Manga Review: The Earl and the Fairy, Volume 3, by Ayuko and Mizue Tani

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 4

Goodreads Synopsis:

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences rated teen. Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor,one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man!

Lydia and Edgar have returned to London after their adventure on the Isle of Manan. But life in the capital is no respite for the weary travelers. A being called the Fogman stalks the night streets, snatching children all around town. And it may have something to do with Edgar’s dark past…

Available on Amazon.

Review:

I like this series enough, it’s not one of my favorites, but I am looking forward to seeing how it ends. I think what my problem with this series is, and I’ve just now kind of put a word to it, is that it has a displaced, distant feeling to it. Which isn’t always particularly a bad thing, it’s just making it hard for me to really get connected with any of the characters or the storylines, which is a bit upsetting considering how intense and exciting it could really be.

Anyway, this volume started a new story arch, in which all these children are going missing, and Edgar suspects that there could be some kind of fairy involved, so he calls up Lidia. Lydia meets with the sister of one of the missing girls, starts wondering about it, while also having a bit of a hard time being around Edgar. Her being uncomfortable doesn’t help when she’s maybe-almost attacked and Raven steps in and (I think) kills both the man and the dog right in front of her, without hesitating. That, understandably, freaks her out a bit. Throughout all of this, also, Nico is being very wary and untrustworthy.

The case is moving forward slowly, but the maybe/light romance is moving forward a bit slowly as well. Edgar keeps saying things that make Lydia blush, but then she goes home to her father and finds him chatting with a Mr. Langley, a man who obviously has an interest in Lydia. And Edgar looks a bit perturbed when he stops by and sees her reactions to him, especially when he gives her flowers and she’s delighted. Mr. Langley is cute, and a bit adorable, and kind of shy and whatnot, but I think I’m a bit partial to Edgar, if only because I’ve been prepped for that since the beginning.

And then Edgar takes Lydia to check out this place, where a party is happening, and she sees a fairy trying to cause trouble, who we find out is doing it for a Ms. Rosalie, who has a big thing for Edgar, and is up to something to get him all to herself. But actually, the creature is working for some darker, more powerful demon, while pretending to work for Rosalie but is actually using her.

Edgar doesn’t protest when Lydia leaves their outing early, and he stays a bit longer with Rosalie, which upsets Lydia a bit. And then the volume ends with Rosalie tricking Lydia and locking her into some abandoned building.

Rosalie is obviously up to no good, and the missing children case is moving forward, with several suspicions that include Rosalie and this fairy-type stone, and maybe even Edgar.

The next volume is the last, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this story wraps up. (I’m suspecting the romance is going to be open-ended, but I can deal with that.)