'Sword Princess Amaltea' is a Swedish manga-inspired comic by Tokyopop and International Women of Manga (appropriately enough), and it is a typical medieval-style fantasy...except the gender roles are switched. It's about a matriarchy. Here the women hold the power, the positions of authority, the privilege, the physical strength, and overall embody the traditional "masculine" traits (which unfortunately include the entitlement issues and sexual harassment and assault inclinations), and are generally seen as superior in society. The men are the inferior, weaker, lesser, more invisible, docile, "feminine" gender, and are treated as property to be owned by women. They are even drawn with conventionally feminine features, and readers unfamiliar with the manga's purpose could easily mistake a male character or two for being female by their looks alone.
Seventeen-year -old Princess Amaltea has to go on a quest to slay a dragon and rescue and marry a prince. She doesn't want to do any of that, but she is forced to by her mother, because it is her duty as a princess. So even in a matriarchal world, Amaltea and other girls are still trapped by strict, boxed roles enforced on them by society ("A woman has got to do what a woman has got to do" is a common motto here, and it really can apply to any unfair, gender biased non-civilisation). Amaltea is living in her older sister Dorotea's shadow as well, adding an inferiority complex to her brash, stubborn, arrogant, self-absorbed and spoilt character.The young princess and knight goes on the quest only to prove to everyone how strong and capable she is; that this is something she can handle on her own (plus her long-suffering horse Palifax, whose inner thoughts are very funny). The prince is an afterthought that she can discard to his mother's queendom as soon as she rescues him. As you can expect, things do not go exactly as she planned, and life out in the world is more cunning and complicated than she anticipated. Prince Ossian, her "inferior", isn't about to make things easy for her, either.
Numerous outside forces are out to get Amaltea, who is as naïve and foolish as she is conceited, on her so-called simple quest...
It is her coming-of-age journey. Where she also learns not to be so sexist against men.
'Sword Princess Amaltea' may appear to be a fantasy comedy manga, but it is serious in its gender bending rules and the implications that come with them. The story features many instances of female bandits sexually harassing and assaulting men. There is also an implied gang rape backstory for a male character. So be warned. Princes are brought up to be only useful at screaming for help, and to be damsels in distress waiting to be rescued by princesses. Male bartenders have to get by through seduction, treachery and other "feminine" wiles.
The point of these types of stories is to show how stupid and nonsensical gender roles are, and how gender is just a construct, a concept, nothing more. No one deserves to be dominated or seen as superior or inferior based on these harmful and outdated notions of humanity. Sexism helps no one in society.
'Sword Princess Amaltea' depicts marriage as akin to a slave auction and a prison sentence for both men and women; no fairy tale happily ever afters here, it is aware of the origins and history of that aspect of patriarchal rule.
Although one slipup on the gender role reversal I've spotted is a female bandit nastily remarking that another female bandit's viciousness is due to her "bleeding time". A PMS joke is something I did not expect from this (wouldn't menstruating be revered instead of mocked in this context?), even if it came from villainous characters, and I hate it.
And is Amaltea supposed to be depicted as "masculine", when she wears a checkered red and white bow on her head - her head of curls - and is drawn with pretty shoujo eyes? Is it a deliberate mixture of masculine and feminine norms, to demonstrate that these concepts are meaningless?
Props for including POC rep via Ossian, however, in what would otherwise have been a typical, unimaginative white fantasy adventure. I wish 'Sword Princess Amaltea' had overt LBGTQ content, though.
Extra worldbuilding detail: magic, despite being a big part of this world's origins and the reason for its existing as a matriarchy, is never actually used in the story. I'm guessing that it will be explored in the sequels.
It's an interesting European fantasy "manga", overall. It is aglow with strong female presences. Yes, there is a political and ethical point to it all. Get over it.
Besides, how often do I get to see queens with so much power and authority in their queendom, to a point that kings barely exist? How often do I get to see female bandits who are just as morally bankrupt, and as much potential rapists, as male criminals are depicted as and are encouraged to be? And how often do I get to see a pretty, slender, submissive and seductive bartender, who just happens to be a man?
These creative choices are included for a reason. Don't dismiss 'Sword Princess Amaltea' so easily.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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