This book had me swooning. It deals with so many deep topics: grieving the death of a loved one, dealing with societal expectations, experiencing guild. I love both of the main characters. I love how their interactions cause them both to mature. I’ve never read such a delightful bittersweet romance.

The story is interesting but a bit strange.
I don't understand to date a dead sister's fiancé thought.
The art is nice.

Kodansha imprint Vertical Comics’ newest josei release is Haru’s Curse, a melancholic story of grief and love by Asuka Konishi. The manga follows Natsumi in the wake of losing her younger sister, Haru, to cancer. Struggling with the loss, she winds up in an odd relationship with Haru’s former fiancé, Togo. The manga is translated into English by Hannah Airriess, edited by Daniel Joseph, and production by Risa Cho and Lorina Mapa. No specific lettering credit was provided.

The manga lets readers know right off the bat that it will go to serious places. Natsumi is mourning her sister, who was her entire world. Everything Natsumi did revolved around Haru, to the point where she even decided her career around her. Natsumi studied to become a nutritionist, inspired by Haru’s health issues. The loss is so great on her, that she even considers ending her life. When approached by her sister’s former fiancé, Togo, to enter a relationship, she agrees on one condition: that they only visit places he went with her sister.

Haru’s Curse focuses on both Natsumi and Togo’s complicated feelings, which are incredibly complex. Both are unpacking a lot of suppressed emotions, some of which stem from Haru’s death, and others that reach much deeper. Firstly, there is Natsumi, who is concerned that she may have been in love with her sister. It isn’t as salacious as it sounds. Due to their family situation, Natsumi and Haru depended on each other an immense amount. Haru’s Curse strongly gives off the impression that Natsumi latched onto her sister because she felt unloved by others in her family. Her initial resentment towards Togo is because she feels he was taking away her reason to live. While this may all sound unsettling, what saves it is that Natsumi clearly knows that this is unhealthy, and Haru’s Curse is largely about her trying to recover and move past this.

On Togo’s side, he is dealing with a lot more emotional abuse from his family. He is in a life he has never wanted. He has long held feelings towards Natsumi, but once again it isn’t painted as some affair. He does care for Haru, but their engagement was arranged and forced on him by his family. What is so compelling about Haru’s Curse is how Haru is a character in this story to whom the audience will also grow attached.

There is guilt between Natsumi and Togo as they realize they may love each other, but at the same time, there is a genuineness that makes you root for them. It isn’t unheard of for people to become romantically involved while grieving the loss of a loved one. The romance is secondary to the recovery in Haru’s Curse and that’s what makes it work. It is first and foremost about two twenty-somethings learning what it means to live for the first time.

Konishi’s art does a fantastic job of altering between comedy and drama. The more popular English josei manga releases often feature the extravagantly detailed, beautiful art also seen in shojo manga, with smolders and kabedons galore. To clarify: this is not to diminish those in any way, but it is what is currently most commonly seen in the English market. Haru’s Curse lines are heavy and bold, characters feel less larger-than-life in their beauty, and more realistic. Shading and heavy black ink carries the melancholy tone. Additionally, a huge focus is on eyes. The way the pupils and eye expressions change often will alter the entire tone of a panel from the previous one. It adds to the introspectiveness of the manga.

Haru’s Curse is a well-done English-language debut from Asuka Konishi. It is an introspective josei and a great example of the breadth the demographic has to offer. The series features romance but is ultimately a nuanced story of moving past grief and unhealthy family dynamics.

Thanks to Vertical Comics and Netgalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5 stars

This story deals with loss, grief, family pressures and the guilt of continuing your life. The main characters were really likable and I really wanted the best for them. It was bittersweet, and finished on a hopeful note. I really enjoyed reading this manga!

5/5

I received this book in exchange of an honest review, from the lovely people at Vertical Comics and Netgalley.

"If I'm really thinking about Haru, then I need to put him out of mind" 

Contemporaries are not my niche but on rare occasions I need a bit of taste of real world drama to fill my attachment to reality. Sadly my favorites are complicated family dynamics and problematic relationships and Haru's Curse was exactly what I called for. I AM ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE: this is not a sweet story. It ends in a rather bittersweet ending but I wouldn't have it any other way. If you looking for a fluffy manga this is not the one for you. Haru's Curse offers a spectacular look into the shoes of a sister losing her sister to a disease and unexpectedly develops feelings for her sister's betrothed. Natsumi never intended to fall to Togo, in fact she hated him for taking away Haru from her. Their relationship is so heart breaking, two individuals who are loss with their identity, one alienated in a big luxurious family and the other missing her other half that completes her. But pursuing the affections of Togo to feel closer to Haru's is not good for Natsumi or for Togo. They clearly grown to like one another but this taboo, the expectations, and the suspicions of society are suffocating them. Is there really a future for such a relationship? Is it morally okay? Is Natsumi a bad sister?

"I don't want to enjoy our time together, but it's scary how much I do! I don't want to be with you but then it's all I can think about... Is this what it is to love somebody?"

Asuka Konishi drawings magnified everything in this story and you can tell how much she wanted the readers to feel it. The deep expressions, those sharp edges on every page, and not to mentioned the different detail to every character making them each recognizable and different in both body type and portraying their feelings. I adore a good story told by a crafted artist who knows what type of story they want to tell and Konishi knew this would end in a bittersweet ending. She didn't want to depict Natsumi or Togo at the wrong or the right nor everyone else in this story. She presented a realistic gray approach to such a theme and gave us a glimpse of what it's like to be raise with a sibling like Haru, how devastating a loss can be to an individual and that we can't control who we love even if we hate it. If you enjoy a good angst love story with profound characters and phenomenal drawing pick Haru's Curse and let your heart throb in pain like I do.

4.5, this was an excellent one-shot. I love and am impressed by how the dual narrative and themes the mangaka was able to convey in a short amount of time. I half expected the titular curse was going to go in a different direction but was pleasantly subverted and surprised.

loved this so much, especially that art style!!!!!! Haru touched my heart. It explored some really amazing themes too, looking forward to reading more. Have reviewed on my blog :)

it was an interesting story. i wasn't what i expected form the synopsis, but i enjoyed it. the art style is cool and the storyline had a good drama/humor combination.

3.5

"Haru's Curse" talks about the grief -and guilt- after the departure of a loved one.

The manga begins with the funeral of Haru, a cancer victim. Her older sister, Natsumi, adored her and considered her as her only family, despite living with her father, stepmother, and a younger brother.

Haru was engaged to Togo and although it is an arranged marriage, she seems to have had feelings for the young man, although we soon realize that Togo did not. He simply follows the path determined for him according to his mother and family legacy. So Natsumi is not too surprised when Togo asks her to continue seeing each other, as a continuation of the family contract, and it is then that she agrees on the condition that they go to the places where he went with Haru. So you can see that it is not a healthy relationship. Haru is a ghost between them, and the feelings of sadness that Natsumi expresses reveal an unhappy family life, and even she wants to commit suicide.

So Natsumi is not too surprised when Togo asks her to continue seeing each other, as a continuation of the family contract, and it is then that she agrees on the condition that they go to the places where he went with Haru. So you can see that it is not a healthy relationship. Haru is a ghost between them, and the feelings of sadness that Natsumi expresses reveal an unhappy family life, and even she wants to commit suicide.

What seems to be left over in this story is that shot in the air that Natsumi even believes she is in love with her sister ... I believe that she loves her, and want to die because it is something that people often express in moments of anguish, but the rest is strange, doubting her gender because she has not had a boyfriend. And then the digital diary with the "sweet" Haru saying that she wants to take her sister to hell ... uh, kind of too selfish.

They say that pain causes people to mature, and that seems to be the case in this case; although a little more development was needed in the relationship to reach that end.

The art? Nice.


Here we have that which is often seen in dramas where the rich boy follows the dictates of the family. And that idea that the sister can't be with her dead sister's boyfriend, I don't really see the problem, because they never had a relationship before, and it seems like it's a big no-no with families.

I like that both seek their independence.

---------------------------
[Ahora en castellano:]

"Haru's Curse" habla sobre el dolor -y la culpa- tras la partida de un ser querido.

El manga comienza con el funeral de Haru, víctima de cáncer. Su hermana mayor, Natsumi, la adoraba y la consideraba su única familia, a pesar de vivir con su padre, su madrastra y un hermano menor.

Haru estaba comprometida con Togo y, aunque se trata de un matrimonio concertado, parece haber sentido algo por el joven, aunque pronto nos damos cuenta de que Togo no. Simplemente sigue el camino que le ha sido determinado según su legado familiar y su madre. Así que Natsumi no se sorprende demasiado cuando Togo le pide que se sigan viendo, como continuación del contrato familiar, y es entonces cuando ella acepta con la condición de que vayan a los lugares a los que él fue con Haru. Entonces puedes ver que no se trata precisamente de una relación saludable. Haru es un fantasma entre ellos, y los sentimientos de tristeza que expresa Natsumi revelan una vida familiar infeliz, e incluso ella quiere suicidarse.

Así que Natsumi no se sorprende demasiado cuando Togo le pide que se sigan viendo, como continuación del contrato familiar, y es entonces cuando ella acepta con la condición de que vayan a los lugares a los que él fue con Haru. Entonces puedes ver que no es una relación saludable. Haru es un fantasma entre ellos, y los sentimientos de tristeza que expresa Natsumi revelan una vida familiar infeliz, e incluso ella quiere suicidarse.

Lo que parece sobrar en esta historia es ese tiro al aire que Natsumi incluso cree que está enamorada de su hermana ... creo que la ama, y ​​quiere morir porque es algo que la gente suele expresar en momentos de angustia, pero el resto es extraño, hasta dudando de su género porque no ha tenido novio . Y luego el diario digital con la "dulce" Haru diciendo que quiere llevar a su hermana al infierno ... uh, un poco egoísta.

Dicen que el dolor hace que las personas maduren, y ese parece ser el caso en este caso; aunque se necesitaba un poco más de desarrollo en la relación para alcanzar ese fin.

¿El arte? Lindo.


Aquí tenemos lo que se ve a menudo en los dramas donde el niño rico sigue los dictados de la familia. Y esa idea de que la hermana no puede estar con el novio de su hermana muerta, realmente no veo el problema, porque nunca antes habían tenido una relación, y parece que es un gran no-no con las familias.

Me gusta que ambos busquen su independencia.




+Digital ARC gently provided by Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review+

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this manga. It deals with the death of someone very close to both of the main characters (Togo's fiance and Natsumi's sister) and shows how they got there and how they are dealing with the grief. The manga shows just how badly a death can be for the people who loved the deceased and it also shows that trying to move on together can be incredibly hard, thus being a 'curse'.

Rating: 5⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes, Yes, Yes
Would I Recommend it? Yes

It’s funny how much guilt can control your life....

This was an interesting story. The art work was ... different but it wasn’t bad! I kind of liked that it wasn’t the typical “everyone is drop dead gorgeous“ kind of art. The ending is realistic. I can see it not being satisfactory for some people but honestly what else could happen? Her sister comes back from the dead as a zombie and eats them?? Haha definitely not that kind of story.

This is an omnibus version (both volumes in 1) of this story. So it is complete. This is a short story but it’s still worth the read. I don’t think this is the type of story I will read over and over again though!

I really enjoyed this manga, as it has a psychological storyline that really makes you empathize with the characters. With two main lead that’s have almost opposing personalities, it’s easy to see how well they connect with each other in different aspects.

Though the book is seeped in the depressive mindset of a deceased sister, it carries itself forward with the moral ambiguity of 'Is it wrong to date someone my sibling used to'; and to go a tad deeper 'My sibling was planning to marry this person but then died, is it okay for me to date them'.

Though I probably won't purchase a copy for my library, I did enjoy the story, and felt compelled to continue reading. I feel like the creator did well portraying the guilt between Natsumi and Togo, and though I had a consist 'Ehhhh' feeling, I still wanted to know what was going to happen, and how things would end up.

Thankfully, the ending was conclusive enough where it felt complete; it's not required to continue on, unless the creator chose to.

Love stories have unlimited potential in exploring the complicated yet entertaining thematic minefield such a feeling can manifest - Asuka Konishi's Haru's Curse puts it aptly:

"Dead people can't be sad."

This work gives credence to moving past guilt as an act of love. A mature theme to tackle and Haru's Curse has enough narrative nuance to make a rom-com junkie like me entertained and more. This is seen best amongst the two sisters, Haru - the recently deceased younger one - and Natsumi - the older one previously looking after Haru, and Togo - Haru's boyfriend. All three characters drive this visceral narrative in their own nuanced ways - Togo gradually paving his own path from his wealthy parents, Haru's omnipresence haunting her older sister, and Natsumi internally struggling to reconcile her deep-seated remorse. The latter especially is a fascinating character to follow given her naturally down-to-earth and dorky demeanor. She reminds me of a mix of Vash the Stampede (Trigun) and Risa Koizumi (Lovely Complex) - two characters respectively light-hearted, filled-with-pain, and compelling all the way through. Natsumi's development in processing grief in the midst of her sister's death and possible disappointment keeps me engaged, wondering where will the story go and more importantly, will she be okay in the end. While the story beats can be seen from a mile away, I could not put the manga down for the sake of seeing where Natsumi and Togo will come out of this. And another note to add, the art style is refreshing and stylized - echoing early 2000's era anime/manga with distinct angular faces and thin physiques (once again referencing Lovely Complex).

Overall, what a great read. The characters are engaging, the drama is grounded in believable emotional and circumstantial stakes, and the story ends satisfyingly. There is little room for filler, a quality that cannot be said for many of its contemporaries, and makes it all the better for it. I look forward to seeing more of Asuka Konishi's work!

I loved this manga.
Natsumi loses her sister and, in her grief, starts dating Togo (her late sister’s fiancé.
Boy, you go through all the emotions in this story.
I can’t wait for the next graphic novel by Asuka Konishi!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Since I have been trying to read more graphic novels or mangas, this one almost called to me. I thought it was going to be mystically and it wasn't but it was so much more.
Haru's Curse follows Haru Tachibana, her sister (Natsumi Tachibana) and Togo Hiragi. At the start of the story, Haru was betrothed to Togo and they were going to get married as soon as she was finished with university. Unfortunately, she died of cancer before she could achieve any of her dreams. Her death throws her sister Natsumi into depression because she believed that she was in love with her sister (this part confused me a bit but...). So when Togo came to her, asking her to date him, she decided to go with him, only if he promised to take her to all the places he went with Haru.
Togo is the (third)son of the extremely wealthy and well connected Hiragi family, he has never really taken life too seriously, he has never really smiled, he lacks ambition and drive to do anything, he is very stoic and just goes with the flow. Since he doesn't really have any ambition of his own he allows his mother to smother him with Haru during the family introduction. Even then he noticed Natsumi, the older sister who was quiet and withdrawn with really no sign of life like him. After he started dating Haru he found out that she was more than that, she was lively and connected with people. Anyways with the agreement between Togo and Natsumi after Haru's death, they start going out and soon enough, they begin to have feelings for each other. This is where the 'curse' comes into play. With the love growing between them, Natsumi begins to feel guilty for loving her dead sister's fiance. To compound on that, she found Haru's online diary and things just went darker from there.

I have spoiled this story a lot but I just felt like it was powerful and sad. One thing that Togo said that I think would stay with me a long time is "Dead people cannot be sad". It is the same way that they cannot want things or change things, people living just have to keep living.
I really loved this book and I will be looking forward to more of Asuka Konishi's work.

I like the art style for this manga. Unfortunately that was the only thing I liked. The plot/the relationship between the three main characters is way too weird. I think this manga would benefit from a different title; to call it a 'curse' is a little over-dramatic, and I felt that part just didn't flow well with the rest of the story.

!!!!!! YES, YES & YES! Reading this book gave me sooooo much joy! I couldn't put it down once!!!

Our story starts out as a typical one. We meet Togo as he's being introduced for a marriage arrangement to our two main female leads, Haru & Natsumi.
Haru is a beaming shoujo female protagonist. She's cute, cheery & the obvious choice for marriage to Togo's family. While he begins to date her to make his mother happy, he's really interested in Haru's older sister Natsumi!
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Haru passes away and in a strange turn of events, Natsumi & Togo begin dating.

This is where the story begins to deflower as something much more meaningful. The story doesn't sugar coat anything as we navigate through the characters grief, trauma, suicide attempts and the guilt that comes with dating your beloved sister's man. While it may sound wrong, you can't help but root for Natsumi who is awkward yet honest and hardworking.

The story is refreshing and unlike anything I have read before.
I LOVED everything about this volume and I absolutely cannot WAIT to get my hands on more of this twisted yet beautiful story.
I highly recommend this story.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

True Rating: 4.5 stars

This is a beautiful story diving into the facets of grief, loss, and overcoming the death of a loved one. This volume can be very triggering, so please tread with caution. (grief, loss of a loved one, suicide attempts, etc. kind of triggers. Please be safe!)
With that said, I honestly found this volume also hopeful, where we see these two people who think they shouldn't be together find healing through their interactions. They also understand one another's grief, and truly come to help each other.

For more details about this particular volume, please check out this video, where I go into detail about it, and some other volumes I read recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfX4yuShBQ

I am so excited to see that Konishi-sensei's work is finally getting an English translation, and I hope more of it is brought to us soon!

Haru's Curse is a gritty, harrowing story about love. Natsumi is the pedigreed daughter of a once well-to-do family, but she isn't exactly the perfect wife material, so when a branch family comes to see her along with her sister, Haru, she's overlooked for her quieter, smarter, more modest younger sister. Togo, the branch family bachelor, and Haru are then engaged, but their relationship is little more than for show--at least on Togo's end. When Haru is stricken with illness, and ultimately dies, Togo and Natsumi begin dating. Now enters drama, heartache, family manipulations, and maybe romance? I won't spoil it, so I'll stop there.

What Konishi-sensei does so well is create characters with genuine feeling and guts. I love the portrayal of the emotions in the expression fo the characters, and the way Konishi-sensei draws is so unique and refreshing.