Mofa Gongzhu de Xiao Fannao

Athanasia de Alger Obelia, the only legitimate princess of the Obelian Empire, awakens memories of a previous life; from these, she sees a future where she dies at the hands of her father, Emperor Claude. While his gaze is full of affection for Athanasia's older sister, Jennette Margarita, he only regards Athanasia with indifference and leaves her desperately yearning for his love.

To avert the fate that awaits her, the infant Athanasia resolves to escape the palace when she is older and, in the meantime, avoid meeting her father at all costs. However, their paths cross years before it was destined, and so young Athanasia finds herself at the mercy of Claude's seemingly mercurial whims. But the one emotion that she expects, apathy, is never present on his face. With a father who now considers her family, Athanasia strives to grow into a proper crown princess—but her grim vision may yet have ways to become true.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Lucas Main

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

de Alger Obelia, Athanasia Main

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

de Alger Obelia, Claude Main

Maeno, Tomoaki Japanese

Robane, Felix Supporting

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Alpheus, Ijekiel Supporting

Umeda, Shuuichirou Japanese

Diana Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Margarita, Jennette Supporting

Iwami, Manaka Japanese

York, Lilian Supporting

Waki, Azumi Japanese

de Alger Obelia, Anastacius Supporting

Takahashi, Hidenori Japanese

Irain, Helena Supporting

Hoshiki, Seena Japanese

Gong, Yu Producer

Zhang, Yingying Director

Daoko Theme Song Performance

XAI Theme Song Performance

Reviews

Jul 3, 2026

Misoony

Recommended

I love it. I love it so much, especially as a manhwa reader. Without a doubt, this is the best manhwa anime adaptation I've seen.

I've watched every anime adaptation of an otome isekai manhwa. The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up in the Slideshow Presentation, Doctor Elise, blah blah blah. And let me tell you, none of these compares to the Who Made Me a Princess anime. You can really tell that this anime, or to be more specific, donghua, was made with care.

I read the original manhwa years ago. It was what got me into manhwa and the otome isekai genre, so when I saw ... an anime announced, I was really excited. And yet, every anime adaptation I'd seen of a manhwa had been terrible, so I didn't want to have high hopes. Weeelllll, this was one of the anime where I could have high hopes! Because when I originally saw that first trailer, the animation looked absolutely gorgeous, and it stayed consistent.

Leading up to the release day, the twitter account for the anime kept posting art of the characters, it was so exciting and when the anime finally released after years, I was not disappointed. The episodes look absolutely gorgeous. I know I keep saying this, but oh my gosh, the animation, especially the jewel eyes and the backgrounds, are so so pretty. Some of the best I've seen. As for the story, I really like it! It is a bit different from the manhwa, but I honestly don't mind that. There's more screentime with Lucas, and Claude is less of an asshole!! Now I have seen criticisms about Athy not being reincarnated in the anime version, but honestly, I really don't mind that. I think it fits the story better because the whole reincarnation thing is pretty unnecessary. As for Claude no longer being as much of an asshole, GOOD!! GOOD! I don't hate him as much anymore! Hallelujah!

I also want to mention the music. The anime used an orchestra for much of the music, and oh my gosh, I LOVE it. Love it! That's what I mean by you can tell that a lot of care was put into this anime. Every aspect of it is beautiful! As of writing this, there are two dubs, the Chinese and the Japanese dub. Personally, I like the Chinese dub better because the opening song I think, matches the animation better. It's just a personal pet peeve, but I think it's cool how there are even different songs for the opening and ending depending on what language you watch it in.

Now they did change a bit of the story towards the end, but honestly, I didn't dislike it. It showed Claude cares for Athy which I appreciate seeing because the manhwa Claude made me despise him. However, they also brought about the memory loss arc towards the ending so I know if this does receive a season two, I'm going to dislike it. This was the more lighthearted part of the story, and that's my main reason for liking this season so much. I'm also just happy that a shoujo manhwa I liked so much received such a beautiful adaptation. It's not a faithful adaptation, but I don't mind it. This isn't my favorite manhwa by far, but it's my favorite manhwa adaptation as of writing this.

But to really get down to it, I'd recommend this if you like fantasy romance or otome isekai manhwa/anime. This isn't the sort of anime that's going to be for everyone. But if you're a big fan of the genre like I am, I think this is one of the best animes in the genre you can watch. I really hope it gets more recognition!

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Aug 24, 2026

President_Megumi

Mixed Feelings

Hmm. This was one that I picked up and put down a lot, and I think that means I only thought it was okay.

For context, I am an anime-only watcher (with very little familiarity with the source material), but this show was being really heavily promoted in my circles when it was first airing, so I added it to my watch list.

Having watch it in full, I am not sure if there was anything that I particularly disliked (save for the main ship—I really wasn’t feeling that), but this also didn’t really scratch the itch that this genre (historical-esque/magical/villainess/time travel) usually does. That ... said, I did really like all of the scenes with Ijekiel (woe is second-lead syndrome).

Also, I don’t know if I just wasn’t really paying attention before, but did the CGI in the final episode feel particularly bad to anyone else?

I guess I should seek out the source material now (because it sounds like it is a lot better and that the animation made serious deviations from it), but I am not really motivated to do that, which tells me that this didn’t really do it’s job.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 21, 2026

lichisucre

Not Recommended

Spoiler

First of all, I want to make it clear that I haven't read the original work, so I experienced this story solely through the anime. In my opinion, this anime is bad. However, judging by the comments I've read, the original manhwa seems to be much better executed, so I strongly recommend not discovering this story through the anime adaptation.
The anime is enjoyable until around episode 7, after which its quality drops significantly.

First a short Spoiler-free review:

Important elements such as the characters' motivations and the obstacles they face are never properly explained. The protagonist's growth is only partially shown: by the end of the series, ... she suddenly uses abilities that were never introduced beforehand. Character relationships also lack development, especially when one character joins the princess's side without their motivations ever being properly explained.
Characters sometimes behave in ways that contradict what was previously established, without any explanation, making it feel as though the story is forcing certain events to happen. On top of that, the rules governing the world—especially its magic system—are barely explained. The anime simply assumes that the viewer understands these concepts and immediately moves on.

More subjectively, I felt that the protagonist changed from a clever and playful child into a whiny and bratty one. At some point, she spends most of her time complaining, which made me lose much of the affection I initially had for her.
Starting around episode 9, the animation randomly switches between 2D and 3D. I found this very distracting. It isn't ugly, but it creates a strange collage effect that feels visually cluttered. Sometimes, less really is more.

_____________________________________

I will now go into detail with spoilers for anyone who wants to continue reading:

The main issue with this anime is its lack of narrative depth. Characters are introduced one after another without their relationships or the development of their abilities being properly explored or shown, while important concepts are introduced as if they were already familiar to the viewer, even though they are never actually explained.

To be clear, I am not criticizing the frequent use of time skips. They are, in a way, common in reincarnation shoujo stories. However, I do think they are used too often in this anime and are frequently handled poorly, which adds to the viewer's confusion. My two main criticisms are the lack of development for the characters and their relationships, as well as the superficial presentation of the magic system.

Starting with the characters:

Athanasia suffers from a lack of development in her progression. We see her begin training to master her magic, but this development is almost completely abandoned afterward. By the end, she possesses new abilities, such as a magical bow, which appear without having been properly introduced or prepared beforehand. She goes from being a beginner whose progress is shown to an advanced magic user during the 7-year time skip, even gaining combat abilities, but this crucial part of her progression is never shown.

Aside from that, I personally noticed a difference between Athanasia before and after episode 7. I found her to be more spoiled and ungrateful, especially toward Lucas. She complains much more frequently compared to the clever and playful child she was at the beginning. This could be explained by her suddenly becoming a privileged child who is pampered by her father, but it still makes her less enjoyable to follow as a viewer.

The supporting characters are also problematic, especially Lucas.

Lucas is an adult mage who is over 400 years old and is presented as "the most powerful mage". His first appearances are filled with mystery: he is searching for the person who is disrupting the course of destiny.
However, as early as episodes 7-8, he joins our heroine's side without any real explanation. The anime never properly explains his motivations. Why is he looking for the person who is interfering with destiny? Why does he decide afterward to stay by Athanasia's side and protect her?

But the problem does not stop there, because his behavior strongly contrasts with what has been established about him. He take the appearance of a child but why does he also behave like one? Despite being an adult, he argues with Athanasia, who is 9 years old, as if they were actually the same age.

His relationship with Athanasia also develops extremely abruptly: they become close almost overnight without their bond being properly built. This relationship later takes on romantic undertones, which I personally find uncomfortable, since it involves an adult who is several centuries old and a young girl he met when she was still a child.

Ijekiel also seems to have very strong feelings for Athanasia, as shown when he describes her as "someone precious to him", despite not having seen her for 7 years and only having met her three times before that. Their romance therefore lacks a lot of development: we see Ijekiel's attachment toward Athanasia, but it feels far too intense compared to the limited number of interactions they have had.

Jeannette is introduced and we understand that Athanasia feels empathy toward her because she recognizes a similar loneliness in her. We therefore expect Athanasia to try to become closer to her, but immediately after this introduction, the story jumps forward 7 years. The anime never shows what happened to Athanasia's desire to become closer to her during that period. Furthermore, after those 7 years, we are also deprived of their first real interaction: we are immediately taken to a picnic where they already seem to know each other and already have an established relationship.

Their relationship development is therefore never actually shown. Afterwards, their bond remains very underdeveloped: in one episode, Athanasia tries to protect her, protects her, Jeannette thanks her, and that is basically it. Their relationship ultimately feels quite generic despite the importance Jeannette seems to have in the story.

Now, regarding how magic works in this universe: there is very little explanation about it.

The anime never really clarifies who can use magic, how it is learned, or what its limitations are. This is especially noticeable in two areas: Lucas's magic and Athanasia's magic.

Lucas's magic remains a mystery. He is presented as the most powerful mage, yet he constantly seems to be lacking mana. At one point, a contract is mentioned where Athanasia would provide him with mana, but this concept is never properly developed.

However, the biggest issue concerns Athanasia's magic. Her magic is supposed to be sealed, yet she can still use it, and the explanations surrounding how it works remain extremely vague.

Kuro is another example of this problem. His existence and abilities are barely explained: he is presented as dangerous to touch, to the point that his interactions with Athanasia are supposed to be controlled, but in practice this precaution seems to be quickly forgotten. What exactly are his abilities? What is the connection between Kuro, Athanasia's mana, and her magic? He can transform, but how useful is Kuro actually in combat, and what are the limits of his abilities?
Many elements are introduced and then simply left aside without further explanation.

The most surprising example comes in the final episodes with Diana's abilities, Athanasia's mother. A woman who was a dancer from the common people is revealed to possess, even after her death, a power capable of altering space and time. This is a concept that deserved much more explanation and development.

On top of that, there are several moments in the story that create a feeling of inconsistency. For example, Jennette compliments Athanasia and her father's dance at the ball, even though she was supposedly not present at that event. There may be a logical explanation for this, but the anime never takes the time to clarify it, which creates confusion.
Another example is Athanasia considering changing the color of her eyes. Her eyes are known to be a distinctive trait of the imperial family and are extremely rare, to the point that she and Jennette seem to be the only people who possess them. Yet she only thinks about changing them when meeting Ijekiel, but not when she goes into the city while trying to avoid being recognized.

Regarding the presentation, I can understand why this anime is liked by so many people.
The visuals and the music are very beautiful, even though the sudden switch from 2D to 3D animation starting around episode 9 was very distracting in my opinion.

Conclusion:
You can clearly see the potential this story has, and it is probably developed much better in the manhwa. Unfortunately, this adaptation moves so quickly that it sacrifices explanations and character development.
The adaptation is poor, and the anime does not stand well on its own.

This review was originally written in French and translated into English with the help of AI.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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