YMMV / The Ride-On King

• Overshadowed by Controversy: Purchinov being a parody of Vladimir Putin always was, for better and for worse, one of the most recognizable trait of the manga, often being colloquially named "Putin Isekai" by people not familiar with it. This surface-level similarity however brought a lot of ire on the series after Russia's universally criticized invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the manga then being accused of retroactively being of poor taste and promoting the controversial Russian leader, some bookstores straight up removing the series from their shelves. All of this despite the fact that Purchinov was a fervent Martial Pacifist from the start (in stark contrast with his real life counterpart), and that his homeland has more in common with a post-USSR country like Ukraine than a Glorious Mother Russia. Shortly after the war began, he even made a suspiciously relevant speech about how the concept of invading neighbouring countries was distasteful.
  Purchinov: When I established my small nation, I swore to myself to never become a tyrant using his armed forces for his own interest, to not seek authority to dominate, and to not kill to conquer. Every human being seeks happiness, and the ones in power should not be able to prevent them or impose their own vision of it. By expanding our territory and pillaging others' resources, we would only expend grief. A country that respects these basic rights and has the trust of his people will surpass any empire.
  • Back when it was released, there were discussions of Pursia being suspiciously similar to Poland in its imagery and Chechnya in its backstory.

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