Cesare is a great example of the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" I have come across in manga. The word "underrated" is thrown around so often that it loses its meaning at times, but various aspects considered, I can definitely say that Cesare is a truly underrated manga. Hidden behind that seemingly bland cover page is one of the most detailed artworks in manga I've ever seen that brings 15th century Italy to life. But it's not just good artwork without any substance either, as it conveys a highly intricate storyline.

This manga is well researched and quasi-fictional in nature which tells a story about the struggle for power among various houses and factions of Italy in the 15th century with the struggle for popedom being the ultimate one. The story primarily takes place in the city of Pisa, with Milan, Florence and Rome being secondary focuses. This manga is heavy on dialogue as is expected from a storyline so complex. It takes it's time to give a thorough understanding of the political situation of Italy during the early chapters, so one doesn't have to be well versed in history to be able to enjoy the manga. But on the other hand, if one isn't fond of history, then completing this manga will prove to be a task. There are historical references dotting the entire manga and multiple chapters solely dedicated to explaining history. Action is not the primary focus of the manga and it's almost completely void of it, with the exception of a brief arc which focuses on the military aspects.

The two main characters of the story are Cesare de Borgia, a Spaniard from the aristocratic family of Borgia, and Angelo de Canossa, a plebian. The bright-minded students from across Europe get enrolled in the La Sapienza University of Pisa, which is where the focus of the story lies early on. Angelo's character in a way represents the readers themselves, as he's naive and ignorant of worldly affairs in the beginning, as are most of the readers, and through him, we get to know more about the political situation of Italy during the time. In addition to these two and the supporting characters, we also get to see a lot of historical figures of the Italian Renaissance. 

The artwork is absolutely beautiful. The characters have a slight shoujo-ish look to them and look really good. The detailing of the background as well as the Italian architecture is absolutely magnificent right from the beginning of the manga. 

However, there are a few gripes I have with the manga. First of all, certain parts of the manga felt really slow paced even for a historical manga fan like me, so I can see some fans not being able to be comfortable with it. Secondly, the representation of the French in the manga, as these stupid warmongers, is kind of one-sided. So if you're a French, it's most likely that you're not gonna enjoy it very much. Thirdly, although the ending was a good stopping point and really well executed, we know from history about how dramatic the situation in Italy became after the events in the manga, so I really wish the manga had continued the storyline.

TLDR; Cesare is a really good read for historical manga fans out there who want to see a purely political side of the power struggle during the Renaissance period rather than the usual military one.