📖 eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon final publication.
What’s high school without a personal meeting with the Emperor of Japan, a grumpy bodyguard with it-should-be-illegal good looks, and a major media scandal plastered across all the tabloids? Oh, was that not everyone’s experience? Well, it was for Izumi Tanaka – just your average ordinary everyday superhero teenage girl turned Imperial Princess (and yes, that was a horribly outdated Smash Mouth reference). If you don’t already have Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean on your immediate TBR, then here’s a little public service announcement for you: PLEASE READ THIS ABSOLUTELY FANTABULOUS BOOK RIGHT NOW!
My Review of Tokyo Ever After
The Pros
💭 The Premise!
This book is basically What a Girl Wants (the 2003 Amanda Bynes movie) meets The Princess Diaries, but make it Japanese. And my early-2000s-Rom-Com-loving preteen self was LIVING for that.
👧🏻 A Relatable Protagonist!
Although this story was not written for me – at its core, Tokyo Ever After is about Izumi’s struggle to reconcile her American and Japanese identities – I did relate on a very personal level to the feeling of being an outsider. As a foreigner in Japan myself, I’ve often felt just like Izumi. Like I’ll never fully understand the customs, the culture, the rules. That, in the words of Izumi herself, “I’ll never be good enough for Japan. I’ll never belong there.” Seeing how she came to realize that nobody gets to tell her if she’s Japanese enough or too American was both comforting and empowering. And I’m sure it will be doubly so to any Japanese-American teenagers who might read it.
Plus, Izumi’s New Year’s resolution was to eat more things with sprinkles on them. If that doesn’t automatically make you adore her, then I don’t know what will.
📖 RELATED POST: 9 Japanese American Young Adult and Middle Grade Authors Who Deserve All Your Love and Support
✍️ The Writing Style!
I didn’t end up loving Emiko Jean’s Empress of All Seasons as much as I wanted to, but that definitely wasn’t the case with Tokyo Ever After, and the main reason behind that was the drastic change in writing style. Switching from the fantasy to contemporary genres really augmented the author’s unique voice and allowed for her personality to sparkle and shine in a way it didn’t before. The writing made me laugh, then it made me laugh harder, and then it finally made me cry (from laughter). Some prime examples of Jean’s quirky, fun, and endearingly sarcastic writing include:
- “Never trust a cat, they’ll eat your face if you die. (I have no proof of this. Only a strong gut feeling.)”
- “The prime minister’s new wife is the definition of a unicorn bathed in other unicorns and glitter.”
- “I’d rather give a gorilla an enema.”
📖 RELATED POST: Why I didn’t love Empress of All Seasons as much as I wanted to
🇯🇵 The Setting!
Just like the best part of a cream-filled donut is the cream, the best part of Tokyo Ever After is Tokyo. I loved all the little details that made the story feel so undeniably, so unequivocally, so wholeheartedly like the Japan I know! For example, when Izumi’s dad visits her house for the first time, he brings her Tokyo Banana as an omiyage gift! (This has actually happened to me before.)
And when Izumi visits a maternity ward, she describes it like this: “For each mom, there is a tiny, pinkish creature in what looks like a clear Tupperware bin on a rolling rack.” As somebody who has given birth in Japan (twice), I can confirm the existence of said baby Tupperware.
Also, the moral conflict of giri vs ninjo (or duty vs. human emotion) is a very common theme in classic Japanese literature, and harkens back to famous bunraku plays such as The Love Suicides at Sonezaki. Seeing Akio and Izumi struggle with the same age-old conflict showed a a deep understanding of Japanese culture that goes beyond just sushi and sumo.
But most of all, I loved how Akio and Izumi wrote sickeningly-sweet waka poems to each other. In The Tale of Genji, which is arguably one of the most important literary works to come out of Japan, the exchange of beautifully written waka poems was the primary way in which love was fostered and a woman’s heart won. Waka poetry was the ultimate love language of the Heian Period, and it warmed my geeky, Japanese-history-loving heart that such a subtle nod to tradition was included in Tokyo Ever After.
📖 RELATED POST: My Top Ten YA Books Set in Japan
The Woes
💛 The Romance!
I truly think that a Dementor must’ve come and sucked out my soul when I wasn’t looking because my complaint with 90% of the books I read is that the romance just wasn’t cutting it for me. And Tokyo Ever After is no exception to this rule (all the beautiful waka poetry aside).
📖 RELATED POST: Read about another book that once again proves my heart is dead
Right from the start, Akio and Izumi’s relationship is supercharged with enough spite and stink-eyes to give that old Grumpy Cat meme a run for its money. Then suddenly…it wasn’t. In the space of two relatively short chapters, we go from willing-dark-forces-to-descend-upon-one-another levels of animosity to stealing slow dances and sharing secret looks full of longing. And although I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope as much as a good waffle, the transition here felt uncomfortably bumpy and awkwardly executed. Kind of like my high school Driver’s Ed exam.
The TL;DR
I’ve been a fan of Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean since I saw the book’s gorgeous cover. But now that I’ve actually read it, I’m a whole dang air conditioner.
TODAY'S WAFFLE RECIPE
Tokyo Ever After
From the Kitchen of: Emiko Jean Cooking Directions:
The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After, the irresistible story of an ordinary Japanese-American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan!
Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after?
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This book sounds awesome 🤩 and sign me up anything Japanese because I love the culture and the country so much so I am desperate to read this one 🤩
YASSSSSSSS IT WAS SO GOOD! I’m glad to know that you’re excited about it too! And I’m totally the same way – I love Japanese culture (that’s why I live in Japan haha), so any book set there is pretty much an auto-read for me.
That’s awesome 🤩 visiting Japan and attending the Cherry blossom festival there is on my bucket list also buying a ton of anime figurines since ANIME 😻
The cherry blossoms are beautiful; it’s my favorite time of year when they bloom! I hope that one day you’ll get the chance to see them in person!🌸
Thank you 😊
i love your review so much!! this book has been on my TBR ever since i first read the blurb and i can’t wait to read it. omg also reading your post reminds me how much i miss tokyo banana HAHAHA, and japan in general
AWWWW YES TOKYO BANANA!!!!! I love that stuff; too bad it would be weird to buy some just for myself, because it is SO good haha. But seriously, it’s good to see that somebody knows what’s up haha. And that you for such a wonderful comment – I’m so happy to know that you liked this review! I hope that you’re able to read this book when it comes out and that you love it as much as I did 💛💛
I have this book high on my TBR but reading your review makes me even more excited! I love to read how you relate to the story and your explanations with how the setting mirrors the Japan you know :)
TASYA!!!! I’m so glad to hear that my review made you even more excited to read this book! It was really just such a validating and fun read for me, and I hope that you love it as much as I did when you finally have a chance to read it 💛
this book looks so beautiful and i am thoroughly convinced, kat! i’m so pleased to hear that you managed to resonate with izumi, characters like that are the most incredible indeed! i second you on the writing style, simply based on the hilarious three quotes you included, thank you for that! i’m so sorry that the romance didn’t cut it, but other than that thank you for your review!! i have fixed my mistake. 💕
Cherelleeeeeee thank you so much for this amazing comment 💛 I agree characters that you can related to are truly special – it makes the reading experience even more amazing. Do you have any characters or books that you felt really resonated with you like this?
Oh, and I’m so glad to hear that this review has made you excited to read the book! My work here is done, haha 😄
This is the first book review of yours which I’m seeing after I started following you and.. wow. I LOVE your format and the cooking quirks added to the review. Also this book does sound like The Princess Diaries. I’m intrigued!
Hey, Sumedha! Thanks so much for this lovely comment and for stopping by! It makes me SO happy to hear that you loved my review and the way I formatted it 😄 That means so much!! And yes, I haven’t read The Princess Diaries, but just based off the Anne Hathaway movie, I would say that Tokyo Ever After’s plot is very similar. So if you liked that movie or book and want something like it, I would definitely recommend this book!
OMG Kat how is this the first time I’ve sseen your blog? This is gorgeous wow I’m in love.
Oh my gosh, Erin! Thank you! 😭😭😭 This comment made my day! I seriously can’t stop smiling! Thank you so much for stopping by – it means so so much 💛
ahhh tokyo ever after has gone STRAIGHT to my tbr!! i’m so excited for it’s release because it sounds like the perfect book!! i’m sorry the romance didn’t cut it for you, but i’m so happy that you enjoyed the rest of it ahh!! i haven’t visited japan, but me and my family were planning to – and then covid happened 😭 also the writing style sounds hands-down hilarious based on the quotes you’ve included!! i love it!! i loved reading your review, kat!! ❤️
AWWW YES, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I’m so glad that this book sounds amazing to you because I truly, truly adore it. I hope that you and your family are able to visit Japan sometime in the future because it is such an awesome place with a rich culture and amazing food (seriously the foos is just to die for)! I honestly just love living here. Thank you so much for your kind words and for your lovely comment, Ahaana!
This sounds like such an interesting book! I hadn’t really seen it around much, so the title really spoke to me. After all, this wasn’t even on my radar until I read this review, much less my TBR!
But I think there’s something wonderful about books that center balancing multiple identities and figuring out how you fit into the world. The fact that this book is set in Japan is also fantastic! I’ll admit that my reading tends to be set mostly in the US, with a sprinkle of the UK every once in a while, so I love how this has such a different setting. Plus, it sounds like Japanese culture was handled really well and reflected a lot of history and traditions!
This was such a fantastic review! I’m so glad you found a book that you can relate to and that you love so dearly!
Hey, Malka! I’m so glad to hear that this review helped you get more excited about this book! Mission Accomplished, haha. But I totally agree – I don’t read nearly enough books set in foreign countries, so this was really a breath of fresh air for me (plus it’s set in Japan, so BONUS POINT haha). But thank you so much for this lovely comment and i hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did if you get around to reading it 😄
This looks like a fun book and gets me excited about my next trip to Japan! I live all the tears at the different towns but I don’t think I tried the bananas. Something for the bucket list!
This book has defintiely been on my radar, but your review had me dying to get my hands on the novel.
The Tokyo setting is already a selling point, even if it makes me even more desperate to hop on a plane to Japan.
It’s a shame that the romance wasn’t as well executed, but I love the fact the book explores theme in classic Japanese literature and how the use of poetry is woven as a nod to Japanese traditions.
This book sounds like my cup of tea.
I’m so glad to hear that this review made you even more excited to read Tokyo Ever After! The book definitely has a special place in my heart and I loved sharing my feelings about It. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get around to it! Thanks for such a lovely comment, Lois 💛
[…] @ Novels and Waffles reviewed Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, which is one of my anticipated release this […]
Ahh, this book sounds so good! This book was already on my radar of upcoming releases, but seeing such a positive early review has me even more excited for it! :D
IT IS SOOOOO GOOD, BEX! But seriously, I am really glad to hear that my review made you more excited for the book (because that was obviously what I was going for haha)! Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I would love to hear your thoughts on this if you ever get around to reading it when it comes out.
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