![THE NUN, gets into the habit of scaring viewers [REVIEW]](https://watchplayread.com/wp-content/themes/_patterns/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwatchplayread.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2018%2F09%2FTHE-NUN.jpg&q=90&w=60&h=55&zc=1 "THE NUN, gets into the habit of scaring viewers [REVIEW]")
![The Shape of Water is Brilliant and Beautiful [Review]](https://watchplayread.com/wp-content/themes/_patterns/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwatchplayread.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2017%2F12%2Fthe-shape-of-water-SOW_Embrace_1Sheet_27x40_Sepia_FIN2_ONLINE_4R_HalfSize210_rgb.jpg&q=90&w=60&h=55&zc=1 "The Shape of Water is Brilliant and Beautiful [Review]")
Manga Review: Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 4
Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 4 focuses on Anise Yamamoto, a girl with a special rose choker who discovers that she is the Rose Princess. Four male students at her school are the Rose Knights who serve her.
Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 4
Written by: Aya Shouoto
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Get it for $9.18!
At the beginning of Volume 4, Anise enters her four knights into an idol audition contest because the prize for second place is one of the arcana cards that she’s looking for to stabilize the Demon Lord’s seal. Since their aim is to win second place, Anise discovers that Seiran is too cute and propels them to number one during the first of their three auditions. The decision is made to take Seiran out and to have Anise pose as a boy instead.
Maybe it’s just me, but I found this portion of the volume to be rather ridiculous. It turns out to be important for Anise’s quest for the arcana cards, as well as for the revelation of two counterfeit Rose Knights, but the way this was done just felt a little “over the top” at times. At least the other story in this volume didn’t get nearly as ridiculous as this one did. And as we see later, it turns out the counterfeit Rose Knights don’t disappear after the end of this story. Hopefully Shouoto will find a way to make these two characters more integral to the story and develop them to be a little more interesting than they are now.
The second story introduces Mikage Hiragi, a classmate of Anise and Kaede. On the surface, she appears to be a meek and quiet girl, but it turns out that this is simply a façade. Mikage seems to have feelings for Kaede and manages to manipulate Anise into having Kaede go out on a date with her. From the hint that’s dropped right at the end of the volume, it appears that Mikage may have some kind of connection to someone who is after Anise.
This second story also sees the brooding Mutsuki starting to regain some of his memories. In the process of this, he acts in a way that he normally doesn’t toward Anise. It’s been hinted in previous volumes that Mutsuki has some kind of a dark past, and this volume seems to reinforce this. The only specific thing we learn is that Mutsuki had made some kind of a promise to his older brother. I suspect that the mystery of Mutsuki’s past will continue to be unraveled as the series progresses.
The second story in Volume 4 ends up being much darker in tone than the first story, and it ends the volume on a cliffhanger. While the idol audition portion didn’t do a whole lot for me, this second story helps to make up for that. It’s enough of a cliffhanger that I really want to be able to read Volume 5 in order to find out what happens. Readers who have been following and enjoying this series will probably like the entirety of Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 4 more than I did.
The reviewer was provided a review copy by VIZ Media
