Obsessed with this dark narrative. I'm excited to see our MC's personality develop as her adventure continues.

Actual rating something like 3.5-4.0 stars.

Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana continues in Volume 2, where the dark gets darker, the romance gets romancier, and sparks continue to fly between yandere assassin Shinpei and sheltered, dutiful young aristocrat Satoko. This volume picks up where Volume 1 left off, with Satoko attempting to find her way off Goddess Island while navigating the tricky politics of the s*x work industry there. Along the way, Shinpei's character also gets more fleshed out, so while his actions can't be excused, his sentiments and motivations give him some depth. Tachibana also manages to smoothly insert moments of dark humor into her scenes, simultaneously building up the plot while diffusing some of the tension that accompanies this genre. (Please note a CW for attempted SA by a minor character.)

Something else that I respect about this series is that while two very common plot devices that I typically dislike are present--the "love triangle" and "miscommunication" tropes--Tachibana executes them skillfully without being overly reliant on them (so far). Rather than ramping up the angst to an annoying degree, she instead has her characters communicate like the (young) adults they are, furthering their relationship through honesty rather than avoidance (more of this, please!). While this manga is unlikely to pass any feminism tests (ex. Bechdel test), Satoko is still a strong protagonist in her own right, and I'm waiting with popcorn for the drama likely to ensue in Volume 3.

Readers may also enjoy: Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie, The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013), Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku by Yuji Kaku, Fall in Love, You False Angels by Coco Uzuki, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono, among others.

Thanks NetGalley and Viz Media for this arc!!

5/5 stars

Again stunning art and exciting romance, volume 2 of Firefly Wedding is better than the first! I'm really invested in seeing how they get off the island together, and am looking forward to the inevitable character development I can see coming. Can't wait to read volume 3!

Volume two of Firefly Wedding turns up what is already a suspenseful story and takes it to another level! We follow Satoko and Shinpei as Satoko starts working at the brothel in hopes of getting off the island and obtaining her freedom. Of course, things can't be that easy. Satoko's "street smarts" are tested as she puts herself in a potentially dangerous situation. She's also trying to sort out her feelings for Shinpei while wrestling with her duty to marry for honor.
This second installment of the series only opens the floodgates for more questions about what is truly going on and what Shinpei and Satoko feel for each other. The stakes are heightened, and the drama is intense, but there are some tender moments sneaked in too! I'm excited to see what volume three has in store.

Satoko thinks she has found a way off the island, only to be sabotaged by the other women. Shinpei continues to be loyal to her, even when truth comes out from both of them. I'm loving the pacing of this story as we see Satoko's heart soften slowly to him.

I thought this sequel was a good continuation of the first book. The story, though a little dark at times, is humorous and engaging. I enjoy the artwork as well. If my library purchases this title, I will definitely include it in my readers' advisory recommendations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

Lord Shinpei has remained an incredibly unstable character. Although some character development has taken place.
Satoko’s uncertainty towards her emotions is definitely a new turn.
New characters, and possible friends? Cliffhanger again

A beautiful follow up to the first volume! I hate that they seem to end so quickly (I read too quickly) because I already need the next one. I can't wait to see where these two end up, and how much they develop and grow. Definitely worth picking up!

I feel obsession coming on with this series. will definitely keep reading even though it's kinda toxic lol

thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc!!

This series is definitely a guilty pleasure. The male lead, Shinpei, is a puppy dog one minute and then a cold blooded killer the next. Obviously he'd be hard to root for in the real world, but the dynamic between him and Sakoto in here is adorable and completely entertaining. Plus Sakoto is determined to marry for the good of her family, but she is stuck and also promised this cold-blooded killer her hand in marriage in exchange for his help in getting off the island. This volume introduces another woman interested in Shinpei, so we can see Sakoto's reaction-- jealousy, perhaps? It's all in good fun.

This is just as good as the first one! I am so excited to see where this series goes. The art is gorgeous, and I am so intrigued.

I love this series so much! This volume is focused on life at the brothel and we get to see Satoko plot to leave and then realize...she can't. Shinpei ends up having to save her and starts to develop a crush? obsession? something with her. Volume 2 has the same energy and pacing of volume one and kept me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to find out what happens in the next volume. I'm trying very hard not to spoil it for myself.

Their relationship is very weird but I can totally see them becoming dependent on one another. Will it be love though?

In the second volume of Firefly Wedding, the wild ride from volume one continues. Oreco Tachibana continues to churn out amazingly expressive faces. Shinpei continues to be a walking red flag who is... hopelessly devoted to Satoko. As Satoko tries to get out of her "engagement" with Shinpei, she still depends on him to get off the island, which is not the most helpful power dynamic when you've got the makings of a fatal attraction. Rightfully, Satoko questions what Shinpei knows of love, considering he's an assassin. Satoko's own understanding of love gets questioned by Shinpei, given her extremely sheltered upbringing. I'm not sure how these two will make this relationship work, but I'm starting to root for them.

Oreco Tachibana's FIREFLY WEDDING isn't quite enemies-to-lovers, but it's also not friends-to-lovers. It's a secret third thing, and that's not a bad thing at all. As we move into the manga's second volume, the noble Satoko and the assassin Shinpei still haven't fully worked out what they are to each other. To Satoko, Shinpei is an inconvenient convenience: a way to get out of her terrible situation, but eventually to get back to the arranged marriage waiting for her. To Shinpei, Satoko is an honest and beautiful wife to be protected—and if she isn't that, then he has no reason to protect her.

This second volume takes place at an island brothel, where Shinpei serves as a guardian to the ladies working there. Satoko finds herself in danger from a certain patron, but Shinpei (as ever) protects the woman he believes is his. As the ladies of the brothel voice their feelings on the two, though, both find themselves dealing with unusual feelings. Satoko could never love an assassin and feels duty-bound to marry for the sake of her family. And yet, finding out Shinpei may have a lover among the women of the island bothers her. Meanwhile, Shinpei should drop Satoko at the first hint of dishonesty... but he can't.

One could easily write off FIREFLY WEDDING as a yandere romance, but that would be boiling it down to its tropes so much that one would lose everything that matters in the process. Neither protagonist quite understands what "love" really is, leading to equal but opposite misinterpretations. As messy as this story is, there is a glimmer of hope: the potential for both the sheltered, sickly Satoko and her strangely eager protector to come to an understanding and find something genuinely beautiful. Combined with the continued gorgeous art and new suspenseful threads, FIREFLY WEDDING continues to be a fantastic read for fans of unconventional romances.

Volume 2 sees Satoko following a plan to escape The Forbidden Island, but due to jealousy, it goes very, very wrong. Shinpei is by her side though and rescues her, despite her finally coming out and saying that the proposal was a lie.

Another strong volume in the series. Shinpei is very smitten with Satoko. Satoko however is very unsure of her feelings and is starting to wonder if she is in love or not. She's coming into her own in this volume. Readers might still be wondering why she hasn't come to her senses about all of this, but she's making the best of her situation. Overall, highly recommend I look forward to the next volume.

I really enjoyed this second installment of Firefly Wedding; even though there was multiple dark scenes in this book, there were also some hilarious moments (Shinpei creeping in the rafters like a menace). Definitely can’t wait to see how it all goes down in volume three.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy in exchange for review.

Satoko continues her journey of trying to leave the isle she's imprisoned in. She works as a prostitute in an attempt to get a suitor to pay out her contract at the brothel, only to find that this path is not going so well for her. She continues to struggle accepting the overbearing Shinpei, while also finding herself stuck between three jealous prostitutes and Shinpei's advances. In the end, Satoko must come to term with her situation, and what that means for her return to her family and her medical condition.

A great second installment of this series, it has a little bit of everything from Comedy and Romance, to Dark emotions and violence. 5/5 stars.

I'm glad to see volume 2 is keeping pace with what the first volume setup! This continues to be a really intriguing read! I'm loving the theme of duality between someone's "public face" and "private face" is playing out with the various side characters. Satoko and Shinpei both grow a little bit and find some stability by being around each other. They are both tools in their own ways, so seeing them regain bits of themselves through interacting with each other is sweet, if it's genuine. If you're in it for the thriller part or the potential romance, it's a good read either way!

I really enjoyed this second volume! The art is cute, I like how the artist draws the expressions quite a bit. I also enjoy how the narrative turns my expectations (and our love interest’s) all around. We took a major step forward in the plot that I hadn’t expected to happen yet, but I like that it happened when it did rather than be dragged out for the sake of drama. I did miss all the characters from her home that were present in volume one, and wish they were playing a larger role or that we got to check in with them at all in this volume.

I truly have no notes on this one. It is an enjoyable read with absolutely amazing art.
5/5 stars