Hotaru Odagiri

This is the first book in The Betrayal Knows My Name manga series. There are six volumes in this series and all have been released. I picked this up because it was recommended to those who enjoy the Black Butler series and I did end up enjoying this quite a bit. The premise and characters are interesting, if a little confusing at times..

I do have a couple of complaints...there are a ton of characters thrown at the reader and a lot of them look similar so it's hard to tell who is who show more sometimes. Towards the end of the volume even more characters are added. If Odagiri is going to keep adding characters we’ll need a quick bit at the front of each volume reminding us who is who.

My other complaint is that the story jumps around between locations without letting the reader know, which makes it hard to follow. All the sudden you will realize you're reading about a different set of characters at a different location. I had to flip back a number of times to figure out what had happened, only to realize that we had just abruptly changed storylines/locations/characters.

The illustration is intricate and well done and many of the character are heart-breakingly beautiful. There is a bit of gender-bending that goes on since the main character Yuki was supposedly a woman in his past life.

Overall the premise is interesting enough that I plan on reading the second book. I am hoping the second book will be a bit easier to follow. I would recommend to those who enjoy paranormal manga with a bit of a Victorian feel to it (although it’s set in modern day). I can understand why fans of Black Butler would recommend this manga; it’s got a similar feel to it. show less

It's funny how angst in one story will make me *grumble, grumble* but in another story I go ~*~swoon~*~ This story is definitely on the swoon-worthy side.

I like Yuki. He's a teenage orphan who really wants to feel a strong bond with others. Surrounded by angst though he is, he's still hopeful and considerate of others. I also find the "magical girl reincarnated as a boy, once again guarded by his former protector/lover as they try to save the world from ancient evil" storyline to be show more delightfully fun.

If the perpetually trusting manga hero/ine bothers you, though, eh ... this may not be your thing: "I'm fine like this. I'll keep setting myself up to be deceived. It's okay even if I am deceived. I'd rather that than doubt my friends."

Rounding out the core cast of heroes are brother-sister pair Tsukumo-kun and Tooko-chan, little orphan Yuki's newly-discovered older brother Takashiro and, of course, Yuki's ancient protector, Zess/Luka.

There are definite boys love elements, but nothing graphic.

So far, I'm really enjoying this. All Yuki wanted was a home and a role and now that he has both, he's really blossoming. There's still the ancient evil to vanquish, so it's not all rainbows and kittens, but I like watching him find and value his inner strength through helping others. I also enjoy the supporting cast and the mix of humor and angst they bring to the story. I can't wait for the next volume! show less

Rate 3.5
The main character is a bit boring, but they are all well drawn and the story is interesting.

Read #3 Maybe? I still do not like the main character, but the art is right down my alley for 90/2000's pretty gothic art. Plus the angst of the other characters is fun.

This was going so good, and then it gets to the ending where it pulls out all the "women are weak and need men" and that's when it turned to crap.