A nice light slice-of-life with fantasy touches, very wacky and humorous. The beautiful art style helps too ✨.
I can recommend this to anyone who's feeling like something cosy, low-stakes and silly (in a good way)

Perhaps I went into this with wrong expectations, but this manga ended up doing nothing for me. The drawings are pretty. But beyond that there was nothing remarkable. The characters weren’t that interesting and didn’t do very interesting things. The story felt empty. There was the occasional funny moment, but that’s basically it. Which is very unfortunate because the concept sounded very fun and I saw a lot of potential while reading, yet I was never drawn in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read a review copy!

I had a lot of fun with this. The art style is beautiful and I flew through it. Overall I got exactly what I was expecting out of this, which was a cute, lighthearted story with a large handful of absurdity and ridiculousness.

If you're looking to escape for a short while, I highly recommend this! 4.5/5 stars

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Niko Izuki for providing me with an ARC of A Vampire in the Bathhouse in exchange for my honest review.

The Vampire in the Bathhouse is a slice-of-life comedy manga that introduces us to Luka Edelmondt Finsternis, a strikingly beautiful and regal vampire who ventures into the human world, specifically a traditional Japanese bathhouse. It’s here that he meets Sakura, the bathhouse owner's eldest son, sparking a curious and often amusing connection.

As a fan of slice-of-life manga, I had high hopes for this title, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. While the premise had promise, I found that the story lacked the depth and charm that I usually enjoy in this genre. The interactions between Luka and Sakura didn’t fully captivate me, and at times, the narrative felt a little flat, making it hard to get fully immersed in the world.

That said, I did appreciate the inclusion of LGBT themes within the story, which added a refreshing layer of representation. It’s always nice to see more diversity in manga, and A Vampire in the Bathhouse offers a glimpse into the relationship dynamics between its characters, which I found to be a positive aspect of the narrative.

In conclusion, while this manga may appeal to fans looking for light-hearted, comedic moments, it didn't quite resonate with me as much as I had hoped. However, it’s still a unique read with plenty of charm for those who enjoy more quirky, character-driven stories.

Sakura has enough to handle between working at his family's bathhouse and taking care of his brother—he doesn't need a powerful and entitled (if good-natured) vampire added to the mix. But nobody asked what he needed...

I'm not one much for manga, but I can't resist something that promises this kind of silliness. The cover also brought to mind "Rubber Duckie Shifter Next Door", so in a way I guess I'm just doubling down on the weird.

The story is a bit madcap—Luka turns up and wreaks some unintentional havoc, and then when that havoc is pretty much played out a new villain is introduced. There were some things that I couldn't quite follow (e.g., Pequeño getting sick), and I'm not sure that the plot always made all that much sense, but considering that this started as a one-shot comic that seems to have grown somewhat of its own volition, that makes sense.

The art is super pretty—I did have to remind myself repeatedly that both Luka and Sakura are written as male characters, because Sakura is quite delicate and they're both, well, pretty, but I think the only problem there is my lack of experience with manga. I can't draw anything beyond a stick figure, but I wish I could draw Sakura...or Luka's hair.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I loved this story!! To start, you should be aware that this isn't really a BL or romance story. This is more about friendship and family and it's still incredible.

The art is amazing and the storyline is engaging and funny. There's a tiny demon called pequeño who's is everything! 🫶🏻

There's a ton of heartwarming scenes between Luka, Ume, Sakura and pequeño, but my favorite was the school competition. This is the perfect palate cleanser if you just want to have lighthearted fun. It made wish there was more to the story because they could do so much with it!

Thank you for an early copy of this! I loved it so much. It's heartwarming, funny, and magical. I just read it in one sitting, and I can't wait for a sequel!

Thank you netgalley & Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read this arc.❤️

This manga starts with Luka the vampire who leaves the demon realm to visit a bathhouse in the human one. We follow his heartwarming adventures with Sakura and Umenosuke, 2 brothers who's family run the bathhouse. This book was fast-paced and it worked so well, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. I really enjoyed the art and imagery though, the cutesy characters, the food, the hot ass vampire (male nudity warning). It was all just a great time (oh & they bring up sex (just so yk i guess)). I loved that a big topic was the community around the bathhouse, and the care the community members take with one another. Also, I like the way the conflict was resolved(though I wish we saw more of it being resolved. I dont have any complaints save for I wish there were more chapters (I never wanted to leave the bathhouse ☹️). There are loveable side characters, tons of laughs, and a really hot vampire (or two). DEFINITELY A 5 STAR READ!

I must admit that the cover of the book initially caught my attention and raised my hopes. I was drawn in by its appeal, anticipating a charming and heartwarming story centered around the concept of a found family. However, as I delved into the book, I found that the narrative didn't quite meet my expectations. For me, while the premise and characters had potential, the storyline itself lacked depth.

Thank you NetGallery for this ARC copy for my honest review.

Utterly ridiculous and completely charming! A heartwarming manga with beautiful art and cheeky humor.

This was so cute!! I loved all the characters and the art was beautiful. I do wish there was more romance since that’s part of the marketing, but still a very sweet manga. I will definitely check out more from the author!
Thank you for the arc !!
4 stars

Charming wee story with whimsical artwork and a somewhat cheeky story.

When a vampire with a hangover learns of the rejuvenating powers of the full moon bath- house he arrives in the human world and turns Sakuras life upside-down.

This manga mixed found family with light hearted humour. Each story is delightful cute and low states.

A heartwarming, fun and cosy story between a exhuberant vampire and a down to earth bath manager. It"s a little too bad it's only a one shot, the authot seems to have many ideas in store to extend the universe to a more... yaoi side ? But I enjoyed each and every chapter !

— 2.5 ✷


I don't like plots that meander, and I feel so bad when I accidentally pick up a book with a meandering plot. This was the case here.

I thought this was going to be about a vampire in the human world and the shenanigans that come along with it. It was, but in a very watered down, uneventful way.

Luka, the vampire, fit in with his new environment so easily that he was saying he'd grown fond of the human world and that he wouldn't go back to his realm by chapter two. The humans around him, that knew of his identity, adjusted to the idea of a vampire pretty quickly too. I realized you could take out the plot device of a vampire from this story and the plot would remain more or less the same because the vampirical aspects of Luka that drove this plot forward were either minuscule and unimportant or resolved quickly in the span of five pages.

I needed the book to be actively something - actively comical or actively high stakes or actively slice of life. Just something. But I feel like I didn't get enough of anything to have gotten a good enough impression of the book. I haven't searched if this has a second volume in Japan, since Kodansha says this is a one-and-done standalone, but I'd even be more disappointed if there really isn't a sequel because it'd be such a wishy-washy way of ending a story.

If you like slice-of-life cozy fantasy, this would be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

a heartwarming and original manga with such good characters and art that i wish it weren’t just a one-shot. absolutely give this one a go if you’re looking for a quick, fun read. it has the heart and silliness of spy x family, while also having the detailed eye to art and fantasy that clamp has, all while being wholly it’s own style. i really, really want more from this world.

I'm new to manga, and the story and title immediately caught my eye. I was honestly surprised by how adorable the story turned out to be. The chemistry between the characters was so adorable. Plus, the artwork is stunning! It was such a quick and easy read. I had a great time reading it.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC; all opinions are my own.**

4 ⭐️


This was such a sweet slice-of-life manga- with vampires! The entire volume was very cozy and all the characters were likeable.

i think this was my first proper introduction to mangas, as i had never read one before. at times, i struggled with reading because i was a bit confused, but i finally managed to read the whole thing. i've got to say - i'm very happy that this one, specifically, was my first.
well, everyone's first time is supposed to be special, and i had such a fun time reading the story. i was so invested in this cozy, silly story about vampires, and it made me a little sad that it was a one-shot. i'd love to read more, honestly, and i'm not sure if there will be more volumes, as it ended with an epilogue and everything.

the characters were really likeable - luka, the vampire, was kinda silly and seemed like a very fun vampire to be around. umenosuke was such an adorable kid! I loved sakura and his lil bro's relationship. the moments between them were so heartwarming - aww, almost melted my cold heart.
ooh, and the interactions between luka and sakura! really, really cute.

the drawing style was gorgeous. the art was so well done - really detailed, but at the same time, it didn't make the reading experience too overwhelming. the story was easy to follow.

however, i think it ended kind of abruptly and the characters were slightly underdeveloped. i wish the ending hadn't felt so rushed, as I'd have loved to read more about them, and the yomi baths. nevertheless, it was a really enjoyable read that I'd definitely recommend!!




*thanks to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics and the author for providing me with an ARC of this manga.*

I gave this a 3.5 because I think it was really interesting and funny. I actually really like the characters and how this focused on them and not too much plot at first.

I think this has a lot of potential to go on and be even better as the series goes on. I know this is only the first volume so it’s still introducing the plots and characters and I can’t wait to read the next one especially after the cliffhanger like damn don’t leave us like that 😔😔😔.

this is really cute and funny. this would also make a really good slice of life anime. it's perfect for it 😭 i love ume and pequeno; they're so cute. and then making yomi tiny 😭😭😭

thank you to netgalley and kodansha for the eARC!