[Seong Chan-eol’s Comics] Read 「The Princess "Torture" Time」 at Midnight While Dieting, and You’ll Be the One Tortured

The title sounds brutal, but a few pages in, you may start to wonder whether you’re the one being tortured. It is a manga by the duo Haruhara Robinson and Hirakei: 「The Princess "Torture" Time」. Serialized since 2019 and concluded last August, the manga follows the many rounds of "torture" a human princess endures after being captured by the demon army. The title sounds like something you'd never want to touch, but once you see what their "torture" actually is, you won't stop laughing.

The premise is simple: In a world where humans and demons are at war, the kingdom's princess is taken prisoner by the Demon King's army. The Demon King orders that the princess be tortured to extract useful information. Following that order, the army’s torturer, Tocher, starts a special method that never fails: being forced to watch mukbangs—showing delicious food and devouring it right in front of her.

Yes. The "torture" the title points to is none other than being forced to watch mukbangs. It isn't physical compulsion to eat, nor is it about making her eat — it is about making her want to eat and thereby get information, so it's not food torture in the usual sense. It’s such an oddball form of torture that it almost defies a name, but in every episode the princess gives in. At the same time, the comic forces even its readers to surrender. The detailed depictions of cooking are rendered so appetizingly that they make your mouth water. Because it’s Japanese manga, many of the dishes are foods commonly seen in Japan that stimulate the appetite, but as the series went on it introduced Western cuisine, desserts, and a wider variety of foods.

Just as the "torture" differs from the normal usage of the word, the work is filled with a brand of comedy that couldn't be further from the title's implication. For one, the lead princess is already a figure who could make the Demon King's army tremble, yet she gives in to the "torture" in the very first chapter despite her steely resolve. Alongside the princess is the famed sword Ex, which telepathically comments on the princess's behavior, providing perfect boke and tsukkomi—boke being the fool and tsukkomi the straight man in Japanese comedy. The Demon King's army, including Tocher, also turns out to be very different from their appearance. Ice‑cold Tocher sometimes accepts the princess's absurd statements at face value, while the oni warriors Inki and Youki stage "tortures" like letting her watch a day at a theme park, as if they were serious interrogation methods. Of course, the princess's wavering under these "tortures" is the core of the comic effect. At the same time, those episodes build up an emotional exchange between the princess and members of the Demon King's army that, freed from their roles as human and demon combatants, can be unexpectedly touching.

Of course, with the same pattern of torture and capitulation established throughout the series, it can get a bit repetitive. When that happens, 「The Princess "Torture" Time」 takes an unexpected turn: it shows the daily life of the Demon King’s army. Surprisingly, that slice‑of‑life includes the Demon King himself, God Thunder. Always wearing a fearsome smile, God Thunder is a doting father: he attends his daughter Maomao's sports day, and because his hobby is "watching anime," he lights up when he finds another otaku and happily chats about their shared interests. As the princess's torture‑driven interactions with the army and God Thunder's everyday episodes interweave, 「The Princess "Torture" Time」 manages to keep readers laughing for a long time despite its one‑note setup.

Having kept readers laughing for seven years, 「The Princess "Torture" Time」 was adapted into an anime successfully in 2024. Season 2 premiered in January 2026, and the season 2 opening song was performed by the girl group ILLIT, which drew modest attention in South Korea as well. The manga concluded with Volume 19 officially published on August 13, bringing the series to a close. If, during the recent Chuseok holiday or this Hangul Day holiday, you found yourself thinking, "Why do I like eating so much?" you'll likely relate to this manga and laugh along.