‘The Servant Prince’ is very manga-coded, and rightfully so, since it is based on a manga by Tatsumoto Mio. What does that even mean? That lots of it feel exaggerated or convenient, like the climactic episode, where everything falls into place for the lead like someone specially wrote a script to suit him. Such neat endings can only happen in fictional worlds and that’s absolutely fine.
Directed by Shindo Takehiro (School Trip: Joined A Group I’m Not Close To; Cosmetic Playlover; Punks Triangle), the eight-episode series stars Ogawa Fuminori as Goto Naoya, a lonely, unemployed young man living aimlessly after failing at his high-pressure job as a top executive at his father’s firm. On the other hand, Sato Takaaki (Seto Toshiki), his loyal lackey from high school, is a successful CEO of a cybersecurity company but still does Naoya’s bidding. Except now they are more ‘master-lackey with benefits’. When Naoya spots Takaaki with a pretty woman outside, he decides it’s time to end their warped relationship. But letting go turns out to be difficult for both of them. What next?
In some ways, the first episode of ‘The Servant Prince’ works almost like a standalone short film, quickly establishing the story’s primary themes: loneliness, co-dependency, difficult parents and the struggle to be honest about one’s feelings. However, it’s also the kind of opening that might not win viewers over immediately. Some might assume Takaaki suffers from Stockholm syndrome and that this is just another show where the timid nerd falls for his bully. Ogawa Fuminori also fumbles some of the more emotional scenes in the first episode, so it takes a little while to warm up to his portrayal of Naoya.
‘Wakatta’, the Japanese word for ‘I got it’, will probably be drilled into international viewers’ minds after watching ‘The Servant Prince’, since it’s Takaaki’s go-to response to almost everything Naoya tells him. What takes viewers only a few minutes to understand takes Naoya almost a decade to grasp: Takaaki is essentially a masochistic CEO who is madly in love with him. When Naoya pushes him away and asks him to be happy, thinking he is finally setting his lackey free, Takaaki takes charge of the relationship for once, admitting that granting Naoya’s wishes is the only thing that makes him happy.
All of this is pretty much resolved in the first episode itself, so the rest of ‘The Servant Prince’ follows the two trying to navigate a more serious, functional relationship for the first time, even though they never exactly sit down and declare themselves boyfriends. They do, however, try to move beyond the ‘master-lackey’ dynamic that has defined them for years. Ironically, it’s Takaaki who finds that shift more challenging, since a more independent Naoya means having someone who doesn’t need him quite as much.
Seto Toshiki, whom I last saw playing the vulnerable, heartbroken Nishina Masumi in the Japanese series ‘The End of the World With You’, portrays the emotionally aloof Takaaki with relative ease. Takaaki appears almost robotic on the surface, usually dressed in sharp suits and quietly following the listless Naoya around. As the story progresses, though, it becomes clear that his submissive ‘servant’ act is reserved almost exclusively for Naoya. Outside their little comfort bubble, he’s an ambitious, occasionally vindictive CEO who is also excessively obsessive about the man he loves.
Another major subplot follows Naoya finally trying to get back on his feet, starting with a part-time job waiting tables. Unfortunately, his villainous father Goto Taketoshi (Yamanaka So) keeps sabotaging his attempts at independence, eventually forcing Takaaki to intervene. Shimizu Kairi has a minor supporting role as Naoya’s brother Yuma, who is being crushed by their father’s autocratic, tyrannical management style. Yuma’s fleeting scenes help establish just how stifling life under their father is. The dad deliberately set Naoya up to fail at work, just to keep him firmly under his thumb. What he didn’t expect was for his son to simply walk away and choose a broke but independent life instead.
In a rare but welcome case of a character genuinely breaking away from the yoke of family expectations, Naoya refuses to return home. ‘The Servant Prince’ thankfully doesn’t manufacture a sudden, too-good-to-be-true family reconciliation either. Instead, it makes the surprisingly refreshing point that sometimes it’s perfectly okay to cut off relationships that simply don’t give you space to breathe.
There are also multiple ways to interpret the show’s title. You could see Naoya as the prince and Takaaki as his servant, or Takaaki himself as the paradoxical ‘Servant Prince’: despite being the influential CEO of a rising company, he serves Naoya almost like a slave. Then again, the title could apply to Naoya too. He is technically the heir to a wealthy business empire, but refuses to bow to his father’s whims, living the life of a broke, unemployed wastrel. The chemistry between the leads isn’t crackling, in-fact, they don’t even make much sense at first, but eventually, they make a cute onscreen couple.
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The cinematography is simple and warm, but what subtly stands out is how the spaces the characters inhabit change throughout ‘The Servant Prince’. While their relationship remains stuck in its murky ‘master-servant’ phase, we mostly see them together inside Naoya’s small, messy and cramped studio apartment. The space reflects not only his chaotic existential crisis, but also their equally messy and unhealthy relationship. Once they become more serious about building a life together, Naoya finally begins visiting Takaaki’s larger, more organized flat, visually expanding the little world they share. One of the sweetest scenes has Naoya preparing a home-cooked meal for Takaaki, with the two simply sitting down and enjoying it together.
I’ve seen some viewers online compare ‘The Servant Prince’ to ‘My Beautiful Man’, and frankly, the comparison never really occurred to me. Sure, there are similarities, but the two stories are worlds apart. The first season of ‘My Beautiful Man’ is primarily a high-school story about awkward nerd Hira obsessing over his gorgeous, popular classmate Kiyoi, and they first share a master-lackey dynamic. Unlike Hira, though, who practically combusts and malfunctions around Kiyoi, Naoya knows exactly what he’s doing and can be sneakily manipulative. Besides, Naoya’s difficult family relationships and past trauma play a major role in ‘The Servant Prince’, while ‘My Beautiful Man’ largely keeps parents out of the picture.
‘The Servant Prince’ starts with a deliberately uncomfortable premise, with high-school flashbacks showing Naoya being an absolute jerk to Takaaki. But it turns out Takaaki secretly enjoys being pushed around, at least when it means staying close to the guy he loves. It takes them years to recognize just how twisted and co-dependent their relationship has become, but they eventually begin the difficult process of turning it into something resembling a healthier romantic partnership. Of course, Naoya still can’t resist making the occasional demand, and Takaaki still loves doing his bidding. Wakatta?
Watch ‘Servant Prince’ on TVer or GagaOOLala.
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