#The Royal Lady With the Lamp

[tired-reader-writer]

Why Greylise Is My OTP: An Essay

To preface this, I would like to state that this in no way implies any other ship is wrong or invalid, we all ship what we ship! I merely hope to convey why I prefer Graham* as a love interest for Elise over Linden.

Some of my quips will get on the more negative side, since I do mislike Linden and take issue with the story's writing at several points. However, this is only my opinion and absolutely not intended to put down those who enjoy this manhwa. Hey, I keep rereading it too! Even if it makes me want blood pressure medication sometimes.

Some rare few of you might have vague memory of a post similar to this having made before, by another blog, but surprise surprise t'was I all along! It was my side-blog @a-perfect-summer-storm which I had deleted due to personal reasons. I thought I ought to remake the post since I'm still surprisingly fond of this ship even after all this time, but this time better! I'm even making this on the website instead of the app so that I can fit like, 20+ screencaps in it. The app only allows 10 images per post.

*You may have realized that I kinda spelled Graham's name two ways, that's because I thought Greyham made for a prettier ship name while as a standalone name it looked a little funny. I'll probably only use Graham to refer to him as an individual while still having the ship name be Greylise.

So then! Without further ado, here thus begins my meta!

Part I: Reflections of Each Other

Their storylines and backgrounds are placed in a parallel position from the get-go— Elise as Song Jihyun/Jihyeon's debut introduces herself as a genius young lecturer, and Graham's introduction does the same. This would make for a good way to make the readers start connecting the dots between them.

And the similarities don't end here.

They're both orphans. While we're not told how Song Jihyun turned out an orphan (given up as an infant? lost parents in a traumatic manner?)— actually we hardly know anything about her aside from the fact that she's super smart and is a workaholic which is a writing flaw imo her past life only functions as an excuse to have her be super mega capable but I digress— it is clear that she's consumed by grief and guilt.

The panels I've featured here of little Jihyun were attached to a scene where Elise was musing about how she didn't even have parents to treasure even if she'd wanted to, so that's why she's being good to her family now because she's learnt the true value of familial bonds. Imagine you'd just been burnt to death only to wake up as an orphan in a strange, unfamiliar world where you have no one in your corner and must restart from the ground-up, wouldn't at least part of you think this life full of hardships must be some sort of punishment for your sins?

We know that she specifically became a doctor to atone for her sins— and we can infer that she's buried herself into it out of guilt and didn't allow herself to be happy as her internal monologue during the plane crash says:

“No! I can't die like this! My life is still miserable! Just when I'd decided to live happily!”

This was mere moments before her death. Let that sink in.

Imagine being a young child who'd just lost his entire family to a plague. Remember how the housekeeper told Elise that Graham was the eldest son. Eldest. Meaning he had younger siblings. Imagine the feeling of powerlessness. Imagine the feeling of being useless, imagine the guilt.

While I am a youngest child, I can say with full confidence from watching my eldest sister that... eldest siblings do have a sense of responsibility and protectiveness towards their younger siblings, even if, yes, due to bad parenting friction and animosity can fester between siblings. We're not given any indication of that, though, so I'll assume that Graham's relationship with his younger siblings must've been largely positive.

With Graham specifically, I would theorize that he suffers from survivor's guilt.

What's survivor's guilt, you may ask. Well, worry not! I've got the info for ya:

“Survivor's guilt is the response to an event that some people experience when they survive a traumatic event or situation that others did not.”

×

“Survivor guilt or survivor's guilt (but also survivor syndrome, survivor's syndrome, survivor disorder and survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumatic or tragic event when others did not.”

It's not stated or shown directly that he suffers from this, but judging from how he, a young boy of less than ten, made it his entire life mission to become a doctor who can cure everything, yeahhh I wouldn't say it's that big of a stretch.

I wish the story would've expanded upon that, given him a proper arc/spotlight instead of having Linden hog all the screentime but I guess that can't be helped when the author favors the male lead so much...

Notice how they both suffered immense loss: for Elise it was her family, her world, her comfort, her everything— and for Graham it was his family and yeah, losing his entire family in a traumatic manner would be the equivalent of his world coming crashing down. Notice how they both (at least by my extrapolation because canon doesn't care enough about Graham to dig into it—) strove to become doctors out of guilt.

Yet another tidbit of similarity between the two. Not much to comment here, only that they both went through immense hardship.

Part II: The Answer To Each Other's Prayer

Remember the deadly plague that killed the entire Fallon family? It rears its ugly head in the narrative once more, and Graham must face the thing that traumatized him to such a degree.

Or, he would, if the story actually gave a shit about him. As it is, he barely even exists in the periphery of this plotline, even as it's something that's so twined to his backstory and character. I will never not be mad about it.

So here on out it'll be extrapolation with what little knowledge of psychology and writing ability I have, some theories, aka My City Now.

Imagine you're facing your demons. The catalyst that sent you down this path, the path you've dedicated your entire being to. More and more patients show up with similar symptoms to the ones your family suffered all those years ago. It's getting harder to deny.

What do you feel in response to that?

You couldn't save your family twenty years ago. Can you save your patients' lives this time?

Or will you fail again?

Remember my theory that he has survivor's guilt. Remember my theory that he became a doctor because of said survivor's guilt.

What is the cost of failure for him here, psychologically?

In an ideal world, his perspective would've been given proper focus, have him play a more active role by Elise's side, but as we've established canon doesn't give a flying fuck about him soooo. Ugh.

In canon Elise essentially one-man armied her way through this plot point and solved everything by herself, but imagine if Graham had been allowed to be by her side. Had been allowed to be something almost like an equal. Imagine if they were shown collaborating. Yes, they did work together, but it wasn't shown and he was shunted into the background.

Imagine them working together, and the plague is stopped.

The plague that had killed his entire family, stopped in only a mere few days.

Imagine if they were allowed to have a character arc. Imagine if their relationship were allowed to actually develop. Imagine if it'd been given the narrative significance it could've, should've had.

Actually, the cholera arc would've been a perfect opportunity for this thread to be resolved. To backtrack a bit to back before Elise took the medical licensing exam, she saved a Duchess's life with a difficult operation, and her identity as not Rose but Elise de Clorance was subsequently revealed to Graham, who is shocked by this development, and ends up emotionally distancing himself from Elise. The cholera arc, where theoretically Elise would've been able to help him confront the source of his trauma and help him defeat it, could've been the perfect point for reconciliation. Elise could've even confided in him about her situation— her giving up her ticket to freedom for her brother's sake, her not being in love with Linden and how the Emperor has been trying to corner her into being betrothed to the prince, stuff like that. C'mon, let her be frustrated! Let her be angry! Also I really despise the king. As someone who was manipulated and coerced into attending medical school, I take severe issue with characters who do what my mother did to me. I guess I would've taken it better if the narrative called it out for what it was: manipulation, but it only ever frames the king as a jolly old good man who just really likes Elise. Ugh.

In an ideal version she wouldn't be in love with Linden but y'know, she isn't exactly in love w Linden at this point in the story (Ron doesn't count) so I'll take what I can get.

I won't get into it in this post but I have Thoughts about how there's two Fake Identity threads that ran... pretty much simultaneously, and how one could've had potential while the other (in my opinion) was completely and utterly pointless... I'll probably make another post just for it.

Despite everything, Elise heads off to war, and what awaits her afterwards is a caged life where she would surely wither. But that's in the future, and right now she's dealing with corruption, low budget, low supplies, not enough staff, and who shows up for her?

Man, imagine how resonant this moment could've been if they'd been allowed to reconcile and grow closer in the arc immediately preceding it. Imagine.

I am so mad about the wasted potential.

Just as she had saved him (in the theoretical version of the story where he's actually relevant) psychologically in the cholera arc, he will be the one to save her physically (and maybe also psychologically as well, by telling Linden who in an ideal version wouldn't be in love with her, about her struggles and pleads with the prince to help her— y'know, break out of the situation she'd been cornered into by his father).

Imagine the narrative symmetry we could've had.

Part III: The Path Forward

I actually had to skip forward to get the screencaps I wanted, my reread had only gotten to the point where he shows up for her, but I digress. I always thought it made no sense that he would've followed her back away from the frontlines where they would've needed a capable doctor to lead the hospital in her stead but oh well.

In the theoretical version where the story gave a shit about him... Elise would've been able to break off her engagement w Linden because he petitioned with his father to do so at Graham's behest, both doctors get rewarded (Elise was given a peerage separate from her family's iirc, and this would be a good chance for Graham to be able to bring honor to his family name like he wanted as well), they both become lecturers at the Royal Cross Hospital, they both get to move forwards, having broken free of the chains that bound them down, hand-in-hand.

I hope I managed to convey why I like this ship more than Linden/Elise— it's the potential they hold, and I'm very irritated that the story never gave enough of a shit about Graham to follow up on that potential. Graham was nerfed to make way for Linden and I stand on this hill.

Anyways, I now have an AU for this story (I actually have had it for a while but just never posted about it) and I have a name for it now! Kinda! Current placeholder title is From the Valley of Red Flowers. The hypotheticals and theories and stuff I mentioned in this post will be canon to the AU!

Was this too much effort for a ship nobody really cares about? Maybe! I know not many have read Doctor Elise, and fewer still use tumblr. This isn't one of the more popular ones like Who Made Me A Princess, even though Doctor Elise somehow got an anime adaptation.

[animemakeblog]

“Gekai Elise” The First Promo

The first trailer information for the television anime Gekai Elise (Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp) was released via the official website. On January 10 at 9:30 p.m., AT-X will premiere the animation, with Tokyo MX, BS NTV, and Kansai TV to follow.

[screenshothaven]

Doctor Elise (2024)

[aqukana]

the influx of shoujosei manga getting anime adaptions bring tears to my eyes oh i used to pray for times like this

[ydotome]

Elise de Clorance "Aoi Takamoto" (エリーゼ・ド・クロレンス) - Gekai Elise - Episode 1

[feymure]

Shoujosei (Shoujo and Josei) Anime & Donghua to look forward to in 2024

With the return of Kimi no Todoke after 12 years, I welcome all to the Shoujo renaissance! Let’s roll on the hype train! (MyAnimeList links are in titles)

Winter Anime Season (January - March)

Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji Airs January 6th

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsu suru Airs January 7th

Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade suru Tame ni Ganbattemasu Airs January 1st

Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san Airs January 8th

Yubisaki to Renren Airs January 6th

Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon: Watashi no Shiawase na Katachi Airs March 15th

Gekai Elise Airs January 10th

Akuyaku Reijou Level 99: Watashi wa Ura-Boss desu ga Maou dewa Arimasen Airs January 9th

Wonderful Precure Airs February 4th

Ensemble Stars!! Tsuioku Selection Checkmate Airs March 10th

Spring Anime Season (April - June)

Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai Airs April 4th

Vampire Dormitory Airs April 7th

Touken Ranbu Kyoden Moyuru Honnouji Airs April 2nd

Rabbits Kingdom the Movie Airs June 14th

Summer Anime Season (July-September)

Senpai wa Otokonoko Airs in July

Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai: Kyou kara Jiyuu na Shokunin Life Airs in July

Kimi ni Todoke 3rd Season Airs in August

Fall Anime Season (October - December)

Hoshifuru Oukoku no Nina Airs in October

Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo: Akuyaku Reijou ni Naru hodo Ouji no Dekiai wa Kasoku suru you desu! Airs in October

Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi Airs in October

Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi Airs in October

Acro Trip Airs in October

Haigakura Airs in October

2024 Date TBA

Mahoutsukai Precure! 2

Yarinaoshi Reijou wa Ryuutei Heika wo Kouryakuchuu

Mófă gongzhu de xiao fánnăo

Yeosin Gangnim

Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie - Walpurgisnacht: Rising

[sailor-brunette]

I don't give a damn what anyone says! The shoujo/otome/villainess isekai genre is great and I'm so glad it's getting so much attention! And I really hope they give Raeliana and Doctor Elise full adaptations since both those series are completed. Cuz if they don't,there's really no point. Also,looking forward to more of the ones we’re getting and hope we get more.

[lilium-dragomir]

[mangadore]

[prplocks]

✧❁ wallpaper 〴 linden x elise ˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

reblog if you save ➳

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

[tired-reader-writer]

Remaking an old post from my now very dead very deleted side-blog because I still stand by the opinion:

I really, really prefer the way Elise was drawn in the very early chapters over... whatever she became later.

For comparison, this is the current Elise and that's pretty much how she'll be drawn for the rest of the series:

It's... cute, I guess, but I really prefer earlier!Elise:

Doesn't she in these pictures have more of a noble elegance and a somber air? Wouldn't you call this a classic beauty? Wouldn't you say her eyes (especially in the 2nd screencap) hold a sadness that's way beyond her years? Prince Mikhail says she always looks sad and acts older than she should, why shouldn't the art actually show what he's telling? (By that point she's already settling into the cutesy doe-eyed design so we're fully into the tell-don't-show territory.)

I'd bet earlier!Elise would've looked fucking fly in this uniform, and imagine how much better the speech could've come across if her features weren't so cute? If they were steely, if they were sharp?

[animemakeblog]

“Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp” The Manhwa For Gets TV Anime

Kadokawa unveiled a teaser image on the official website for the television anime version of Yuin and mini's Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp manhwa (pictured).

[nijigasakilove]

Ishikawa Yui as a healer in a fantasy world.. Saint’s magic season 3?

Holy shit man, this is a really original set up. As soon as I saw the opening scene with them in an airplane and saw the fantasy tag I knew a plane crash was about to happen and assumed that would be how the main lead gets to the fantasy world. That in of itself would’ve been a change from the usual since it’s normally truck kun sending people to another world, but given it’s Korean I was just ready to praise it for being different.

But then we get thrown another curveball when we find out that the fantasy world is actually her original world.. so it’s a reverse reincarnation. Very interesting. Manwha adaptations are becoming the norm and that’s so good for this medium to get new takes like this

OP bangs, early 2000s vibes for sure

Loved the direction in this episode. Really good job of playing with viewer’s expectations and showing the MC’s life as both Elise and the doctor in our world. It wasn’t until the very end of the episode that I finally understood what world we’d be working in for the majority of this series.

The aftermath of that plane crash was brutal and seeing Aoi try and atone for her past life by saving the survivor was bittersweet.. we don’t really see characters mess up in one life and then get an opportunity to learn new things in another world and then go back to the original one. I’m really interested in seeing how this plays out.

Elise is so cute too!

Guess you can call this the first counter isekai I’ve seen?

[celiaelise]

So I am watching "Doctor Elise", (yes, mostly bc she has my name :p) an anime with a convoluted reincarnation/time travel premise which results in the main character as an 18th(???) century noblewoman in psuedo-Europe, with all the knowledge of a well-renowned 21st century Japanese surgeon. When she gets back to her "original" life, (Elise, from "Britia") she is determined to right all the wrongs she committed by being a spoiled rich teenager the first time around, AND to help as many people as possible by becoming a doctor in this lifetime, too.

This is an issue because the emperor, who appears to be a close family friend, REALLY wants her to marry his son instead of pursuing medicine. Also, she has to scramble for explanations for why she has medical knowledge and understanding that should be impossible for her.

And this is one of those times where you can really feel that this Western-adjacent setting is being written by people from another culture. (This also happened when I was watching "Emma: a Victorian Romance", and someone reassured a small child, "don't worry, the Grim Reaper isn't coming to get you; he isn't real! 😊" Like, death? Death isn't real and isn't coming for this child? He's an immortal child?? Anyway...) Because, to me, a westerner, there is such an obvious and correct answer!!!

Say it was God. These guys are absolutely neck-deep in Christianity, say it was God. Say God spoke to you directly, told you it is His will for you to heal people, and is feeding you answers to unsolvable medical riddles.

Sure, many people may not believe you at first, but since your knowledge and actions are backed up by Actual Science, eventually the results will speak for themselves. They cannot argue with you when you are genuinely saving lives in unprecedented ways AND the Church is on your side. (Which it would have to be, eventually, and given that she's already a noblewoman, they probably wouldn't even mind that much.)

This is also a very good way to explain your sudden personality change. Oh, I used to be vapid, belligerent, and somewhat evil, but now I'm considerate, caring, and intelligent? Simple, when God spoke to me, he showed me the error of my ways, and I've decided to listen to Him and change my behavior.

This could even get you out of a marriage, if you can get them to let you join a covent! But this anime is partly a romance, so that wouldn't really make sense for the story. 🙄

Anyway, it's a decent show, though I'm not a huge fan of the art style. But every episode I can't stop wishing she would use heavenly visions as a cover for her weirdness 🤷🏻‍♀️ (I actually don't think they've mentioned the Church at all, so maybe their universe doesn't even have Christianity?)

[lindoesntwin]

DOCTOR ELISE: THE ROYAL LADY WITH THE LAMP

A medical professor died in a plane accident and was reincarnated as her younger self in her first life where she decided to use her medical skills to help people and make up for the mistakes that she made in her first life whilst also trying to prevent the horrible endings of those around her.

Other titles: Doctor Elise; Surgeon Elise; Queen with a scalpel