The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Review – The Danmei Rom-Com We All Needed

I have read a lot of Danmei since discovering its existence after watching the live-action series The Untamed released on Netflix. While I love every single one of them, sometimes the angst can be a bit too much. That’s when The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish swooped in like a breath of fresh air.

Details

• Story and Art: Xue Shan Fei Hu
• Translation: Mimi and Yuka
• Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
• Cost: $19.99
• Where to Buy: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
• Review Copy Provided: No
• Age: +16 to Adult
• Spicy Level: 1

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Synopsis

This book is a romance comedy about a man who is transported to the world of a webnovel and has to win the affection of a tyrant – but he must do it as a fish. Below is the synopsis from the publisher.

“When Li Yu falls asleep reading a webnovel about a ruthless, mute tyrant falling in love with a dainty male concubine, he doesn’t expect to wake up inside the world of the novel—especially not as a fish!

Li Yu soon finds himself adopted as Prince Jing’s pet carp, tasked by a less-than-helpful Magic System with preventing the prince from becoming a cruel tyrant. If he can accomplish this mission, Li Yu will regain his human form. Yet how can he succeed from inside a fish bowl?!” – Seven Seas Entertainment

What I Liked About The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish

The entire book was just a joy to read, making it hard to put down. It certainly is a rom-com with very little drama and lots of hijinks from the main character Li Yu. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish is one of the lighter Danmei to read and isn’t saturated in heavy political intrigue and a giant cast of characters to try and keep track of.

One of my favorite things about the book is the male lead, Prince Jing, who is a giant green flag. He may be called a tyrant, but couldn’t be farther from it. He’s just a grumpy misunderstood guy who wants to be left alone and pet his fish.

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish doesn’t lean on drama caused by a coming-out story, which is refreshing in a timeframe where these types of narratives are the mainstay of queer lit. There are no great denials of being gay and no gay panicking, just a guy trying to live his best life as a fish while admiring his handsome human master.

Toxic male love interests and main characters in queer denial are huge tropes in the Boy’s Love genre of any media. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish said “No thank you” and then gave a hilarious and charming story about two people learning how to communicate despite the odds.

What I Didn’t Like About The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish. There were times when I wanted more balance between comedy and series plot points. The biggest struggle I found was that there are no stakes, everything seemed to go the main character’s way no matter how ridiculous. This book is a comfort read, but at times I was a bit too comfortable.

Overall, I adored this book and am looking forward to the next volume in the series. This will be a go-to read in between my more angst-filled favorite Danmei.

Final Score 9.5/10

About the Author

Jordan Althoff

Contributor

Jordan Althoff is a contributing writer for Bonus Action and an RPG, cozy game, and Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast. If there is a story to be told, they are happily playing that game. In-between games, they do all things nerdy or cause chaos making their next cosplay.

View All Posts