Spoiler Alert!
*yawn*
Sunlight peeks through your sleepy eyes.
Hmm?
Is this a bedroom?
The last thing you remember from last night was watching the latest episode of Shuya Marionette in the living room.
Hold on…this doesn’t even look like your room!
You rub your eyes and…what?
You feel your face.
Somehow feels…fleshier?
You see a dressing table across the room, rush to it and look in the mirror.
WHAT THE…? Who is this fatso?! What’s going on?!?
Wait…
You’ve seen those creepy eyes and this flabby body before…
This is Slowe Denning, also known as the “Piggy Duke”! He’s from Shuya Marionette!
Is this transportation to another world? Why did you become the hated, arrogant noble? Why didn’t you become Shuya Newkern?!
*knock* *knock*
“Are you awake, Lord Slowe?”, a girl’s familiar voice calls out.
You barely snap out of your confusion.
“Y-yes, c-come in,” you stammer.
The room’s only door swings open and a girl pushing a wheeled table with food and drink on it enters.
You don’t believe it…it’s Charlotte, Slowe’s attendant, in person! Just as you saw in the anime!
“Good morning, Lord Slowe. Will you have breakfast now?”
You nod unsteadily.
…
As you eat, your mind races.
Charlotte was a princess from a fallen kingdom and would have been sold into slavery had Slowe not taken her in as his attendant. He kept the fact that she was royalty a secret from everyone, including his own family. Slowe even fought off numerous assassins sent after Charlotte.
Despite being in love with Charlotte, Slowe felt that his family would never approve of their relationship. He gradually adopted the persona of an arrogant, spoiled bully and pushed her away until she befriended the story protagonist Shuya Newhern. Slowe would later be disowned by his own family.
Will this be your fate as well?
*CRACK*
You snap out of your reverie.
“Sorry, Lord Slowe! I’ll clean this up right away!”
You turn to Charlotte, who is trying to pick up pieces of a broken teapot from the floor.
“That’s alright, Charlotte. Allow me.”
You pick up Slowe’s wand…your wand now, you guess!
Good thing Slowe is a genius at magic!
“T-thank you, milord,” Charlotte says as she bows to you. “But…you’ve never helped me before. Why…”
Alright, you’ve decided! You’ll do what you can to live a happy life with Charlotte! But first…
“Charlotte, I’m going out for a little jog.”
“h-HUH?!”
Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I’m Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! (豚公爵に転生したから、今度は君に好きと言いたい, Buta Kōshaku ni Tensei Shitakara, Kondo wa Kimi ni Suki to iitai) is a web novel, light novel series and manga written by Rhythm Aida (合田 拍子).
The story of the anime Shuya Marionette takes place at the Kirsch Mage Institute, a center of magical learning in the country of Daryth. One student at the Institute is the young Slowe Denning, derisively known as the “Piggy Duke” by the other students. Hated by his fellow students and considered a lost cause by family and teachers alike, Slowe was an arrogant and spoiled bully who enjoyed abusing his status as the heir of House Denning, the Family of Wind and one of Daryth’s most influential families.
One day, the spirit of a modern-day Japanese teenager ends up in Slowe’s body. The new Slowe becomes determined to improve his health and reputation in order to live a happy life with Slowe’s secret crush, his attendant Charlotte. By paying attention during class and helping the less-capable students, Slowe gains the approval of teachers who had once given up all hope for him. Later, he teams up with Charlotte to participate in a Magic Speed-Eating Contest and manages to win first prize despite the efforts of Shuya Newkern, the main hero of Shuya Marionette, and Alicia, princess of Cirquista.
Afterwards, Slowe and Shuya are asked by Headmaster Morozov to investigate rumors about a spy within the institute. Slowe soon manages to find the spy, the infamous mercenary No Face, who was posing as a professor. After a fierce duel of magic, Slowe manages to overcome No Face and hand her over to Daryth’s Royal Knights. Everyone at the institute is impressed and Cardinal Maldini invites Slowe to join the selection for a Guardian Knight, a bodyguard to the Queen of Daryth. Candidates for the selection must first prove themselves by capturing a band of thieves hiding in the city of Yoram.
After several days of investigation, Slowe and the Royal Knights learn that the thieves are hiding at the La Cubilie theater. There, the thieves, posing as actors, attempt to kidnap Alicia in revenge for her kingdom driving them into hiding. One of the selection candidates, the Royal Knight Sepith Pendragon, joins the thieves and kidnaps Alicia himself, intending to deliver her to the Dostol Empire in the north in order to break the alliance between Daryth and Cirquista. Born to a noble father and a commoner mother, Sepith hoped that the upcoming invasion by Dostol would sweep away all class discrimination. He is stopped by Slowe, who knew about Sepith’s possible betrayal from Shuya Marionette. With this, Slowe becomes an official candidate for Guardian Knight.
While things are looking up for the Piggy Duke, war and heartbreak await on the horizon for all…
Main Characters
Slowe Denning, the third son of House Denning, a student at the Kirsch Mage Institute and a former citizen of modern-day Japan. Capable, clever, kind and strong-willed, he gradually befriends several people and improves his reputation with compassion and heroic deeds. Slowe also diets and exercises regularly with Charlotte’s help. He is the most powerful and skilled student at the Mage Institute, able to use not only his family’s wind magic but also other elemental magic such as fire, water and light. Despite losing weight, Slowe still has the unfortunate habit of saying “Oink!” (“Buhi!” in Japanese) every now and then.
Charlotte Lily Huzak, Slowe’s attendant and the former princess of the now-fallen Huzak Kingdom. Clumsy, honest and trusting, she hides her inner trauma with a carefree attitude. Encouraged by her young master’s sudden desire to change his selfish ways, Charlotte loyally serves Slowe’s needs in any way she can, including enforcing his diet! Despite being notoriously bad at cooking, she is determined to improve her skills to better serve Slowe. Once a week, she sends a report about her young master’s progress to his parents, who are skeptical about their son’s new attitude. As a former princess, Charlotte has the ability to use magic but lacks skill in doing so. Slowe is now training her to better control her magic.
Alicia Bra Deer Cirquista, second princess of the Cirquista Kingdom, a student at the Kirsch Mage Institute and Slowe’s former fiancée. Graceful, proud and strong-willed, she is particularly hard on Slowe despite his deeds and his desire to change for the better. Alicia finds herself gradually attracted to her ex-fiancé but tries to distance herself for fear of being disappointed again. A popular student at the Institute, she is skilled in the use of water magic.
Tina, a student at the Kirsch Mage Institute and the daughter of the family that owns the luxury inn, Gordoni. Curious, exuberant and hard-working, she is one of the few students of non-noble birth at the Institute. Fascinated by magic, Tina is jealous of nobles who can use magic easily. After some advice and encouragement from Slowe, she can now use earth magic to create golems.
Shuya Newkern, son of Baron Newkern and a student at the Kirsch Mage Institute. Charming, earnest and hot-tempered, he was the main hero of the Shuya Marionette anime from Slowe’s previous life. He is skilled with fire magic and at predicting the future, but his role as the hero is now taken by Slowe.
Personal Thoughts
In today’s world, it’s easy to forget that we would miss much if we judge anyone by their appearance alone. With everyone trying to get the attention of others for many purposes (e.g. business, fame, love) or using distractions to hide the truth, it’s easy for us to become superficial in judgement and not look past the surface. We should remember that one’s actions speak louder than any words they can utter.
On the verge of being cast out as a disgrace and armed with knowledge about his world’s story, Slowe diligently improved his self-image and paid attention to the feelings of others. Those around him were skeptical at first, but his diligence and deeds gradually won them over. By helping and being mindful of others, Slowe made friends, gained the trust of his teachers and even earned the favor of his country’s royalty.
Another interesting story aspect is the romantic tension between Slowe and the girls around him. The attendant Charlotte stays with her master out of gratitude for saving her life years ago, helping him through his most trying times. Tina, who once struggled to perform even a single magic spell, found her first supporter in Slowe, who taught her that bloodline alone doesn’t make a mage. Because Slowe was there for her when she seriously considered giving up, Tina considers the Piggy Duke a true friend despite the warnings of her schoolmates. Princess Alicia personally witnessed Slowe’s deterioration into the infamous Piggy Duke and often assumes the worst of him. In the course of watching Slowe’s heroic deeds and change of heart, Alicia slowly becomes attracted to him but denies it out of fear of being disappointed.
All these girls liked Slowe because he was there for them at their low points in life. Despite his reputation and appearance, his kindness to these women won him their favor. Again, actions spoke louder than words.
Moral
Judge a person by their actions, not their appearance or words.
Isekai Eye 