Manga Review: Black Bird, Volume 18, by Kanoko Sakurakouji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March, 2014

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 17.

Goodreads Synopsis:

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand...or her life!

Misao’s due date is rapidly approaching, and while she knows giving birth to her child means her death, she isn’t ready to give up on life. But can she and Kyo discover a way to avert tragedy when countless Senka Maidens before her have suffered the same fate?!

It’s the heartrending conclusion of this supernatural love story!

What Will I Miss?:

• I will definitely miss the romance. The chemistry between the characters, but also the steamy parts, because it gets really hot sometimes, and those scenes are very well done.
• I will also miss the humor. It fits for me really well, it's not over-done, it doesn't take the reader or the characters out of the serious stuff, which I appreciate. And Sakurakouji seems to have a lot of fun with putting the bunch of characters in humorous situations, and it really works.
• I'll also miss the art. It's very pretty to look at.

Review:

I love this ending. Going in, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel, or how it would be handled, and while I was reading I was wary, but I really liked it. I’m impressed, even.

Misao and Kyo are really sweet together, which shows throughout the entire volume. Kyo really, really cares for her, and he’s protective, and worried, and tries so very hard. And Misao is really happy with him, and understands him. They get along so well, and the chemistry is great.

(Warning: possible spoiler in this paragraph.) I didn’t believe that Misao was going to die (although I was honestly a little unsure at one point while reading, I’ll admit), but I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen. And I’m sure some people will have problems with it, but I honestly really liked how it was handled. I think it’s pretty believable, and I particularly like the consequences of it. I like that it didn’t happen scot-free.

And the aftermath was shown, which is one of my favorite parts, I think. It didn’t just end with the result, it showed how that affected everyone. The problems it gave the couple, how the other characters were affected and how they grew. I really, really liked that. And some of those scenes, too, were so well done, and emotional. Their pain is so clearly portrayed, as well as their happiness. I don’t want to get too into it, but it was good. 

This volume, this ending, I think made me fall in love with the series all over again. I love the romance, the humor, the emotional moments, the way the characters get along (and how the author obviously has fun playing with them), the way the emotions really show in their facial expressions. It was all just fantastic. I loved it, and am so very happy with it. This is probably even a volume that I could come back and re-read, it was so good.

And I hope that VIZ picks up another series by Sakurakouji. 
Also, can I just say that I'm jealous of anyone who doesn't already own the series, and thus is able to buy the box set?

Manga Review: Black Bird, Volume 17, by Kanoko Sakurakouji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October, 2013

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 16. 18.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A mythical, paranormal romance that has sold through over 280,000 copies in the U.S.There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand...or her life!

Despite knowing that it spells her doom, Misao is determined to bear her child. But her insistence on enjoying her last days to the fullest only fuels Kyo’s determination to save her. Kyo is so desperate for answers that he’s even willing to listen to his father’s wild ideas, although though they might put Misao as far beyond his reach as death would…

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen plus audiences.

Review:

There’s only one volume left! The big conclusion is coming! And I’m so excited!

I am really looking forward to seeing how this series ends. I have my thoughts on the ending, and I’m sure it’s going to be a happy one, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how it all goes down, how it all happens. I’m fully invested, I suppose.

Kyo and Misao are doing coupley things, having small fights, and that’s nice to see. It’s good that they’re still getting along, that they’re still having those moments and those sweet kisses and all that. But then Kyo gets all desperate and it turns him into a jerk, wanting to do something to Misao even though she disagrees, because he’s so desperate to save her. I feel for him, but he needs to listen to her more.

I don’t really know how it’s all going to conclude, honestly. Because there’s still a big cure to find, and only one volume left to do it. It’s so hard to see Kyo so upset and hurt and Misao hurting because she’s set on what she wants to do but doesn’t want to hurt Kyo. It’s all so sad, really. 

It’s still a while before the last volume is out, and I’m looking forward to it.

Manga Review: Black Bird, Volume 16, by Kanoko Sakurakouji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Publish Date: 2013

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Yes.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells. RightStuf!

Goodreads Synopsis:

He loves her blood, but does her love her?!There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand...or her life!

Misao has made the choice to forgo college and a normal human life in order to be Kyo’s wife and mother to the demon child she carries. But her pregnancy is unusual, even for the demon world. The last pages of the Senka Roku will reveal the truth of the matter, but now that Kyo has it in his hands, does he really want to know…?

Review:

So, I like this series. It’s good, it’s drama-filled and steamy. It’s also a bit messy with the characters, and dragging on a little bit. But I’m not really minding the dragging on, although I am very looking forward to seeing how it ends.

So, first off, this volume was good. I liked it. What happened was needed. But it also gave me very big flashbacks to Breaking Dawn, something that I didn’t really enjoy, even if I did actually like, for the most part, that book.

Quite a bit of the volume is taken up with Kyo finding out that, when Misao gives birth, she’s going to die. And the resulting chaos of that. Kyo immediately wants to get rid of the baby, because he can’t stand the thought of not having Misao. His daitengu are forced to stop him, though, because that would be the downfall of his position of power, of maybe his life, and dangerous to Misao, even though none of them want Misao to die, as they love her too. Throughout all of this, Misao doesn’t say anything, as she’s kind of in a frozen state, not knowing what to do with herself, how to react, or what she wants.

But finally she stands up, and states that she’s going to have the baby. Which, finally, thank god. No one reacts well to this, as the daitengu had just decided to leave their positions or not follow Kyo and let him get rid of the baby. There’s a big confrontation after this, as Kyo is not okay with her decision, and says that he’ll hate the baby, and die himself, because he can’t live without Misao. I wanted her to get pissed off at him, to stand up and yell more, but the result was still good.

Kyo, though, gets determined then to find a cure, to find some clue, to find some way for Misao to have the baby and live. There’s tension here, because Kyo is moody and not sleeping and having nightmares, pushing Misao away and getting snippy at things she says. Misao, meanwhile, is lonely. She’s pregnant, her body is changing, everyone around her is busy finding out how to save her, and she’s feeling useless and alone.

Near the end of the volume, they seem to be onto something, although they’re not sure what, on how to save her. It’s Misao’s birthday and they’re celebrating, and Kyo calms down a bit. Things aren’t looking too good, but it seems like they’re going to figure something out. I have no doubt that the series will have a happy ending, but I’m excited to find out how that happens. I’m looking forward to seeing their relationship development, see where they’re going, see what happens with them. 

There are only a couple of volumes left (right?), and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens, where the story goes from here.

Manga Review: Black Bird, Volume 15, by Kanoko Sakurakouji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 17

Spoilers?: Yes, majorly.

Goodreads Synopsis:

  

He loves her blood, but does her love her?!Reads R to L (Japanese Style).

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand...or her life!
Sho's death should have meant a return to peace for Misao and Kyo, once they came to terms with their guilt. But instead Misao finds herself displaying strange new powers she can't quite control. Is this just the next stage for her as the Senka Maiden, or is something more sinister going on…?

Available on Amazon.

Review:

This series is almost over, you guys. There are only two volumes left, and probably six months between those two volumes’ release dates (ugh). I could tell, with this volume, that there are only a couple volumes left, and while it will probably be sad to see the series end, I’m looking forward to seeing how it happens.

Oh, this review is going to have some major spoilers, just to let you know.

For the first, maybe, two volumes, the story is pretty light-hearted, aside from some worrying about what’s going on with Misao. They find out that she is killing the creatures that come up to attack her, and they’re assuming that she’s doing it herself, and has somehow gotten powers. But, at the same time, she’s also been feeling a little under the weather, always tired and having weird eating habits.

At the same time, she’s also thinking about what she wants to do with her life. Everyone around her is deciding, but she has no idea. All she’s ever wanted, and all she still wants, is to be with Kyo, and she cant think of anything else. And then she decides, and talks to Kyo about how, she wants to be his bride. There’s a lot entailed in being a house wife, and that’s what she wants to do. He’s at first a bit hesitant, wanting to make sure that she’s sure that’s what she wants, but he accepts. Now, I understand that this is what she wants to do, and that it is all some people want to do, but I have a hard time being happy about it. I mean, she should aspire to something bigger. But I can accept it, I guess.

And then she realizes that it’s been a while since her last period.

Now, I wasn’t expecting this turn of events, not particularly up to the point she found out but that the story was heading in that direction from the start of the volume, but I wasn’t all that surprised. It makes some sense.

Anyway, she talks to Kyo immediately (which, good, she didn’t take forever thinking about it first), and he’s very supportive to whatever she decides (also very good. This, along with the making sure she knows what she wants, and giving her time, and taking such good care of her, have enforced my feelings for him. He's a great boyfriend). Of course, she’s very worried, but decides she wants to keep it, and everyone is very excited. Then they talk to her parents, and that goes over rather well; they even mention telling her parents that Kyo’s a demon sometime in the future, which should be interesting.

From then until the last chapter things are going rather well; they’re happy, teasing, making out, going to the beach, including a very cute scene where Misao falls and Kyo catches her, and Kyo and Misao talking with Misao's friends. And then there’s an attack on Kyo’s house. It doesn’t go very well, but they capture someone, and it's what he tells them that ruins all their happiness.

I’m not going to ruin what is revealed to them (gotta keep some secrets), but it’s not good, and you can probably guess.

I kind of love this series, and I’m really excited to find out what happens, to see what they do about it, how the series ends. I’m sure it’ll have a happy ending, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it happens. The wait is going to be horrible, but not much I can do about that.