I make the joke all the time that I am vampire trash—and I am, especially when it comes to manga. So, when I saw that Kodansha has the license to The Honey Blood Beauty and Her Vampire, I knew I had to review. That said, this is one campy vampire romp that may just land better in Japanese.

The Honey Blood Beauty and Her Vampire is created, written, and illustrated by mangaka Toma Fuyuori. This first volume is localized and published digitally in English by Kodansha, translated by Jessica Latherow, and feature lettering by Monika Hefedusova  – both of which are from animaru. If you're not familiar with the series, that's okay because this vampire lore is pretty out there.

The Honey Blood Beauty and Her Vampire Volume 1 is all about Kagari Tojyo, a teen girl who is smart and beautiful Pabulum with honey blood.  Pabulum in the world of this manga series are a designated food source for vampires, and honey bloods are the best among them. Read: best tasting, best smelling, best food, among them. then there are the SP who exist to protect them from hungry vampires while they're out in the world. Partnered up with honey bloods by the government to protect them, SP's are essentially bodyguards who receive the payment of the honey blood that they're protecting. Kagiri's SP is none other than the extremely popular and handsome Ryotaro.

Now, like most campy manga, Ryotaro is supposed to fit the role of "pervert" and the translation makes note to him as such, but truthfully I don't see it. While Ryotaro does make jokes about Kagiri and pretty much form a very overprotective shield around her, he isn't like other manga perverts, you know like Mineta from My Hero Academia. Instead, you get a guy who seems to just like messing with his charge and as a dynamic between the two it works.

That said, their interactions weighed down by weird translations that make me question what the context is in the Japanese. I'm not sure if it was poor word choice for context, or something else, but some pages, especially those pushing campier elements, were hard to understand. In fact, some of the word choices and abrupt shifts in tone (which can also be attributed to the mangaka not just the translator) make things that could be funny, cringey.

Even with that though, The Honey Blood Beauty and Her Vampire Volume 1 did make me root for them to become a romantic pair and not just a servant/master one. And overall, it delivers even if it's quickly done with Kagiri all of a sudden very intent on having Ryotaro drink more than just a mouthful of her blood.

Overall, The Honey Blood Beauty and Her Vampire Volume 1 isn't bad, it's just not great. Especially with the wealth of vampire romance manga out right now like Call of the Night from VIZ Media and The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions from Yen Press.

I was immediately intrigued looking at the title and cover of this manga, and of course, I can readily admit I love a vampire troupe! And I must say I wasn’t disappointed with what this story presented. The first page of the manga had me immediately intrigued, as it had a dark-ish theme and was unexpected (for the start of a manga anyway!). I also found the plot developed really nicely across the book, allowing the reader to understand the world and learn about each character’s personality before bringing in the start of an overarching plot and ‘villain’ (although the word villain is used lightly here).

I found both Kargari and Ryotaro to be interesting and relatable characters in their own way; Kargari is afraid to admit her true feelings, and whilst she wants a normal life you can also tell she secretly loves the relationship she has with Ryotaro. On the other hand, Ryotaro is clearly scared of losing Kargari to a normal life and so both are constantly using humour and fake irritation to try and distract each other. The other main character you really get to see is introduced in the second half of the manga. This character is still very much developing and has shown a lot of promise of stirring up the plot and creating tension!

As a first volume, the story has been adapted really well to introduce so many concepts, feelings and drama whilst not feeling totally overwhelming to the reader. I also found that the small bonus comics at the end of the book created a soft ending and allowed a little more insight into the characters without affecting the overall plot of the book.

The Honey-blood Beauty & Her Vampire is an interesting take on a story I've heard a few times over.
I liked the immersion into the story through classic manga tropes and expressions.

Kagari switch in "personalities" based on her comfortableness of flexing her status, are a really nice addition to her character. The appear to be confident behind both open and closed doors, while also shy, awkward, and unsure behind close doors made her very enjoyable to read.

Ryotaro, bad boy personality is the stuff of fangirl dreams. I loved it but also recognize the idea of possessiveness sometimes is clouded by actual possession and protectiveness... making some situations while amusing and enjoyable to read, would not translate into a healthy real world relationship.

But if you're like me, that's a guilty pleasure of paranormal romance stories sometimes. Different things factor in, like vampires hierarchy.

I enjoyed this and would leave to read more.

**Thank you to Kodansha and NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

The plot of the manga is about a girl with special blood and her vampire bodyguard. It deals with their every day life and their relationship to each other. Both of them are in love with each other but do not express it.
The dynamic in this manga is kinda strange and low-key uncomfortable. The entire thing with him being very possessive turns me kind of off. But it does have some funny moments. I would not continue this story though because there are just better ones out there in the same genre.
It's like a 2.5/5

This paranormal romance really took me back to the old days. This first volume follows a human, Kagari, who is a rare "honey-blood" in a society where vampires and human feeders, called Pabulum, live alongside each other. Her rare blood type has intoxicatingly scented, high-quality blood that can send vampires into a frenzy from the smallest scrapes, so she's been assigned a special vampire bodyguard, an 'SP' named Ryotaro, to protect her. She's stubborn yet useless without him, and he's completely devoted yet has a possessive, sadistic streak, so you just know they have a complicated relationship that blurs passion and duty and is full of banter that hides their true feelings for each other!

As far as the relationship goes, this manga really delivered! I liked the back and forth between them. Kagari's methods of trying to get closer to him were cute and funny, and though others might not care for it, I do enjoy possessive love interests, so Ryotaro's side of things and his teasing were sweet to me. I'm interested in exploring their backstory and the deeper bond that seems to be between them, and this had both a strong beginning and ending, with that cliffhanger!

This was a good introductory novel for their basic situation, relationship, and clear conflicts that will happen down the line, but I was left with questions about the worldbuilding that I would have expected to have answered in the first volume. I'm pretty sure 'SP' stands for something, but what? Why is Kagari referred to as a princess? Is she really royalty, or is it just a pet name? (If so, why do other characters use 'sama' for her?) And most importantly, was it necessary for Ryotaro to drink from her toes?? I think I expected something different after that strong first page and was left with a sense of confusion throughout reading. It seemed like it was going to be a much darker story, but instead, this volume was mostly comedic and lighthearted. The author's note promises the next volume will be much darker than this one, so as it appears, I think my questions about their backstory will at least be answered which will probably have to be enough for me.

Overall, I liked this manga well enough, and would recommend it to someone looking for a vampire romance, especially if they were a fan of something like Vampire Knight! I'll be keeping an eye out for volume 2.

So volume 1 left me with a lot of questions, I understand the SP’s are to protect the honey-bloods and Kagari has special honey blood but what purpose do the honeybloods serve? Why does it seem Kagari has a switch that goes between princess and queen? Do all honeybloods have this type of personality? We can tell Ryota has feelings for Kagari and spoils her but was it like this before he became an SP; since it looked like there was a small flashback when they were kids.
I am curious what the school Prince’s next actions are and how Ryota responds..

Quick Summary:
Kagari has honey blood and a bodyguard (SP) named Ryota. The SP’s duty is to protect the honey-blood at all costs. Ryota spoils Kagari to the point she really doesn’t know how to do anything by herself. She ends up developing feelings for Ryota; although he has feelings for her too,he draws a line that she continues to try and cross.
The school’s Prince tries to get Kagari to join the council, but when she turns it down he then proposes to her. However, the Prince only wants to use her to get what he wants.

2,5-3 stars from me. Very enjoyable and funny!

So my first thought was that it gave of a Twilight vibe with the whole human girl having an irresistible scent to vampires. Ryotaro really gives of an Edward Cullen vibe, without the moodieness and dark attitude.
This manga is funny! I was having a hard time not laughing out loud at some of the things in this manga. I´m not going to lie, this manga is kind of cringe worthy, but it has a lot of comedic elements to it.
I liked the dynamic between Ryotaro and Kagari, I especially loved how Ryotaro always called her "princess" or "my princess". The mutual pining was really cute and funny, especially chapter two.
I´m a sucker(pun not intended) for vampire romances, and add in the fact that it is also a bodyguard romance, can I hear a yes please!

And can I just say foot fetish much lol.

Overall I had a good experience, and will most likely continue with this series :)

I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this manga, but it was like a combination of Vampire Knight and Twilight, and I really enjoyed it!

The story follows Kagari Tojyo, a human with honey-blood, that is irresistible to vampires. Luckily, she has a bodyguard, Ryotaro, who is a highly trained vampire who can resist the scent of her blood, and has been tasked with protecting her at all costs. There's teenage drama, romance, and of course, vampires. It had a strong nostalgic feel for me, and was mindlessly entertaining. Yes, there are some issues throughout the story (possession and jealously really stood out), which reminded me a lot of Edward Cullen in Twilight. This is by no means an ideal relationship, which as an adult reader I fully recognize.

Like I said, it was entertaining, and fans of paranormal romance will likely enjoy this series. I am very curious to see what happens next! The ending definitely left me a little stressed out.

Thank you to the publisher, Kodansha Comics, for an electronic copy of this manga via NetGalley.

4/5 Good story but with issues.

-Please be careful reading this review and volume if you are sensitive to SA, Self-harm, and Blood.-

I enjoyed the plot and the art a lot but I could've gone without the multiple SA scenes. Over protective/jealous characters/plots are very toxic but are my guilty pleasure to read. This story is like most vampire manga's and if you like series like most shojo manga then I'd suggest reading it! Its set in high school and revolves around a world mixed with vampires and "humans" (they call them something else). I liked the cliff-hanger and will be checking out the next volume when I can :)

I read this in advance on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I super love this!!! Ryotaro is just the sweetest and I absolutely adore him. He even makes Kagari-Kun look good!! The idea that some humans have more enticing blood than others... I really like the dynamic plot. And to have her protector be a vampire!?!?! Makes for a hot situation.

Not only do I love the characters, but the art is absolutely great!! The details are gorgeous and bold. Kagari’s outfits are really fun too. She looks adorable and I like that her clothes add to that.

This is also funny and had me chuckling to myself... okay fine, it may have been more like laughing and squealing out loud as I was reading this one. I could help it!!! This book just did it for me. Beautiful cover? Check. Gorgeous art? Check. Characters that I adore?! Double check. Fun and interesting plot... well, you get the point.

I may have a thing for vampires, and this really hit the spot. I recommend this to those who love vampires and graphic novels.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Will be on Amazon shortly.

This was such a cute and entertaining manga but there is a small bit of violence as well. It reminded me a lot of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead because of how there’s vampires and then feeder humans going to the same school and co-existing in the same world. I also like how this world has human food and special vampire food. The concept of humans who have special honey blood added an interesting twist to the plot. Character-wise, Ryotaro has such random actions sometimes like I don’t know what’s going on in his mind. He definitely enjoys tormenting Kagari which lowkey reminds me of my own boyfriend 😂 This manga has lots of things happen which sets the stage for events that could happen in upcoming volumes.

Honestly, this book was neither good nor bad. I hate calling manga meh but for me it was. That being said, I should've known better since vampire romance has never really been my cup of tea. It was good, but it wasn't my type of good... but if you like vampire romances, this is for you!

This manga is definitely for those that like vampires.

I like the fact that it humans and vampires side-by-side (similar to Vampire Knight) instead of in hiding or being hunted.

I did not like the secondary male character. He's a Jerk! I look forward to book two just to see if he gets his comeuppance.

There are moments where it is definitely rated Older Teen because of a violent act.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for allowing me to review this

This is a unique version of the world with vampires in it. Instead of calling the non vampires humans, that are Parabulum. I think the honey blood idea is interesting and I love that he has awesome blood powers.

Its been a while since I have read a manga and I really enjoyed this one and its characters. The cute innocent interactions between them and the build up of all their emotions.

It’s been a long time since I picked up a vampire series, manga or otherwise. I found this tropey and stereotypical of vampire stories, where there’s always one protecting the other, but I did like the protagonist. She isn’t as frustrating as most vampire heroines are, but I did find the story a bit generic.

I also found the plot and any sort of development hindered by the structure. I think the characters have potential and perhaps in future volumes this will be more fleshed out. I can’t tell if it wants to be a more suggestive title, or a dark drama, but maybe the next volume will make me pick this back up. The art is also quite good, it reminds me of a more modern classic shojo style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC!

The artwork in this is nice. The story is about Ryotaro, a vampire bodyguard and the human he is assigned to protect. Kagari is known as a honey blood because her blood is especially sweet. She is spoiled to the point where she really can’t do anything for herself. It can be a bit off-putting, and Ryotaro really likes this fact. It’s a weird dynamic. Not a favorite, but if you like reading about overprotective vampires you might like this.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this!

I absolutely loved the start of this manga and I have the biggest crush on Ryotaro.

This is a comedic, good feel manga, will definitely be continuing this!

The Cover is what first drew me to this graphic novel. I really liked the visual appeal of the art work. I love stories about vampires and I also really enjoy graphic novels so this book was right up my alley. The relationship between Kagari and Ryotaro is really sweet (excluding the fact that he is drawn to her blood). The two are childhood friends but that doesn't stop Ryotaro from efficiently doing his job as her bodyguard. Kagari is a rare human known as a "honey blood". Her blood's sweet scent calls to other vampires who might lose control and end up hurting her. Ryotaro is specially trained to refuse this call. But the two have an emotional and physical attraction to each other that makes the call a little harder for Ryotaro to ignore. Still, nothing will keep him from her side or from protecting her. Even when another player for her heart steps onto the scene.

I am really excited to see how their relationship will develop as the series progresses. I think fans of Matsuri Hino's "Vampire Knight" might enjoy this newest take on young teenage vampire romance. 10/10 would recommend. I will be keeping up with future volumes as they get translated.

*Got an ARC through Netgalley***
This was the first manga I read for reviewing. I really liked the artwork, though it was a little chaotic at times and I had to go back and figure out what was going on.
The story setup is fairly simple - a princess with very special blood has a vampire protector who also functions as her personal chef, maid, tutor et cetera. In return he gets to suck her blood from her toes every night. They have a fairly standard anime dynamic going, meaning that she's in love with him, but refuses to admit it and calls him idiot, pervert and other charming nicknames. There is obviously something else going on, as she has spells in which she becomes a "queen" but can't remember them afterwards and I couldn't help but wonder if his "lies" about their relationship could be attributed to that. There's a dark undercurrent, too - yes, of an erotic nature but also of the constant danger of Ryotaro being overcome by hunger and being the one who kills her in the end. There were some parts I didn't fully understand which had an almost nightmarish quality. This is going to be explored in future volumes and I was left curious to find out more.

That being said, I really wish the heroine wasn't so damn passive. While Ryotaro is skilled and capable, Kagari has nothing going for her except her beauty and her honey blood - both things she was born with and had no part in earning. Her attempts to emancipate herself from Ryotaro's overbearing shadowing of her person and become more independent are treated as an amusing and ultimately doomed, slapstick-y side plot. He even contemptuously tells her to her face that she is unremarkable and average in every way except for her blood. It takes another man taking an interest in Kagari for her to distance herself from Ryotaro even a little. Not a big fan of this whole dynamic, I hope she'll be allowed more agency in future volumes.

I enjoyed this manga about a human who's blood is so sweet to Vampires that they have a personal body guard. I have so many questions about the logistics of this and why this is a thing, but hopefully those questions will be answered in subsequent volumes. I love this sort of back and forth romance between the 2 of them. Clearly they both are into the other, but for some reason some force is keeping them apart. While this volume had some comedy to it, the author notes that in the next volumes the story line will get darker. I actually think I will prefer that to the comedy. The comedy sometimes felt forced and out of place. Beware the cliff hanger at the end. It caught me off guard but also sucked me in because now I need to know what happens.

I felt the pacing was good. It didn't seem like a lot of filler for the sake of filler. I liked that there was something interesting that happens in each of the chapters to move the story line along.