Since I have been trying to read more graphic novels or mangas, this one almost called to me. I thought it was going to be mystically and it wasn't but it was so much more.
Haru's Curse follows Haru Tachibana, her sister (Natsumi Tachibana) and Togo Hiragi. At the start of the story, Haru was betrothed to Togo and they were going to get married as soon as she was finished with university. Unfortunately, she died of cancer before she could achieve any of her dreams. Her death throws her sister Natsumi into depression because she believed that she was in love with her sister (this part confused me a bit but...). So when Togo came to her, asking her to date him, she decided to go with him, only if he promised to take her to all the places he went with Haru.
Togo is the (third)son of the extremely wealthy and well connected Hiragi family, he has never really taken life too seriously, he has never really smiled, he lacks ambition and drive to do anything, he is very stoic and just goes with the flow. Since he doesn't really have any ambition of his own he allows his mother to smother him with Haru during the family introduction. Even then he noticed Natsumi, the older sister who was quiet and withdrawn with really no sign of life like him. After he started dating Haru he found out that she was more than that, she was lively and connected with people. Anyways with the agreement between Togo and Natsumi after Haru's death, they start going out and soon enough, they begin to have feelings for each other. This is where the 'curse' comes into play. With the love growing between them, Natsumi begins to feel guilty for loving her dead sister's fiance. To compound on that, she found Haru's online diary and things just went darker from there.

I have spoiled this story a lot but I just felt like it was powerful and sad. One thing that Togo said that I think would stay with me a long time is "Dead people cannot be sad". It is the same way that they cannot want things or change things, people living just have to keep living.
I really loved this book and I will be looking forward to more of Asuka Konishi's work.

Haru’s Curse by Asuka Konishi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I received an e-ARC of Haru’s Curse from Vertical / Kodansha through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Haru’s Curse is a two volume series that was published as one omnibus. I loved this manga! The main characters are very likable and I found my myself wanting the best for them! Haru’s Curse came out today!

Synopsis:
Natsumi’s little sister Haru dies of cancer at the beginning of the manga. The sisters’ father set up an arraigned marriage for Haru. After Haru’s death Natsumi agrees to start dating Togo, Haru’s Fiancé. But only on one condition that he takes her to all the place he went with Haru. This is about Natsumi and Togo’s growing relationship and their guilt about their growing feelings for each other.

I recommend this manga to anyone who like romance and is okay with some dark aspects thrown in!

Thank you to Vertical / Kodansha and NetGalley!

I like the art style for this manga. Unfortunately that was the only thing I liked. The plot/the relationship between the three main characters is way too weird. I think this manga would benefit from a different title; to call it a 'curse' is a little over-dramatic, and I felt that part just didn't flow well with the rest of the story.

!!!!!! YES, YES & YES! Reading this book gave me sooooo much joy! I couldn't put it down once!!!

Our story starts out as a typical one. We meet Togo as he's being introduced for a marriage arrangement to our two main female leads, Haru & Natsumi.
Haru is a beaming shoujo female protagonist. She's cute, cheery & the obvious choice for marriage to Togo's family. While he begins to date her to make his mother happy, he's really interested in Haru's older sister Natsumi!
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Haru passes away and in a strange turn of events, Natsumi & Togo begin dating.

This is where the story begins to deflower as something much more meaningful. The story doesn't sugar coat anything as we navigate through the characters grief, trauma, suicide attempts and the guilt that comes with dating your beloved sister's man. While it may sound wrong, you can't help but root for Natsumi who is awkward yet honest and hardworking.

The story is refreshing and unlike anything I have read before.
I LOVED everything about this volume and I absolutely cannot WAIT to get my hands on more of this twisted yet beautiful story.
I highly recommend this story.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

True Rating: 4.5 stars

This is a beautiful story diving into the facets of grief, loss, and overcoming the death of a loved one. This volume can be very triggering, so please tread with caution. (grief, loss of a loved one, suicide attempts, etc. kind of triggers. Please be safe!)
With that said, I honestly found this volume also hopeful, where we see these two people who think they shouldn't be together find healing through their interactions. They also understand one another's grief, and truly come to help each other.

For more details about this particular volume, please check out this video, where I go into detail about it, and some other volumes I read recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfX4yuShBQ

I am so excited to see that Konishi-sensei's work is finally getting an English translation, and I hope more of it is brought to us soon!

Haru's Curse is a gritty, harrowing story about love. Natsumi is the pedigreed daughter of a once well-to-do family, but she isn't exactly the perfect wife material, so when a branch family comes to see her along with her sister, Haru, she's overlooked for her quieter, smarter, more modest younger sister. Togo, the branch family bachelor, and Haru are then engaged, but their relationship is little more than for show--at least on Togo's end. When Haru is stricken with illness, and ultimately dies, Togo and Natsumi begin dating. Now enters drama, heartache, family manipulations, and maybe romance? I won't spoil it, so I'll stop there.

What Konishi-sensei does so well is create characters with genuine feeling and guts. I love the portrayal of the emotions in the expression fo the characters, and the way Konishi-sensei draws is so unique and refreshing.

This comic is about Natsumi after her younger sister and best friend that was engaged to Togo ideas and they started to date with the condition that Togo will take Natsumi to all the places he had to take her.
This is a really sad comic and I felt like the author was stepping into my heart all the time, both Natsumi and Togo have this guilt about going out after Haru death but at the same time, they have this feeling that always were there for each other.
Hary and Togo's relationship started as an arranged marriage what in my heat makes the thing more hurtful because Haru started to have a feeling for Togo and at the same time that he was trying to be a good boyfriend he was not in love with her.
I would highly recommend reading this comic if you want to understand the feeling that all the character have and make your own conclusions if they are wrong or not about their actions, in my opinion, they are not.

Haru’s Curse is the story of Natsumi following the death of her sister, Haru. Natsumi believes that she will be cursed by Haru because following her funeral, she has started dating Haru’s fiancé, Togo. Natsumi agrees to date Togo on the condition that she wants him to only take her to places that he took Haru, so she can feel closer to Haru after her passing.

Though the manga starts with Haru’s funeral, there are a lot of flashbacks to events prior to the funeral which really help establish the relationships between Haru, Natsumi and Togo. I really liked the change between past and present day, and I felt it worked especially well to show the contrast between Togo and his relationship with each of the sisters.

Haru’s Curse is a very real and raw portrayal of death and grief. As a reader, you see a lot of Natsumi and Togo struggling with their own feelings about Haru’s death, as well as their extended families. Haru’s Curse doesn’t shy away from a serious subject matter, with many serious and often dark subject matters touched on, but in a very respectful way.

As expected, there are a lot of hurdles throughout Haru’s Curse. Not only do Natsumi and Togo have to wrestle with their own guilt and emotions surrounding Haru’s death, but there are also a lot of outside influences interfering in their relationship and

The characters of Natsumi and Togo feel incredibly nuanced, whilst also feeling very realistic. Natsumi is hardworking, excitable and cheerful, but to Togo she seems the total opposite. Togo, who comes from a prestigious family, has his whole life mapped out for him according to his family traditions and expectations. As Natsumi and Togo’s relationship develops, the reader beings to see the effect they each have on each other and how they each change as a result of their relationship.

What I really liked about Haru’s Curse is that characters actually talk to each other. I’ve read a lot of manga where miscommunication is key, or characters bottle things up, but in this there is none of that. This helps all of the characters feel a lot more like the adults they are meant to be, and also a lot more realistic – this is what real people do after all! Well… for the most part anyway.

There’s a lot to like about Haru’s Curse, and it poses really interesting questions about how to honour the dead and how to move on after the death of a loved one. Haru’s Curse does seem to go too far at times – I did feel like it could have been left that Natsumi and Haru’s relationship was just sisterly, but the manga edges slightly further this and Natsumi declares at points that she was in love with Haru. Fortunately, this isn’t really a main area of focus and you can easily move past it and focus on the many great parts of Haru’s Curse.

DEEP. So very deep.
Usually the mangas that I read are light and fluffy but I really enjoyed how different this one was.
I feel so bad for Natsumi. Not only did her sister die but she is riddled with guilt.
I think if it was under different circumstaces, she would be in the wrong. But considering it was an arranged marriage and Natsumi has genuine feelings then she really can't be blamed for following her heart. Especially not after everything she did for Haru. I think in death Haru became very selfish. She should want her sister to be happy.
She also wanted Togo to be happy. What if Togo being with Natsumi is what makes him truly happy?
Haru didn't like being treated like a child but she acted like one.

Natsumi and Haru are sisters and they are the closest family to each other after their parents divorce and the father remarries. When they are teenagers, Haru starts dating Togo as part of an engagement in an arranged marriage. They are together for two years when Haru dies from a non-specified cancer. Later Togo asks Natsumi to go out with him and she agrees on the condition they go to the places he went with Haru. Thus begins a sort of relationship between Natsumi and Togo that isn't all that straightforward.

This story probably falls under the josei genre of manga which is targeted at women. For the most part there's an aura of gloom over the story. Natsumi feels guilty for dating her sister's fiance and there's a similar feeling for Togo. Both characters have to move forward and this story tells how they both go about it. Although the subject is kind of complicated, the telling of the story is simple, with flashbacks to earlier times to help tell the story.

Overall, it's a nice story about two adults and is done without a lot of fuss.

I give this 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Haru's Curse is a bittersweet story of familial and romantic love. I have pulled away from romance manga for years now, but I was drawn to Haru's Curse based off the synopsis. It seemed different, to put it simply.

The clean, simplistic art style contrasts starkly to the darker story. Haru's Curse is a complete 180 from the other romance manga I decided to pick up recently. And I must say, that despite the fact that I could feel my heart wrench a little with every chapter, I genuinely loved Haru's Curse.

With the ghost of a sister and lover constantly in the background, does the guilt ever really go away?

I highly recommend this book!

NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.

"Natsumi’s little sister Haru was her whole world—and now she’s gone. After the funeral, Natsumi reluctantly agrees to date her sister’s fiancé Togo. But as their relationship develops with the passing seasons, Haru’s memory lingers over them like a curse. Asuka Konishi’s English-language debut is a nuanced and affecting portrait of the conflict between romantic and familial love, and of the hard choices that face us all in making our lives our own." -- Description

I usually stay clear of romance manga because its generally childish, basically pornography for men, or entirely comprised of slapstick comedy, usually taking place in high school, and is so far distanced from my life that its like me watching Disney Channel sitcoms meant for children. I gravitated towards reading Haru’s Curse for two reasons: I love atypical art styles in anime/manga, and the description sounded mature and somewhat thrilling for a romance manga.

The art style thing comes from my distaste of how most anime has looked for the last decade or so, I’ll likely upset people here, but I feel most of the Moe Manga boom from 2008 onwards looks the same and tells the same stories, and this style has infiltrated just about every non-shonen property. The tall, angular art style in Haru’s Curse reminds me of CLAMP or its derivatives upwards of 20 years ago. I love it when manga artists are willing to move away from the stylistic norm, even if it’s a throw-back of sorts. Usually, to me, its a sign of quality. and it definitely was.

Storyline-wise, the way Asuka Konishi writes is refreshing. Most romance manga follow the tried-and-true cliched plot of 1) girl lusts over dreamy and brooding guy 2)he has mysterious past 3) they go headlong into love 4) some obstruction gets in the way 4) they work through it and are together, or in some cases the main characters die etc. It gets tiresome and seems too formulaic. This story is somewhat flipped on its head as it jumps point of view a few times, even telling the story from the male protagonist’s POV a few times. The couple in question only start “dating” as some sort of mourning for Natsumi’s younger sister Haru, who has died of cancer. Once they meet a requirement of her proposal, that Togo takes her to all the places that he enjoyed with Haru, their relationship abruptly ends. Or at least, that’s what they think. I don’t plan to spoil everything, don’t worry!

All of the main characters are written as real people, none are “Mary-Sue” perfect people, and each has flaws. Seeing the story from all points of view was great, and gave depth to everyone. This comic deals with issues like arranged marriages, familiar pressure, and even Japanese societal norms that really leaves you on the edge of your seat like any good drama would. I don’t normally say this about this genre, but I think this has been my favorite manga of the year so far, and I will try to find a way to read the author’s previous work, Raise wa Tanin ga Ii (something like: I’d Prefer It If We’re Strangers in Our Next Life).

Natsumi’s little sister Haru means the world to her. However, after Haru tragically passes away from cancer, Natsumi begins dating her sister’s fiancé Togo on one condition: that he takes her to every place he visited with Haru.

However, as the seasons pass, both of them remain haunted by the shadow of Haru’s death.

Haru’s Curse by Asuka Konishi isn't a sugar-coated romance. It’s an emotionally-driven story about reconciling love, guilt, and loss. It navigates both romantic and family relationships with heartbreaking honesty and skill. There’s an incredible rawness to it. The characters are messy, flawed, believable.

I’m going to be honest though. The art is also more simplistic than I’m used to and it took a while to grow on me. However, by the end, I found the art style charming and the sheer earnestness in the dialogue is enough to carry the emotional weight of the story.

Lastly, one of my nitpicky issues with the manga actually boils down to the typesetting. It's the same issue I had with Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest since both manga are published under the same imprint of Kodansha: Vertical Comics. The font can be small at times—especially for sounds effects—making it more difficult to read in certain parts.

Overall though, Haru’s Curse is a tragically poignant and bittersweet josei romance about two souls coping with the death of a loved one while coming to terms with their own feelings for each other. I cannot recommend it enough.

This was such an interesting reading. The manga is about this girl called Natsumi who starts dating her dead-sister Haru's fiance (and they're both well-aware of that detail).

What I liked about this story was the complexity of it. Natsumi and Haru were so close because their mother left and their father married shortly after that, leaving their with the feeling of being no longer wanted. But they grew too close Natsumi keeps thinking if that wasn't she being in love with her sister. She makes up her mind after hanging out with Togo (Haru's ex).

The story not only focuses on Natsumi's pov, as Togo also has his chapters so the reader fully knows how those two felt while Haru was still alive. We even get Haru's pov throughout the manga. So we've got the feelings of guilt as these two characters weren't supposed to fall for each other.

Absolutely adored this story. I found the themes of grief and healing to be extremely engaging.
Haru's Curse really surprised me at the end of the day because I did not expect to feel so emotional reading it.

I found the artwork to also be stunning.

C/W: Grief, cancer and talk of suicide,

This manga was a mesmerising exploration of love and filial duty. The art-style is crisp and unsurprising. I loved that this volume contained the entire story and the special chapters.

The story follows Togo and Natsumi who decide to date each other after Haru's death. However, the memory of Haru is a cloud over their relationship as Haru was Natsumi's younger sister and engaged to Togo.

In all honesty, this is a really gentle, somewhat dark, story that asks the question "Who should we live our lives for?". While romance plays a central role it does not overshadow the other themes or concepts presented in "Haru's Curse". The translator, Hannah Airriess did a wonderful job with this series and this is probably why "Haru's Curse" is definitely a new favourite. I can't wait to explore more of Asuka Konishi's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for access to an e-arc of "Haru's Curse" in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics, and Asuka Konishi for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very wholesome slice-of-life manga complete in one 360 page volume. The English translation was very well done. The story was pristine and the art was nice too.

The story starts off with the death of Natsumi's sister, Haru, who was engaged to a man named Togo. Even while dating Haru, Togo had feelings for Natsumi, and Natsumi only had love for her sister. After Haru's death, Natsumi and Togo begin to date with certain terms, though Togo took it seriously while Natsumi did not. How can someone date the same person her dead sister dated? Both are wracked with guilt, but also come to terms with the reality of death and what it means to move forward in life.

This was an all-around excellent manga that really dealt with realistic hardships and explored the different forms of love and what they mean to the living. A wonderful manga I would recommend to somewhat older readers, but anyone can enjoy this story and take it to heart.

This manga really had me enthralled from the very first page. The drawings are pretty and add a good charm to the story.
The story pulls at your heartstrings. I could feel the sadness from the characters, the jealousy, the guilt, the grief, the confusion and I felt it with them. Every time Togo showed Natsumi any type of affection, even though he maybe didn’t do it consciously, my heart was about to jump out of my body, and I think even the neighbors could hear me squeal while sitting with my knees under my chin. Damn, Togo is so cute my heart can’t keep up.
The flashback does not seem confusing and follows the story perfectly, so they don’t seem forced in any way. Which make it very readable. I couldn’t find any faults in plot or pacing, just a wonderful, beautiful story.

I will without a doubt recommend this manga to everyone I know, it was so much better than I had anticipated, and I want to read more. What happens next? I want to know!

Big shout out too NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I read this in one go straight through and I am looking forward to continuing to support the author in future volumes. The art style is simple, but still manages to be charming and eye capturing. The full colored pages in this copy were astounding (always love some full colored art).

I genuinely loved each character and their interactions. I'm looking forward to seeing how this "cursed" relationship continues to bloom and what comes up for them next. I can only imagine the sets of struggles and hurdles they'll have to cross so I'm excited to see what Asuka Konishi puts out.

It was a little more somber than romances I'm used to reading, but nevertheless I enjoyed it and will be picking up this volume physically when it's released.

I read it in one go - couldn't put it down.

The story is a relentless narration of grief and loss; on how to keep going in your life and rebuild yourself after your world lose its own centre. I would definetly buy this on paperback when it comes out. Thank you so much for this galley!