This manga was just ok. I found myself mostly bored and frustrated at some redundancies. Why explain again in a later chapter what happened in the first chapter? I can see in a subsequent volume, but not the same book.

This manga is the reason why I love manga, feelings do start to develop, but it stars much more as gratitude, Nina is a brave girl that has big shoes she needs to fill in. the drawing is gorgeous, thank you for letting me read it, I am sorry I took so long to deliver a review, life kind of happened and I wasn't able to read and review it before.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the opportunity to read and review! This manga was a cute read, I am still trying to figure out the characters' ages, because Nina looks quite young while Azure looks close to adulthood if not already an adult and I can see a romance brewing which if Azure is an adult then I am personally no longer going to read the rest of the series but for the time being I am enjoying it and should there be an ebook sale on it I will continue with the next book.

When the Astral Princess-Priestess dies three months before her wedding to prince from a neighboring country, Prince Azure desperately concocts a plan to find a replacement. He plucks Nina, a thief, from the streets to serve as her double and promises to teach her court etiquette.

However, if their ruse fails, they risk getting beheaded and a diplomatic disaster.

Nina the Starry Bride, Vol. 1 by Rikachi weaves a captivating fantasy romance filled with danger and court intrigue.

For better or worse, the story itself leans into a lot of familiar fantasy tropes--i.e. rags-to-riches, Prince(ss) and the Pauper, but the gorgeous artwork and compelling characters help it stand out from the crowd.

Nina really is an enjoyable MC so far—she’s kind-hardened and strong-willed, willing to stand up for herself and others, and I like how non-passive she is.

It also looks like there's a budding romance between Prince Azure (who is pretending to be her half-brother) and Nina, so I detect a forbidden romance and a love triangle in the future and I’m curious to see where the rest of the story goes.

The story starts off with the death of Nina's childhood friend, and Nina being sold off to the second prince of the Fortuna kingdom. Azure means to use Nina to replace the dead princess-priestess Alisha, who is engaged to the crown prince of Galgada.

Both Nina, and Azure are loveable characters. Although they might have started off with a horrible first impression, I like how the two of them defend one another throughout the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, the art, and I look forward to Nina's and Azure's development.

I would recommend this manga for fans of:
Snow White with the Red Hair
Sugar Apple Fairytale
Dawn of the Arcana

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read this ARC !

This manga was really cute. I enjoyed the characters and the story very much. If you are looking for a quick read with great pictures and story line, this is a good one.

I really loved this first volume of Nina the Starry Bride! I miss the shojo/josei manga of my youth dearly and this took me back to those days. The story is about Nina, an orphan with rare blue eyes who has to steal to survive. When the engaged princess Alisha dies, who also has the rare blue eyes, Prince Azure plucks Nina from the streets to become Alisha and marry Alisha’s betrothed. The first volume is clearly setting up for a romance between Nina and Azure, and I am here for it. I also loved the crown prince, who is adorable. The only thing that bothered me a little was I was a little confused by the relationships. I am not sure who is related to who and how. But, it was a minor issue. I am definitely going to continue the series.

Nina the Starry Bride Vol. 1 kicks off a promising fantasy romance set in the historical realm of Fortna. The story follows Nina, a street-smart orphan, who becomes entangled in a royal scheme involving the second prince, Azure, and a plan to replace the missing priestess, Alisha, in a high-stakes royal wedding.

The chemistry between Azure and Nina is a highlight, evolving from a turbulent start to a tutor-student dynamic that adds depth to their connection. The tension within the royal family adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, with a particularly practical take on the queen's hostility.

One standout feature is the gorgeous artwork that brings Fortna and its characters to life, with special mention of Azure's captivating expressions. is a delightful and engaging read with a mix of fantasy, romance, and royal intrigue.

This is a strong first volume for a new series. Nina has been taken from the streets, betrayed by the one friend she had, and pushed into pretending to be a recently deceased priestess. Nobody can find out her secret. If they do, everyone she knows is in danger.

Great art. Great first volume. Can't wait to read more.

I really enjoyed this one! Nina is a great character, and Azule is an obvious love interest (but in a good way). I'm very curious to see where this series goes, especially since this was marketed to me as a fantasy.

A fun whimsical start to what feels like a fantasy rom com. With a little more warmth than Yona of the Dawn but a tall dark and handsome that immediately tells me this will be an addictive manga.

This is an interesting fantasy set-up, and the art was well-done. While the female lead was a bit passive, the first volume always has to do a lot of lifting to establish the premise and setting and make you care enough about the characters that you want to see what happens next. From that viewpoint, I'm interested to see more of Nina, Az, and their world.
Note: I was provided a free review copy by the publisher.

It was alright. I’m not sure I want to continue the series, but it wasn’t terrible. I think the idea is good, just not my thing. It’s a personal preference.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the digital copy of "Nina the Starry Bride, Vol. 1" by RIKACHI.

The orphan Nina has had to steal to survive, but everything changes for her when she's kidnapped for her unusual lapis-lazuli eyes and asked by the Prince Azure to take the place of the recently deceased princess-priestess Alisha.

This was a great first manga volume, there were interesting introductions to the major characters, Nina and Azure, and minor characters. There was a little hint of the romance and danger to come, and the volume ends with a reveal that deepens the characterization of Azure. Once I was finished I was interested to find more volumes of the manga to read, which is always a good sign. The art is pretty, and the paneling wasn't difficult to follow. If you're interested in finding a new fantasy shojo to try out I think "Nina the Starry Bride" would be a good one to check out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

The art style is what drew me in and it definitely kept my attention as I was reading. I don't read a lot of plots where the main character is disguised as someone else so it was a bit surprising, but not an unwelcome one! Unfortunately it is a bit hard for me to get into the story due to the current childish nature of the main character and I don't know if the budding romance between her and Azure is enough to keep me invested as there's a power dynamic, but if given a chance to read the second book I would totally give it a shot!

I really enjoyed this story and what I liked most about it is how Nina is written really well form an emotional point of view.
The story follows Nina, an orphan that has to play the role of a dead Princess. She faces lots of trials, especially emotional ones, since she doesn't know who she really is anymore.
I like how the characters are written, because it makes so much sense for them to be the way they are, and so, the relationship dynamics also make sens and the story evolves quite naturally

Cutesy introduction manga. Nina has a lot to learn to become the bride but people believe in her with her starry eyes. She has to go to the next step in the next volume. I do think the story would have been better if it was a graphic novel with color images instead of a manga's black and white.

What a brilliant start to the series!

I went into the manga completely blind and was mainly drawn in by the stunning cover art - I mean the pink and blue combo? *chefs kiss* But once I got a few pages in I found myself zooming through the rest of the volume!

Nina starts off as an orphan girl living on the streets of a made-up city named Fortuna. It is here that she meets fellow orphaned brothers, Saji and Colin, and they spend their days stealing from the unsuspecting city folk in order to survive. As time goes by, the children learn to survive and live a fulfilling life - but things suddenly take a turn for the worse when Nina is dragged off to the palace as a replacement for the dead princess..

I really loved Nina's character as a whole and I'm excited to see her future interactions with Prince Azure, because they're absolutely hilarious 😂 The young king also won my heart, and I just hope they can all stay together in the end~

I'm looking forward to continuing the series from here!


— Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha comics for providing the eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own

Thank you to netgalley, author and publisher for a copy of eARC in exchange for a review.

The art style was cute but this manga wasn’t for me unfortunately.