Set in 18th Century Tibet, this is a nostalgic look back at a simpler time. 

This is almost a medication on work and life.  The story is very simple, Khang Zhipa, a doctor's apprentice meets his betrothed Moshi Rati.  Up until then, he has only been interested in herbs, and after, he still is, but he thinks Rati is cute, and enjoys her company. 

The illustrations are gorgeous and it makes me wonder how women and men moved around in such beautiful clothing, without snagging them, or ruining them out in the yak fields.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4785" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2018-11-28-at-10.23.36-PM.png" alt="blissful land" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4786" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2018-11-28-at-10.21.50-PM.png" alt="blissful land" />

There is no tension in this story, just the beautiful story of two people falling in love.  Along the way we get to learn about the food they eat, and the herbs used for medicine. 

A lovely pleasant read.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

*~.Book Analysis.~*
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)

Rating: 5 stars
Reading period: Nov. 29th, 2018
Format: ebook
Source: NetGalley – I have received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: Nov. 27th, 2018

PROS
This manga was just so cute. I admit my attention was drawn to this title because of its gorgeous cover, but when I saw such a different storyline and settings (18th Century Tibet, imagine it!), I knew I had to read this. And I’m so glad that I did it!
The characters are delightful and cute, there is a bit of romance, but the whole focus of the story is on family, friendship and the local’s culture at said time. I’ve read my fair share of manga so far in my life and Blissful Land is one of a kind! I also loved its clean but detailed artwork, combined with several funny chibis over the story. Seriously, this is just too much, too cute, too all things good combined!

CONS
I WANT THE NEXT VOLUMEEEE!!!!

COVER ANALYSIS
Well, I did reached out for this title because of the cover, so I think this is almost self-explanatory, right? Haha! I loved the art style, the colors and the peace that this cover brings to the reader – I dare to say I felt pure bliss when I saw it! ;)

RECOMMENDED FOR
Manga lovers looking for something new and refreshing regarding not only genre, but also art!

I love how this manga turns into quite sweet and cute story.

A young apprentice doctor who unknowingly engaged to a girl. A weird yet so kind doctor that helps his village and fond of harvesting and picking of various herbs. Weird quirks of him.

So, meet the story of Khang Zhipa and Moshi Rati.

Blissful Land is similar to Kaoru Mori's Otoyomegatari in many ways, except it's set in Tibet. The manga is about a young doctor-to-be called Khang Zhipa, who's obsessed over herbs and loves to help people and oh, he's an airhead too. He meets his fiancee Rati and mostly the story is about them getting to know one another and about the guy's family. So, slice of life more than anything else. There's not so much text in the manga, but instead Izumi moves the story with art, landscapes and overall atmosphere. I liked this approach a lot, since the slow style breathes air into the story. Also, Tibet is quite foreign to me at least and thus seeing the place enriches the reading experience. Hard to say if Izumi has checked the facts though as it is the case with Mori. For me the overall positivism kind of eats out credibility, since the whole thing is such a bliss with teachings about life that it's somewhat off-putting.

The art looks cute, although Khang Zhipa's weird expressions don't fit the story that much and how he looks like a deer in headlights most of the time. The landscapes are beautiful and the detailed fabrics and herbs, which was nice. Perhaps I'd want some drama in this too and to know if this is based on reality or not. I hardly doubt whether Khang Zhipa and Rati could've just left on their own to trips and whatnot like that them not really being married yet. The info at the back was awesome though, but not sufficient, since I take it this is a historical series and thus we'd need more facts. So, not like Mori. Yet.

Blissful Land is a story of a young apprenticed doctor who has a passion for medicinal herbs, and the quiet life he and his family enjoy in a small and remote village. It begins with a young bride (his betrothed) being left with his family so that she can meet her future partner. This is essentially, the scenario, but the story, the romance, and the tension of this story are fairly absent. This is not unusual for iyashikei. The purpose of iyashikei is to focus on the minute activity of peaceful everyday life. This is an escapist type reading experience where you should come away fully exposed to the people, the place, the pace and the emotion of a particular life. 

I think Ichimon Izumi does a good job of capturing this iyashikei essence, with their effective use of art. The artwork conveys the vast landscapes of the Tibetan country, as well as the minute details of Tibetan fashion, architecture, and everyday life producing a full picture of a time and place. It was a very calming reading experience.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the art, but I did find some of the expressions a bit strange or jarring. I feel like these expressions were there to highlight the difference between a “Tibetan” and “Japanese” character, almost to make them seem more foreign. It didn’t work for me, instead it gave a constant surprised expression to the main character which was confusing. Or I could interpret his empty round eyes as an expression of his emptiness. Either way, it was a strange choice.

Overall, this was a cute manga. It doesn’t appear that it will become overly complicated, or deal with difficult themes. But, because of it’s structure, I’m not sure how long this series can sustain itself and remain interesting. By the end of the volume, we were introduced to a secondary character whose presence could revitalize the series. I have high hopes, and looking forward to reading more.

I would recommend this for fans of: A Bride’s Story (By Kaoru Mori), or Sweetness and Lightning (By Gido Amagakure)

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!

This is so cute! I love the art style, and while I was surprised that the characters had their marriage arranged so young, this isn't a romance, more of a cute slice of life story. I loved the herbal medicine aspect to the story, and really enjoyed the explanations of how Khang Zipa made each of his remedies. Food also plays a huge role and is very temptingly drawn and described! It's fascinating to learn about historical Tibet, and I look forward to the rest of this series. It just feels so home-y and cosy while you read it.

I loved it! It's cute, wonderful designs and a lovely story.
An enjoyable read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

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.

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

This was a cute little love story but lacked in plot. The most interesting parts were learning about Tibetan culture.

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.

This caught my eye mostly because of the art style and because it plays in Tibet. It's a cute story about a young teenage doctor and his family. One day a party of people come to stay at their home and they deliver his fiance to live with them.
This was an interesting and light read, where you can learn a bit about Tibetan culture, customs and food.