This was a super hard hitting story that I wasn't expecting to love this much. This manga dove deep into grief and how a sibling carries this weight especially when they have a tight bond. As an older sister, I really related to our heroine and her decisions. I loved getting to not only explore the romance between our two characters, but also the feelings she has about her sister and feeling close to her after she has passed. I'm definitely going to be recommending this story to others in the future.

This story is both incredibly sad and incredibly uplifting.
Natsumi's little sister tragically dies at 19, leaving behind a broken sister who feels all alone in the world and a fiance, Togo, from an arranged marriage that seems to not have any personality at all. It all begins when Togo convinces Natsumi to date him in her sister's stead and Natsumi only agrees as long as they do only whatever he had done with Haru. So begins a story that delves into survivor's guilt, personal agency, family obligations, self-acceptance, and, most importantly, love.
Haru isn't even the main character but she certainly is a presence in everything that Natsumi and Togo do. It felt realistic to what someone who lost their most important person would react to the situation.
The pace is great. I loved how each chapter revealed a little bit more about each character and showed that, despite everything, they are in fact perfect for each other.
The art is very simple, but what Konishi excels at is expressions. The characters come alive when they react to things. It's a great thing to see expressions so well done that a tiny smile from the seemingly stone-faced Togo shines from the panel.

Overall, it's a fantastic self-contained story that touches on hard topics but manages to keep things light. Definitely something I'd recommend.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the read!

What a uniquely painful story... This focuses on three people, Haru who has recently passed away, Natsumi the older sister, and Touga, the love interest. Touga was engaged to Haru and now is dating the older sister Natsumi. We see different parts of the story from each perspective, and I can easily say all of these characters were complex and nuanced. The author did a great job of painting a picture of love during a very painful, sad time in their lives. While this story is morally gray, you can’t help but feel for Haru who was robbed of her young life and root for the new couple despite that.

While I enjoyed the story I found it was a bit rushed, especially towards the end. However I do think a lot of people will be surprised by how much they like this story, as I was too. Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.

What a bittersweet story.

The setup alone was enough to get me interested. Complex emotions, an unlikely relationship, and a dead sister/fiancé? I was ready for emotional turmoil and some dark themes.
Natsumi was the perfect character to start the story with - she seems to be straightforward and utterly devoted to her sister. Following and unraveling her through the chapters was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. You can see her struggle with so much and her family does nothing to help her.
It is a similar situation for Togo. From the very first time we meet him, it is clear that he is not truly fulfilled with his life but unwilling to change it.

The story takes a turn halfway through in an unexpected direction. The author really did not go the easy route when it came to the question of how and if dead people should influence the way we live our lives and I commend them for it.


I could have done without some of the more over-the-top funny expressions since I felt they didn't fit the mood. The artist was less expressive when it came to straight-on faces but her body language and composition talent really moved me.

Natsumi younger sister died and begins to date her sisters fiance the only thing is he must take her where he and her sister used to go. As they get to know eachother thier feeling for eachother grows.

This was such a conflicting story. So the whole thing was that the younger sister, Haru or Natsumi were going to be in an arranged marriage Togo just had to pick a sister. Disintersted in the situation he ended up with the younger sister feeling bleh about it but it seems the older one is stirring something inside of him I thought it was interesting seeing this. Then there was the whole grief that surrounded the book and the two. The curse was the grief these two were going though and they just had so much conflict and confusion about the whole thing. I mean they are going on dates where Togo and her sister which is pretty much opening old wounds when Natsumi was either trying to heal from getting this glimpse into her sister and his life but it was also causing alot of hurt knowing they may have enjoyed themselves. Theres just so much to unpack with this book and I have to say that I really did enjoy it.

Review to come March 10 on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise of the book, what kind of curse is Haru's curse? And why start dating after someone dies? The cover also seemed intriguing, her holding an urn (I am guessing it is that) and both of them looking pretty grim.

Also worth noting this is the two volumes of the series combined into one big bundle!

I will be splitting the review into two parts as it just got way too long with just the first volume. Haha. I just got so many thoughts and sorry if the review gets a bit cluttered/chaotic, but I am just going to go with this as my review.

FIRST VOLUME PART

I loved that we get both POV on things. In the first chapter we meet Natsumi, the older sister. We read about her sister's death, see Natsumi dating Togo (who dated Haru), we see how Togo and Haru got to dating (arranged), and some other things. While I knew from the blurb that Togo and Natsumi would be dating I was oddly weirded out by it as it just seemed to come out of nowhere and it felt kind of disrespectful. HOWEVER, in the second chapter we get the POV of Togo and we see that he has always been fascinated by Natsumi and not Haru. We see how he gets more and more intrigued as he sees more of her when they are both meeting up at the hospital to visit Haru. We see also the other side of him asking Natsumi to date him and it just made more sense. Still a bit weird, but then again given things were arranged for Togo and he always had an eye for Natsumi it felt different. More fitting. Though I still would have liked him to at least wait a bit, because sorry, just after the funeral.. Mmmmmm..

I liked that her condition was that he takes her to places he had taken her sister. OK, it was again a bit weird, but given her love for her sister it also made sense. Plus, I was definitely curious to see where Togo took Haru.

I loved seeing how both Togo and Natsumi get closer to each other, learn more about each other, but also learn more about Haru. I really loved those conversations and loved seeing both of them learn something about Haru. Plus, they are both showing each other a different side of the world. He is a rich isolated/sheltered guy who has missed out on a lot and Natsumi is a normal girl. I loved seeing them both go to the festival (though sadly we never got to see it for real) which Togo doesn't know about, and he taking her to a fancy cafe. And so there are other things! Yep, that is right they deviated from their plans, at least for a bit. I also love seeing them both talk about all sorts of things, not just fun things but also serious things like jobs and moving out. About Haru.

We see that both are dealing with guilt. Guilt towards Haru. However, I could easily see that both didn't per se only feel guilt but also quite liked each other. I guess Natsumi knows and is trying to stop it, while Togo on the other hand never experienced a lot of emotions and doesn't know that the feelings he has, the little sparks he feels, the way he feels when Natsumi laughs or does something silly, is love or like. I was waiting for him to notice. To find out. 

WOW, what a way to end the first volume of this bundle. Not just the conversation that Natsumi and Togo had, which I saw coming but still shocked me. And then what Natsumi finds online. WOW. This could mean a lot of things, it depends on what is mentioned online. Will Natsumi find answers?

--------------------------

VOLUME 2 PART

OK, that was an interesting way to start, we see more on Haru's thoughts and that it was Togo who moved her to get to the doctor. Can you imagine if he hadn't pushed? What would have happened then? I thought this part would be Haru only, but it is actually Natsumi reading the diary! We see that even Haru saw that Natsumi and Togo had something special (though both didn't know at the time, or well at least Natsumi didn't haha). While I understand Haru's feelings on the matter, I did think it was just a bit too much? I mean, I get that you want to be with Togo forever... but it just seems harsh to think the way she did. So you wanted Togo to be yours forever? Never to find a girl? Never marry anyone? That is a bit selfish right? I mean, if I was on my deathbed, or very sick, all I would want is for my husband to find someone else after I died, I wouldn't want him to be lonely. Of course, it is his choice in the end, but I would definitely make it clear I would be fine with it. I would be sad of course that I can't be with him forever... but I cannot forbid him or force him or whatever else to never be with someone. That is just harmful.

And we see the effects of how Natsumi feels after reading the diary, her guilt has intensified and my heart just broke for her. She seemed to be doing pretty fine, not wanting to die anymore, and now she was back in that. I just wanted to give her a hug. Tell her not to feel so guilty. To tell her please don't commit suicide. Please, just find Togo.

In the mean time we see two POV at the same time. Togo who has to start dating again with a girl by the law of his mom (come on just move out already) and we see how he keeps thinking of Natsumi. Keeps thinking that he really lived for those weekends which had me totally swooning and squeeing. My heart broke though what happens not much later. OH MY GOSH. In the mean time Natsumi is doing what she can and trying to continue with her things. We see she is working hard, but that she misses Togo so much.
Oh gosh, I was just crying so much around page 285 to further. That was so emotional, I don't want to say anything, but this whole book is already emotional, but this definitely broke the dam. I was so sad, but also happy. Because it was a big big thing that was just waiting to happen and holy wow that was so well written.

The ending was just fantastic and boy I am proud of both characters and how far they have come. Together.

I loved that we got some bonus comics and they were really fun and cute to read!

The art of the manga was pretty OK, I liked the style, but the eyes/faces were just a bit too derpy at times for me and distracted from certain scenes were you don't want to be distracted.

This was an emotional rollercoaster. Loss and love, mourning and guilt, connecting and finding the one for you. It was beautifully written, with fantastic characters who you will root for. I would consider it one of my favourite manga. Highly recommended.

I loved this entire story!!

The art throughout was beautiful; there was so much detail that it made the experience a lot more immersive!

The storyline was full of depth and well written. The story was filled with pain, sorrow, friendship, love and finding your way in life. The story was terrific, and it showed two dedicated people finding out through struggles and hardship that they love each other and accepting its efforts and consequences.

I loved that Asuka Konishi wrapped up the story wonderfully, but now I want a series all about these two moving together and starting their life with no regrets!!

I genuinely love this story and would highly recommend it!!

Haru's Curse follows Natsumi after her younger sister dies, leaving behind her fiance from an arranged marriage who seems to move right on to Natsumi. She only agrees to date him if he takes her to places he's taken Haru, but as the seasons pass and their bond grows, Togo realizes that his time with Natsumi has a limit of all the places he's been with Haru.

This manga was juicy in the best way. The concept of a woman dating her dead sister's fiance is pretty taboo, but I love that this manga didn't shy away from the complicated feelings surrounding their circumstances. Natsumi's guilt and shame push her almost to the breaking point, while Togo is torn between the path his family has laid out for him and where his heart wants to go. Their grief was messy, and in turn, their actions and motivations were complicated and not always "good." Their emotions aren't sugarcoated or held back to be palatable, and it was interesting to see the way Natsumi and Togo dealt with the burden of their relationship through the passing seasons.

I wasn't expecting a neat ending, given both the circumstances and the fact that I didn't realize this was a standalone manga, so without sharing too many spoilers I will say that the conclusion both satisfied the arcs and development of the characters in a very pleasing way while leaving wiggle room for the "what ifs" of their future with each other and other side characters that my reader's heart desires.

The only thing I'm torn on my opinion about is the obsession Natsumi seems to have with Haru, to the point of saying she's not sure if she's straight, and might be in love with Haru. While I know that grief can be complicated, the comment about being straight or not seemed like an unnecessary throwaway line when Natsumi never explores or confirms her sexuality on-page. Her almost incestuous love for Haru was also a bit... well. Grief does strange things to the mind, I guess.

When sisters Haru and Natsumi’s parents decided to set one of them up with Togo as a fiancé, they couldn’t have known how that would end.

Togo’s parents preferred Haru so an engagement was in the books. Then Haru got very ill, very quickly. She didn’t survive.

Natsumi and Togo turn to one another for comfort and begin secretly dating. His parents want him to move on.

The couple believes they will always have Haru’s memory surrounding them like a curse.

Then Natsumi finds her sister’s online diary.

Using their own feelings, Haru’s diary, social norms, etc. the couple tries to decide what their relationship can and cannot handle or if they should even be in a relationship at all. And if they do decide to move forward together, what that will do their relationships with their families? Especially since Togo works for the family business.

It’s a romance, a tricky one that sometimes feels a bit dark. But it’s also about wanting to live your life separately from what others expect of you.

Great writing. Perfect art for the story.

Haru's curse is a rather interesting manga, I will admit. It deals with grief, loss, love and family pressure. The art style is pretty unusual too, but in a good way. It's almost hard to put in words, what reading this made me feel. At its heart, it's a story about two sisters and also a story about love. Reading this will make you feel all kinds of emotions and the story will definitely stay with you for a long time. Asuka Konishi's writing is truly incredible and reading Haru's Curse makes me want to read her other works.

Despite knowing what this manga was about, I still got surprised by the heavy themes it deals with. Natsumi’s little sister, Haru, is dead, and now Natsumi is dating Haru’s boyfriend, Togo. They’re both not very mentally healthy and I think they should actually see a therapist, but the manga is really good, despite having so many strong topics.

This English version of Haru’s Curse has all 8 chapters in one, as well as 2 short bonus comics, and it’s really good. The art felt very simple and sharp, matching the darker tone of the story. I think it’s hard to rate this manga because while it’s all about grief and moving on (from grief and from family pressure and bad relationships with parents), it’s really good and ends on a positive note, showing character development, despite all the depressing topics since the beginning of it.

I’m not sure I would normally read this if I didn’t find it available on Netgalley, but I’m glad I gave it a chance - I really want to read more of Asuka Konishi's works.

At first when I started reading this manga I really didnt think the art style suited the story or characters, however as things moved on I got used to it. However facial expressions still sometimes worried me and looked out of place.
The actual story and plot seemed genuine and although the characters were always looking behind theirs backs, I believed the genuinely liked each other. I hope in the coming manga's that Haru's ghost makes more of an appearance as I believed with the illustrations it had more of a horror/thriller vibe than romance. It was good enough to read but I wouldnt go out of my way to buy it.

“If you die, I die too”
A young girl becomes romantically involved with her dead sister’s love. It’s beautifully written but it’s also painful when you remember the circumstances. It created a lot of good but mixed feelings inside of me. I love a sad and romantic story.

Haru's Curse is a poignant tale of love, loss, and the bonds that hold us together. Asuka Konishi does a wonderful job of making the reader feel what the characters are feeling; it made me sad, hopeful, and optimistic; overall this book was an extremely well written and the illustrations were phenomenal as well.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. I'll be honest, I requested this manga from Netgalley blind and was afraid of reading it until now. First, trigger warnings for suicide, verbal abuse, terminal illness, and grief. Second the artstyle is one that I know some people may not like, however I loved it because it reminded me of a unique web comic if that makes sense. When it comes to the content itself though, the title is deceptive in the sense that you may think its a supernatural/thriller story when it's an adult contemporary discussing how one person can make a difference in two people's lives. I think the closest story that I can relate to it is I want to eat your pancreas but with more family dynamics and adults so if you enjoyed that manga and like emotional stories like that you should check this out. My one issue that I had with this, was that I wanted more communication/ romantic moments between the two main characters (along with more of the festival because I love festivals in manga) but since this is more adult coming of age I do not fault that there isn't more romance involved. Overall, this was an unexpected surprise and I am so glad I read this 4.5 out of 5 stars

<b>88% ★★★★☆</b>

<b>Plot</b>
After Natsumi's younger sister dies, she starts a relationship with her Haru's ex-fiancee. The problem is that Natsumi is still grieving and she feels that her sister will curse her if she keeps with this relationship, although she really enjoys his company.

<b>Execution</b>
Sad, but in a great way. The grieve is hard, this is not a funny comic. Is intense, the sisterhood relationship is intense, they love each other more then everything else and this hurts a lot. This is also not the only issue that the protagonists are suffering, both have their family and professional issues, they question their life, they change their mind. That is a lot, and is awesome. It could have more pages to develop better the ending I admit, so I'll take of one star because of that.

<b>Characters</b>
They are a lot, and this makes everything more real. The human behavior is really well portrayed and the fear that they fell is also really concrete. Their behaviors are well justified, they don't have a usual Romeu and Juliet relationship, they have a baggage that make their relationship a problem that is way more believable.

<b>Romance</b>
They don't have a usual Romeu and Juliet relationship, they have a baggage that make their relationship a problem that is way more believable. I liked this a lot, and it gets better because they have their own problems and they have to deal with them while are learning how to deal with their feelings and themselves.

<b>Trigger Warnings</b>
Grieve, anxiety and death of a loved one.

Thanks to NetGalley that gave me the chance of reading this book in exchange of an honest review.

A gloomy but hopeful romantic story of two people tha love each other but feel like they have somethings curising them metaphorically. Natsumi tries to move on from her sister's death and in a desperate act she agrees to date her sister's fiance. Both of them feel strange about it because they feel like they are betraying Haru in a way, but Togu can't help loving Natsumi they first met and Natsumi can't help falling for him too. Even if it was an arrangement engagement they both feel the families would not approve so they start to live their lives as they want, which was something beautiful to see these two adults getting free from the familie's pressure and toxic households. It is a happy ending and you can't help to root for these two dorks in love.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC.

this was so cute!! i love romance contemporary manga so much with how absurd and most times predictable it is but somehow it manages to make it all entertaining! loved this a lot.

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

So, this was a very angst filled and dramatic manga but I had a good time with it!

We follow a girl named Natsumi and how she’s dating her dead sister’s fiancé and all of her grief and guilt surrounding it. We also got the fiancé’s POV which added an extra layer of angst as he is also holding in a lot of guilt.

Their story had a satisfying ending! I was worried that the story would go in a different direction and one I really wouldn’t have liked so I was pleasantly surprised when it actually ended as it did.

Their relationship felt real in a way that some stories doesn’t capture properly. We got to see as they both worked through their grief and guilt and got to see each of them grow as people, together and apart.

I had a fun time with this manga! It was exactly the angst filled, romantic drama that I needed! Do check out the TW though as this story dealt a lot with depression and thoughts of suicide.

3/5⭐️

TW: death of a loved one (sister), illness, car accident, suicide, depression, grief.

I have very mixed feelings about this manga. Not sure I liked it but sure I didn’t dislike it. When I got to the last page, I turned it because I really didn’t expect the story to end so soon. It’s not that it feels that much incomplete but I wanted to know what happens next, not be left on an open ending.
Otherwise, it was an interesting manga. It deals with grief, love and family. However, and I know I am repeating myself; it didn’t feel finished. Indeed, though there were some scene that showed it, it didn’t feel like Natsumi and Togo were grieving and/or sad. Natsumi said that it felt like Haru cursed them but I wish we had seen her make her peace with it, go through the whole process. I don’t know, I’m just not convinced. Moreover, the drawings didn’t help. First of all, it’s not my style and second, it didn’t carry that much emotions and feelings; like when Togo said he loved Natsumi, I was like “Wha..What”. It didn’t show at all. Overall, I liked how they stood up to their family and went for their independence.
I would still recommend this manga because it is still nice to read but I would recommend it to young adults/adults. It feels like it is made for an older audience.
2.5/5