The story as it starts is ....rather different from the story as it ends. As it starts, I consider this story one of the best otome isekai / RoFans in the medium. For one, the story easily has one of the best portrayal of quiet competence and confidence in Astina / Martina, the MC. Compared to many OIs with a similar premise of having a reincarnated queen / authority figure, The Lady and The Beast felt like it has the least need to prove itself. From the start of the narrative, you get a clear sense that Astina is 1) old and 2) competent as heck. Don'tget me wrong, moments of aurafarming are aplenty. So is the MC glazing. But they almost feel believable, like "oh yeah if I'm a reincarnated war hero and queen, I will probably also do that too".

And Theriod, the ML. Oh dear. That's some first class yearning right there. I deeply appreciate that the narrative, at least initially, attempts to set the dynamics between Astina and Theriod as Competent Younger Man X Even More Competent Older Woman. That dynamic creates an interesting texture for Theriod initially... although by the time Season 2 starts, he mostly leaves all the competence part to Astina.

The initial interaction between Astina and wolf!Theriod for the first few chapters are also plenty fun. And the budding relationship between them starts off complex, but steadily paced.

If there's a criticism on this initial setup, it would be that the narrative often ignores the childhood pasts. This happens to both Astina, Martina, and Theriod himself. Astina's childhood in a loving family, Martina's childhood as a disenfranchised minority, and Theriod's past as a cursed child of an ancient bloodline...all of it are often sidelined to focus on the present. Given how significant all of these are to both Astina and Theriod's motivation, it's a bit of a miss. Particularly because the narrative has taken great pains to set up an interesting framework for all of them. Like I really enjoy that Astina's parent and sister are not greedy assholes like most OIs. I can't help but wish they are more present in Astina's life.

And then I also enjoy the greater world of this story.

The political intrigue starts off as territory managing, but soon grows into court politics. It's a lot, but it's also well-paced and well-written enough to stand on its own.

The tension is balanced. The writing is mature and thoughtful, and I appreciate the few noticeable efforts of discussing gender politics into the equation. The plotting and scheming are also pretty developed. The only idiots are people who are meant to be idiots.

Side characters in general are also pretty grounded and fleshed out here, even the comic reliefs. Many of them are not only bouncing off well with Astina, but they also got their own moments to shine, with my particular favorite being Jessie, a commoner woman who gets the chance to be a knight.

The art is solid. It sort of decays starting from season 2, but only in certain moments and it's not that noticeable. Other times, the story portrays both sweetness and action pretty damn well.

But all of this basically applies strictly to the first 117 episodes. Afterwards...There's a reason why I put this as Mixed Feelings while still rating it highly.

Hoo boy that's one hell of a third act breakup.

While I do think that the political side of the story remains consistent and even improving in how they manage to wrangle almost every single cast in one good conflict, I can't in good conscience say the same for the romance.

Given all the exquisite buildup the narrative has established about Martina's history, I did expect some good angst out of it. And they did deliver, at first. The mutually assured destruction that unfolds is delectable.

Fake relationship tropes before you end up together? Delightful. Fake relationship tropes AFTER you broke up? Exquisite.

But then both Astina and Theriod got HIT with the angst ball, HARD, and the worst of all is that it keeps repeating with little to no attempt to self-reflect.

It's weird. For a story as thoughtful as this, to simply let Astina and Theriod stew in their angst without even attempting to process their pain and trauma....

It's upsetting. Unpleasant, even. For a story that has been really steady and consistent and thorough in its storytelling, the last season really comes off as a surprise in how one-dimensional the angst ends up being.

And for that amount of angst, that amount of mess, the resolution they end up portraying feels...inadequate. Lackluster, given how much importance the story puts for Astina and Theriod's romance. And it shouldn't have been this way.

The end result of the narrative is still good, still competent, but the romance.... I am left thoroughly unsatisfied. AND IT'S UPSETTING GAAAH. I'm only half- relieved when I see that there's actually an epilogue. And from what I gathered it DOES address some of my complaints. But DAMN if it's not too little too late.

This story could have been perfect. But they missed the landing, pure and simple.