After reading The Princess Diaries, this duology also got on my radar of similar themes of an American girl suddenly finding out that she’s the illigitimate daughter of a prince and heads over for a crash course in protocol, paparazzi and romance.

And yes, those similarities do pop up as there’s a lot Mia, and Izumi (sometimes Izzy during a stint where she tried to assimilate in her majority white town) as they navigate jealous cousins that seek to make them look bad, the press intrusion and the feeling of hopeless averageness when the world wants you to be a perfect princess.

But Izumi’s journey is different as she tries to reconcile the sudden life change with getting to know her father, the Crown Prince of Japan. He seems to want to get to know her but is formal and hampered by constant engagements. And she doesn’t really feel an insta-bond at first, inf act she feels somewhat defensive at what she percieves to be slights against her mother’s parenting and his overompensating ways to be a parent when he hadn’t known she existed till a few weeks ago.

Still, you can see how important family and familial history is to Izumi as she studies up on her paternal and maternal sides, feeling more connected to who she can be instead of the constant feeling of “in between.” Too Japanese for America and to American for the Japanese.

Yes, the culture shock is real and while Izumi is learning, she does make several huge faux paus in a combination of following her heart and ignorance as people seem to expect her to “just know” certain scandals and feuds while shaking their heads at the ignorant American, waiting for her to fail. This also comes from the Imperial Household and several cousins like “The Shining Twins” who seem to take an instant dislike to the ursurper of popularity even though she’s ursurping in negative popularity.

Nonetheless, you can see the clear appreciation Izumi starts to gain for Japan when she was initially confused by the seemingly incomprehensible idioms and archaic traditions. Japan’s always evolving but it’s beauty in combining tradition, resilience and duty is beautiful.

As for being a princess, sometimes being an American does pave good press as she advocates for more gender equality, using her history studies to point to precedences in the royal household which was just such a badass moment. Same with standing up for her mother as well as other household servants.

Which brings me to her bodyguard romance with Aiko. He’s 20 to her 18, and though they seem to have a negative first impression. He with the stick up his butt and her as the naieve American who makes his job harder for him, the bodyguard romance trope is in full force as the enforced proximity leads to bonding and backstory talk. They were wonderful in the first book but I felt their relationship flagged in the sequel where they break up to ease the pressure on Izumi’s parents’ unpopular engagement. From there, she engages in a fake relationship turned love triangle where Aiko loses out in my opinion as the distance left him off-the-page for the story and Eriku was so charming, I ended up rooting for him. I just felt it would be an interesting subversion if Izumi and Aiko moved on to show that your first love isn’t your true love but oh well.

As for Izumi’s other relationships, Jean creates believable three-dimensional personalities for each even though their arcs aren’t as fleshed out as Izumi’s and her mother’s. Her “lady-in-waiting” Mariko gives such Grandmere vibes only a lot less eccentric, operating as both a stern teacher and reserved big sister. Reina, her second bodyguard was so cool and I wish she had more page time. As for Izumi’s cousins, one is as charming yet backstabbingly connving as cousin Philip and I was disappointed that he didn’t appear much in the sequel. I’m not suggesting he return as a antagonist but I expected him to put more of a wrench in the debate over Izumi’s parents’ marriage especially as it could concern his succession to the throne.

As for Izumi’s other cousins, they operate as mean girls in the first even though Izumi is told they have more hidden depths, and are products of their enviroment, she is understandably reluctant to feel bad for them. However, the sequel gives them a slight niceness upgrade or at least they reach a place of understanding as they bond over the scrutiny female royals have to deal with in the media and the slander printed against both their moms. It actually reminded me of bit of the scandal regarding the real princess of Japan Mako who recently gave up her titles to marry a commoner.

Izumi’s relationship with her mother could arguably be the heart of the book as they stand by each other and support one another in this difficult transition especially in the second book as Izumi reminds her mother of her worth after months of the Japanese press deriding her lack of pedigree to marry the royal prince. The way they both resolve to be themselves again and make compromises to ease the pressure to conform in order to be their own family and their own sense of space. This is aided by Izumi’s best friend, Noor, who provides a much needed reality check when Izumi gets in too deep in her conforming role, and I love how they continue their friendship despite all the craziness.

While there are some parts that could have been done different (see love triangle, and cousin), Jean creates a glittering, semi-realistic look on a girl becoming a princess with a dose of escapism that readers will be sure to enjoy.