After Nanao was attacked and tainted by a demon, her world is turned upside down. Her fiancée and her entire clan shun her, forcing her to wear a mask to cover up the tainted mark on her forehead.
After suffering years of neglect and abuse from her clan, Yako, a demon hunter from another clan whisks her away, declaring her to be his wife.

This is an incredibly fast-paced story that wastes no time delving into character development and back stories. Yako is so gentle with Nanao and fiercely defends her from her abusers.

Fans of My Happy Marriage will thoroughly enjoy this story and I'm excited to see how the story progresses. Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for an advanced copy of this manga!

After being attacked by a ayakashi/yokai, young Nanao is ostracized for being "tainted" and "marked" by the spirit. Forced to wear rags, remain silent, and work as a servant in the household, her fate is changed when Yako, a great ayakashi hunter, visits the young lord that Nanao serves. Recognizing her great spiritual power, Yako declares that Nanao will be his wife from this day forward, and whisks her away to the capitol. What does the future hold for Nanao as she adjusts to her new status as the ayakashi hunter's wife?

I found the premise of this book to be quite interesting. There were elements that reminded me of Akumi Agitogi's My Happy Marriage, but there were still aspects of the storyline that are unique to Midori Yuma's work. I enjoyed the art, and I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress. I look forward to reading the rest of the series as it releases.

If you enjoyed My Happy Marriage, I think you would really love this one! It's a very similar setup, so be prepared for the abuse and cruelty Nanao faces in this one. It hurt my heart to see the way the people who were supposed to take care of her treating her like a monster. I really loved Yako coming in and seeing there was more to her than what the family had decided. I loved him taking her away from their cruelties and giving her a better life. I can't wait to see where their story goes from here!

I don’t know why but I had high expectations for this series and well, it didn’t go so well for me. Maybe it was the artwork, the synopsis or the title, I can’t pinpoint it honestly. However, the manga felt underwhelming for me, I couldn’t connect to any of the characters and I didn’t particularly understand the plot.

This story has a typical Cinderella type premise which is enjoyable, when done correctly. However I feel like this volume falls short on it’s execution. It’s messy and information about the world is thrown around suddenly. There’s no buildup or transition as well as the pacing felt erratic at times. There is so much happening in volume one, with so much information that it became hard to process and understand it all. I was really glad this wasn’t my first time reading a historical series, because without some prior knowledge I would honestly be lost.

The story so far doesn’t seem unique. Nanao has low self-esteem after being abused by her family at a young age, for being tainted by an ayakashi. One day, she’s rescued by the visiting Lord Yako of the Benitsubaki family and he declares Nanao as his wife. Suddenly she’s whisked away to his household where she’s met with a very different life.

The antagonists, also known as her ex-fiance and his wife, are pretty typical characters. Selfish and self-centered by taking what isn’t theirs. Although it’ll be satisfying to see them receive justice, hopefully in some form of punishment. Nanao is quite a self explanatory character as she’s the common beautiful but hurt character with low self-esteem. Lord Yako is also the rumored to be vicious but not, and hiding a secret, nice male lead. I definitely can see the potential character growth for both Nanao and a bit for Lord Yako as well. However, Lord Yako is a very kind male lead who’s considerate and understanding, so I’m sure he’ll be a great support and husband to Nanao nonetheless.

Anyways, so I read the volume in one sitting and I’ll continue the series. Because the artwork is so stunningly beautiful! I was absolutely captivated by the designs, the backgrounds and the complementary sizes of panels used to accentuate scenes. I also loved the design of the ayakashi at Lord Yako’s house. Some were very cute, others graceful and some were welcoming.

Overall, I’m glad I gave this volume a try and I’ll be continuing it for the artwork for now. The story feels a bit messy to me right now, so I’ll probably pile up a few volumes before picking it up again.

Stunning! Absolutely loved the story and the artwork. The concepts are solid and the storytelling is vibrant. The romance even seems healthy, which is a nice change of pace for a story like this. I can't wait to read the next volume.

this is a story about a girl who was made an outcast after being attacked by a demon spirit and has been since abused by the family clan. she gets to leave the family after a young lord from another noble family chooses her to be his bride.

i devoured this volume in one sitting and still was left craving for more. the story may not be the most unique one, but it charmes you with other things, such as beautiful art, great pacing and engaging storytelling.

i can't wait for the opportunity to read next volumes ♡

This has absolutely everything I adore in historical Japanese romance mangas! From the marriage of convenience to the dashing and mysterious MMC, Yako, I adored everything about the story and these characters. Nanao is such a lovable FMC and I found myself rooting for her from page one. And the plot twist regarding Yako was truly perfection.

The art is stunning. Some of the most beautiful illustrations I’ve seen in a manga. The talent is truly astounding.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the next volume! This is a perfect manga to pick up for fans of My Happy Marriage!

This had a cool premise—a cursed girl cast aside after being attacked by an ayakashi, and a mysterious guy who sees her for who she really is. The art is pretty, and the world seems interesting enough that I’m curious where it’ll go next.

That said, I felt a little lost at first since the exposition came in kind of late. The characters also felt a bit flat and leaned hard into familiar tropes. I also wasn’t super comfortable with how our FMC was groomed to be a bride as a kid, then discarded so fast over something she couldn’t control. I get that it’s part of the setup, but I wish that part had been handled with a little more care. The tone also was little bit over the place. Like, here would be some heavy/dark scenes and then it will be followed with some comical scenes after just a few pages (which is just a little jarring).

Still, there’s potential here, and if you’re into stories like this, you might enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved this first introduction to the world, the characters and the story. It's well written, a bittersweet story. I love the two mains characters so far, she is really sweet and so traumatized, but he keeps encouraging her and i love ir. Part of me should've have guested the plot twist in this volume, but i didn't and it was a nice surprise when i read it. Can't wait for the second volume to continue this story and learning more about the world.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mamenosuke Fujimaru for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride coming out March 25, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I’ve read a lot of manga and I really love it. So I was excited to check this out. There was so much going on in this story. It felt like historical legend and fantasy mixed with melodrama. There were some things I didn’t enjoy. It sometimes felt like Nanao was going through a whirlwind with the guys. I don’t want to give anything away. But overall, I really enjoyed the story. I would enjoy seeing what’s next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys manga!

Oh, my goodness, I ADORED this book! I will admit at first, I didn't think it would be my thing at all. I was scratching my head a bit about what was going on. But pretty quickly it does a good job of filling you in on the details of what happened to Nanao to bring her to this point.

This had so many parts that just made me heart pitter patter. And it really grabbed me - I devoured this one so fast and was immediately left wanting to dive into the next one. I really felt for Nanao and the life she's experienced. I'm left curious about her powers and how they will play out.

I absolutely fell in love with Yako. It has so much of what I love in romance - he falls first/he pursues, rescue me vibes....and the vampire twist is just delicious.

Definitely going to grab more from this series!

Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 👹 ARC REVIEW

Originally a webtoon now in print!! Fans looking for a cross between My Happy Marriage and Noragami are sure to enjoy this!! It's a mix of romance, action, and suspense - could we ask for anything more?!

When I found this manga on @netgalley I was intrigued by the cover, when I realized it was created by the same person as Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, I was sold! KBABFS is one of my all time favorite manga series and I frequently return to it when I need a comfort-read. I can see this series joining my comfort-read self.

I devoured this manga, twice! I just couldn't put it down. Midori Yuma weaves such an incredible story that it takes a hold of you and doesn't let you go. Nanao being 'tainted' and 'unlovable' just made me love her character and strength more. Yako's 'take no shit' attitude and 'he falls first' make him the perfect morally grey MMC.

This new manga was released on March 25th and I cannot wait to get my physical copy and read it again while I wait for the next volume.

This was so good right off the bat. I am familiar with the author's previous work, and really enjoyed that one, and was expecting similar themes in this particular story. There were similar themes, but the story is so much different, and it seemed like a fresh take on what could easily be another ayakashi story. I'm looking forward to where this series will go.

Additionally, I have to point that there is trauma featured in the story, and overcoming that is one of the main themes of the manga. I can't recall seeing trauma explored this way in a manga, and I really appreciate how this one did without being heavy-handed about it.

I highly recommend this manga.

This is a historical fantasy romance centered around demons and exorcism...with a vampire twist! There are definite similarities to My Happy Marriage; the FL is horribly abused and mistreated by her cousin and former fiancé (everyone in her clan, really), until she's rescued by the powerful ML and finally treated with kindness. I personally found the story and setting of The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride more interesting, and appreciate that there's more focus on the character's powers and the ayakashi in this manga. It usually takes me a couple volumes to get a feel for a series but I thought this was a great start and I definitely want to see where the story is headed..

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for providing this book for review!

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-Arc.

I adored this manga. Nanao starts off as an outcasted protagonist whose profound abilities are the only key to her survival in a hostile environment. Although there isn't much character development in this first volume, I appreciate the growing honesty between Nanao and Yako. The development of trust for this young couple is vital for a healthy relationship. After her clan's awful treatment, Nanao deserves someone to lean on. I can't wait for the next volume!

I felt the characters were quite underdeveloped and the “before” to be quite rushed. I was surprised by the blood sucking reveal but in the end I don’t feel the desire or need to read the next volume asap.

Stooooooooppp!! How cute! I love the artwork and the story! I need more! Especially of Master Yako, I don’t care if he has to suck blood, he can get it. Definitely will be continuing this story. Nanao is precious and needs to be protected at all costs.

A really great first installment of a romantic fantasy manga. You really feel for Nanao and what she's been through, including the injustices of her attack and subsequent isolation. Yako, of course, is a powerful lord who immediately sees someone powerful in Nanao and whisks her away. I'm interested to learn more about Yako's family history and exactly how powerful Nanao can one day be.

When I saw in the description “Noragami meets My Happy Marriage” oh I had to snatch this book up!
Meet Nanao, the sweet, bubbly fiancée of Reito, the Lord of the Byakurenji clan, all set to tie the knot. But hold on book besties—everything flips upside down when she steps beyond the village's protective barrier and gets ambushed by a norangutan ayakashi! Now tainted, she faces rejection from everyone, including Master Reito, aka Master Kudou wannabe. Her cousin swoops in, seizing the chance to snag Reito as her own groom. Cue the drama and feels overload with this manga! Enter Lord Benitsu Baki—no spoilers, but Oh Zaddy!!! This is a solid 5-star ride, and it's the first book trophy I'm snagging after devouring an ARC copy!

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing the ARC; all views expressed are my own.

I love historical settings, and if it's in manga/manhwa then a thousand times more, so when I saw this volume, I immediately knew I was going to like it.

This is a romance with a paranormal touch where we have a young girl who was destined to marry one of the prestigious young men of her village, but for a situation she moves away from the village and is attacked by a spirit and is “marked”, which leads to her being rejected and mistreated by everyone, which leads her to have to hide her face behind a mask, this until she takes a mysterious young man who is interested in her and makes her his wife.

All I can say is give me the next volume, I need it, I loved it, I enjoyed it and it didn't last at all.

I want more!!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.