Manga Review: The Water Dragon's Bride, Volume 1, by Rei Toma

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A modern-day girl gets whisked away to a strange land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god!

In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god! What plans are in store for her, and what will happen when she comes face to face with this god?

A young boy named Subaru comes to Asahi’s aid, but despite his help, Asahi must endure a test of survival! Will she be able to make it out alive or will she end up being sacrificed?

Review:

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this volume. I stopped reading Dawn of the Arcana early on, because I wasn't really enjoying it. But I was quite impressed with this volume, actually.

We meet Asahi, who has a happy family life. Her parents love her, she's a happy kid. Then she gets transported through water, and finds a small village. She meets a little boy her age, and he tries to help her, even though the village people don't like that she's different. From there, she meets the dragon god, who is heartless. He doesn't understand people, and he watches them for enjoyment, and does nothing to help them.

I won't spoil what happens to her here, but it's harsh and a very hard and fast reality check for her. It breaks her, in a way. It's very harsh to see, what happens to her and the little boy.

I'm not sure where this is going to go from here—if they're going to stay as kids or grow older, and how they're going to react to the horrible things and people around them. I definitely want to read more, though.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!