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Author's Note: This review will only be on the manga as I have not viewed the anime. If I do get a chance to watch the anime, there will be a separate post.
Synopsis:
The tale begins on an floating island called Neo Verona where Leontes Montague and his men lead a bloody coup to murder the members of ruling House Capulet. The only sole survivor is Juliet. 14 years later, Leontes rules over the country with an iron fist and destroys anyone who opposes him. Juliet, who is now 16, fights against House Montague as the masked vigilante "The Red Whirlwind." When attending the Rose Ball hosted by the Montagues with a friend, Juliet meets Romeo, Leontes' son. He, Romeo, opposes his father's cruelty and tyranny, and shares the same ideals as Juliet. Unknown to the star-crossed lovers, Capulet loyalists are planning a rebellion to end Montague's rein, while Leontes obsesses over destroying House Capulet permanently, and an ancient secret hidden deep within Neo Verona awakens.
Review:
Romeo x Juliet is an update on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. While I loathe love at first sight plot lines in romance, this along with the original, is the only story where I don't mind it. A draw for me with this tale is the fantasy elements that are thrown in. Normally, something like this would be jarring, but the way it is strategically placed and incorporated in a way where it works. Most of the language is a cross with modern and Shakespearean. Thanks to this, it makes the story easier to read and understand unlike the original. I still recall reading the original in high school and struggled to understand it (it was the English language of that era that caused problems for me.)
The manga is beautifully drawn and detailed. The story keeps you engaged as there's a reason to root for the characters, for their love, need to fight, and bring peace to Neo Verona. The characters show affection for one another, understanding, while taking on the current situation. While the characters do still die at the end like in the original, there's a plot twist that I wasn't expecting when it comes to the characters' deaths, but I'm not going to spoil it as that wouldn't be fair to you.
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