Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 starts as the usual isekai villainess drama, but turns cute pretty fast. Although there are many questions, the greatest of which is why her father looks like a young man with no age-defining wrinkles. Still, if anything, the trope of an adorable girl with a gruff and deadly man can always use another addition to the ever-expanding literary arsenal. But make no mistake, the story starts dark, with some disturbing moments throughout, keeping a balance between the dual sides. Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 is a springboard for a lot of drama, with gorgeous illustrations and a heroine that would make dark romance booktok jump for joy.
Hong Heesu pens the original story that Yuri adapts, and Roal provides the art in this isekai romance. Isekai tales run the gamut from other worlds to games to stories. Here, we have an isekai story that picks up where the villainess’s tale ends, with her demise at her own hands. But, as many stories, songs, and more point out, a villainess or bad woman usually has roots in the men around her. So, when this girl gets isekai’ed into the role of villainess in the book she read, there’s double sympathy. Now, like many villainess stories, she has to avoid the death flag. In other words, she needs to play nice or else.
Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 Starts With a Sympathetic Villainess
What makes the isekai villainess so fascinating is seeing the story from their perspective and developing an appreciation for the why to their chaos. Here, it’s already clear Juvelian’s dad is worthless. In only a handful of panels, they show a no-show father. Yet, the volume teases there might be something more. The “more” underneath all the characters is what draws readers in. It paints Juvelian as a sympathetic character, shunned by her father. Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 builds an intriguing character who is still a mystery, but funny, by the end of the volume, leaving you anticipating the next.
Sometimes Lacks Believability
The most eyebrow-raising incredulous moments are with the home’s staff. After all, the flashbacks show she’s not above bullying or abuse as a villainess. As she is eighteen, that’s a long time for her to torment the maids. But shortly within Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1, the staff seem to care about her well-being. Yet the story does not explain how that is even possible. Even though they have a job to do, it’s unlikely that, with no apology or token of sorry, they care for her this much. There is only so much suspension of disbelief a story can expect from its reader, and Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 pushes past that point at times.
A Cute Pair of Dark Romance (Lite)
Juvelian’s relationship with her father’s student, Max, starts contentious, escalates, then deflates all in one volume. Seeing him discuss killing a rat with her father, and she does not realize he means her and not a literal rat, is hilarious when you see her expressions of terror and disturbing when it returns to him. However, soon it gallops in the opposite direction, and their interactions are funny. While he looks angry and ready for blood, her blood, she’s laughing at him and showing him kindness, not realizing the threat. So, it’s fun to watch him look confused, like a baby kitten hissing and upset and confused when people don’t cower in fear. Through that off-putting experience, Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 fosters a meet-enemy turned meet-cute while continuing to raise questions about her father, this kingdom, and what’s to come.
Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 creates entertaining, engaging characters that readers cannot help but love, especially Juvelian as the story shows her outer face and her inner turmoil and stress. Although some parts, like how easily she’s able to redeem herself with the maids, feel unbelievable, there is still more than enough here to enjoy. It focuses on the characters while teasing mysteries upon mysteries for the central characters. Thanks to its comedic sense and compelling love interests, Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage 1 sets the stage for an amazing isekai series.
Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage has seven volumes out already, with the eighth volume releasing on November 17th.
