Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Episodes 1-3

Erika Shinohara's boyfriend is perfect. He's doting, he's sweet and he's still raunchy enough in the bedroom to make churchgoers blush. At least, that's what Erika tells her two new friends, Aki and Marin, girls who can't stop talking about their amazing boyfriends. What they don't know is that Erika totally made this guy up just to have something to talk about with someone—anyone, but these girls happened to sit closest—in her class.

When Aki and Marin start wondering why they can't even see a picture of Erika's boyfriend, the jig is up. Or is it? Erika sees a hot guy on the street and decides to take his picture, only to discover the model for her boyfriend is actually the "prince" of her high school, Kyoya Sata. To Erika's surprise, Kyoya agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend so she can save face, owning the sweet and even lewd persona she gave to her creation. In exchange, though, when no one's looking, he wants her to be his "pet dog."

Wolf Girl & Black Prince feels familiar, and that says something about the shōjo genre as a whole. When the tropes that seem to define a genre include the "jerk boyfriend" you'd shudder to think of any teen girl dating in real life, it's not exactly a flattering picture. However, it's not exclusive to Japanese teen entertainment by any means. Young adult literature in the West and the films and TV shows based on those books are often thrust into the spotlight when they gain traction among teens and even adults who love the genre. Some of these stories feature borderline abusive (or outright emotionally abusive and controlling) relationships. Saner heads usually prevail and condemn these relationships as poor examples for the teens enjoying them. Those arguments are valid, and so is all the praise for the shōjo and YA stories that can entertain while showcasing healthy, normal relationships.

That said, there's something about the jerk boyfriend trope that resonates with the type of person who enjoys it, because it sure appears a lot in fiction, and has for literally hundreds of years. (Consider Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, for example.) It's not just the "oh, girls really want a bad boy deep down" argument, either. Most women are quite aware that they're not going to be the one who changes a bad boy, and frankly, he's not worth the effort anyway. (Brooding, self-aggrandizing people do not make good friends.) However, the crux of compelling stories is drama. Ideal relationships are sweet but not often ideal entertainment. Fiction is a safe place for exploring an unhealthy dynamic between two characters.

Where stories like Wolf Girl & Black Prince need to make the extra effort is in making that unhealthy dynamic more than just a gimmick that never evolves. As a YA writer, reader, and long-time shōjo fan, I've seen and read more than my share of "jerk boyfriend" stories. The best ones are those where the girl is equally interesting. Too many stories of this trope revolve around a "Plain Jane" Mary Sue with no standout qualities who has no business attracting all the attention she gets. Girls who don't cause every boy to fall to their knees and who have something a little "off" about them make for much more compelling storytelling. Readers and viewers can't just insert themselves into the persona—the hallmark of Mary Sue—because the character is three-dimensional or in some way as awful as the "jerk boyfriend" who pursues her.

Wolf Girl & Black Prince does offer that, at least so far. Erika is pretty shallow and cares more about what her two classmates think about her than she should. However, that's a real problem for many high schoolers, and it's only with the wisdom that comes later in life that we can see the trouble coming. Erika's two "friends" couldn't care less about her, but she either doesn't see that, or is determined to compete with them nonetheless. Plus, the show gets bonus points for Erika's actual friend, Ayumi Sanda (San), who is genuinely concerned about Erika getting in over her head with her lies. While the series may not pass the Bechdel test—Erika and San do usually talk about boys, or her lack of a boyfriend—it's at least a step up as far as fictional female friendships go. Sometimes stories of this ilk will paint every single background female characters as shallow, like Aki, Marin, and the "school prince's" fanclub, to make the main girl the only "worthy" girl around, but this show doesn't fall into that trap.

There's room for Erika to grow, and that's compelling. Even Kyoya has started showing his less controlling side by episode 3. (Although if there's a "tragic" backstory involved that somehow tries to excuse his behavior, I'll be let down.) Perhaps the two of them will come to some understanding between themselves. The series has the potential for backing off the abusive relationship angle and shifting into a consensual S&M relationship, which would be interesting to see. Shows with the "jerk boyfriend" don't often acknowledge and revel in the boyfriend's jerkiness like this one does.

Wolf Girl & Black Prince is just humorous and self-aware enough to intrigue fans of this genre, even if it's not unique. If you're disgusted with emotionally abusive relationships between teens in media, though, I'd recommend you stay away. The crux of the show is that unhealthy dynamic, and it's walking such a thin line between consensual and not consensual, there's no guarantee it'll evolve into something more.

Rating: B+

Wolf Girl & Black Prince is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for nearly two decades.