Last year, I took a running stab at reading a lot more despite my previously mentioned Dyslexia. After hitting a modest goal I set myself, the aim was to start a momentum that was never inspired in me as a child/teen, those particular books never catching my interest. I believe I accomplished my mission, as I started the year with three highly suggested books and I somewhat fell in love with one briskly, Tokyo Ever After. In the latest series from Emiko Jean, we follow the young Izumi Tanaka as she comes to terms with being a Japanese-American and, unbeknownst to her to begin with, the daughter of the Imperial Crown Prince of Japan.

I think it is fair to say that Tokyo Ever After is highly inspired by The Princess Diaries, (directly or indirectly) but it is still deeply refreshing. Yes, the monarchy is on her dad’s side, she has trouble acclimatizing to the new world she encounters, and she’s still in her teens, but there is something else. Unlike the Disney teen flick of the early 00s that we all treasure with Anne Hathaway, there is a touch more romance and a bit more honesty in how much teens speak, and more importantly, swear. One of my biggest gripes with Young Adult (YA) books tends to be that sanitized viewpoint of anyone 18 and younger.

To head off the questions, no Tokyo Ever After isn’t the most original book, and it is not the best-written book either. However, it is fun and full of adventure. There is a little globe-trotting (of course) as we shift between California where Izumi has lived all her life, Tokyo with the royals, and Kyoto in the palace of shame, as the newspapers suggest. Taking the perspective of Izumi a majority of the time, we’re led through the life of a lost and illegitimate Princess learning not only who her dad is but who she is in this chaotic mess of imperials, royals, and bodyguards, as well as learning Japanese (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji).

Knowing enough Japanese to get by did admittedly help, though it is not imperative to the enjoyment. There are points where things are very predictable: Within 50 pages, you’ll know the enemies-to-lovers story inside out. The plot twist (for what little it is) isn’t as much of a surprise as I think it wants to be, and generally, if you are paying attention you can predict a good portion of the next 10-20 pages. None of which is to say I dislike Tokyo Ever After, I enjoyed it so much I devoured it in only a few days, despite my predilection against some aspects of the story.

Being a 20-something male appendage wearer, the romance-heavy sections (most of the book) pass directly over my head in terms of intention. I’m not trying to be critical with that, just stating the fact, because ultimately, Tokyo Ever After is not specifically aimed at me as a reader. Neither was The Inheritance Games (or its sequel), but I enjoy them just as much. This almost shows a pattern: Both books are about young women transported into another world of wealth and fame, locked in a compound and under constant protection, both second-guessing the life they find themselves locked into. I wonder what it says about me?

The only thing that became especially bothersome throughout, and it is a personal thing rather than the objective, was the trouble my Dyslexia had from time to time. The week prior, I was reading countless details on the economic collapse of 2007-08, how Greece was an issue in ’10, and international issues handled by the author in A Promised Land, but here something felt off. Honestly, I don’t understand, and I don’t think I ever will, how or why such issues are prevalent here or there, but they do appear in the most peculiar of places. My most reasonable hypothesis of why would be the writing style or editing not entirely agreeing with me.

A better “objective” concern would be the length. Yes, if it were lengthier, I may not have dashed through it so quickly, but in equal parts, I think there could have been more room given to the ideas. I appreciated the pacing considerably, though at times there were moments of thinking time was flying past a little too rapidly in the story. I can’t say it was a fault that once I was finished, I wanted more of this world. That’s undeniably a positive no matter what fiction you are working in. However, ideas were being chewed through without much delay.

Ultimately, Tokyo Ever After might not have gotten me around to liking YA romance novels, though I didn’t roll my eyes too much at it either. I enjoyed the characters, I want to spend a greater amount of time with them, and I want to hear more of their stories. Personally, I can’t wait for Tokyo Dreaming coming in late May (I believe). Yes, lacking the length to get stuck into the world, I do wish there were enough time given to all the concepts without feeling the few weeks illustrated were gone in the blink of an eye. Also, Akio is one-hundred percent Bruce Banner, yeah, I said it!

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Tokyo Ever After

$7.58+

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Akio is Bruce Banner.
• Understanding teens swear profusely.
• John Ed fe Vera's breath-taking cover art.
• A good but simple look at race in America.
• A fun, refreshing, and engrosing fantasy.

Cons

• Length is a bit short.
• Dyslexia being prevalent while reading.
• A personal disinterest in everything romance.