Oh this is definitely giving "my wife" vibes and I am here for it! I couldn't put this down and was sad when I reached the end because I wanted more. I'm so interested to see where the story goes as we get to know Nanao and Yako. And I already know that Reito will be an absolute thorn in my side.
The illustration was beautiful and moving along the scenes page after page was very well done. I'm so excited for this series and will be eagerly waiting for the next volume!

4.25/5

The story was well written, the art style is sooo good and the characters are well written. I'm not sure how the story will unfold but it starts off really nicely.

I'm giving it 4 stars because even though I liked the overall story, I can't lie, I wish the main character wasn't such a pushover...

I'd like to send my thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free pdf version of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This is a captivating blend of fantasy and romance.
The story follows Nanao, a young woman whose life goes for a toss after an ayakashi (demon) attack leaves her cursed and shunned by society. From a high life of a princess in waiting she is forced to hide her disfigurement behind a monkey mask, as she embarks on a journey of resilience and self-discovery while being spurned at every juncture by her own family and loved ones. A chance encounter with Yako, a demon hunter from another family, who sees past her scars, introduces a love-hate dynamic that drives the story forward and brings a change to her life while extricating her from her life of drudgery.

The artwork is stunning, capturing the essence of the Taisho era with intricate details and character designs. The emotional depth depicted in the illustrations further enhances the storytelling, drawing readers into Nanao’s world. While the plot is engaging, the story is predictable and there are occasional pacing issues. However, these do not at all diminish the overall experience.
This is a strong start to the series, blending folklore, romance, and personal growth in a way that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next volume.

I really enjoyed this first volume! The art is very nice and the fantasy elements are very easy to follow. It's very easy to empathize with Nanao and what she's been through. Definitely looking forward to the second volume!

I feel like no matter how old I get I will enjoy these types of historical fantasy romance manga which is a little frustrating but also I liked this enough that I don’t really care.

Nanao is part of the Byakurenji clan and was engaged to Reito, the next head of the clan, as she holds the greatest amount of dark spiritual power in the family. But after an incident where she’s tainted by an ayakashi, she’s cast aside as Reito’s wife and replaced by her cousin, and lives an abused life as a maid for the clan, forced to wear a monkey mask her all the time. When Benitsubaki Yako visits the estate where she lives and witnesses Nanao’s powers, he treats her with kindness and takes her as his wife to be. Nanao is just glad to leave the abusive household, but at Yako’s estate, she starts to learn there is more to Yako and their life together.

I was wondering why were there so many titles mentioned in the description of this manga, but I do think many of them are apt, especially Kakuriyo and My Happy Marriage (esp. My Happy Marriage in the beginning when we learn about Nanao’s ostracization within her family and her mindset). The little kappa are adorable (I am a sucker for little familiar-type characters) plus others mentioned, though they don’t play a huge part yet. There is setup for upcoming drama, both personal and political, that makes me curious for the next volume. It does seem that Yako and Nanao’s blossoming relationship will take center stage, but I do not mind at all. The art is beautiful, and the characters are set up in a way that you know who you’re supposed to root for and who you’re supposed to hate. I can’t say the story felt really original so far, but tbh I do not mind because I am a sucker for these. Looking forward to seeing how the story will develop from here!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love this story so far. The premise is original and interesting, and I have greatly enjoyed learning more about the world this manga takes place in. The art style is gorgeous and really draws you in. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this as soon as possible!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hm! Well, this is certainly something you would expect from webtoon!

Title: The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride Volume 1
Where I Read: ARC via @netgalley and @kodanshamanga
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The RayView: ✨✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay: 🍬
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“I need you, my wife, to stay by my side and support me. I’m sure I will need your power. In return, I will treasure you.”
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In The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride Volume 1, we meet a girl named Nanao who underwent an unfortunate event in her life, tarnishing her with the spirit seal of the orangutan. As she was the most powerful of her clan, she was destined to marry the head of said clan however after the incident she’s forced to hide her face and her entire presence as much as possible. That is until she meets Master Yao who takes one bite of the food stuffed with her spiritual energy and becomes determined to make her his wife. After whisking Nanao away, a secret is revealed to her about her new husband…and what she will have to do as his bride.
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Okay manga fans listen up! If you love My Happy Marriage and Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, you’re going to enjoy this new series from the same creator of Kakuriyo! The moment I started reading, I could not put it down. The inner family drama of Nanao and her sinister looking cousin was just peak My Happy Marriage. Add in the Ayakashi and the mysterious black haired man from the strongest family in the imperial capital as Nanao’s groom? Sold. Obsessed. I can’t wait to learn how the story develops.

I am a sucker for stories about abused main female leads finding happiness with the help of the male lead.

In this manga, Naonao was set up by her cousin and becomes tainted. This causes her to be mistreated by her family. Later, she is saved by Yako. I can't wait to see how their relationship changes and how Naonao slowly comes into her own powers. The manga's artist is talented and the story does suck you in.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc and this is my honest review

I loved this manga so much, the drawing is gorgeous and reminds me very much of my happy marriage, I must say even the drawing looks a bit alike, this is a story that I really want to read what comes next.

I will just throw it out there, even though you had some kind of nudity (without details) its a very clean manga, and I say that pointing out is safe to give to teens. The main character is cursed since childhood, and her promised married another girl because of that, and since being cursed she is abused by everyone without being permitted to talk… and lord Yako changes everything for our main character Nanao, ok no more spoilers, and just grab a copy for yourself or to gift to someone and lefts go from there, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it ^__^

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

If you like romances where everything feels pre-ordained for the hero to swoop in and get the heroine out of her terrible living situation, this one is for you. I understand that comparison is the thief of joy but The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride feels like a darker version of My Happy Marriage, with stronger supernatural elements. I don't think I'm the target audience for this title.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Mamenosuke Fujimaru for providing me with an ARC of The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride 1 in exchange for my honest review.

The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride is a captivating historical fantasy romance manga that blends elements of romance, dark fantasy, and rich world-building. The story follows Nanao, who is betrothed to the lord of the Byakurenji clan. However, after an attack by an Ayakashi, Nanao is deemed "tainted" and shunned by her clan. Forced to wear a mask to hide her spirit mark, she is left with no future in her community as her engagement is ended, and her cousin marries the lord instead. Years of mistreatment follow until she crosses paths with Yako, the powerful lord of the highest-ranking clan. Fascinated by Nanao’s strength and her dark spiritual powers, Yako whisks her away and draws her into a new world.

I was thoroughly impressed with how the manga balances its romantic, historical, and fantasy elements. The world-building is immersive, creating a compelling backdrop for Nanao's journey, while the character development pulls you in emotionally, making you deeply invested in their fates.

The story was a definite 5-star read for me, and I absolutely adored the illustrations that enhanced the narrative. I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment and genuinely believe this story would make a fantastic anime adaptation.

Thank you to Kodansha for the e-arc of this manga! This was such a quick and interesting read. The idea that one can be tainted by a demon with some sort of seal, like the fmc Nanao in the manga, is quite interesting. The world building in the book is fascinating, with different types of demons and supposedly ones that are “good” instead of bad. Yako is an interesting character because while he certainly has more power than Nanao in this situation, he doesn’t abuse it. I’m looking forward to seeing where this is going. Overall, a 3.75 🌟 read that I would recommend!!

I really like the art style the creator uses. This is a really cute start to a love story, would recommend to romance readers and anyone who likes to watch romance anime that wants to read something new.

I loved the art style, I read this creators Alice in Wonderland series a while ago, but I still love their style. It is a very unique story that I am looking forward to reading more of. Thank you for the early copy!

I am very interested as to where this story will go. The characters have great hooks that I am excited to see play out. They are incredibly complex with how short the story is so far. Nanao is a tragic heroine who I hope will end up becoming incredibly important to the safety of the world soon. Yako, the titular Ayakashi Hunter, is so cool and smooth! There is so much we don't know about him, except that he is kind to Nanao and good at his job. I cannot wait for the next book!

There are definitely some dark themes I assume will be coming up, so be warned!

This was my first time receiving an ARC for a manga novel and I was so excited to be chosen for this one. It was a really good manga. The characters were great and the storyline was well written. I look forward to continuing this Manga series!

A cute beginning to a fantastical love story. I loved learning about the magic and monsters of this world and I'm very excited to learn more. I feel like the basis of the romance is a little lacking in autonomy, but I can see that real emotion and hope is already starting to grow, and there is kindness in their hearts. I also was let down by the division of power in the magic system in this world based on sex, although there is hope that what I've learned so far is just because of an unreliable narrator. I hope that Nanao gains more power and autonomy in her life as the series continues. I am eagerly awaiting volume 2.

I really really liked this. Prominent man marries abused fmc for his own selfish reasons but they end up developing feelings and he technically saves her? I will always eat that up.

We didn't get a lot of background info on the people, families, or the world but with the way it's set up I feel like we will get all of that in the upcoming books.

I think this is a book for the Wattpad girlies... Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride is giving what Wattpad used to be like in the late aughts. There's pining, overt abuse, trading women, and a hint of sexism just around the corner.

That being said, this was not bad, it was just not my type of book. I am interested to learn more about the love interest. I just hope there is more to Nanao than just being a flat character in her own story. Come for the blood-sucking, historical aspect and heroism, skip if wanting something more modern or woman-forward.