moments, thanks to Athy with her father and also Athy with Lucas. What makes this manhwa lovable is the plot focusing on Athy bonding with Claude. While other manhwas may have similar scenes, their relationship stands out and captures the reader’s heart. Athy wasn’t an annoying kid; she wasn’t pushy and demanding, and she displayed remarkable maturity for her age. Lucas, with his teasing, is the only one who can see Athy’s different attitudes.

Ending

Who Made Me a Princess’ ending wasn’t bad at all, but it was a bit letdown for me. I expected more Athy and Lucas moments. But I guess that’s the most suitable ending considering the flow of the story. Athy proved to be a great character until the very end. She was able to make history during her reign, and I really love how smart and strong she is. I still wonder about why Claude’s behavior progressed like that in the present timeline, but I guess he didn’t get the opportunity to bond with Athy in the past; hence, there wasn’t a trigger to make him change.

Overall, the manhwa was a great read, and I enjoyed it very much. The story left an impact, and I found the art to be a masterpiece. I’m usually drawn by how beautifully drawn the eyes are. So, when I saw how detailed Athy and Claude’s eyes were, I just fell in love. I will definitely read the novel once I have free time.

Who’s your favorite character? Would you recommend Who Made Me a Princess to your friends? Let me know in the comments who is your favorite character among all, and let me know your insights in the comment!

“”Family” isn’t always what it appears to be on the outside. The fact that they are a “family” does not guarantee that they will get along. When they can’t see eye to eye, it can be worse than being strangers, regardless of how close they are or how long they’ve been together. I’ve learned that bonding, emotional interaction, and spending time are all crucial processes of becoming a family. That is why we can communicate and be conscientious of one another without saying a word.” — Athy, Who Made Me A Princess.

About Me

I’m Sirius, a book blogger. I focus on manhwas, mangas, and web novels that can’t be seen much in book reviews. I like cats and stuff. And I’m currently in the process of becoming a self-proclaimed polyglot.