Haru's Curse is a bittersweet story of familial and romantic love. I have pulled away from romance manga for years now, but I was drawn to Haru's Curse based off the synopsis. It seemed different, to put it simply.

The clean, simplistic art style contrasts starkly to the darker story. Haru's Curse is a complete 180 from the other romance manga I decided to pick up recently. And I must say, that despite the fact that I could feel my heart wrench a little with every chapter, I genuinely loved Haru's Curse.

With the ghost of a sister and lover constantly in the background, does the guilt ever really go away?

I highly recommend this book!

NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.

"Natsumi’s little sister Haru was her whole world—and now she’s gone. After the funeral, Natsumi reluctantly agrees to date her sister’s fiancé Togo. But as their relationship develops with the passing seasons, Haru’s memory lingers over them like a curse. Asuka Konishi’s English-language debut is a nuanced and affecting portrait of the conflict between romantic and familial love, and of the hard choices that face us all in making our lives our own." -- Description

I usually stay clear of romance manga because its generally childish, basically pornography for men, or entirely comprised of slapstick comedy, usually taking place in high school, and is so far distanced from my life that its like me watching Disney Channel sitcoms meant for children. I gravitated towards reading Haru’s Curse for two reasons: I love atypical art styles in anime/manga, and the description sounded mature and somewhat thrilling for a romance manga.

The art style thing comes from my distaste of how most anime has looked for the last decade or so, I’ll likely upset people here, but I feel most of the Moe Manga boom from 2008 onwards looks the same and tells the same stories, and this style has infiltrated just about every non-shonen property. The tall, angular art style in Haru’s Curse reminds me of CLAMP or its derivatives upwards of 20 years ago. I love it when manga artists are willing to move away from the stylistic norm, even if it’s a throw-back of sorts. Usually, to me, its a sign of quality. and it definitely was.

Storyline-wise, the way Asuka Konishi writes is refreshing. Most romance manga follow the tried-and-true cliched plot of 1) girl lusts over dreamy and brooding guy 2)he has mysterious past 3) they go headlong into love 4) some obstruction gets in the way 4) they work through it and are together, or in some cases the main characters die etc. It gets tiresome and seems too formulaic. This story is somewhat flipped on its head as it jumps point of view a few times, even telling the story from the male protagonist’s POV a few times. The couple in question only start “dating” as some sort of mourning for Natsumi’s younger sister Haru, who has died of cancer. Once they meet a requirement of her proposal, that Togo takes her to all the places that he enjoyed with Haru, their relationship abruptly ends. Or at least, that’s what they think. I don’t plan to spoil everything, don’t worry!

All of the main characters are written as real people, none are “Mary-Sue” perfect people, and each has flaws. Seeing the story from all points of view was great, and gave depth to everyone. This comic deals with issues like arranged marriages, familiar pressure, and even Japanese societal norms that really leaves you on the edge of your seat like any good drama would. I don’t normally say this about this genre, but I think this has been my favorite manga of the year so far, and I will try to find a way to read the author’s previous work, Raise wa Tanin ga Ii (something like: I’d Prefer It If We’re Strangers in Our Next Life).

Natsumi’s little sister Haru means the world to her. However, after Haru tragically passes away from cancer, Natsumi begins dating her sister’s fiancé Togo on one condition: that he takes her to every place he visited with Haru.

However, as the seasons pass, both of them remain haunted by the shadow of Haru’s death.

Haru’s Curse by Asuka Konishi isn't a sugar-coated romance. It’s an emotionally-driven story about reconciling love, guilt, and loss. It navigates both romantic and family relationships with heartbreaking honesty and skill. There’s an incredible rawness to it. The characters are messy, flawed, believable.

I’m going to be honest though. The art is also more simplistic than I’m used to and it took a while to grow on me. However, by the end, I found the art style charming and the sheer earnestness in the dialogue is enough to carry the emotional weight of the story.

Lastly, one of my nitpicky issues with the manga actually boils down to the typesetting. It's the same issue I had with Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest since both manga are published under the same imprint of Kodansha: Vertical Comics. The font can be small at times—especially for sounds effects—making it more difficult to read in certain parts.

Overall though, Haru’s Curse is a tragically poignant and bittersweet josei romance about two souls coping with the death of a loved one while coming to terms with their own feelings for each other. I cannot recommend it enough.

This was such an interesting reading. The manga is about this girl called Natsumi who starts dating her dead-sister Haru's fiance (and they're both well-aware of that detail).

What I liked about this story was the complexity of it. Natsumi and Haru were so close because their mother left and their father married shortly after that, leaving their with the feeling of being no longer wanted. But they grew too close Natsumi keeps thinking if that wasn't she being in love with her sister. She makes up her mind after hanging out with Togo (Haru's ex).

The story not only focuses on Natsumi's pov, as Togo also has his chapters so the reader fully knows how those two felt while Haru was still alive. We even get Haru's pov throughout the manga. So we've got the feelings of guilt as these two characters weren't supposed to fall for each other.

Absolutely adored this story. I found the themes of grief and healing to be extremely engaging.
Haru's Curse really surprised me at the end of the day because I did not expect to feel so emotional reading it.

I found the artwork to also be stunning.

C/W: Grief, cancer and talk of suicide,

This manga was a mesmerising exploration of love and filial duty. The art-style is crisp and unsurprising. I loved that this volume contained the entire story and the special chapters.

The story follows Togo and Natsumi who decide to date each other after Haru's death. However, the memory of Haru is a cloud over their relationship as Haru was Natsumi's younger sister and engaged to Togo.

In all honesty, this is a really gentle, somewhat dark, story that asks the question "Who should we live our lives for?". While romance plays a central role it does not overshadow the other themes or concepts presented in "Haru's Curse". The translator, Hannah Airriess did a wonderful job with this series and this is probably why "Haru's Curse" is definitely a new favourite. I can't wait to explore more of Asuka Konishi's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for access to an e-arc of "Haru's Curse" in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics, and Asuka Konishi for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very wholesome slice-of-life manga complete in one 360 page volume. The English translation was very well done. The story was pristine and the art was nice too.

The story starts off with the death of Natsumi's sister, Haru, who was engaged to a man named Togo. Even while dating Haru, Togo had feelings for Natsumi, and Natsumi only had love for her sister. After Haru's death, Natsumi and Togo begin to date with certain terms, though Togo took it seriously while Natsumi did not. How can someone date the same person her dead sister dated? Both are wracked with guilt, but also come to terms with the reality of death and what it means to move forward in life.

This was an all-around excellent manga that really dealt with realistic hardships and explored the different forms of love and what they mean to the living. A wonderful manga I would recommend to somewhat older readers, but anyone can enjoy this story and take it to heart.

Big shout out too NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I read this in one go straight through and I am looking forward to continuing to support the author in future volumes. The art style is simple, but still manages to be charming and eye capturing. The full colored pages in this copy were astounding (always love some full colored art).

I genuinely loved each character and their interactions. I'm looking forward to seeing how this "cursed" relationship continues to bloom and what comes up for them next. I can only imagine the sets of struggles and hurdles they'll have to cross so I'm excited to see what Asuka Konishi puts out.

It was a little more somber than romances I'm used to reading, but nevertheless I enjoyed it and will be picking up this volume physically when it's released.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley + in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I read this in the morning and I'M FUCKING SOBBING IN THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER
This is what I like about comics or graphic novels that the romance in it has stakes and omg the slow-burn and the pain. Both Natsumi and Togo slowly fall for each other after Haru died and they feel guilty especially Natsumi. The way Togo just fall for Natsumi is such a fluff. The story is so gloomy and dark. I thought the ending will be a sad ending where Natsumi or Togo ended up dying.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the chance to read this comics.

I already knew about Asuka Konishi’s other works and I enjoyed it thoroughly so when I got the opportunity to read their other work like this, I was very thankful. I already knew there was going to be some emotions flying about and complicated ones at that. Overall I enjoyed the journey we went through with Natsumi, a dedicated older sister who took care of her younger sister to the point of calling her overbearing, and Togo, the ex fiancé who cared, but heart wasn’t in the the marriage proposal.

If you want a short, but emotional ride, please go ahead and read this story. The art is pretty and the explanation overall is very much their with complexed human emotions that one reader can understand.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this aRC in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say that this story started strong and got better by the end. It's a story about lost, grief but also about second chances in life, new starts and the discovery of oneself.
I loved everything about this book and I never loved mangas with tragedy but this book made me change my mind because it was so well written. Asuka Konishi is a discovery for me and after this story I want to read her other books.

After the death of her sister Haru, Natsumi starts dating Haru's fiance Togo. They both have feelings for each other but they also feel an incredible amount of guilt. Will their love be enough for them to move on with their lives or will they get stuck in Haru's curse?
The synopsis was very interesting to me but I didn't know what to expect going in. And I ended up really liking this. Natsumi was adorable. Awkward, loud but ultimately very kind and caring. Her father is an idiot though, somehow her stepmother loves her more than her own dad. Togo is also quite interesting. His life has been planned for him from the very beginning and he always did what his parents wanted him to do. Togo's mother wanted him to marry Haru and Togo was going to and probably would have, but he found himself drawn more and more to Natsumi. Her personality is a polar opposite of his and they balance each other really well. It didn't take long for me to start rooting for this romance, I wanted these two characters to be happy. The arstyle was interesting, particularly in the way faces and bodies were drawn but I liked it a lot, it was unique.
My only criticism is that I wanted more character development. Natsumi mentioned once that she wasn't sure about her sexual orientation and that she might have been in love with her sister. And then it is not explored further. I mean, it definitely should have been a topic of some discussion, right? I think this book should have been a little longer so that more time could have been spent on the characters. But overall it is a good book and would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4)

I received an ARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

When Natsumi's younger sister dies, she's devastated. Haru was Natsumi's whole world, and her loss is hard to deal with. Haru had been dating Togo, a man from a wealthy family. In a strange twist of events, Natsumi reluctantly agrees to date him. As the two continue to see each other, the memory of Haru hangs over them, making them question if what they're doing is right.

I have mixed feelings about this manga. I liked the art style and I liked the way that grief, loss, and guilt were portrayed. I never really connected to the two main characters, and their relationship seemed a bit strange.

Ultimately, the art was beautiful and the story was okay. I'm not sure if I would recommend this--I guess it depends on the reader.

After Natsumi's younger sister and best friend Haru dies at the age of 19, she begins dating Haru's fiancee Togo - on the condition that he take her only to places he had taken her sister. Their relationship deepens as the seasons pass, but Haru's curse lies between them...
Will there be happiness after Haru's curse is broken?- Goodreads

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish it was longer to see what happens.

The story is simple enough but it is the complex emotions that keeps me hanging on. The unfortunate and unexpected death of Haru keeps the book going but it isn't exactly the main story until the end. I liked it that way; it allowed Natsumi and Togo to grow on me as a reader and it made me feel for them.

The overall story gave a different perspective to some very hard choices. Moving on to the artwork, I thought I wouldn't like it but it fit the overall story perfectly. Although blocky, it was detailed and the artist showed a lot of intense emotions through the book.

I really wish there was another book as I really want to see what happens. This is not to say that the ending was crappy or that it keeps you on a cliff hanger; its to say that the I was so moved by the story and how it was written, how it was drawn that I want more of it.

Overall,

This manga isn't for the faint of heart in regards to emotions but overall, I loved it.

Holy heck, this manga was quite a ride. I had just finished reading a cute shojo manga before starting this one, so it was quite a switch. The story is about a young woman named Natsumi who is super close to her younger sister Haru. After her sister falls ill and dies, Natsumi begins dating her sister's fiancé Togo in order to go on the dates they went on and try to cling to the memories of her. The art style is nice and the story was captivatingly sad. The only big downside to this read for me were the references to consanguineous dating/marriage, as Togo belongs to a prestigious family and is expected to keep the bloodline "pure." Other than that it was engaging and I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3.5

I always enjoy finding new mangas to read and was excited to see this one on Netgalley. It also has both volumes included so I could finish it right away!

Haru’s Curse follows the life of Natsumi after her younger sister dies. The book is filled with grief and what people do to deal with it. It also follows her relationship with Togo (The fiancée of her younger sister), who she has agreed to date on one condition.

There are a couple times where the point-of-view switches as to better understand both characters, Natsumi and Togo as they find themselves in this weird relationship. There are also past tense scenes to help bridge the gap of how they all interacted with Haru (the sister). It all added to the plot and helped bridge the gap.

Natsumi is definitely a wreck as she doted on her sister who was the only one really there for her growing up. They didn’t have the best childhood and it was easy to understand why such a loss would cause her to spiral at times.

Togo has been living under his mother’s thumb since they day he was born. He hasn’t ever had to make any choices of his own but he does come out of his shell when he is around Natsumi. I did like seeing that side of him.

Both of them have a lot in common and it is easy to understand why they would find themselves in such a predicament. Although it isn’t easy on their conscious as they struggle to come to terms with grief and learning to move on when you don’t want to hurt the one who is no longer living.

Overall, I liked this one. The ending was a bit on the meh side as I don’t like open-ended but I still am happy I gave this one a chance.

This was my first Manga and seriously, I'm addicted. It was darker than I was expecting, I don't know why that it is, though. Comics are often dark, using the beautiful artwork to draw readers. I loved this angsty, second chance romance/manga. Definitely going to rec to my young adult students.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I liked the art style, but didn’t expect the story to be quite this sad and dark. Plus, the characters had serious issues and should probably seek professional help.

This story is short, only 8 chapters, although the electronic version is a solid 362 pages. I have very slight problems with art. These noses are just awful! And the characters are thinner than the thinnest ones I remember seeing, it's scary xD In general - this can't boast of any more beautiful art, at least in my eyes.
The story reminds me more of a Korean drama - one in which there was not a single kiss, but the story is strange and captivating, even if you don't expect it to be.
Tougo is a wealthy heir whose family wants to marry him to a good party - a girl from a good family who no longer has money but has "pure" blood. The heirs of the Tachibana family with two. Tougo's family chooses the younger one. But she dies young and it is said that Tougo has always had feelings for the older one ... and it seems that she also has feelings for him. Haru's shadow is still above them ...
Crazy story, but very well presented. I like that it develops in so few chapters because it keeps the baseline straight, doesn't blur it. To some extent, things are a little sweetened, but that's not a bad thing at all, because it gives you the feeling that you're just reading a non-standard show, and not something that should be out of your sight and heavy for months on end.
I recommend it for older readers, the practice of this is pure josei, all again.

The original review is in Bulgarian. I apologize for a possible wrong translation into English. The link to the Bulgarian review is below.

Natsumi's little sister Haru means the world to her. They do everything together until they both go to meet bachelor Togo and his family to arrange a marriage between families. Haru hits it off with Togo's mom right away and she is ultimately selected for Togo. Haru falls ill and eventually dies leaving Natsumi utterly wrecked. She and Togo work through their grief together. Will Natsumi let her guilt and fear of being labeled a bad sister stop her from admitting her feeling for Togo?

I went into this book skeptical. Sisters before misters, right? This book holds our hand through Natsumi and Togo's experience and how it's easy to judge people instead of looking at the situation in a compassionate way.

My favorite quote and great characterization of Togo came after he was given a candy apple by Natsumi:
"He didn't know how to eat it, so he took it home and broke off the candy coating, then cut it up and ate it like a normal apple."

Trigger warning: suicide