nanao is happily betrothed to reito the young lord of the byakurenji family
after she is attacked by avengeful yokai spirit, the monkey demon, nanao is scared with a demon stench
when her cousin akemi takes her place as reitos bride, she orders nanao to preform all maternal duties which catches the eye of a scorned young noble, yako
with promises of love protection he whisks her away to his demon hunter estate where she learns surprise after surprise bout the outcast lord

4.5 stars

Premise: A tainted, outcast woman from one clan marries into another clan. A world of demons and demon hunters.

Absolutely loved the story and art style. Love the main characters, although the female lead is a typical damsel in distress, she’s quite lovable. Although a cute romance with some wonderful fantasy elements, I would have liked it a bit more if it wasn’t so black and white in the sense that the men fight/work and women just prepare spiritual breakfasts.

What a sweet and sexy story. Nano was born with high power but after being tainted by a yokai spirit, she no longer was going to wed Reito. Years later we meet Yako, who has more about him then we know. Ok this at first was a little slow but one Yako entered the picture I was all in. He is so sweet and just wants to help her be more confident about herself. I really love the story so far.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the earc!

This was a crazy start to a manga series, but I’m so here for it. This was fast paced, but still super enjoyable. The main character Nanao is set to marry, but once she gets tainted by a demon, the engagement is called off. The first chapter hooks you and will have you finishing the whole volume in one sitting. I am excited to read volume 2!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC copy of this manga.

The art style is beautifully done. It was great mix of fantasy, romance, historical, and a sprinkle of comedy. It feels similar to My Happy Marriage. What could have made it a 4.5 or 5 stars was that 1)there were some panels that were hard to read and 2) some parts of the volume's pacing in the story felt a bit too fast for my liking. I'm intrigued by the world setting and storyline so far. Nevertheless, I can't wait for the next volume to come out.

I quite enjoyed this one, though I shouldn’t be surprised, I’m also a sucker for My Happy Marriage and this felt really similar.

The artwork inside is honestly 10/10. I really loved the illustration style in this manga, everything flowed so nicely & it never felt too cluttered or difficult to follow. And the story itself was interesting & kept me invested. It did move a bit quickly, so there didn’t seem to be much depth, but I honestly didn’t hate that. It kept me entertained and I’m looking forward to reading more of this series!

This was a great manga to read, especially coming off of "My Happy Marriage". I am excited to see where these two go in their journey and learn more about the magical world.

I really enjoyed reading an ARC of this story. Nanao is a gentle and beaten-down member of a large clan. She suffered greatly while growing up there until she met Yako. Yako seems to have his own reasons for wanting to marry Nanao, but treats her with respect and kindness. I’m curious about where these two will go!

When I started reading the volume of manga I was expecting it to be a really cutesy romance and maybe even on the erotica side a little bit. That impression was simply based off the title. However, upon getting into the manga a little bit I quickly realized that something was wrong with the female main character in her society's eyes and our main love interest is basically her Mr. Fix It all. While this was different than I was expecting, I was able to follow the story line. I didn't like how the main female character was portrayed and basically used by her society at all and I think that took away from my personal enjoyment of the volume. While I am very grateful I got this as an advanced copy, I don't believe I will be continuing the series any further.

I absolutely loved this manga. The characters are engaging, it had the right amount of humor to balance the dark themes, and I was impressed with the balance in this first volume. A lot of first volumes in a series can't find a balance between plot, world building, and characterization, but this volume really drew me in and set up an interesting world with a plot that I want to see more of. I can't wait for future volumes!

This is a great read for anyone who likes the arranged marriage, Cinderella story type tropes. If you read and liked My Happy Marriage, you will love this one even more!

I kept thinking this would be a lot darker than what is it based on the cover and it could always get darker but I think this is going to cover a lot of the romance between the main leads and the regret and jealousy of the other clan! Kinda like The Remarried Empress meeting (from what I remember of) Black Bird. I'm excited to see where this goes!
Thank you to Kondansha comics and Netgalley for the e-ARC
4 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. Content warning for abuse and toxic famililal dynamics. If you're looking for something to fulfill the My Happy Marriage void and enjoy yokai atmosphere and history, this manga series is for you. The difference between this and My Happy  Marriage other than the yokai aspect, is the pacing between the two leads' chemistry. I am greatly intrigued to see what happens next. 5 out of 5 stars

While the plot is nothing out of the ordinary, I still find myself reading similar mangas because they are amazing. This too has not failed to impress me with its beautiful art and cute leads.

The story goes like this. MC is fiance of the future head of the clan, jealous cousin makes her get attacked by ayakashi and now she's considered tainted, is forced to wear a mask and treated as something beneath human. Enter the fearsome head of a clan in search of a wife with high spiritual powers and who does he find?
Our beautiful MC. Now she can leave the hellhole and happily live as his bride, in luxury.

Ofcourse past trauma never leaves and she's afraid to love again. Her husband too is not ordinary and there is a reason he was searching for a bride with high spiritual powers.

I love both of them and the ML is so kind to her it's cute. The MC is not used to such kindness and I will be waiting for her growth and hopefully she will come to love her husband too. I also hope she does something badass with her powers and help her husband while fighting demons hehe.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

A girl in a clan was raised to become the leader's wife but was found tainted and thrown to the side but kept for her high spirit power until another prince comes and must have her but there is a catch.

This was a good read and I felt for the main character feeling the pain of being pushed aside and abused and used, you see the strength she has mustered as well as her fear of falling in love again. Her yearning to be needed shines though very strongly (I can see in her a people-pleasing personality) putting others before yourself can be a good thing but being that way with the wrong person can be deadly.

I am looking forward to the next volume to find out what more happens

I really love manga like this! Anything period but also fantasy is a huge win for me. Kind of similar to my happy marriage just because of the scenario but I don’t consider that a bad thing. I will definitely be interested in volume 2!

Oh this is definitely giving "my wife" vibes and I am here for it! I couldn't put this down and was sad when I reached the end because I wanted more. I'm so interested to see where the story goes as we get to know Nanao and Yako. And I already know that Reito will be an absolute thorn in my side.
The illustration was beautiful and moving along the scenes page after page was very well done. I'm so excited for this series and will be eagerly waiting for the next volume!

4.25/5

The story was well written, the art style is sooo good and the characters are well written. I'm not sure how the story will unfold but it starts off really nicely.

I'm giving it 4 stars because even though I liked the overall story, I can't lie, I wish the main character wasn't such a pushover...

I'd like to send my thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free pdf version of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This is a captivating blend of fantasy and romance.
The story follows Nanao, a young woman whose life goes for a toss after an ayakashi (demon) attack leaves her cursed and shunned by society. From a high life of a princess in waiting she is forced to hide her disfigurement behind a monkey mask, as she embarks on a journey of resilience and self-discovery while being spurned at every juncture by her own family and loved ones. A chance encounter with Yako, a demon hunter from another family, who sees past her scars, introduces a love-hate dynamic that drives the story forward and brings a change to her life while extricating her from her life of drudgery.

The artwork is stunning, capturing the essence of the Taisho era with intricate details and character designs. The emotional depth depicted in the illustrations further enhances the storytelling, drawing readers into Nanao’s world. While the plot is engaging, the story is predictable and there are occasional pacing issues. However, these do not at all diminish the overall experience.
This is a strong start to the series, blending folklore, romance, and personal growth in a way that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next volume.

I really enjoyed this first volume! The art is very nice and the fantasy elements are very easy to follow. It's very easy to empathize with Nanao and what she's been through. Definitely looking forward to the second volume!

I feel like no matter how old I get I will enjoy these types of historical fantasy romance manga which is a little frustrating but also I liked this enough that I don’t really care.

Nanao is part of the Byakurenji clan and was engaged to Reito, the next head of the clan, as she holds the greatest amount of dark spiritual power in the family. But after an incident where she’s tainted by an ayakashi, she’s cast aside as Reito’s wife and replaced by her cousin, and lives an abused life as a maid for the clan, forced to wear a monkey mask her all the time. When Benitsubaki Yako visits the estate where she lives and witnesses Nanao’s powers, he treats her with kindness and takes her as his wife to be. Nanao is just glad to leave the abusive household, but at Yako’s estate, she starts to learn there is more to Yako and their life together.

I was wondering why were there so many titles mentioned in the description of this manga, but I do think many of them are apt, especially Kakuriyo and My Happy Marriage (esp. My Happy Marriage in the beginning when we learn about Nanao’s ostracization within her family and her mindset). The little kappa are adorable (I am a sucker for little familiar-type characters) plus others mentioned, though they don’t play a huge part yet. There is setup for upcoming drama, both personal and political, that makes me curious for the next volume. It does seem that Yako and Nanao’s blossoming relationship will take center stage, but I do not mind at all. The art is beautiful, and the characters are set up in a way that you know who you’re supposed to root for and who you’re supposed to hate. I can’t say the story felt really original so far, but tbh I do not mind because I am a sucker for these. Looking forward to seeing how the story will develop from here!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!