When the Prince Isn’t the Point

Spoilers Ahead!

On a surface level, the anime The Ogre’s Bride is similar to the tale of Cinderella. Yuzu has been abused by her family for years, with her younger sister Karin being the chosen child. Yuzu’s parents dote on Karin because she is a demon bride. In this society, demons and humans coexist. Since demons are the upper echelon of society, many girls seek to become a demon’s bride (soulmate). A demon can sense when their bride appears and promises them deep devotion. 

The one time that Yuzu tries to stand up for herself against Karin, she is attacked by Karin’s demon boyfriend, who leaves her with severe burns, as her family watches and does nothing to stop him. Broken and feeling alone, Yuzu wanders the city, wondering what she should do in her situation. So it makes sense that Yuzu is totally caught off guard by her first encounter with Reiya. He is not only the heir to the highest demon clan in society, but he is very excited to run into Yuzu. He declares her his bride and vows to love and protect her. However, Yuzu only has the following thought in response to Reiya’s excitement: “Is there someone who can actually love me?”

This is the point where the stories of Cinderella and Yuzu diverge. In The Ogre’s Bride, Yuzu’s happy ending isn’t automatic after meeting her soulmate. She meets Reiya during one of the lowest points in her life, and her heart is broken. While Reiya is nice and everything, he is constantly love bombing her through their first interactions. You can understand Yuzu’s hesitancy about Reiya loving her, especially since her family, who are supposed to love her, made her feel like dirt. 

What the story does next won me over. While Reiya does rescue Yuzu from her abusive family and provide her with a safe place to live, he does realize that Yuzu has to make up her own mind about him. He still offers her his love and affection, but gradually stops doing the grand gestures. He tries to follow Yuzu’s pace when it comes to their relationship. 

It is an intriguing move because it changes the story’s focus from romance to a self-discovery journey for Yuzu. Yuzu’s family constantly put her down. However, since she is not under their influence anymore, she has to find out not only what she wants in her life, but also the people she wants around her. It leads her to realize that she not only likes herself, but also wants to strive for things out of her comfort zone, including the capacity to love others. Watching Yuzu rise above her family’s abuse and handle it with grace and dignity was remarkable.

Plus, I love the irony. Yuzu’s parents decided that she was worthless and couldn’t bring them any prosperity and wealth like Karin and her demon boyfriend could offer. However, Yuzu ends up being the bride of the highest demon in society, with more wealth and power than her parents could imagine. It was quite satisfying seeing them trying to crawl back into Yuzu’s good graces, and Yuzu refusing to lift a finger to help them. 

Overall, I quite enjoyed the anime. While I found the love story aspect of the series okay, I thought the more enlightening aspect of the show was how it illustrated the hardship of overcoming abuse and loving yourself again. I also love how it made a point of cutting people from your life who harm you. It is important to set boundaries for yourself to protect your peace. If you are looking for a story that is character-driven, especially one about learning to love and be loved, The Ogre’s Bride is a great watch.