The Too Perfect Saint Vol. 1 story by Fuyutsuki Koki, art by Mago Ayakita, and character design by Masami

 

Philia has trained to become the best Saint possible since she was a young child and at the still young age of nineteen, she has achieved that goal. She is not just the greatest Saint of her time, she may just be the greatest Saint of all time. Unfortunately, her family and her fiancé do not see it that way. They believe Philia should strive to be much more like her sister Mia, a Saint in her own right she is beautiful and personable, everything Philia is not. Both girls look up to and respect each other recognizing that they complement each other. Unbeknownst to them though the prince and Philia's fiancé and the girls' parents have hatched a plot. One that will tear the sisters apart and put the country in danger. 

If you're a woman you've gone through what both Mia and Philia have. To be honest, you've probably been in situations that are reminiscent of both girls' experiences depending on who you are dealing with. The expectation to "Sit still and look pretty" from some while others expect you to work hard and achieve the almost impossible while finding ways to belittle and disregard your hard work. While this is an absolutely adorable story, the underlying discussion on how women are treated definitely cannot be overlooked nor understated. Unfortunately, the fact that their parents and those around them pit the girls against each other is most definitely something female siblings encounter as well. My sister and I most definitely experienced this at various times throughout our lives, with it being worse the couple of times we actually worked together. It's absolutely hell and makes it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship, which is why it's truly wonderful to see Mia and Philia's relationship stay intact, at least in this volume. 

Alright moving on to the non-serious stuff!

This could have been written in a completely different direction and I still have some fear that we'll have a Fushigi Yuugi situation at some point in the series, however, so far it seems like the main focus is to really focus on the positive, especially in Philia's situation. It's heartwarming for her to see how she has truly been not just underappreciated, but unable to become her own person. It's absolutely wonderful that the characters around her in her new country recognize this as well and they don't push her to give them answers she simply doesn't have. I am definitely looking forward to seeing Philia grow throughout this series and I hope that she and Mia are able to not just maintain their relationship but grow it as they grow as individuals!

I am most definitely kicking myself for not grabbing vol 2 at the same time!