‘Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion’ Season 1 Review- Romantic And Thrilling
This anime aired in 2023.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion is a romantic isekai anime based on a South Korean manhwa from D&C Media. The show was developed by the Japanese animation studio Typhoon Graphics, with all twelve episodes of season one being directed by Junichi Yamamoto.
Seoul woman Park Eun-ha (Lindsay Seidel) is enjoying a quiet night of reading when she is pushed off the roof of a building by an attacker. Everything fades to black, but she awakens. To her surprise, she is now the character Raeliana in her favorite novel. However, she is the character who dies. Determined to change her fate this time, she uses knowledge of the book to strike a deal with the mysterious Duke Noah Volstaire Wynknight (Ian Sinclair) so that she may live. Can she test fate in this new life?
What can I say? It is a fantasy that a lot of women have thought about. What would you do in your favorite novel? The anime asks this, but adds the more mysterious question, “And what if your character is predetermined to die?” It gives some good twists that you do not see coming.
The duke is handsome and kind and has just the right amount of playful mystery. Though he is destined to fall in love with another woman within the novel, spending time with Raeliana changes his fate. Speaking of that heroine, she was compelling, but she could be annoying. I don’t know if it was her voice actor at times or her bad attitude. Sometimes, I had to remind myself that she was trying to survive.
Those times, however, made the show a lot of fun. She dodged assassins, angry rivals, nosy servants, and a whole host of other unpleasant events so she could make it through. It was fun, thrilling, and dare I say romantic? We also get the satisfaction of seeing the “mean girls” get put in their place.
Truth be told, it was her interactions with some of the side characters that were more fun. That and watching her stumble when something from the novel changed.
One thing is clear: it is good to see more stories from South Korea get the spotlight, even if it is done in Japan. I hope we hear more from this world because it is a blast.
Check out the trailer below:
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Some violence, Inappropriate moments, Minor foul language
This review is based on the Crunchyroll dub.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, anime, movie, or novel you would like me to review.