Imagine this, all the Amars suddenly becoming onboard with sewing and creating clothes for women like them. I never thought I’d see it either, but that’s exactly what happens in the last volume of Princess Jellyfish.
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“Once upon a time…there was a tiny little castle. A group of slightly odd girls lived a nice fun life there.”
Akiko Higashimura Princess Jellyfish
Summary:
Tsukimi comes up with some fabulous designs for clothing that she hopes will be unique and comfortable enough to sell. And after a visit to Nisha and her fabric store, the Amars decide that the best fabric for their clothes is Jersey because of its softness and it’s opacity.
Back home, Tsukimi explains to her team of seamstresses her designs and how she wants them all to bring them to life. If I had to describe’s Tsukimi’s vision for clothes, I’d call them multi-functional and three different outfits in one. Although, these clothes exist out there in the world, they’re rare to see. Which only makes the Jelly Fish brand stand out.
Now that Kuranosuke has cut himself off from spending his father’s money, he has to get creative about promoting Jelly fish’s clothing line, but if money weren’t an option, he’d love to host another Fashion show. However, Jiji-Jelly Fish’s business manager- has reminded him that the company has no money left to spare for décor or a venue.
Next, Kuranosuke asks Shu if there is a venue they could rent for free. Unfortunately there isn’t one, but earlier Shu assisted the director of an aquarium, so he floats the idea to her. Also while there, Shu asks Kuranosuke how he’d feel about living together with Tsukimi as platonic roommates. The arrangement is odd, but Kuranosuke doesn’t seem to hate the idea.
Once the venue is secured, Kuranosuke mails out invites to previous haters, Kai and Inari. While Shu calls Lina, Kuranosuke’s mother, and personally invites her to Tokyo to watch the show. Even the mysterious Mejiro-Sensei has decided to attend the show in person.
“Then one day, a beautiful princess came to the castle. She tried her best to lure the girls into the outside world.”
Akiko Higashimura
Kuranosuke and Mayaya are once again modeling the clothes, but when Kuranosuke spots his mother in the crowd, he’s extremely overwhelmed by emotion and collapses backstage. Tsukimi then orders the rest of the Amars to get into the other Jelly fish designs and work the runaway. After everything Kuranosuke has done it’s the least they could do.
Shu, having witnessed his brother’s panic, goes backstage to check on him with Lina in tow, and for the first time in 15 years, mother and son come face to face. Not gonna lie, I cried during this scene.
After hugging and crying, Lina hands Kuranosuke a white tux for the show’s grand finale. Thus Kuranosuke takes Tsukimi’s hand, just as he did during their first fashion show, and they walk out together, this time with the Amars. It’s during this moment that Kuranosuke confesses to Tsukimi that he’s in love with her. He explains that Tsukimi may not need a boyfriend right now, but Kuranosuke needs her, so he’s going to stay by her side.
“Tsukimi, maybe you don’t need a man right now…But the thing is, I need You.”
Akiko Higashimura
Tsukimi spots Clara in the crowd of people and notices a mysterious man holding her in a small fishbowl. Could it be? Yep, Mejiro-Sensei was a man the entire time! The Amars are shocked to learn that they have been deceived by their fearless leader, who implemented the no-man allowed rule while being a man themselves. Kuranosuke then takes this moment to confess that he’s a man too, and he hopes to remain friends with the Amars.
The novel concludes with a night of dancing and promises. Lina promises to visit Kuranosuke more often while Kuranosuke declares to move out of his father’s home and into Amamizukan. Kai also declares that he requested no severance fee when he was fired from his company and instead requested to keep Amamizukan. He also declares that he intends to move in and become their landlord. Since everyone wants to move into Amamizukan, Hana Mori doesn’t hesitate to throw himself in with the bunch. And finally, Shu vows to continue to wait for Tsukimi to reciprocate her feelings. Thus concludes the manga.
With strength…and beauty…they metamorphosed. And when they became great princesses…their beautiful princess visitor transformed into a prince.
AKiko Higashimura
Thoughts:
The ending is bittersweet and rushed. The conclusion of this series feels off and ends in half the time as the previous ones. I’m disappointed. But not as bitter as what I am about to reveal next.
Spoilers ahead! Beware!!!
I’m SOORRY, but that was the conclusion to the romance?! Kuranosuke and Shu are just okay living together with Tsukimi as ROOMMATES?! I’d be all for it if it weren’t for the fact that Kuranosuke is total boyfriend material. I love Shu, but he’s always off in his own little world, and although he tries to be there for Tsukimi, he has only proven time and time again he loves to daydream.
I think the only reason Tsukimi was attracted to Shu was because he’s kind of geeky. In other words, he’s a safe choice for Tsukimi who is still coming into her own. But where was Shu when Tsukimi sold herself to a fashion company to save Amamizukan? Why didn’t Shu press harder and demand to know where she went once he arrived home? Shu ain’t it.
My beef with this manga was how the romance concluded, but aside from that, I did enjoy the series. I think Kai should have gone back home to Singapore and reassessed his life even have a heart to heart with Fayoung. However, now that he’s moving into Amamizukan, I think he’s going to be a great asset to Jelly Fish. I see Kai and Hana Mori San becoming great friends and each other’s wingmen since they’re big hotties.
As for the Amars, their growth throughout this series was beautiful to see. I especially loved that they ended the fashion show in the metamorphosis line and on the runaway. It was by far my favorite makeover that they have done.
Princess Jellyfish will always hold a special place in my heart regardless of my feelings about the ending. The story of these women and how they overcame their social anxieties, gained confidence and started a fashion company is truly beautiful. I honestly recommend this series to anyone and everyone! Even if you can’t get your hands on the manga, watch the anime, the movie, and even the drama. Any interpretation of this story is bound to be good when the overall message is friendship and overcoming your fears.
UPDATE from MARCH 2021- You can now watch the Princess Jellyfish Drama on Viki for free.
I’m sad to see this series on my blog end, but I’m also relieved. There were times that I wrote and posted my review the same day, which was stressful, but because I was reading this manga week after week, I got into a routine of writing blog posts weekly, and I hope to continue posting weekly for the rest of the year.
*If you would like to purchase volume 9 of Princess Jellyfish for yourself click the link here*
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If you have a manga recommendation that you think I’d enjoy, leave it in the comments below. I’m considering reading Noragami next.
Until next time continue living in libros,
Gaby
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To read my Princess Jellyfish reviews from the beginning check them out here.
