Author Rin Miasa acknowledges sheikh romances are common in Harlequin romances, but they’re rare in manga. But beyond that and the fast marriage trope, With the Sheikh in His Harem is decidedly closer to a standard shoujo school romance than an average women’s romance novel.
Sanagi’s family is poor, and Sanagi’s various part-time jobs are what mainly support them. While working at a hotel, Sanagi meets some foreigner who says he’s going to jump! Although she is the type to choose money over romance, she’d rather be poor than see someone die right in front of her.
Well, turns out that guy is a prince (sheikh) from the richest country in the world, Armadia. And he wants Sanagi to marry him! She refuses at first, thinking the whole thing is creepy and she’s being pitied, but she changes her mind once her family gets into deeper financial woes and see Lui’s sincerity.
We do see part of a wedding ceremony, but the two aren’t officially married. Still, Sanagi is whisked to Armadia with Lui, where some predictably take issue with her presence. Although Sanagi insists she’s going to repay the money Lui spent on her and her family and then return to Japan, that becomes harder the more time she spends with him.
Chances are that if you are old enough to be reading those Harlequin novels, you’ve seen this plot before. There’s the commoner female lead, the rich lead ostracized by his family, the overprotective servant, a scheming matriarch, etc. If you avoid these stories, this one isn’t going to make you love them. But compared to most versions of this setup, With the Sheikh in His Harem is aimed at a younger demographic, the tween to early teen age group despite things like Lui’s suicidal thoughts. The bright art with simplistic layouts is evidence of this, and the Cinderella story complete with the prince enamored by her every move is another piece.
And he is wholly captivated by her. Lui will make Sanagi’s and readers’ heart race with scenes like licking Sanagi’s neck, but is also very considerate of her, like not pressuring her about their first night. He also sets her up with a fancy remote learning system and a translator in the form of a fox. That’s enough for the target age group to squeal over, but it’s also nice to see another manga without a domineering, haughty love interest.
As for the harem, so far, it’s just Sanagi, and Lui has no interest in having any more wives. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sanagi tries to help some beleaguered girl or if the queen (who’s clearly the antagonist so far, although Lui’s caretaker Hakuba is also rather hostile toward Sanagi) forces women into Lui’s harem, but it will be under his protest.
As an opening volume, not much happens outside of setting up the story and introducing all the characters. I can’t say I was hooked on the story, but it’s a fairly harmless, easygoing read that I can see myself turning to when I need some lighter fare. This is one where you are going to have to find the right audience to be appreciated, but those younger female readers just beginning to explore graphic novels and manga will enjoy this modern day fairy tale with a pragmatic, hardworking heroine.