At the time the chapters in this volume were being published in Japan, the anime was preparing to air. I mention this because most of the story feels like how an anime adaption of an ongoing manga might prepare to wrap up its broadcast: characters working toward their own future while leaving the door cracked open for a second season.
Bruno has discovered Licht’s job as a waiter, and the latter has become very conflicted about what kind of future he wants for himself. Although Licht previously declared his intention to compete for the throne, he’s been inspired by his boss, the humble coffee shop owner. As the youngest prince starts forming his own dream, his older brothers start examining whether the life of a royal — let alone the head of a kingdom — is truly for them.
Ultimately, Licht decides he wants to try to make it on his own. But he’s still only 14, maybe 15 by now, and his position may make moving out more difficult, not easier.
At the beginning of The Royal Tutor, the four princes were known as troublemakers. But unlike other fiction which featured a teacher or nanny reforming kids, they had accepted Heine rather quickly, making Licht and the others quirky but hardly delinquents. So it’s easy to forget just how much the four have grown. Girl-crazy Licht, as the youngest son, would normally be the least likely to inherit the crown, but now it’s not because of his age or flirtatious nature; it’s because he wants a job he truly enjoys, perhaps as a shop owner. I really like how Akai walks us through Licht’s thought process while reminding readers he’s still a young teen who isn’t as good as keeping secrets as he thinks he is. He may be growing up, but he’s still a teen boy worried about his porn mags.
Right behind Licht’s struggles are his brothers’. None of these are as long or as in-depth as Licht’s. Bruno’s in particular was a disappointment considering how much he objected to Licht’s plans. It seems odd that the same type of conflict would be repeated several times, but Heine wonders at the end whether all this is a coincidence or not. (This would be the slightly opened door I mentioned earlier.)
So this could be a volume where, once I see where the story is going, could look slightly better or slightly worse. Will the series lose some of its fun when not all four are hanging around the palace? Or will we finally start to dip into Heine’s past now that he has a little more free time? I’d really like it to be the latter, as although this was a good volume overall, it’s the brothers who get all the attention here. Either way, lots of significant developments here for The Royal Tutor fans to keep them hanging on.