Firefly Wedding Vol 1 by Oreco Tachibana is an intoxicating, unpredictable read from start to finish. This enthralling shojo manga sets up a noblewoman named Satoko down on her luck (no, really) with a wacky assassin, Shinpei, who won't kill her on the promise they get married. Satoko has no idea what's in store for her along Shinpei's side.

This story subverts all expectations of a typical romance with a wacky, toxic male lead (who we can't get a read on yet) and a not-so-damsel in distress. This plot is intense, but as a messy girl who lives for drama, this is right up my alley. It has enough intrigue to keep me interested and not guess what will happen next.

This type of story won't be for everyone, but it is for those who love something different.

The Firefly Wedding shojo manga synopsis on the list of upcoming VIZ Media releases caught my eye some time ago so I decided to give it a go, as the premise reminded me of Korean web novels about heroines stuck in unwanted marriages, and I've been on that kick. Yet, despite the strong female lead, it wasn't quite what I expected.

I had an opportunity to check out the release by VIZ Media, ahead of the release on January 14, but some of you may have caught the manga on the Comikey app. Oreco Tachibana's manga starts off slow as we meet Satoko, the daughter of a rich noble with an evil stepsister and stepmother. Satoko seemingly has no issues dealing with them, but she has a bigger problem: a heart condition standing in the way of her biggest desire - getting married. Satoko sees marriage as a duty to uphold and a way to make sure her family's status stays intact.

Yet, when she gets kidnapped and assaulted all that goes out the window. While in captivity she meets an assassin who is tasked with killing her. To save herself, she offers him the only thing she can think of: marriage. A very typical shojo trope, with a stubborn and dedicated lead.

Yet, it went downhill when Satoko's love interest, Shinpei, was introduced. He is initially intriguing and their dynamic is interesting to look at. But the pacing after their meeting was a bit off, the island felt rushed, and it felt like the author was coming up with more and more uncomfortable situations to put Satoko in. There was also a hint of a love triangle, but I could be wrong as I haven't read past the first volume. This is just a personal preference, and while I didn't mind how dark this story was at times (Satoko's assault, the killing) keep in mind that this may be triggering for some. It's not exactly a portrayal of a healthy relationship.

I will probably give the second volume of Firefly Wedding a go too (to keep the consistency with Andria McKnight's translation). But for this one, I'd give it a 3.5/5 for the strong start and interesting female lead.

I am hooked! I am excited to see where this story goes but I already love the main characters so much. I love that Satoko isn’t a pushover and is honestly trying her best in an unfortunate situation. I love Shinpei and his mood swings, one second he’s a golden retriever and the next he’s a psychotic killer. Like I said I am invested and will be continuing to support this series to see what else is in store for this odd duo.

What a unique book! The "edgier" titles are becoming more mainstream for manga, but the blend of historical, romance, clever writing, and beautiful art here makes this one wholly unique. I'm not usually a fan of darker themes in manga, but this one pulls off the darkness without drowning the reader. I really liked this and will be recommending it.

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Ya'll I started 2025 with a Book Slump and it is still going strong. This book is one of the many books my slump has affected my reading of.

It isn't bad, the artwork is good, the storyline different from what I usually read and if you like darker plot lines, this will definitely scratch that itch, but it just didn't wow me. What grabbed me the most are the characters.

The MC h is determined and strong and is willing to do what it takes to achieve her goals, even if it's doing things she has never done before. She has emotions, but she is able to focus intellectually on the problem at hand and come up with the best solution she can with her knowledge and abilities and then she implements her plan.

The MC H is....he has issues and I am torn between wanting him to become less problematic or NOT changing, because I am afraid that the will change with the "love of a good woman" and that is not always a good trope to use. So we will see.

I do want to read the next volume, as it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts and this isn't a bad first volume of a series. It just didn't get as rave a review due to my slump.

3, not bad and broke through enough of my slump that I can say I am more positive than lukewarm about it, stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for this ARC.

Firefly wedding was a lot of fun to read. I not entirely sure of the ending in this? Missing a few panels perhaps? Or maybe need a couple less?
The male lead is incredibly unstable, and his actions are contradictory. The story felt a bit rushed. However, I did feel Satoko’s panic, fear and uncertainty in this manga.
As there are only six volumes to this series and will be purchasing them, because I need to know what happens.

Thank you NetGalley and VIZ Media for the digital ARC of “Firefly Wedding: Vol 1”! I had heard good things about this manga but my expectations were completely exceeded. “Firefly Wedding” was exciting, scary, and really sweet? How can an unbalanced blood covered assassin be so adorable? Satoko is a sickly nobleman’s daughter, and my initial expectation was a wilting flower, but Satoko has an inner strength and resourcefulness to her that I love. She isn’t a perfect heroine, she can get angry, she can be manipulative sometimes, she can be naive, she feels like a real young woman. Shinpei, the mysterious assassin, is unpredictable and intense. Despite how dangerous you know he is, you can’t help but find him a little adorable. I can feel that there’s more to be uncovered with Shinpei. I’m looking forward to learning more about his past, and how Satoko will deal with the love-sick assassin when I get my hands on future volumes! I will definitely be recommending this manga series to the older teen manga readers (with the appropriate trigger warnings for violence and sexuality) at my library.

Satoko must hide her failing health long enough to secure a husband. When a kidnapping plot goes awry, she turns towards the assassin Shinpei for salvation, promising to marry him if he can get her free. Shinpei's reaction is a quick turn about and more romantic than Satoko was expecting. Who has she placed her trust in?

This was a very unexpected plot with unusual characters. I didn't really like the art style, but that might be a preference thing. You mileage may vary.

The illustrations in this manga are beautiful and every character's expressions are spot-on; this book would have been a delight to read even just for the art itself. The plot walks a tightrope between funny and stressful, which I think works to its benefit. Satoko is in an impossible situation, and she does whatever she needs to in order to (she hopes) remove her from the dangerous situation she is in, even if that means tying herself to an assassin-- the very man who is making her situation dangerous. Shinpei is said assassin, and I can't get a read on him. He seems delighted in a child-like way half the time, and the other half of the time I could swear he's just messing with people's heads. I want to get to know him better, so I can know which way I should be yelling at Satoko to run. I am, either way, extremely invested in their relationship and the forthcoming plot.

3.5/5 (rounded down) - Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to this manga. I had a lot of fun with this! I have some pacing and development issues, generally just to mean I felt there were some panels missing I think would have been useful to making the story better/ more in depth. Art is solid. I am a fan of this story though and will absolutely continue to read this!

Firefly Wedding is about Satoko, a noblewoman in Meiji Japan, who is kidnapped after her stepmother pays for her to be killed. Satoko has a heart condition, which makes it difficult to find a suitor who would be willing to marry her. Satoko bargains with the assassin tasked with guarding her and agrees to marry him if he will rescue her. He accepts, and thus their journey starts together.

I do not understand why this has such high ratings from other reviewers. I did not find this romantic, funny, or the hero redeemable in any way. Satoko has morals regarding letting her possible suitors know about her heart condition, so even though she is highly eligible, she find it difficult to find someone to marry, something she desperately wants. Shinpei is the assassin she makes a deal with and he is about as creepy as you can image. He is a total yandere in a "touch her and die" sense, but when he says anything possessive covered in blood with a creepy smile on his face, you can't help but feel your skin crawl. He's also a pervert and brings Satoko to his hometown, which happens to be a pleasure town filled with brothels. He does this knowing "the only way out of this town as a woman is to be bought by a rich man", so she has to become a prostitute and seduce a man to leave the town he brought her to, and he gives no reason as to why he brought her there of all places! She's also still a virgin at this point!

Shinpei acts so creepy, does things that make no sense, and does not seem protective of the heroine at all, I don't understand why we are expected to root for their relationship. I read this with the hopes of loving this historical romance, but it really felt more like a dark romance story where there will not be a happy ending.

Romance manga is something I enjoy, and hand sell often, but this one wasn't the best. I love the idea, love the premise, but I needed a little more story. It felt a little convoluted. Will I recommend it? probably when the second one comes out and the story comes together a little more.

Please see my full review in Booklist for a full analysis of this work. Thank you! I appreciate the opportunity to review this manga professionally.

This is a beautifully drawn and quite dramatic historical manga that would appeal to readers looking for something unusual—and a bit dark. It follows a beautiful noblewoman, Satoko, who is determined to marry well to prove her worth to her family, despite a heart condition that may kill her at any time. She doesn’t get far, however! Satoko is captured by rogues while in town, and told they were hired to hold her prisoner. She’s quickly calculating how she could escape, then meets her hired assassin. He has wild eyes and is covered in blood, but takes his charge of leaving her untouched until the appointed time of her death very seriously. In a twist I didn’t expect—she winds up proposing marriage to him as a means to escape!

This is a darker manga than I typically read, but definitely has an unusual storyline and engaging characters. I will keep this in mind for any older patrons looking for something intense.

Such an interesting storyline with likable characters, can’t wait to see more of this series and see how the characters interact

Okay, I thought I knew what to expect...I did not expect what we got. LOL!!

Satoko is the daughter from her father's first marriage. Her mother died shortly after birth and her father eventually remarried and had a second daughter with his second wife. Satoko works hard to be elegant and a proper lady in hopes of securing a desirable husband to further her family. She gives no care for herself only hoping for a successful arrange marriage (to a man who would be okay with her health issues). After a run in with her half sister she is 'mysteriously' kidnapped by mercenaries who intend to kill her. An assassin is assigned to watch over her and she pleads with him to free her, offering herself as a bride in exchange.

Some things go down and he ends up rescuing her following up on her offer for her hand. Turns out she was kidnapped and taken to a brothel island...yeah. The guy is manipulative. He tells her the only way for her to get off the island is to become a prostitute and get a wealthy patron to pay her way off...but not to sleep with them. So when she takes him seriously he gets upset and she basically has to tell him to shut his pie hole because he's the one who told her to do it in the first place. The guy is, perhaps, at best nuts. At worst, he's super manipulative. It's not a healthy relationship, no matter how it ends.

Hard to rate, because what it does, it does well. I found it pretty disturbing, and not for the usual blood an gore, but how the assassin guy behaves towards Satoko. Will that change or is that just who he is going to be for the whole thing? I did appreciate how Satoko rapidly figures out that this guy seems to get a kick out of pushing her, seeing how uncomfortable he can make her, so she comes back and reveals that she does have a bit of spine. I'm kind of hoping that she's becomes just as cutting as him, though maybe in a different way, and puts him on the back foot in the future.

The art is beautiful, the story is interesting even if a bit disturbing, and the relationship is NOT healthy, but it's still interesting enough, in a bizarre way, that I'd definitely read the next one if I happen to see it.

I really enjoyed this title, and am looking forward to future volumes. I will not be able to recommend to my school age patrons, but I will be definitely be recommending it to adult readers.

Firefly Wedding follows Satoko, a beautiful woman from a well-off family who struggles with poor health. Before she is set to go through an arranged marriage, she is kidnapped. However, things take a turn and it is another assassin, Shinpei, who targets her. To preserve her life, Satoko makes a surprising offer: a proposal and a contract marriage. I have seen this manga all over my social media before reading it, and I have to admit I love a good yandere (and Shinpei checks all the boxes!) The art is beautiful and I'm intrigued to see where the story takes off from here.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this title in exchange for review.

Someone is out to get Satoko, daughter of a wealthy nobleman. She has her suspects in the back of her mind, however she's completely focused on the task at hand: getting back to her family and marrying herself off to the benefit of her household.

Kidnapped and her life threatended, Satoko finds herself pledging her heart and hand in marriage to her hired assasin Shinpei. Only a couple years older than her, Shinepei lives a mysterious and dangerous life. However, with Satoko's bleak outlook on life, he falls head over heels for her. The two set out to get Satako back to her family, however she has to adjust to Shinpei's lifestyle as the two navigate their newfound "relationship."

The art, the storyline, all of this was so good. I am already so eager to read the next volume. Shojo lovers and historical fanatics will surely enjoy this title. 5/5 stars.

This new Viz Manga release takes “marriage of convenience” to a whole new level. Firefly Wedding, penned by Oreco Tachibana, follows a Meiji-era noble named Satoko who has a heart condition that threatens to cut her life short. Her father wants to find her a husband to support her in her scant remaining years, but her beauty and poise can’t hide the fact that she could die any day. And as the manga begins, “any day” might be today… because she’s been kidnapped by an assassin!

To save herself, Satoko offers to marry the assassin Shinpei. Not only does it work, but he’s ridiculously into it. Now on the run, with neither having any idea who hired Shinpei, the two work out their tenuous relationship. It’s a perfect pick for anyone who likes their romance with a heaping helping of angst and drama. If you like your boys troubled, weird, and willing to kill for you, Shinpei may be your new crush.