Blissful Land is a charming manga set in 18th century Tibet. It follows a young man, Khang Zhipa, who is training to be a healer. Khang's life is interrupted when a girl is brought to stay at his house while waiting to be married to her fiance... as it turns out, she's been promised to marry Khang.

I thought this was a simple and sweet story. The plot is very low-key and relaxed - each chapter gives a "slice-of-life" look into Khang's life. As the plot progresses, Khang and his bride-to-be get to know each other better, and the reader in turn learns something about Tibetan life. I was really drawn into the story by this aspect - I know next to nothing about Tibetan history and culture, so it was interesting to get a little peek into that. The art and character designs were also very captivating.

If I have any complaints, I hope we get to learn more about each character. Khang is the character who develops the most, and it would be nice to learn more about his bride or his family members.

Overall, this was a charming cozy story, and a perfect book to choose for more lighthearted reading.

Khang Zhipa is a doctor’s apprentice living in 18th century Tibet. On his way back to his village from picking medicinal herbs he sees a group travel through their town and it turns out his bride-to-be was a part of the group.

Blissful Land explores the Tibetan culture and is very much a slice-of-life tale. This first volume gives a simple outline of all the pertinent characters, and we can gain an initial impression of the characters. Khang Zhipa is a very kind-hearted yet simple-minded boy and I loved reading about his dedication to his apprenticeship.

The artwork is very beautiful and intricately detailed. I loved seeing the traditional clothing portrayed on paper and with the bride’s weaving hobby I can’t wait to see what else there is to be seen. Time is taken to show the ingredients and the process involved in creating the medicine. I have a slight fascination with apothecary-esque settings, and I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of all the medicinal herbs.

I have a feeling the romance would be slow for the couple to learn more about each other. The can’t wait to see how the nuance’s of the Tibetan culture being portrayed and learn a bit more of the livelihood around the 18th century.

3.5 stars

Blissful Land is such a lovely manga, it's steeped in Tibetan culture from the food to the relationships. Seeing Khang Zhipa and Rati's relationship slowly develop is so heartwarming and satisfying. I didn't expect much romance from this since this volume is before their marriage, but I'm so pleased to see them become good friends. This reminded me of A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori, which is another historical manga that follows a young woman who is engaged to a boy 8 years younger than her. In Blissful Land, they seem to be around the same age, and they also get along very well. However, this story is very subtle so I think it will take a while for their relationship to truly develop. I love the subtlety and the use of humour in this manga.

The art style is beautiful, I could almost feel the wind in the mountains as Khang Zhipa is collecting herbs. I really enjoyed the scenes where Khang is making medicine or Rati and Khang's mother are cooking together. I already want to read the next volume.

I definitely recommend this for people who enjoy historical, shounen, romance, and slice of life manga.

Thank you to Netgalley for this free book.

This manga is a super cute slice-of-life! The main character, a young Tibetan boy who loves herbs and is in training to be a doctor, is super endearing and lovable. It's a simple and sweet story that makes me look forward to the next volume!