This manga had a fantastic start! While it’s just the beginning of the story, it already shows a lot of promise. The plot is intriguing, and the art style is absolutely stunning. There wasn’t too much to judge yet, but it definitely hooked me in, and I’ll be continuing with the series. Excited to see where it goes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for Volume 1.

The artwork is beautiful and enhances the story, making it even more engaging. I enjoy stories where the female lead remains kind despite her hardships, eventually finding a place where she is treated better—while those from her past come to regret their actions. The karma in these stories is usually quite satisfying.

I'm looking forward to Volume 2 and seeing how Nanao's personality develops.

tl;dr
Beautiful artwork and competent writing power an extremely familiar fairy tale storyline that should satisfy fans of the genre.

Thoughts
It's one of the most enduring stories of all time: A young woman of impassable beauty and impeccable morals is abused by her family for years until a prince appears to take her from her broken life into one that treats her like the princess she is. At last she is rewarded for her years of selfless kindness and excellent housekeeping when someone in a place of power sees the true value of her and her heart. There's definitely a supernatural element. There might even be a splash of revenge on the side. This iteration also includes a very tender look at the trauma of growing up with abuse, and how much the victim learns to internalize their own blame. Quite frankly, the first bit where she was stuck with her family was hard to get through - by design, of course, but WOW. Her family is terrible. Her new life is great, with a cast of fun characters to support her as she slowly learns to accept that she deserves to be treated like an actual person.

And that's kind of all we get for the first volume. The ayakashi world-building is interesting, but not in-depth (yet), with a few details that make it stand out from other stories. Her magical power manifests in making the world's most awesome breakfasts, which literally imbue the person eating it with magic. There is some sexy blood-licking as well. But for the most part, the story is just setting up all the characters for whatever conflict is to come. There are very few surprises, but the familiarity is comforting, and very competently written. If this is the kind of story you enjoy, The Ayakashi Hunter should be a very satisfying read. The art is delicate and confident, with some really great expressions from the story's villain, and there are plenty of sexy (but low spice!) moments to be had. The translation is very easy to read, and flows naturally. There are a lot of places this could go from here to distinguish itself from similar stories, but so far, it's a great start.

This was such an interesting first volume that set up a world of demons and spiritual power (and curses) in early 19th century Japan.

Nanao was born with strong dark spiritual power and engaged to the heir of the family, but her jealous cousin got her cursed and banished. Now "tainted" she is considered as less than human and abused until Lord Yako visits her clan and immediately proposes marriage.

I need the next volume now! Besides the lovely art, I've enjoyed the characters and want to learn more about them, see their relationship develop, and learn about what Nanao's powers can really do! This really left me desperate for more, so I hope we can see some revenge and Nanao gain self-esteem and love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Read for: "My Happy Marriage" vibes, vampire vibes, historical setting, paranormal

4.5 stars

This was SUCH a fun read. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story goes. The art was beautiful, the storyline was interesting, and the main characters are likable. This was a great romance/fantasy manga.

The story was very good and the artwork was amazing. It was a very fast read and I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

can't wait to read the next one in the series, I enjoyed my time reading this graphic novel and I highly recommend it .
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before receiving an ARC for The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride volume 1 I had heard a lot about it and was planning on reading it when it came out in print. I was not disappointed and absolutely loved this first volume and can't wait for the next 2 volumes that already have release dates and will be pre-ordering!

Fans of My Happy Marriage will find a similar plot, with an ostracized and abused female lead who will overtime be able to overcome her trauma and find that she is much stronger than she could imagine. Nanao is our female lead who went from the beloved fiancé of Reito, the young lord of the Byakurenji clan, to the shame of the clan after being attacked by a yokai and receiving a cursed mark. Her cousin takes this chance to steal her former fiancé, as no one wants to be near her and finds her repulsive. Some time later by chance she meets Yako, the young lord of the Benitsubaki clan, who is taken by both her looks and her immense spiritual power. He offers her a way out, but there is more to him then meets the eye and she'll have a lot to learn about the Benitsubaki clan and what they do.

Also, the art style is fantastic and beautiful! I really hope this gets adapted into an anime and gets a light novel one day.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for volume 1!

Very similar to “my happy marriage” where FL has been abused by her family and ML comes to the rescue but goddamn man,the art is just wow ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the Meiji era, The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride follows Nanao, a young woman whose life takes a devastating turn after a traumatic encounter with a vengeful yokai spirit—an ayakashi. Marked by a demon’s curse and forced to wear a monkey mask to hide her scar, Nanao becomes an outcast. Once engaged to Reito, the future head of the prestigious Byakurenji family, she is quickly abandoned, shunned, and abused. Years later, she meets Yako, a powerful ayakashi hunter from another noble family. Yako offers her a chance at a new life, but this new beginning is filled with mystery and danger.

I would recommend The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride to fans of My Happy Marriage and Black Bird. The story feels deeper and more layered than one might initially expect. It’s filled with symbolism and nuance, especially when you examine Nanao’s experiences and journey closely.

I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Nanao’s story and that of a survivor of trauma, specifically of SA. Her inability to remember the details of her attack by the ayakashi, along with the way society distorts her perception of herself, felt incredibly relatable. As a survivor myself, I found her dissociation and subsequent journey toward reclaiming her identity particularly moving. The moment her mask shatters symbolises the start of this journey—her shift from object to subject, regaining control over how she sees herself and how she relates to the world around her.

At the same time, her beauty serves as a double-edged sword: it draws the attention of the same patriarchal society that shunned her to begin with. If I had read this when I was younger, I might have taken it at face value, but now I can appreciate the thoughtful and careful execution of these themes.

The art is beautiful and complements the story perfectly. I have a lot more to say about this first volume, but it would risk crossing into spoiler territory. I’m very interested in seeing how this story will develop in future volumes, especially given the strong foundation it has laid.

I love the imagery of the book and the story itself; a super quick read for me and I hope this continues with further volumes, I would love a physical copy of this.

As a huge fan of My Happy Marriage, this manga immediately caught my attention—and it did not disappoint! While the premise has some initial similarities, once the story unfolds, it stands completely on its own.

What I Loved:
✔ The art is STUNNING! One of the main reasons I picked this up was the gorgeous cover, and the inside did not disappoint.
✔ The characters? Lovable. The chemistry? Check.
✔ The world-building & Japanese lore were beautifully woven in, creating an atmosphere that felt both immersive and mysterious.
✔ The pacing was great, making for an engaging read that left me wanting more!

What Didn’t Quite Work for Me:
The two full-length prose pages toward the end felt out of place. This is a manga, so I expected those parts to be incorporated visually rather than presented in text format.

A beautifully illustrated, well-paced, and engaging first volume that I’d definitely recommend to manga lovers who enjoy Japanese folklore, historical fantasy, and swooning romance. Can’t wait for the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the storyline. The characters are great. The art work is excellent. The only issue I had was the flashbacks to the past were not clear.

Normally, I'm not much of a Manga reader, but the plot of The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride was very interesting and made me feel intrigued. The end of volume one left me wanting to know what happens next.
The characters were very distinct and the art style was beautiful. I thought the lore was fleshed out well, but still left some mystery for me as the reader to discover down the line.
I can see Manga fans really enjoying this series as it has plenty of appeal for all types of readers.

Thoughts: Nanao had it all—strong dark spiritual power and a fiancé she was in love with—but everything fell apart when a demon marked her, leaving her tainted. Now rejected by her fiancé, she is forced to wear a monkey mask and stay out of everyone's way. Years later, she meets Yako, the scion of a noble family. Drawn to her beauty and spiritual power, he offers her a way out of her suffering and marries her. Her new life is filled with wonder, mystery, and intrigue, but Nanao begins to wonder— is Yako truly what he seems, or is he hiding something?

I enjoyed reading this manga. The art style was stunning, the world-building captivating, and the lore fascinating. The story was so intriguing that I devoured the book in one sitting.

Nanao had very low self-esteem, and I wanted to hug her and tell her she’s worth it. Even after marrying Yako—who never treated her as untouchable despite her tainted status—she was still afraid of him. But as she realized his kindness, she slowly let go of that fear. Yako, known for his cruelty and ruthlessness as an ayakashi hunter, showed Nanao nothing but kindness. The reveal about him at the end was surprising, and I can't wait to see how it unravels in the next volume.

I highly recommend this manga.

Thank you @netgalley for this book<3

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of anime. And I'm having a hard time finding what's next to watch. 'Cause it feels like everything is on repeat lately, and only a few great anime's remain. So I want to spread my choices by reading manga.

I was casually scrolling here on Netgally and saw this. The moment I laid eyes on the cover, I immediately pressed request, and imagine my surprise when it says I can read it immediately!!! It's like the heaven answered my prayers 😭

I didn't even read the synopsis, so I went in the story, blind. AND IT'S SO DAMN GOOD!!! I FREAKING LOVE IT! It's like a combination of My Happy Marriage and a webtoon called "Twilight Poem". Oh how I wish to see this as an anime adaption 🙏🏻

It's got:
✅Fantasy set in a Japanese setting (Meiji Era)
✅Demon/Demon Battling Power
✅Family Clans
✅Japanese Version of a Vampire
✅Swoon-worthy couple

I can't wait to read the next volume!!! Definitely a 6.0⭐ read for me 💕

P.S.
The Kappa's are so CUTE. I would really like to see the illustrated version of them drunk atop of the Yamazakura Tree branch 🥹🤭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced e-copy.

This manga was compared to My Happy Marriage and I can absolutely see that. The premise is the same: abused daughter of a powerful house is "rescued" by cold and calculating son of another crazy powerful house and there are lots of supernatural beings. Where this one differs is that the son of the other house is a vampire! Nanao was "tainted" by an ayakashi spirit (though I'm not sure what it means to be "tainted"). Nanao's family basically disowned her and she's mistreated until Yako finds her and takes her away from her abusive cousin and former fiancé. Yako seems pleasant enough for a demon hunter vampire. I'm more intrigued with the other yokai spirits he has living at his mansion. This was less action-packed than I thought it might be. But I am interested to see where it goes and will likely read the next volume. The art was lovely.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5


Really enjoyed this one. Quick easy read a nice flow to it. Characters to fall in love with as well as to hate. Right off the bat we meet our main girl Nanao, she's sweet and a little bit naive but incredibly powerful. Nanao is set to marry Reito but let's just say that doesn't go to plan and she ends up being tainted and she is treated horribly due to this affliction.

Some time goes by and we meet Yako, who is different (don't want to spoil it) but he marries Nanao despite this affliction hence the title of the book. This is only volume one so we don't get much time with them together but so far I love the story and look forward to reading volume 2.
I absolutely love the art and the kappa are so adorable.

This story has fantasy, swoon worthy romance, betrayal discrimination and domestic abuse. Also blood so be advised.

When I saw the creator of this manga, I literally gasped. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is my favourite light novel series/manga of all time, and another one of the Midori Yuma's stories has been adapted!

Lovely art, premise being an abused female lead that grows confidence and a male lead that helps her gain that confidence. Her family is trash. Yes, this premise sounds familar but this world deals with the supernatural and the dangers of it. Also the (same?) Kappa from Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi are featured (is this story in the same universe?) Anyways, they're adorable!

If you're a fan of My Happy Marriage or Under the Oak Tree, this manga is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can't wait for the next volume!

I loved this! If you are a fan of My Happy Marriage, you will probably like this one. It has many similarities, while still being unique. I am very intrigued to see where this story goes.