A fantastic first volume that has lots of intrigue. The characters were vivid and compelling, making you immediately want more. The story itself is familiar, yet unique and gives you just enough information to keep you turning pages frantically. I really like the different styles of art for the chapter headings versus the panels. I cannot wait to continue reading this series and I'm going to make sure my library picks it up!

What a fascinating start to a new story. I am very curious to see where this one is going, and look forward to future installments.

I had no idea what to expect, but it sure wasn't that! The art, the story, the characters, the mystery, I was HOOKED. I NEED to know what happens next. Who is his wife really, who took her and why, what is his curse/power all about and will he be able to get his wife back?

This was different from other historical manga that I've read, it seems more serious and mystical, but I haven't read much historical manga, so take that as you will. I 100% enjoyed this and will be reading the next volume for sure!

5, highly recommend if you are looking for something a little bit different and will grab you, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC of this to read and review.

This is one of the best manga that I have read this year. In this we follow Ryudo Konosuke, an outcast samurai that can't touch any kind of metal, including swords. After witnessing his mom die and not being able to defend her, Konosuke, decides that he doesn't want to live any more. But before he can end his life a strange woman shows up with a marriage proposal for him. He reluctantly accepts and she slowly starts to help him improve his life. But when a mysterious man shows up and tries to take her away, will Konosuke be able to save her like he was unable to save his mom?

This was such a fantastic manga! I cannot wait to read the next volume as this one left on a huge cliffhanger. The pacing of this was great, I liked that we got time to know the two main characters before a bunch of crazy stuff started happening. The artwork was amazing as well.

The characters and scenario are very engaging; I especially appreciate how the female characters are the stronger, more active personalities who drive the plot and inspire others through their defense of others. This volume sets up the story, but takes a long while to do so--I'm interested in seeing how the rest of the story goes.

The art in this book is just incredible. Thank you so much for allowing to read this early! Definitely will recommend

Steel of the Celestial Shadows is a refreshing take on the samurai genre, based on what I've seen in the English-language market. Your main character is Konosuke, a samurai who "repels and distorts any metal that gets near him" which is a big deal if your line of work is supposed to involve swords. For this reason, he can't shave or groom himself properly and shows up unkempt at the unemployment office, and I like how that's not your typical unkempt samurai. Matsuura could have just stuck to this premise and made a slice of life story but the addition of a woman that seems too good to be true kicks off a series of events that make Konosuke's life a lot more complicated, and hints that perhaps his steel repulsion might not be such a bad thing. I would like to see how things develop in volume 2.

Ryudo Konosuke is a samurai unable to touch any metal. Due to this issue, he's not able to find any work and is about to end his life when a mysterious woman rescues him and proposes marriage. Ryudo is suspicious and doesn't understand why someone would marry him, but Tsuki is persistent and starts to break down his walls. As Ryudo starts to accept Tsuki, he realizes there might be more kinds of magic out there than his ability to avoid metal. Overall, an interesting start to a series that will hopefully explain more of the magical elements as it continues. The art style for Tsuki was very well drawn.

I initially picked this up as a teen title to review for Booklist, but ended up reviewing it as an adult title due to the seriousness of the topic and that the main characters consummate their marriage on page. But the story is rich, and the illustrations are superb. I enjoyed the character development and the amount of time spent building up the characters before we got to the main crux of the conflict. The cliffhanger of this volume was quite cruel, and now I really need volume two.

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5

Steel of the Celestial Shadows follows Ryudo Konosuke, a samurai wanting to prove himself a strong warrior, except that he was cursed with the inability to wield metal. Any metal. Ever. Destitute and desperate, Ryudo agrees to marry a beautiful stranger but soon becomes embroiled in a magical world of power beyond anything he’s ever known.

This surprised me. I was not expecting to like this story as much as I did.
First of all, the art was amazing. The facial details and expressions were so unique and mesmerizing to see. I LOVE how Daruma draws eyes. The magnitude of emotions they’re able to portray in the eyes alone is insane. Tsuki is also drawn so beautifully every frame.

From the get go, this story has captivated my attention. I can’t wait to read the next and future volumes.

This was incredibly cool.
This manga follows a man who is terrified of steel but desperately wants to be a samurai. He wants to be able to protect the people he loves. This intensifies when a mysterious woman appears in his life and ask him to marry her.
The art was also amazing!

This manga was quite interesting! It was unique to see a samurai who cannot touch metal, not just for fear reasons but for supernatural ones, too. His wife is so nice and I am curious about her backstory. The action really didn't start until close to the end, but it made me want to read the next volume right away. I am curious to see where this story goes.

This is the beginning of an interesting story, I'll definitely be interested in seeing where it goes in the future. It's not quite right for our shop because our manga carters more toward children but still very good