As soon as I started this manga, I thought it reminded me of Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits. It turns out it is the same mangaka, which I love since I very much enjoyed Kakuriyo.

The art is absolutely beautiful and I love the amount of detail that they put into it.

So far I am enjoying the story. I don’t love the main characters at this point, but hopefully as the story goes on I will like them more. I see lots of potential in this manga and will be looking forward to the next volume.

This is currently in my top 3 favorite manga that I've read. Admittedly, that is not a lot, but regardless of that I adored this. Yako is amazing and hot, and Nanao is just the most precious thing that deserves all the love in the world. I need more of this. I do wish it was in color, but the art was still really nice.

An enthralling historical fantasy romance that seamlessly blends action, suspense, and deep emotional themes. With its stunning illustrations and compelling characters, this is a gripping read that fans of My Happy Marriage will undoubtedly appreciate.

At its heart, The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 1 story explores themes of rejection, resilience, and unexpected love. Nanao, once an optimistic young woman eager to marry her betrothed, Reito, finds her life shattered after a vengeful ayakashi scars her with a demonic curse. I think, the pacing of the story is excellent, drawing me into Nanao’s world with well-timed plot developments and meaningful character interactions. From the outset, I was introduced to a cast of intriguing personalities, each adding depth to the narrative. The mangaka’s paneling is masterfully executed, effortlessly guiding the eye through moments of tension, heartache, and fleeting tenderness. The detailed illustrations elevate the storytelling, capturing not just the grandeur of the historical setting but also the raw emotions behind every glance and gesture.

Nanao’s journey is one of strength and self-discovery, making her an easy protagonist for me to root for. Her struggles against societal expectations and the cruel betrayal of those she once trusted make her eventual rise all the more satisfying. And Yako? A mysterious, powerful figure who not only acknowledges Nanao’s worth but also challenges the forces that sought to break her. The chemistry between them is electric, and their evolving dynamic promises an engaging romance filled with intrigue. And let’s not forget the antagonists (Nanao's ex-finace, Reito and the Byakurenji family). Their treatment of Nanao is infuriating, making it impossible not to hope for their downfall. If Yako were to exact revenge on them, it would be nothing short of satisfying. (LOL)

With its beautifully illustrated scenes, well-paced storytelling, and emotionally charged character arcs, The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 1 is a must-read for fans of romantic fantasy. This debut volume earns an easy four stars, and I eagerly anticipate the next installment. If the story continues on this trajectory, it has the potential to become a standout in the genre.

It’s like a dark version of My Happy Marriage and I’m totally here for it, can’t wait to read the next volume!

This is a fun supernatural themed story. You have an FMC being raised for greatness in her family and then practically thrown away after an incident were she was the victim. Some jealous cousin took everything from her and then abused her out of jealousy. Skip forward and she is rescued by the most vicious head of another family with his red eyes and declaration of her being his wife. LOVE a rescue romance like this.

Pacing was a little weird and some scenes felt like they could benefit from more transitional scenes or dialog.

The random full text pages at the end of the story were a little weird and jarring.

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 1 was a quick and enjoyable read! The dynamic between the main male character and the heroine, with him rescuing her from her tough situation, was captivating. I’m excited to see how the story unfolds, and the art style really added to the experience, bringing the characters and their world to life. Definitely looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you netGalley and Kodansha for the eARC!

The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride is the first volume in the series, and it starts off on the premise of a “tainted” heroine who was tricked so that her cousin could gain the upper hand in the family.

If you like cinderella-esque premises where the heroine gets saved, though her savior has their own demons to face (quite literally) then this is a great series to pick up. In the first volume alone there is a great layout in the foundation, and I’m interested to see where this series goes from here. I really like the emphasis on the supernatural japanese mythos coming to life, it really adds to the charm.

Nanao is betrothed to the heir of the Byakurenji clan, one of the five clans charged with keeping the world safe from the Ayakashi demons. Nanao has a lot of dark spirit energy, so she would make a perfect wife for the future head of the clan to complement his high light spirit energy. With such high spirit energy, though, Nanao must be careful to remain in protected borders so they Ayakashi cannot taint her. When a jealous family member ends up tricking Nanao to step outside the border and she immediately attracts an Ayakashi, what becomes of her fate?

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something similar to My Happy Marriage. It practically follows the same plot thus far. We only get four chapters in this first volume, so there is plenty of room for the story to become its own. Some hints of how it will differ are introduced here. It definitely has the same romance vibes in terms of insecure and traumatized heroine meets a powerful demon hunter to fall for. I think the pacing is a little quicker compared to My Happy Marriage, but that's a positive for me!

Yes 🙌

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read this in one sitting. Easy, fast, and fun. I cannot wait to learn more about the side characters. The art is fantastic. Making the emotions stand out clear and strong. I WILL be getting the second volume. 💜

Recommended for fans of:
My Happy Marriage
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits

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

—Brief Summary-
Nanao, strong dark spiritual energy bride to be, had a bright future. That is, until she breaks one of her Clans laws. Now labeled as “tainted”, her life has become a nightmare.

Catching the eye of a guest, her life is altered once more. Taken from everything and everyone she has ever known, she will have to face a world outside of her Clans strict rules.

A girl ostracized by her clan and abused finds herself rescued and made into the wife of the mysterious demon hunter who happens to be the scion of another noble family... so begins their romance. Nanao was attacked whe she was younger by a vengeful yokai spirit, an ayakashi, and was left with a mark of a demonic curse on her. Ever since then her betrothed, Reito, was stolen by her cousin Akemi and she has been outcasted and abused by her clan. Everyday Nanao suffers until a mysterious scion of another family walks in and saves her... his name is Yako. From the moment Yako see's her face and is drawn to her beauty and taste her blood, he can sense her strong spiritual power and takes her for his own new wife. Yako saves her from her family and takes her to his own home where he has demon spirits as servants and is a demon hunter... as Nanao gets used to her new life she finds herself opening up to her new husband and her new friends as she grows. This is the first book in the series, and I absolutely adore it. I loved reading this manga before it was officially in print and am so excited to see it getting a US release!!! If you love romance, mystery, and a great cast of characters, absolutely pick this one up!!

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Loved this and can’t wait for the next volume. Had me hooked from the start. I also appreciated its length; it might be me but it felt longer than your average manga.
I will say it is very much a MMC saves FMC from horrible life and bullying, but I do enjoy that trope so I loved it.

I loved this book. It was a great story and it kept me intrigued. I'm excited to continue the series.

I requested this arc because of the beautiful cover art, but more importantly, because I love Mamenosuke Fujimari's no kuni no Alice manga. So I was excited.

The art is, as expected, absolutely beautiful. The world is incredibly interesting, with ayakashi/demon's and demon hunters and sorta vampire vibes too. The tiny kappa's were adworabwel (they talk like that, it's a joke, I'm sorry)

Our main character is treated awfully by her family because she was attacked by an Ayakashi/demon. (because of her jealous AF cousin). She was super powerful though. A man from a different family comes to visit, seeking a wife, and despite her staying mostly out of sight and wearing a literal monkey mask, he takes her (because she's powerful and he hates how she's treated and some extra reasons). Oh, and her ex-fiance who dumped her and treated her awfully after the attack sees her face at one point before she leaves, and because she's super pretty he wants to keep her as his concubine... his wife (the jealous cousin) hates her even more after that, I'm sure.

If I wanna be poetical, this can also be seen as a rape analogy. Young girl is attacked and is now impure. Her fiance no longer wants her because she's "tainted" now. There are some undeniable parallels there. I don't know how intentional that was, but it's great.

I like how our main girl keeps her trauma even once she moves into her new husband's house. Often in manga, abuse/trauma are used as plotpoints, without actual consequences. At least in this first volume, there's still flaskbacks, reactions formed by her abuse/ trauma. She realizes this herself too, that she needs to learn/get used to not being seen as worthless/useless.

She is absolutely adorable though and not just because of her looks. The way she tries her hardest for her new husband (partly because of trauma, and because she is terrified of being send back) shows it's not JUST trauma. She watches him carefully, realizes she likes seeing people eat food she cooked, trying to figure out what kind of food her husband likes and dislikes, by watching how he reacts. It's cute.

I'm SO excited to see how this will continue. On the whole Fujimaru-sensei's manga generally portray really healthy relationships and they both have some trauma/self-worth issues, that could lead to an incredible healing relationship, if done well. The world is incredibly fun and interesting and I can't wait to learn more. Interestingly enough, there were a few novel pages near the end of this manga too. I really enjoyed that, I haven't really seen that in manga before. Best book I've read so far this year, one I'm genuinely really excited about.

The first volume of The Ayakashi Hunter;s Tainted Bride really sets the scene for a wonderful manga mixing both shojo and fantasy elements. The art style is beautiful, and the plot is easy to follow. Fans of My Happy Marriage will enjoy this one, as there were a lot of similarities between the two series. I loved the main characters and can't want to read more about their journey in the follow up volumes.

I am very ECSTATIC to find this manga as it is right up my alley!

Once betrothed to the successor of Byakurenji family, Nanao is now considered an outcast because of her ayakashi marking, obtained when she crossed the border due to Akemi's urge - her cousin, who has been eyeing her position. But her life is about to change when the head of Benitsubaki Clan, Master Yako, decided to marry her - her status is suddenly elevated as the wife of the strongest clan's head.

This manga mixes shojo romance with fantasy and is set on historical era which is my favorite era! Lots of beautiful kimonos and western army uniforms. The drawing style is very lovely and detailed, mind that I read this on my 12 inch tab. The initial premise is quite similar to Happy Marriage (that I happened to read first) : a powerful yet disgraced lady got her status elevated by marriage to a high-ranking noble. However, seeing so many potentials to explore from this premise, I do hope this manga can offer a distinct plot that can keep its readers intrigued. As far as the first book goes, I am quite grateful that they don't put any explicit content usually slipped in mangas these days (bring back the good old innocent mangas!). After the last chapter, there is a short story depicted in light novel in one page and comic in the next page. I find this combination quite comfortable for it can help me visualize the words I'm reading. Can't wait to read the next volumes :)

I will recommend this book to readers who love the combination of shojo and fantasy manga.
Special thanks to Kodansha Comics for providing digital copy of this book for me via NetGalley to review. All opinions are honestly my own! :)

- ancient spirits
- a woman scorned
- a second chance at life
- "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"

I don't know what I expected in this Manga, but I suppose this is kinda what I imagined? The review were so positive that I think I assumed there would be more of a plot, but all together this book wasn't bad. It was just brief and a little silly. It took me maybe 20 min to get through it, so I think I will look into more mangas in the future.

I was hooked at cursed girl x demon hunter husband. I went into this manga blind besides that, so I was really surprised by the twist! The set-up of the manga pulls on a lot of classic tropes like the soft but secretly powerful shojo protagonist and the evil, scheming families that abuse her due to jealousy like in "My Happy Marriage." But as a vampire lover, I'm more likely to continue reading this series than others with the same premise.

In The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride Nanao is tainted by an ayakashi, annulling her engagement to her beloved Reito. After years of abuse the heir of another prestigious family, Yako, visits and impressed with her immense spiritual power decides to make Nanao his bride.

"How long can I go on like this? Hopes... Dreams... I don't have anything anymore."

First of all the art style for this manga is stunningly beautiful. This is shoujo at its best with emotive expressions, and gorgeous backgrounds and flowers everywhere. While the story is just getting starting, the mangaka seem to lay a solid basis for what is to come with the worldbuilding in this first volume. There is something very appealing in the premise of this story, of being spirited away from a less than desirable situation, that will speak to a wider audience.

"As of today...you're my wife."
"I'll protect you from now on."

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride is a great manga for any lover of shoujo fantasy. I would especially recommend this series to readers who love My Happy Marriage and The Ancient Magus' Bride.

Thank you Midori Yuma, Mamenosuke Fujimaru and Kodansha Comics for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Once I saw this was from the creator of Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, one of my favorite manga I had to read it and I was not disappointed! The story follows Nanao who starts off being excited to marry the lord of an important family however, she is attacked by a yokai spirit and is left with a scar. Her cousin than steals her fiancé and Nanao is not only forced to wear a mask to cover the scar but is also most live life as an outcast until she meets Yako. The first volume really does a good job laying the ground work or the story without feeling like a info dump. I'm excited to see what happens next!

The art style is nice and the world/setting and magic is interesting. So far I’m not too convinced about how the romance will go. I don’t particularly like the male lead. And the female lead has been abused for so long which tends to not be my favorite type of female lead. But if you like that kind of story, you would probably enjoy this one. Not sure I would continue the series myself.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author/artist for the ARC I received.