香魚子

Story:
I don't understand the purpose of this manga. It seems like the mangaka tried to make the most unlikeable bunch of characters possible in sixteen chapters. The main characters are hard to connect with excluding Nico, and the story is more violent than I expected with a lot of blood and knives and guns.

Characters:
Edgar had no redeeming value; he was manipulative and abusive. He also choked a chick out with his bare hands and barely blinked, which is dark for a shoujo manga. I don't show more know if he loved his friends/servants or not, as one of his closest friends jumped off a cliff, and the guy got over it within two pages.

Lydia is a basic girl, who, at times, shows her independence only for Edgar to swoon her out of it. She's reminiscent of the classic horror movie chick because she doesn't know when to leave a creepy situation. Edgar has endangered her life enough, and the chick still doesn't know how to leave. When she was finally able to return home, I thought she had grown beyond Edgar, but apparently, his manipulation knew no bounds. Lydia should be thankful for her magical animal sidekick, Nico. I like that she wasn't “completely” spineless, but that is all.

Ermine is okay but like Raven, her undying loyalty to Edgar confuses me. Her ties to that prince were never explained well. Ermine and Raven are the only non-English characters, who I guess are Japanese or some other race. I wish she could have more personality than fawning over some guy.

Raven, a kid housing a murderous spirit, is an emotionless shell that would give his sanity and life to Edgar at a moment's notice. I wish this guy actually had a personality. He's like a living gun only existing for someone to pull the trigger.

Nico is my absolute favorite. He had common sense, leadership skills, and a cute fluffy tail.

Art:
The artwork is good. It meets the standard of crisp lines, fashionable clothes, and pretty scenery. The eyes are a bit blurry, though.

Overall:
In conclusion, I don't think this was a good story. I have read many cliche stories before that I have loved for one reason: the characters. In Hakushaku to Yousei, there is not one human character that I liked, and that is why I found this story a struggle to finish. Not to mention it had a lackluster ending. This manga may have worked better as a psychological story. show less

Story:
I don't understand the purpose of this manga. It seems like the mangaka tried to make the most unlikeable bunch of characters possible in sixteen chapters. The main characters are hard to connect with excluding Nico, and the story is more violent than I expected with a lot of blood and knives and guns.

Characters:
Edgar had no redeeming value; he was manipulative and abusive. He also choked a chick out with his bare hands and barely blinked, which is dark for a shoujo manga. I don't show more know if he loved his friends/servants or not, as one of his closest friends jumped off a cliff, and the guy got over it within two pages.

Lydia is a basic girl, who, at times, shows her independence only for Edgar to swoon her out of it. She's reminiscent of the classic horror movie chick because she doesn't know when to leave a creepy situation. Edgar has endangered her life enough, and the chick still doesn't know how to leave. When she was finally able to return home, I thought she had grown beyond Edgar, but apparently, his manipulation knew no bounds. Lydia should be thankful for her magical animal sidekick, Nico. I like that she wasn't “completely” spineless, but that is all.

Ermine is okay but like Raven, her undying loyalty to Edgar confuses me. Her ties to that prince were never explained well. Ermine and Raven are the only non-English characters, who I guess are Japanese or some other race. I wish she could have more personality than fawning over some guy.

Raven, a kid housing a murderous spirit, is an emotionless shell that would give his sanity and life to Edgar at a moment's notice. I wish this guy actually had a personality. He's like a living gun only existing for someone to pull the trigger.

Nico is my absolute favorite. He had common sense, leadership skills, and a cute fluffy tail.

Art:
The artwork is good. It meets the standard of crisp lines, fashionable clothes, and pretty scenery. The eyes are a bit blurry, though.

Overall:
In conclusion, I don't think this was a good story. I have read many cliche stories before that I have loved for one reason: the characters. In Hakushaku to Yousei, there is not one human character that I liked, and that is why I found this story a struggle to finish. Not to mention it had a lackluster ending. This manga may have worked better as a psychological story. show less

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor, one of the few people with the ability to see magical creatures and communicate with them in order to resolve issues between them and humans. Intending to go visit her father, she actually ends up kidnapped instead, and escapes with a mysterious young man named Edgar who claims to be a descendant of the Blue Knight, Earl Ibrazel. He needs Lydia's help to find the Merrow Star and claim his birthright.

I've only read a bit of the light novel series - my first show more exposure to this series was via the anime. This manga was okay, but I recall the anime being better.

The action scenes were confusing. Honestly, the whole situation was a little confusing.

Extras:

A short note from the adapter.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

I like the Gothic fantasy feel of this first volume. The fairy (doctor) Lydia sees and interacts with the fairy world. It is a skill inherited and passed down from her mother. The Earl is an enigmatic and dark character who seeks an item that will fulfill. He doesn't believe in the world or magic of fairies, but that doesn't stop him from luring Lydia in and using her to get what he wants.

As with most gothic tales, there is much more to our "dark" characters than we realize. So we simply show more must keep reading to uncover the hidden truth. show less