“Mylene has it all: She’s the daughter of nobility, she boasts incredible aptitude with magic and the blade, and she possesses striking vermilion-tinged locks that signify she’s been chosen by God. Yet this elegant warrior hides a shocking secret—inside her lurks the soul of the strongest mercenary in history, Savage Fang. In his past life, Savage Fang cut down countless foes of superior ability for his employers with nothing but cunning and strength. Now reborn as Mylene, this former sellsword will use her past experience and newfound powers to shape the world as she sees fit.” (Yen Press)
“Miss Savage Fang” offers a fun, albeit familiar take on the Isekai genre, giving the protagonist a chance to rewrite history while also dealing with the awkwardness of a body swap. The book accomplishes this by balancing action and humor well, specifically telling the story through a foul-mouthed petite royal who carries enough strength to back up her boisterous persona. From interactions with her parents to making a splash at school by effortlessly dropping off an upperclassman, the light novel provides the type of fast-paced and silly entertainment many seek in the isekai genre.
The release also touts a great supporting cast, including a shy to-be-king fawning over Mylene with all the awkwardness of pre-pubescent love and a more strong-willed and already battle-hardened future tyrant showing admiration in her own stilted way. Given the framing of Mylene knowing the violent and tragic outcomes of each (it is a time-travel isekai), her insight into who they were as kids provides interesting insight into the world Kakkaku Akashi built. It makes an engaging framework for pushing the story forward.
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The accompanying art from Kayahara makes the physical release preferable, especially for those who are in it for the fanservice, as the accompanying illustrations are more on the lewd side. While there is, unfortunately, no pullout poster in this release, the opening color pages are utterly stylish and give a great visual representation of the characters. The afterword from Kakkaku Akashi may also be one of the most awkwardly charming thanks. This is not necessarily a reason to grab the release, but it is always a welcome addition to see an author’s personality shine through in the afterword, in a way that compliments what came before it.
“Miss Savage Fang” is consistently entertaining, but the delivery has one notable flaw. The translation work seems to have suffered under the unique speech of its protagonist, heavy on both accent and slang. While the tone is mostly humorous and playful in an agreeable way, certain inclusions of phrases like “yuck my yum” and “f***boy” feel out of place both in translation and in crafting Mylene’s persona. A hardened war mercenary using these terms in an internal monologue is awkward. It is not consistent in indulging in these odd Americanized phrases, but every instance takes you right out of the illusion.
Translation issues aside, “Miss Savage Fang” is still a perfectly bingeable title thanks to its quick-paced nature and strong cast of characters. The striking contradiction of, as author Kakkaku Akashi mentions, “garish manliness” in a physically ‘cute’ protagonist works exceptionally well at pushing the series’ comedy and action forward. Still, those unsure may want to wait for the manga adaptation, due from Yen Press, to see how the dialogue is handled and whether that version proves to be the definitive way to experience the world of “Miss Savage Fang.”
