The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom.

During the holidays, M-Chan and I spent a few evenings watching The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom on Netflix together. I have to admit that, at first, the title did not exactly inspire confidence. It is a bit long, a bit dramatic, and it sounds like many other anime titles I probably would not remember if I came across them by chance.

And yet, we really liked it.

The story follows Philia, a young woman raised to become a perfect Saint. From a very young age, she works relentlessly, obeys the rules, does everything expected of her, and dedicates her life to others. But instead of being recognized for her efforts, she ends up rejected by her fiancé and sent to another kingdom as if she were nothing more than merchandise.

From the first episodes, you can really feel a sense of injustice. Philia has done everything right. She has followed the expectations imposed on her by those around her, and yet it never seems to be enough. Her perfectionism, which should be a quality, becomes almost a flaw in the eyes of those around her.

That is probably what touched me most in this story. Beneath the fantasy setting and magical elements, there are very human themes: the need for recognition, the pressure to always do well, and the difficulty of finding your place when others have already decided who you should be.

As the episodes go on, the story takes a warmer direction. When she arrives in her new kingdom, Philia gradually discovers a different environment, people who treat her with more respect, and who finally see her worth. It is not just a romance or a magic story; it is also a story of rebuilding oneself.

What I especially appreciated was that the heroine is not presented as someone perfect despite the title. On the contrary, we discover a young woman who has spent so much time meeting everyone else’s expectations that she has to learn how to exist for herself.

M-Chan also really enjoyed it. We often found ourselves commenting on the characters, getting annoyed with some of them, and cheering Philia on when she finally began to gain confidence. Those are often my favorite moments when we watch a series together: the conversations that happen between episodes, the theories about what will happen next, and the reactions to the characters’ choices.

Of course, the story is still a romantic fantasy anime, and some elements follow fairly classic genre conventions. But that does not stop it from being enjoyable to watch. The episodes go by easily, and you quickly want to know what will happen to Philia next.

In the end, this series was a lovely holiday discovery. Not necessarily the one I expected, but certainly one of the ones I enjoyed sharing most with M-Chan.

As often happens, I realize that what I remember are not only the series or films themselves. It is also the time spent together in front of the screen, the comments thrown out between scenes, and the conversations that continue long after the credits roll.

And for that, this series did its job perfectly.