I haven't read a ton Manga but am trying to explore my horizons and I quite enjoyed this! It was a lovely story, the art was gorgeous, and I learnt a fair bit about Ayakashi. Nanao has strong dark spiritual energy but when she makes a small mistake her clan turns on her and she loses her fiancé. Years later, her awful cousin married her ex fiancé and is super abusive towards Nanao. One day a hot stranger comes across her bathing and a spark is lit for both of them. I'm very curious how the story will continue to unfold

Typical, heroine is treated like trash by her family and former fiancee who ends up with the cousin/sister/female relative who pretended to be nice, but was scheming the entire time for what the MC h had, because #meangirlsneedfianceestoo, with the MC H the only one who sees the MC h's true worth and saves her from her oppressive and abusive family via marriage. Slowly, his gentle way with her makes her realize that she has worth for who she is and she falls in love with him. Happily ever after, but not before the horrible family does everything it can to use her/hurt/try to take what is NOW her's (husband, new home, wealth, etc.).

The End.

It wasn't bad, but it was formulaic. The artwork and HOW it was written saved this one for me. I'm just a sucker for the downtrodden and oppressed heart of gold MC h I guess.

Side note: One day I want to see the downtrodden and oppressed MC h, when she is freed from her abusive family/pick your oppressor here, end up actually being a huge B-word on heels. True story, happened to someone I knew. Very sad.

Back to the review, I am interested in reading the next volume to see if it stays on the right side of the tropes or if it falls prey to them.

3, better than the average stories of the same trope, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review.

I really enjoyed the concept so far. The slow, tentative connection between the main characters feels familiar in some way, but what sets it apart is the unique supernatural world. It reminded me of the Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits series, so it's only fair that I felt drawn to this as well. It felt lacking in the romance part because it's moving way too fast to my liking, but I would still root for them. I just wished their relationship could be fleshed out a little more. I'm curious to see how it all unfolds. Ultimately, I look forward to seeing the progression between Nanao and Yako!

A Familiar Yet Surprisingly Charming Read

This story offers an engaging, trope-filled beginning that delivers exactly what fans of the genre might expect—along with a few additional clichés that, unexpectedly, worked in its favor. Though brief, it’s a surprisingly entertaining read that even managed to elicit a few genuine emotional reactions from me.

Synopsis (Nancy Edition <3)

Set in a fantasy world where demons are the sworn enemies of humanity (well, more like the humans see them as filth), the story follows Nanao, a bright and innocent young woman engaged to the future head of her clan. Her life is turned upside down when she is "tainted" by a demon, leaving a scar on her forehead. From that moment, she is cast aside—her once-affectionate fiancé grows cold and marries her cousin, and Nanao is treated as less than a servant, forced to wear a monkey mask in public as a symbol of shame.

Nanao: “No matter how much I scream, my voice won't reach anyone.”

It’s a painful moment that genuinely tugs at the heartstrings.

Fortunately, this is where the classic “rescuer” trope comes in. Our male lead—the titular Ayakashi Hunter—enters the story and challenges the cruelty Nanao has endured.

Him: “Allow me to ask you—Is a spirit seal all it takes for you to abuse a woman as special as her?”

Handsome, kind, and a stark contrast to Nanao’s former fiancé, he is the first to treat her with dignity and respect. His gentle nature is endearing, and his unwavering support is one of the highlights of the story.

I knew I was sold on him when he said this about the mask she was forced to wear:

“It’s a curse that robbed you of your self-esteem and made you and others believe that you were less than human.”

Final Thoughts?

While the story doesn’t break new ground, it delivers familiar elements with sincerity and charm. If you’re in the mood for a short, emotional read filled with classic tropes and a touch of romantic justice, this one is worth picking up.

There’s a stillness in the way the emotions unfold—gentle, yet deeply felt. The artwork is absolutely stunning, with every panel carefully crafted to carry the mood and unspoken feelings. You can almost feel the silence between words. A beautiful, emotional start to what feels like a truly special series.

This book does a nice job of introducing the series and various different characters and I am enjoying the story so far. This series has an interesting plot as well as several characters that I like so far and I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing what happens next.

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

It was a very enjoyable read, I liked the style of drawing that manages the story and the characters are interesting from the first moment.
As it is a first volume, we are just being introduced to the problems and the construction of the world, but it promises a lot!
I already want to read the other volumes to come.

I noticed that there has been a rising trend in shoujo manga where the female lead is living somewhere where she is severely mistreated and abused and the male lead rescues her from her current situation. Over time she gains confidence and becomes the bad-a** that she was meant to be. Do I eat this trend up everytime? Yes, yes I do.
This manga is no different. In this work, women have dark essence while the men have light essence. The female lead has a high concentration of dark essence but because of an incident, she is stripped of her prestige and forced to be a servant. After years of mistreatment, she is rescued by a man who sees her potential. I can’t wait to continue to read this series and see how much she grows as a person.

I absolutely loved this manga. I really like those kind of stories. I've been drawn into the story from the first page and couldn't really stop. As well as of the drawings they are really beautiful and absolutely matches the story. I especially liked Nano and can't wait to read the next volume and to see if the scumbag Reito is going to try to "rescue" her and what her husband is going to do about it.

As someone who loves romance manga and reading about magic and myths, the mysterious yet enchanting atmosphere immediately drew me in and I finished this in one sitting!
This manga was full of Japanese folklore, historical fantasy and romance. I loved the visual storytelling and the artwork, it beautifully brought Meiji era Japan to life.
The premise is - our FMC Nanao becomes tainted by a vengeful ayakashi, her fiancé casts her aside and she is abused and mistreated by her family until the ayakashi hunter Yako decides to take her as his bride.
Nanao is the type of character that makes you want to root for her and her happiness. I have a soft spot for stories with female heroines that remain loving and kind despite their hardships, proving just how strong they really are and Nanao was exactly that. Even though he seems like a cold and intimidating type, Yako is so protective of Nanao and I loved him and their subtle romance.
If you're a fan of My Happy Marriage/The Demon Prince of Momochi House/Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi I highly recommend reading this! I'm so excited to see where the story goes next.
～Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the ARC!

So sweet and sad all at the same time. The art was stunning and worked so well with the story that I was sucked in instantly. I need volume two now!

5 stars

I had heard of this manga on an online platform but didn't get the chance to read it, I'm so glad I did. I really loved the start of this series, the plot was really interesting and has me intrigued enough I want to keep reading. When more volumes come out. I also loved the character development. It feels very similar to My Happy Marriage which I also love. I'd recommend this to any romance manga readers who also love fantasy

This title is sad but has hopeful notes that life can become better for our heroine. This owuld be a good companion for My Happy Marriage for readers who want more in a similar vein, though there is more supernatural influence on this storyline than the former.

Oh I am head over heels in love with this actually I loved the writing and the art style is genuinely one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen! Can’t wait to read more!!

Sadly, this comic was not for me. I’m not a big fan of shoujo with very timid FMCs with tragic backstories. The supporting cast were all very unlikable which is another reading turn off for me

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.

The world is very interesting, but I just can't get into the romance. There's such a power imbalance, with the girl being so abused that she feel indebted to the main guy. They look cute together, but the way it starts just leaving a bad feeling throughout. Just not for me.

I received a digital ARC from Kodansha Comics via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one! The artwork is distinct and beautiful and the story development kept me invested the whole way through. I liked that it's a little dark but still fun, romantic, and entertaining. The main characters are lovable and will have you rooting for them from the start. I can't wait to see how Nanao grows into a stronger, more confident character now that she's not being treated so poorly as she was at her own home. Plus what's going on with her spiritual power. Yako is a strong character, feared by many but gentle and protective with Nanao, which I love to see. This first volume has a good amount of worldbuilding and character introduction with some development for the main characters, but I look forward to seeing more character growth in the next one! It's a good blend of romance, mystery and action, so I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for that.

This book starts an intriguing series and I'll definitely be picking up the second volume. While it has some similarities to My Happy Marriage, there's a little bit of a darker edge to the story. I'm looking forward to how the relationships develop and the story evolves since there's clearly secrets being kept by everyone around the heroine.

There were two reasons I wanted to check this out.

One: I love Kakuriyo.
Two: The title.

The manga is a perfect blend of romance and mystery. The two main characters are great; you want to root for them. Plus, the artwork is also great.

I am looking forward to reading more.

This was such a good story! I loved the world building and meeting the characters. For sure a soon to be regular series for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kondansha Comics for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.